Your Itinerary
We make our own way to the ship in Amsterdam, where our Magnificent Europe voyage begins. After settling into our stateroom we meet our fellow travellers over dinner onboard.
Special Information
Transfers are not included. Our transfer portal may offer the option to book transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply), accessible through the Traveller Hub once the booking is confirmed.
Final travel documentation will be provided approximately 30 days prior to departure.
This morning we cruise the canals of Amsterdam, gliding beneath the bridges of the UNESCO-listed ring of waterways past gabled merchant houses and houseboats.
The ship sails later in the day as we begin our journey up the Rhine.
We arrive in Cologne, home to one of Germany's great Gothic cathedrals. This morning we join a walking tour of the Old Town taking in the Rathaus, the Old Market and the Heumarkt, finishing with a taste of Kölsch, the beer brewed only in this city.
Those preferring a more active morning may join a guided bike ride along the Rhine.
Day 4 - Rhine Gorge – Rüdesheim
This morning we cruise the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, the most celebrated stretch of the river, where vineyards climb from the water and castles crown the ridgelines.
This afternoon in Rüdesheim we may ride the gondola above the vineyards, visit Siegfried's Mechanical Instrument Cabinet, or stop for the town's famous Rüdesheimer Coffee.
Special Information
Scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge this morning.
We call at Wertheim, considered to have one of the loveliest town centres in Germany, gathered below the ruins of its hilltop castle.
We may join a walking tour of the old town, hike up to the castle, or cycle through the Main River Valley.
We arrive in Würzburg, a city of Baroque splendour on the Main. This morning we may tour the city, or step inside the UNESCO-listed Residenz Palace to see its opulent interiors and the vast ceiling fresco by Tiepolo.
Alternatively we may spend the full day in Rothenburg, Germany's best-preserved walled town on the Romantic Road.
Special Information
The Rothenburg excursion is a full-day option and replaces the Würzburg touring.
Day 7 - Eltmann – Bamberg
The ship berths at Eltmann this morning for our visit to Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage medieval town built across seven hills.
We may join a walking tour taking in the cathedral and the Old Town Hall perched mid-river, taste our way through the city with smoked beer and Hörnla pastries, or join a guided bike tour.
We arrive in Nuremberg and head ashore for a guided tour of Kaiserburg, the Imperial Castle and one of the most significant palaces of the Holy Roman Empire.
This afternoon we continue to the former home of Albrecht Dürer, arguably Germany's most famous artist, who lived and worked within these walls for nearly twenty years.
We have a second day in Nuremberg with a choice of touring: the medieval city and its town wall and Market Square fountain; the city's twentieth-century history at the former rally grounds and the Nuremberg Trials Memorium; or a tasting of Franconian specialities including bratwurst, rotbier and lebkuchen.
Later in the day we enter the Main–Danube Canal, an engineering feat linking the North Sea to the Black Sea.
Special Information
Courtroom 600 is subject to closure when the court is in session.
We call at Regensburg, among the best-preserved medieval cities in Germany, its Roman and Gothic layers still legible in the streets.
We may take a walking tour past the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, sample Bavarian beer, sausage and pretzels, or cycle out to Walhalla and its marble temple above the Danube.
We arrive in Passau, set at the confluence of three rivers, its Italian Baroque churches and Gothic lanes packed onto a narrow peninsula.
We may explore on a walking tour taking in St Stephen's Cathedral, cycle along the River Inn, or hike to the Veste Oberhaus fortress. Alternatively we may spend the full day in Salzburg.
Special Information
The Salzburg excursion is a full-day option and replaces the Passau touring.
We arrive in Passau, set at the confluence of three rivers, its Italian Baroque churches and Gothic lanes packed onto a narrow peninsula.
We may explore on a walking tour taking in St Stephen's Cathedral, cycle along the River Inn, or hike to the Veste Oberhaus fortress. Alternatively we may spend the full day in Salzburg.
Special Information
The Salzburg excursion is a full-day option and replaces the Passau touring.
We cruise into Austria and the Wachau Valley to reach Melk, where a great Benedictine abbey looks out over the Danube.
We may visit the UNESCO-listed abbey, one of Europe's largest Baroque monasteries, take the hike up to it, or cycle along the Danube.
Special Information
Scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley.
We arrive in Vienna, the heart of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, its entire city centre a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This morning our city tour takes in the Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs, finishing at St Stephen's Cathedral. The afternoon is at leisure.
Our final full day is spent in Budapest, a city of two halves facing each other across the Danube.This morning we begin on the Buda side in the Castle District, with the turrets of Fisherman's Bastion and the mosaic roof of Matthias Church. This afternoon we cross to Pest for the Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square and the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.
This morning we disembark in Budapest and make our own way onward.
Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable journey.
Special Information
Transfers from the ship to the airport are not included.
