Rhine Highlights: 8 days Amsterdam to Basel

Your journey begins in the picturesque city of Amsterdam. A labyrinth of narrow laneways and canals lined with beautifully preserved 17th century buildings and charming cafés, the city is a delight to wander.

Board your 5-star Scenic Space-Ship this afternoon, meet your fellow guests and raise a glass to the start of a fascinating journey ahead of you at this evening’s welcome reception.

Spend this morning in Amsterdam. The Netherlands’ capital is a treasure trove of architectural beauty, galleries filled with masterpieces, 16th-century canals, narrow cobbled laneways, and streets bustling with cyclists. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, much of the UNESCO-listed canal system exists today as it did hundreds of years ago, lined with well-preserved houses and intersected by charming bridges.

Scenic Freechoice:
Discover more of the city on one of these excursions:

Canal cruise: Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometres of canals. See some of the prettiest sights of the city on a one-hour cruise along these historic waterways. Admire Golden Age mansions, grand warehouses and narrow bridges.

Walking tour of Amsterdam: Explore Amsterdam on foot, discovering the maze of canals and bridges in the city centre. Your guide will be covering history, modern lifestyle and Dutch culture. You also get to taste herring, a local delicacy not to be missed.

Fabrique des Lumières: Art springs to life in this impressive digital art installation, the largest in the Netherlands. Located in a former 19th-century gas works, pieces from renowned artists are projected onto the 17-metre high walls, accompanied by music to create an immersive ambience.

Dutch Countryside e-bike tour: Amsterdam is known as the bicycle capital of the world. Take a small ferry to the outskirts of town for a biking tour. Your local guide will be on hand to offer information about everyday life of the Dutch people, many of whom you will see getting around on two wheels.

Arrive in the 2,000-year-old city of Cologne early this afternoon. Cologne suffered extensive damage during World War II but was painstakingly restored over the following decades. Set out on a walking tour of the Old Town, admiring its historic buildings, beautiful squares and the World Heritage-listed Cologne Cathedral. With a late departure tonight, you will have some free time to explore the city on your own and get a taste of the nightlife.

One of Germany’s oldest cities, Koblenz was founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago and is brimming with history. It sits where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet and promises a mélange of French and German cultures. Koblenz is filled with parks and flowers and is the gateway to both the romantic Rhine Valley and the beautiful Moselle Valley.

Scenic Freechoice:
Choose to explore your way with this morning’s Scenic Freechoice:

Walking tour of Koblenz: Join your guide to explore the old town’s winding streets, impressive townhouses, charming squares and historic churches, and visit the famed Florinsmarkt, the former political and economic centre of the city.

Medieval Limburg: Travel by coach to the charming medieval town of Limburg an der Lahn. Walk the historic cobblestone streets lined with perfectly preserved half-timbered houses, visit the cathedral that overlooks the city and see  Alten Lahnbrücke, the Old Bridge that straddles the Lahn River.

Cochem & Moselle Valley: Travel through the beautiful Moselle Valley to the town of Cochem. Take a walking tour through its pretty centre, where cobbled lanes are lined with half-timbered houses, then visit the grand Reichsburg Castle.

Relax on board this afternoon as you cruise through the picturesque Rhine Gorge, where the landscapes could have been pulled from the pages of a fairytale. This 65-kilometre stretch of the river is dotted with some 40 hilltop castles and fortresses that span a period of 1,000 years. Look out for the Lorelei statue, dedicated to the tragic legend of a beautiful maiden.

Arrive in Mannheim this morning. A large metropolitan centre, Mannheim still runs along its recognisable 18th-century grid pattern and is known for its grand Baroque squares, fountains and palace. Your Freechoice excursions today will take you away from the city to discover more of the surrounding region.

Scenic Freechoice:
Choose between these immersive Freechoice experiences this morning:

Orientation tour of Heidelberg: Transfer by coach to Heidelberg for a brief walking tour of the city, including the Old Town, and then enjoy some free time. (Note: the walk is not too strenuous but there are some stairs and uneven ground.)

Historical tour of Heidelberg: Take a guided tour of Heidelberg, then visit Heidelberg Castle, one of the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. Admire the views from balcony and the great Heidelberg Tun, the world’s largest Wine Barrel. (Note: the walk is not too strenuous but there are some stairs and uneven ground.)

Excursion to Bad Dürkheim: It’s just a short drive through stunning vine-covered landscapes to Bad Dürkheim. Visit the renowned property of Fitz Ritter, a ninth-generation family-owned vineyard that offers exceptional quality wine. Enjoy a tour and tasting.

Cruise to Rastatt this evening.

Scenic Enrich
Private concert at the Baroque Palace of Rastatt: One of the most magnificent historic venues in the region, the Baroque Palace of Rastatt was modelled on the Palace of Versailles, and hosts an evening of grandeur unlike any other. Explore the opulent palace and gardens, before sitting down to a private performance from accomplished musicians and a soloist.

You’ll awaken in Rastatt, a Baroque town with an abundance of green spaces and two iconic palaces. It’s also the gateway to Baden-Baden, a spa town on the edge of the Black Forest. Its curative waters, thermal baths and luxurious hotels made it a favourite retreat of the European elite in the 19th century.

Scenic Freechoice:
Explore your way this morning with one of these Scenic Freechoice:

Walking tour of Baden-Baden: Follow in the steps of renowned Europeans who spent summers in this famed spa town two centuries ago. See the elegant Kurhaus, built in the 1820s with a casino and luxury shopping in its colonnade, and explore the remains of the Roman baths.

Baden-Baden spa visit: Relax and rejuvenate in the thermal baths of Caracalla Spa, permanently and naturally heated by thermal waters some 2,000 metres under the earth’s surface.

Schloss Favorite: Once a hunting lodge and summer palace for 18th century aristocrats (though used for seven weeks a year), Schloss Favorite is now the oldest of the German ‘porcelain palaces’ and the only one to survive intact.

Your Scenic Space-Ship will dock in Kehl, just across the border from the French city of Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region. Here, sherbert-coloured, half-timbered houses heave together on the banks of a complex network of canals. It’s a captivating blend of France and Germany, of a Medieval past and an innovative future. Strasbourg has an infectious, youthful energy and you’ll regularly see the locals enjoying spontaneous soccer games and pop-up wine bars.

Scenic Freechoice: Explore the region on one of these Freechoice tours:

Guided tour of Strasbourg: See the city’s most important sites on foot, like the cathedral, Petit France and the Grand Ile, and learn about its unique mixture of both French and German architecture and culture. (Note: this is an active walk.)

Alsace wine region: Travel by coach through the pretty Alsace wine region to the village of Obernai for some free time. Then visit Mittelbergheim for a wine tasting in a local cellar.

Cycle through Strasbourg: Hop on board an e-bike and explore the sights surrounding the city. Strasbourg has over 500 km of bicycle trails and you will explore some of these while cycling through the city’s charming suburbs past historic buildings beautiful parklands and charming canals.

Your cruise concludes this morning in Basel. Enjoy one final breakfast on board, then disembark, taking with you lifelong memories of a remarkable journey.

Please book your flight to depart out of Basel after 10:00 AM.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions.