Itinerary
- Day 1
Budapest
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome reception)
Landmarks Margaret Bridge - Day 2
Budapest
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Celebratory Christmas Eve dinner (if staying on board))
Included Activities
- Choice of guided tour: Budapest in Depth (visiting Buda and Pest districts, Várkert Bazár, Széchenyi Square, Elizabeth Square) or Guided hike of Buda (through Buda district with views of Danube River and city architecture)
Optional Activities
- Explore Christmas markets in town
- Visit local church and attend Christmas Mass
Landmarks Várkert Bazár Széchenyi Square Elizabeth Square - Day 3
Budapest to Vienna
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Day 4
Vienna
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Fine dining with classical concert at Palais Liechtenstein)
Included Activities
- Choice of guided tour: Central Vienna exploration with local guide and free time, Schönbrunn Palace guided tour (former summer residence of Habsburg family with ornate rooms and gardens), or Kunsthistorisches Museum visit
- Exclusive private classical concert at Palais Liechtenstein with glass of fine Austrian Sekt, featuring performances of Strauss and Mozart by renowned orchestra with ballet dancers and vocalists
Landmarks The Ringstrasse Schönbrunn Palace Kunsthistorisches Museum Palais Liechtenstein - Day 5
Durnstein to Melk
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch during Wachau Valley cruise), Dinner
Included Activities
- Orientation time in Durnstein
- Cruise through Wachau Valley during lunch
- Choice of afternoon activity: Guided tour of Melk Abbey (18th-century abbey with Marble Hall, library with 80,000+ books, and Abbey Church with frescoes and statues) or E-biking from Durnstein to Melk (guided ride passing small villages and rolling vineyards with river views)
Landmarks Durnstein Castle Wachau Valley Melk Abbey - Day 6
Brandstatt to Passau
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant (for Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov excursion)), Dinner
Included Activities
- Choice of full-day excursion: Salzburg (coach journey exploring alpine town on Salzach River with lunch at local restaurant), Cesky Krumlov (coach journey to Czech town with guided exploration of historic centre and lunch at local restaurant), or Highlights of Passau walking tour (exploring narrow laneways and visiting St. Stephens Cathedral at the confluence of Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers)
Landmarks Salzburg Cesky Krumlov St. Stephens Cathedral - Day 7
Regensburg
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Choice of guided tour: Regensburg walking tour with local guide (old stone bridge, Church of St James, Porta Praetoria, regional customs and traditions) or Bavarian beer tasting (visiting traditional breweries, learning about brewing intricacies, sampling distinctive Bavarian beers)
Landmarks Church of St James Porta Praetoria - Day 8
Nuremberg
- Meals
- Dinner
Optional Activities
- Walking tour of the Old Town including Imperial Castle, St. Egidien's Church, and market square
- WWII history tour with expert local guide
Landmarks Imperial Castle St. Egidien's Church Nuremberg Old Town Market Square - Day 9
Bamberg
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (New Year's Eve celebration party dinner)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Bamberg's World Heritage Old Town (Old Town Hall, Gothic and Romanesque cathedral, Old and New Residences, 'Little Venice', 12th-century castle)
Landmarks Bamberg Old Town Hall Bamberg Cathedral - Day 10
Main River Cruise Day
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Use modern gym
- Socialize in River Cafe
- Relax on Sun Deck
- Day 11
Wertheim to Miltenberg
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Orientation tour of Wertheim
- Walking tour of Miltenberg (cobblestone streets, historic half-timbered houses)
Landmarks Wertheim Miltenberg - Day 12
Rudesheim
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mini train ride to Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum (350 musical instruments from 18th and 19th century)
- Exploration of Rudesheim centre (half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, shops with cuckoo clocks and trinkets, wine taverns)
- Cruise through Rhine Gorge
Landmarks Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum Rhine Gorge - Day 13
Cologne
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Cologne's historical Old Town (breweries serving draft Kolsch beer)
- Free time to visit Cologne Cathedral
Landmarks Cologne Cathedral 
- Day 14
Amsterdam
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Choice of activity: Canal cruise (one-hour tour of 100+ kilometres of canals with World Heritage-listed waterways and canal houses), City walking tour (exploring canals, bridges, city centre with history and Dutch culture), or Excursion to Schermerhorn and Alkmaar (visiting 16th-century windmills and charming town with historic buildings and canals)
Landmarks Amsterdam Canals Schermerhorn Alkmaar - Day 15
Amsterdam to Paris
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 16
Paris
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided coach tour of Paris (Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Palais Garnier Opera, Louvre museum, Les Invalides, River Seine)
Landmarks Eiffel Tower Champs-Élysées Arc de Triomphe Palais Garnier Louvre Les Invalides River Seine - Day 17
Paris
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Choice of guided tour: Secrets of Montmartre (winding cobblestone streets of historic artist district with vineyard producing 27 wine varieties) or Atelier des Lumières (immersive digital art exhibition with large-scale projections of Van Gogh, Klimt, Monet artworks in former iron foundry)
Landmarks Montmartre Atelier des Lumières - Day 18
Paris / Amsterdam
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Eurostar transfer to Amsterdam for onward river cruise
