DAY 1 | May 26. Depart for Budapest, Hungary
DAY 2 | May 27. Budapest
Upon arrival in Budapest, transferA to the pier and embark the MS Amadeus Silver. Tonight, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception and Dinner. (D)
DAY 3 | May 28. Budapest
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Highlights of Budapest. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, passing Heroes’ Square, the Opera House and the Gothic-style Parliament Building. Enjoy sweeping views from Fisherman’s Bastion.
Excursion: Living Local. Take a guided tour of Budapest’s bustling Great Market Hall and peruse the food and craft stalls. Continue to a local coffee house to enjoy a piece of strudel with coffee or tea and a sampling of Eastern European schnapps.
Excursion: Jewish Interest Tour. Explore the Jewish Quarter and see the Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe. Continue to the Glass House and Shoes on the Danube, then explore the Holocaust Memorial Center.
(B, L, D)
DAY 4 | May 29. Bratislava
Educational Focus: The Velvet Revolution. Learn about this pivotal event that led to the end of communism in what was Czechoslovakia.
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Bratislava City Walking Tour. Marvel at St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Slovak National Theatre and St. Michael’s Gate. Continue to Primate’s Palace, then visit a café for a lesson in pastry making.
Excursion: Classical Music. Explore Old Town, focusing on the venues associated with Mozart and other renowned composers, then tour the Historic Opera Building.
Excursion: The Old Capital. Discover Pressburg, as Bratislava once was called. See the imposing Bratislava Castle. Afterward, tour Old Town, then enjoy a beer tasting at a local pub.
(B, L, D)
DAY 5 | May 30. Vienna
Educational Focus: Timeless Vienna. Discover the history of Vienna.
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Imperial Vienna. Explore the Imperial Apartments of Hofburg Palace, then drive along the Ringstrasse, one of the most magnificent boulevards in the world.
Excursion: Art and Wine. Journey to nearby Klosterneuburg. Overlooking the Danube is its 12th-century monastery, home to the Verdun Altar. Explore the monastery’s wine cellar and enjoy a tasting before a tour of Vienna.
Excursion: Waltz Vienna. A panoramic tour of the city ends at Beethoven Platz, where you will meet professional guides in traditional dress who will teach you about the Viennese waltz. Perhaps try a few steps.
Local Flavor: Sample regional delights during lunch at a Viennese restaurant.
Independent Exploration: Spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
(B, L, D)
DAY 6 | May 31. Dürnstein / Melk
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in Dürnstein.
Excursion: Dürnstein Walking Tour. Tour baroque architecture and visit the magnificent Stiftskirche in Dürnstein, the town in which King Richard the Lionheart of England was held captive during the Crusades.
Excursion: Wachau Cycling. Explore parts of the Danube Bicycle Trail, which runs from Germany to Hungary, with a guide. Along the way, pass villages and vineyards.
Excursion: Wachau Winery. Head out of Dürnstein, passing stunning vineyards and lush scenery as you walk to a local winery, for a tour, and enjoy samples from its cellar. This afternoon, enjoy daytime sailing through the picturesque Wachau Valley.
Excursion: Melk Abbey. Visit Melk’s Benedictine abbey, an architectural jewel. The baroque building dates from 1736, and an amazing view of the mighty Danube awaits.
(B, L, D)
DAY 7 | June 1. Passau
Excursion: Picturesque Passau. Stroll by the Veste Oberhaus, Rathaus, Niedernburg Abbey and Holy Cross Church. Then, enjoy an organ concert at St. Stephen’s Basilica, home to the world’s largest cathedral organ.
Independent Exploration: The remainder of the day is at leisure.
(B, L, D)
DAY 8 | June 2. Regensburg
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from two included excursions in Regensburg.
Excursion: Historic Regensburg. During a tour, see the old Roman tower, the Roman gateway, the 12th-century Stone Bridge, the Old Town hall and the stunning stained-glass windows of St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Excursion: The Fast Lane. Take a closer look at the ultimate driving machine during a tour of the BMW Regensburg Plant, which produces more than 1,100 vehicles per day. Later, the ship will enter the Main-Danube Canal, an idea dating from the eighth century and completed in the early 1990s.
