• All Breakfasts, Lunches, and Dinners on Board
• One Free Checked Luggage
• All land transfers
• Sight seeing activities
• Entertainment reflecting local culture
• All taxes, fees, and port charges
• Insurance: trip cancellation and health; if you choose not to accept our plan, deduct $150.00

Meet the crew at a welcome aboard reception, depart Basel

Situated on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg blends the cultures of both countries in a delightful way. On your walking tour of Strasbourg you will discover Europe at its most quintessential. We will visit the monumental red-sandstone GOTHIC CATHEDRAL with its ancient murals, stained-glass windows, and fascinating astronomical clock, as well as the magical LA PETITE FRANCE district, home to half-timbered houses,quaint shops, inviting bistros, and a waterfront promenade. Also spend time exploring Place Kléber, a large historic square in the heart of the city, and Place Gutenberg in the heart of medieval Strasbourg, which features a statue of the inventor of the printing press. This afternoon, optional excursions into the Alsace Wine Country or the Black Forest.

Today we visit the imposing ruins of HEIDELBERG CASTLE, towering magnificently over the city and among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. You’ll also see the famed GREAT VAT, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel.”Heidelberg

Strategically located at the confluence of the Rhine and Main Rivers is Mainz, with “civilized” origins dating back to around 38 BC. Today, this is Germany’s largest and most important wine market. The Altstadt (Old Town) has many intriguing shops and the whimsical Fastnachtsbrunnen (Carnival Fountain) on the Schillerplatz, a tribute to the jesters at the city’s annual Carnival celebration. Gutenberg, father of modern printing, was born here and we’ll visit the fascinating GUTENBERG MUSEUM. During lunch, we depart Mainz and cruise on to pretty Rüdesheim, a typical Rhine Valley wine town. Here, we visit SIEGFRIED’S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM, where you’ll see and hear a large collection of self-playing calliopes and music boxes from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. Afterwards, there’s free time to pick up some souvenirs in Drosselgasse, where colorful flowers, open-air wine gardens.

Downriver from Rüdesheim is the dramatic RHINE GORGE, the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine. Here, ancient castles stand sentry on lofty cliffs rising 400 feet above the waters. We cruise past the Rock of the Lorelei, where ledgend says echoes of enchanted siren songs lured unwitting sailors to their doom.Soon we arrive at the place where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers meet—the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) with its impressive equestrian statue of German Emperor William I. Here we meet out Local Guide for a WALKING TOUR of the 2,000-year-old city of Koblenz, which reveals an eventful past through its castles, fortress walls, towers, squares, and monuments.

One of Germany’s largest cities and capital of the Rhineland, Cologne straddles both Rhine, and is known for its soaring, twin-steepled gothic cathedral. Choose between an included GUIDED CITY WALK or JEWISH HERITAGE WALK. Later, during free time, look in on the Romano-Germanic Museum, home to a large collection of artifacts from the Roman settlement on which modern Cologne is built—a must for history buffs! The Old Town abounds with cafés, shops, and taverns. Be sure to try a Kölsch pale lager, locally brewed in Cologne for over a hundred years!

Today we arrive in Amsterdam! Holland’s sophisticated, modern capital has a rich and fascinating history. This delightful 700-year-old city with its elegant and classic architecture, cafés, and restaurants has a distinct ambiance. The works of famous Dutch masters can be seen in world-renowned museums, such as the Rijksmuseum. There is no better way to see Amsterdam than by CANAL BOAT. Once aboard our canal boat we will cruise through the elegant grachten lined with stately homes dating back to Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning and a return flight home.

• Passport related expenses
• Personal items you may wish to purchase