AMSTERDAM - BUDAPEST 2009
Day	Destination	Activities
1		Flight to The Netherlands
2	Amsterdam	Transfer to the ship
		EMBARKATION
		Welcome Cocktails
		Welcome Dinner
3	Amsterdam	Canal boat tour
4	Cologne	Cathedral visit
	Koblenz	Evening stroll
5	Rhine Valley	Cruise past Rhine castles
	Rüdesheim	Walking tour
6	Miltenberg	Walking tour
	Wertheim	Glass-blowing performance
7	Würzburg	City tour & tour of Residenz
		Optional Rothenburg tour
		Evening music performance
8	MD Canal	Cruise Main-Danube Canal
	Bamberg	Walking tour and free time
9	Nuremberg	City tour
		Main-Danube Canal lecture
	Hilpoltstein	Crossing Continental Divide
10	Regensburg	Walking tour
		Evening folklore music
11	Passau	City walk
	Salzburg	Optional Salzburg excursion
12	Melk	Benedictine Abbey tour
	Dürnstein	Walking tour
	Weissenkirchen	Wine tasting
13	Vienna	City tour
		Optional evening concert
14	Vienna	Optional tour
	Bratislava	City tour
		Evening music performance
15	Budapest	City tour
		Farewell Dinner
		Gypsy Music
16	Budapest	DISEMBARKATION

Nautical schedules are subject to water levels, cruising conditions & subject to change without notice

Day 1, DEPART USA.
Board your overnight flight to Holland.

Day 2, ARRIVE IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND.
Arrive in charming Amsterdam. Your luxurious river cruise ship is moored near the city center. Meet your fellow travelers tonight at the Welcome Cocktail Reception. (D)

Day 3, AMSTERDAM.
After breakfast, admire beautiful 17th-century homes, charming churches and 16th century merchant houses on a guided canal boat tour. Enjoy an afternoon information briefing as you cruise towards Germany. Tonight you'll be a guest at the Captain's Gala Welcome Dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 4, COLOGNE, GERMANY - KOBLENZ.
Early riser cruise past fashionable Düsseldorf, before arriving in Cologne for a guided morning walking tour through the old part of the city and a visit to the fabled 13th-century Gothic cathedral. At lunchtime, continue to 2000-year-old Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Rhine and the Mosel rivers. Take an after dinner walk through this charming town. (B,L,D)

Day 5, KOBLENZ - MAINZ.
Today, sail through the fascinating Rhine Gorge, passing castle after castle and also cruising past the infamous Lorelei Rock. After lunch, arrive in Mainz for a guided walking tour of this beautiful town and visit the Gutenberg Museum. Mainz offers very good shopping opportunities. Free time to explore, before the ships sails late this afternoon. (B,L,D)

Day 6, MILTENBERG - WERTHEIM.
Arrive in Miltenberg and disembark for a morning walking tour of this delightful old Franconian town with its narrow cobblestone streets and gabled, half-timbered houses. At noon, continue cruising to charming Wertheim where you can watch an amusing glass-blowing performance. Leisurely browse in the market square before re-boarding your ship for an overnight cruise to Würzburg. (B,L,D)

Day 7, WÜRZBURG.
During your guided tour, see the major sights including the magnificent Residenz Palace. This afternoon explore Würzburg on your own, or take an optional tour along the Romantic Road to medieval Rothenburg. Late this afternoon cruise to Bamberg. (B,L,D)

Day 8, BAMBERG.
In the afternoon, enter the Main-Danube Canal at enchanting Bamberg, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Disembark for a guided tour of this medieval gem. There is free time before you continue your cruise this evening to ancient Nuremberg, capital of Franconia. (B,L,D)

Day 9, NUREMBERG - DIETFURT.
Today you decide, either choose the Medieval history of Nuremberg and see the storybook 900-year old ramparts that surround this historic city and the Imperial Castle, or join the tour centered on the modern role the city played in the 20th century and see the Zeppelin field and the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. At lunchtime, rejoin the ship further along the Main-Danube Canal and continue to the highest point of your cruise - 1,332 feet above sea level, where you cross Europe's Continental Divide. Then start descending through stair-step locks the Bavarian town of Dietfurt. (B,L,D)

Day 10, REGENSBURG.
A guided morning tour will show you the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria - gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. The afternoon is free to shop or relax along the Danube. In the evening, enjoy a music performance on board. (B,L,D)

Day 11, PASSAU - LINZ, AUSTRIA.
After breakfast, arrive in picturesque Passau for a walking tour. Or, take an optional full day tour to Salzburg and its popular Sound of Music sights. Those staying on board can enjoy a scenic journey to Austria. (B,L,D)

Day 12, MELK - DÜRNSTEIN - WEISSENKIRCHEN.
Cruise through the narrow Strudengau and reach the Wachau Valley this morning. A guided tour takes you to Melk's magnificent Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe's largest baroque monasteries. From here, continue on a short cruise to Dürnstein. Your walking tour through cobblestone streets reveals quaint 16th-century town houses and taverns. Continue through the lovely Wachau Valley, dotted with castles, to the town of Weissenkirchen, for some wine tasting tonight. (B,L,D)

Day 13, WEISSENKIRCHEN - VIENNA.
During a guided sightseeing tour you will see Hofburg Palace, the Vienna Opera House, Ringstrasse, St. Stephen's Cathedral and visit to the National Library. Enjoy a free afternoon to stroll along the main shopping street, Kärntnerstrasse, or sample some of Vienna's famous pastries. Tonight, explore the vibrant Austrian capital on your own, or come along for an optional Mozart and Strauss concert. (B,L,D)

Day 14, VIENNA - BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA.
Another choice today, you can spend another morning in Vienna, perhaps join an optional tour to the Imperial Schönbrunn Palace, rejoining the ship in Bratislava later this afternoon; or, enjoy a morning cruise to Bratislava and enjoy a walking tour of Bratislava, which reveals the city's major sights, including the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral. The rest of the afternoon is free to shop or explore on your own. Tonight there is an evening music performance on board. (B,L,D)

Day 15, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.
Your morning is free for last minute shopping. After lunch, your sightseeing tour takes you to historic Buda Castle from where you can enjoy a splendid view of the twin cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the River. Your tour also features the distinctive Fisherman's Bastion, the Royal Palace, St. Stephen's Basilica and much more. Tonight enjoy a Gala Farewell Dinner with Gypsy music. (B,L,D)

Day 16, DEPART BUDAPEST.
Your cruise comes to an end as you transfer to the airport for your homebound flight. Extra nights are available if you wish to extend your stay in Budapest. (B)

Note: Reverse itinerary also available on request