(B, L, D)
DAY 9 | June 3. Nuremberg
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Nuremberg Sightseeing. See the courthouse where the World War II trials were held. Visit the city’s renowned hilltop castle and stroll to the Hauptmarkt, an open square dominated by a 14th-century fountain.
Excursion: Historical Tour. Nuremberg often played host to Nazi demonstrations at the massive Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds. Explore the center and see the courthouse used for the World War II trials.
Excursion: Rural Life. After a panoramic tour of Nuremberg, visit a family-run farm and nearby idyllic villages.
(B, L, D)
DAY 10 | June 4. Bamberg
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from two included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Bamberg. During a guided walking tour of Bamberg, wander under the grand rococo archway of the Obere Brücke and enjoy the view of red-roofed fishermen’s houses and baroque mansions.
Excursion: Culinary Delights. Visit a local bakery, a butcher shop, a deli and a candy store. Along the way, learn about and sample Franconian specialties such as the Bamberger Hörnla and the region’s famous licorice.
(B, L, D)
DAY 11 | June 5. Romantic Road / Würzburg
Excursion: The Romantic Road. Take a scenic drive along the Romantic Road. This famous route, started by the Romans, runs from the Main River to the Alps. Stop in Rothenburg, one of the Romantic Road’s prettiest towns.
Excursion: Würzburg. Explore the Residenz, an elegant, 18th-century palace, then enjoy a walking tour of the historic city center. Stroll by St. Kilian’s Cathedral, Old Town Hall and the city’s bustling market.
(B, L, D)
DAY 12 | June 6. Miltenberg
Excursion: Miltenberg. Enjoy a walking tour of this medieval city, home to a 13th century castle. See shops, half-timbered houses and a 16th-century fountain. Later, as you cruise, enjoy breathtaking views along the Main River.
(B, L, D)
DAY 13 | June 7. Koblenz
This morning, admire the stunning views, including Loreley Rock, from the ship as you enjoy daytime sailing of the Middle Rhine Valley.
Excursion: Koblenz. More than 2,000 years ago, the Romans established a settlement at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers. Tour beautiful Koblenz, which occupies that same strategic location.
(B, L, D)
DAY 14 | June 8. Cologne
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from two included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Cologne’s Magnificent Cathedral. Visit Kölner Dom, the city’s famous 12th-century cathedral. It was badly damaged during World War II, but it was one of the few structures in town that survived.
Excursion: Jewish Heritage Walk. Long before the Holocaust, Jewish residents of Cologne had suffered expulsions and massacres. Recent excavation projects have started to reveal the city’s historic Jewish quarter. See the excavation sites and visit the Cologne City Museum. Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers for a Farewell Reception and Dinner on the ship.
(B, L, D)
DAY 15 | June 9. Amsterdam
Educational Focus: Contemporary Holland. Review the current state of affairs in the Netherlands with a local expert.
Personalize Your Cruise: Choose from three included excursions in this port.
Excursion: Amsterdam Tour with the Rijksmuseum. Explore Amsterdam during a guided tour. Admire historic landmarks such as the Royal Palace and the Skinny Bridge. Then, visit the Rijksmuseum.
Excursion: Waterland Bicycle Ride. Take a guided bike tour of scenic Waterland, an iconic wetland north of Amsterdam.
Excursion: Canal District. Take a walking tour of the Herengracht. End at the Museum of the Canals.
Excursion: Canal Cruise. Later, everyone will board a canal cruiser for a tour of Amsterdam. Admire some of the city’s 1,500 bridges and its architectural gems.
(B, L, D)
DAY 16 | June 10.
After breakfast, disembark the ship and transfer to the airport for the return flights to your gateway city.
(B)
Note: Itinerary subject to change. Some events on this program involve an element of walking.
