Castles along the Rhine & Danube

(July 15-August 2, 2010)

Camilla & Bill will travel an exciting & exploring journey

where medieval castles perch atop craggy cliffs-enchanting

ruins that amazingly hint at the pageantry of royal life

centuries ago.

Look at this map where we begin a river journey

from Budapest, Hungary to an end of Amsterdam, Netherlands

River Explorer, deluxe river cruise ship along

the romantic "Blue Danube" that we sail 2 weeks

Stunning views of Pest:Parliament, Chain Bridge(Szechenyi Ianchid), Danube River

Fishermen's Bastion

Matthias Church(The Church of Our Lady)

Beautiful Chain Bridge(Szechenyi Ianchid) at night the first permanent bridge over the Danube, completed in 1849

Day 1

* Depart gateway for overnight flight to Budapest, Hungary:a beautiful baraque capitol

Day2

* Arrive Budapest/Embark

* Welcome briefing on board ship

* Accommodations for 14 nights on board a deluxe cruise ship

Day 3

* City tour of Budapest, visiting Fishermen's Bastion & Matthias Church(The Church of our Lady)

(extension passengers will take a tour of Szentendre, a picturesque & charming village of Hungary

* Ship departs Budapest with commentary from the ship's Bridge

* Captain's Welcome Party and Dinner

Day 4

* Morning at leisure on board

* Lecture on European Rivers

* German for Travellers lesson on board ship

* Ship arrives Vienna, Austria

* Choice of Musical Vienna tour featuring sites associated with the great classical composers who lived

in Vienna OR tour of Schonbrunn Palace

* Optional dinner with winetasting at Heurigeon Wolff

Day 5

* Morning lecture on Musical Vienna

* Panoramic city tour of Vienna including the Ringstasse & visit to the National Library

* Afternoon at leisure in Vienna with courtesy bus provided OR optional Third Man Theme Tour

* Evening classical concert

Day 6

* Ship departs Vienna in morning

* Apple strudel making demonstration

* Full day at leisure on board while sailing the scenic Danube with commentary from the ships Bridge on

the Wachau Valley

Day 7

* Ship arrives Passau, Germany

* Walking tour of Passau and viewing of St. Stephen's Cathedral & Bishops Residence

* Organ concert at the Cathedral

* Afternoon leisure

* Ship departs Passau

Day 8

* Ship arrives Regensburg, Germany

* Lecture on the Main-Danube Canal

* Morning walking tour of Regensburg

* Afternoon at leisure OR optional Weltenburg Monastery tour

* Ship departs Regendsburg

Day 9

* Ship arrives Nuremberg, Germany

* Tour of Nuremberg including visit to the World War II Documentation Center, & the former Nazi

Rallygrounds

* Lunch with local university students

* Afternoon at leisure or choice of included visit:Toy Museum or Albrecht Durer House

* Onboard lecture:"The Development of a German Town"

* Evening at leisure

* Ship departs Nuremberg

Day 10

* Ship arrives Bamberg, Germany

* Morning walking tour of Bamberg

* Ship departs Bamberg

* Afternoon at leisure on board

Day 11

* Ship arrives Wurzburg, Germany

* Lecture on European Union

* Choice:Guided tour of Wurzburg Resident & wine-tasting OR excursion to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

(a set amount of Euros will be provided by your Program Manager for lunch at a restaurant of your

choice)

* Ship departs Wurzburg

Day 12

* Morning at leisure on board with scenic cruising on Main River

* Glassblowing demonstration on board

* Ship arrives Wertheim, Germany

* Walking tour of Wertheim

* Home-hosted visit for cake & coffee

* Ship departs Wertheim

Day 13

* Ship arrives Aschaffenburg, Germany

* Full-day excursion by motorcoach to Heidelberg, with a guided tour of Heidelberg Castle. Included

lunch at a restaurant in Heidelburg. Ship departs Aschaffenburg & return to Frankfurt, Germany.

Excursion returns to ship in Frankfurt OR Panoramic City Tour of Frankfurt

Day 14

* Ship departs Frankfurt

* Ship arrives Rudesheim, Germany

* Your choice of included tours:gondola ride to the Niederwald monument OR visit to Siegfrieds

Musikkabinett museum of mechanical musical instruments

* Ship departs Rudesheim

* Scenic sailing past the cliffs and castles of the romantic Rhine with commentary from the Bridge on the

Legend of the Lorelei

* Captains Farewell Party & Dinner

* Ship arrives Cologne, Germany

Day 15

* Tour of Cologne with visit to the Roman-Germanic Museum

* Ship departs Cologne

* Afternoon at leisure on board

Day 16

* Ship arrives Amsterdam, Netherlands

* City tour of Amsterdam, including a visit to the Rijksmuseum & visit to one of Amsterdam's oldest

diamond-cutting workshops

* Afternoon at leisure OR Optional Canal Cruise

* Check in to the hotel

* Evening at leisure, dinner on own

* Accommodations for 2 nights

Day 17

* Buffet breakfast at the hotel

* Day at leisure or optional excursions to Zaanse Schans & Edam & Aalsmerr Flower Market

* Farewell Dinner at hotel

Day 18

* Buffet breakfast at the hotel

* Motorcoach transfer to the airport for return flight

Amsterdam's oldest diamond-cutting workshops

"A City of Jewels"

Rijksmuseum-a Dutch National Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Zaane Schans-a small village on the banks of the Zaan River,

complete with tidy greenhouses, real working windmills, & small

topical museums such as the Clock museum & the first Albart Heijn store

Windmills

Hope you will enjoy reading day by day itinerary we are traveling...
Pray for our safe journey.