Travel aboard the luxurious new Swiss Sapphire or Swiss Emerald on a two-week Danube, Main and Rhine River cruise, gliding past grand cathedrals, medieval monasteries, castles and vineyards. Pass through five countries, from the Netherlands to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Inclusive shore excursions visit many UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic districts of Budapest, Vienna, and Bamberg; the Wachau and Rhine Valleys; plus Schönbrunn Palace and Köln Cathedral. Take a canal boat cruise in Amsterdam, and attend a grand Imperial Evening in a Vienna palace.
Tauck’s riverboat cruises take you to treasured cities and towns along Europe’s fabled inland waterways in legendary Tauck Style, enchanting you with intimate portraits of fairy-tale castles and storybook villages on visits fit for royalty. Wake up to a new port of call every day and enjoy a sumptuous breakfast buffet aboard ship. Most mornings, join your Tauck Director and local experts ashore on signature sightseeing excursions that have earned Tauck recognition as the World’s Best Tour Operator in the industry. Or, take in the picturesque sights of the scenic shores from atop the Sun Deck as your riverboat glides past centuries-old cities, grand cathedrals and medieval landscapes en route to your next storied destination.
Day 1: Embark on your cruise in Amsterdam A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport directly to the riverboat. Tour starts at 4:00 p.m. in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Your two-week Danube, Main and Rhine cruise begins with dinner aboard the riverboat. Meals: Dinner • Day 2: Art in Amsterdam See acclaimed art by Dutch Masters, including Rembrandt's The Night Watch, at the Rijksmuseum. Then enjoy views of medieval architectural styles on a luncheon canal boat cruise along Amsterdam’s 17th-century canals. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 3: Köln, Namesake of Eau de Cologne Next stop on your Rhine cruise is Köln (Cologne), Germany. Tour the lofty Kölner Dom, elaborately decorated with pinnacles and buttresses – it is the tallest Gothic structure in the world. Stroll the Hohe Strasse at your leisure in the afternoon. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 4: Koblenz or Marksburg Castle, and Cruise the Lorelei Valley Dock in Koblenz, and choose either a walking tour of Old Town, or a trip to 13th-century Castle Marksburg, built high above the Rhine. Relax on an afternoon’s cruise through the scenic Lorelei Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit a winery for a wine tasting before dinner ashore. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 5: Rhine Cruise to the Main River Visit Miltenberg, a walled medieval city with a hilltop castle and Roman roots. Then enjoy the views as your Rhine cruise continues into the Main River, through scenic valleys studded with castles, cathedrals, and fortified towns. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 6: Würzburg orRothenburg Choose either a visit to medieval Rothenburg to see its Gothic cathedrals and gabled houses, or a visit to Würzburg, where you'll view the 18th-century Residenz and the ornate Alte Mainbrücke, a bridge over the River Main. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 7: Bound for Bamberg Continue your cruise along the Main, then journey to the hilltop town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A highlight of your walking tour is the town’s 13th-century cathedral with four imposing towers. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 8: Main-Danube Canal & gingerbread Cruise the Main-Danube Canal, which ultimately links the North Sea with the Black Sea; the idea goes back as far as Charlemagne, but wasn't realized until the 1990s. Pass through 16 locks as the waterway traverses the mountains. In Nürnberg, visit the Hauptmarkt, famous for gingerbread and sausage. See the Schöner Brunnen fountain, and turn the gold ring for luck. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 9: Ancient Regensburg Stop in the well-preserved medieval town of Regensburg, once a campsite for the Roman legions. On a walking tour, see the Steinerne Brücke, a medieval stone bridge over the Danube, and Altes Rathaus, the 15th-century town hall that was once the seat of the Imperial Diet. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 10: Explore Baroque Passau Dock in the German port city of Passau, dating back to Roman times. Spend time exploring this lovely Bavarian town, known for its Baroque architecture and stained glass, on your own. Cruise the Danube in the afternoon, bound for Melk, Austria. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 11: Medieval Austrian abbeys and castles Stop in the town of Melk, Austria, for a guided tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, perched on a rocky outcrop above the river. Inside this Baroque masterpiece are fine frescoes, early manuscripts, and a high altar. Enjoy views of medieval castle ruins while cruising through the Wachau Valley. Visit picturesque Dürnstein; high above the town lie the ruins of a castle where King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 12: Music and more in Imperial Vienna Get an overview of Vienna, Austria, with a morning sightseeing tour of this historic city. Then take your choice of a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to rival Versailles, or a tour of the Imperial Silver Room inside the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Tonight, attend a private Imperial Viennese evening at a traditional palace, which features dinner and live Viennese music. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 13: Baroque in Bratislava Dock in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where 17 centuries of history are chronicled on a walking tour. Highlights are the Baroque palaces from the Habsburg era, along with St. Martin's Cathedral, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, Old Town Hall and St. Michael's Gate. Attend the farewell reception and dinner aboard your riverboat this evening. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner • Day 14: Discover Budapest on the Danube Explore Budapest on both sides of the Danube River. Sites include Heroes’ Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; and Fishermen’s Bastion. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Day 15: Journey home Tour ends in Budapest, Hungary. Disembark in Budapest; a transfer is included from the riverboat to Budapest's Ferihegy Airport. Allow 2 1⁄2 hours for departure flight check-in. Meals: Breakfast
Call 800-640-4899 for 2009 dates and discounted rates
Riverboat Accommodations – The tour price includes all riverboat accommodations. The MS Swiss Diamond accommodates only 114 guests; the MS Swiss Emerald, 118 guests. Your well-appointed, outside-facing cabin is equipped with a color television, mini-bar, radio, international direct-dial telephone, safe and hair dryer. Your cabin also features adjustable air-conditioning and a private bathroom with shower. On the MS Swiss Diamond all but two cabins have two twin beds which cannot be joined together to form one bed, one room whose two beds can be joined together and one room with a queen bed. On the MS Swiss Emerald your cabin has two twin beds which can be joined together. There are no triple accommodations available on this tour on either riverboat.
Other onboard facilities include a lounge with panoramic bar and dance floor, a spacious restaurant which can accommodate all guests in one seating, a large sun deck with deck chairs and whirlpool, a sauna and solarium, a library and a small boutique
Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
An ample cold and hot buffet breakfast is served in the spacious restaurant. At lunch, you are presented with a choice of entrées with several courses, or a delicious buffet. Dinner’s choice of entrées is accompanied with an international selection of wines. Please let us know about your special dietary requirements when booking your cruise; we will be pleased to meet them whenever possible.
With the decrease in the value of the dollar and the high price of fuel the cost of hotels and meals have doubled in European during the last three years. Savy travelers have come to understand that a river cruise offers the best value for a European Vacation. Accommodations, all meals on board and shore excursions are included in the price and some companies even include wine with dinner. Because of this, you do not have to live in fear of the $300 per night hotel bill, the $100 not so wonderful restaurant meal and the $10 cup of coffee with no free refills.
Many people believe that by dealing directly with the cruise line, they cut out the expense of a middleman. But when it comes to cruising, this is never the case. The cruise lines depend on travel agents to sell their product, and so it is the cruise lines who pay the agent's commission, not the customer. The lines also offer agents various extra incentives, bonus commissions and value-added perks, giving the travel agents more pricing leverage and the ability for us to offer you lower rates: There are many superb and well-trained travel agents, but there are not many who know as much as we do about river cruising.
Expert advice and prices always lower than the cruise lines. 800-640-4899
