| Day |
Schedules and Accommodations |
1-2
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Depart Home /Budapest, Hungary / Embark Ship
When you arrive in Hungary after your overnight flight, a Vantage Representative will meet you and arrange your transfer to the ship. Settle into your riverview cabin, then gather for a Welcome Briefing and dinner. (Or, depart 3 days earlier and begin with our optional 3-night extension in beguiling Budapest.)
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (D) |
3
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Budapest, Hungary
Draped over several hills on a gentle curve in the Danube, the city created by the merger of the towns of Buda and Pest is an architectural gem of baroque buildings, interesting streets and squares, and lively shops, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Not unexpectedly, the city center along the Danube has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today you’ll get to know the city on an included panoramic tour. On the Buda side of the river, you’ll visit historic Matthias Church, and storybook Fishermen’s Bastion, which offers stunning views of Pest (including the imposing Parliament House). Travellers who took the city tour on their pre-extension will instead enjoy an included tour to Szentendre, a riverside town near Budapest known for its museums, galleries, and artists. Later, you’ll celebrate setting sail at the Captain’s Welcome Party and Dinner.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
4
[top] |
Vienna, Austria
Watch the legendary “Blue” Danube waltz past the ship’s panoramic windows while you eat breakfast, then attend a talk about Europe’s rivers, their important role as ancient “highways” and their continued prominence in daily life and commerce.
After lunch, you’ll arrive in elegant Vienna and set off on a panoramic tour. Marvel at the city’s grandeur as you follow the Ringstrasse. This “Inner Ring” is lined with resplendent buildings ordered by Austria’s Habsburg monarchs.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
5
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Vienna, Austria
Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss, and Schubert are just a few of the musical luminaries who lived in Vienna. That’s why today begins with a lecture on Vienna’s musical tradition, followed by your choice of a tour featuring sights associated with these great composers or the majestic Schönbrunn Palace, one of Austria’s most important cultural monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The evening ends on a high note with a private classical music concert.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
6
[top] |
Wachau Valley Cruising
Leaving Vienna, relax as your ship waltzes on through the incredibly scenic Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley’s hilltop castles and walled villages, nestled among vineyard-covered hills, create a beautiful riverscape that has changed little since medieval times.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
7
[top] |
Passau, Germany
This morning you’ll hear a lecture on the European Union, followed by a walking tour of Passau. One highlight you can view from almost anywhere in the city is enormous St. Stephen’s Cathedral, last rebuilt in its current baroque style in the 17th-century. Inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral — beautifully decorated with frescoes — you’ll hear an included concert on the world’s largest pipe organ. The organ has 17,388 pipes and 231 registers! As you listen, admire the cathedral’s magnificent golden pulpit.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
8
[top] |
Regensburg, Germany
On a walking tour of Regensburg, touch ancient Roman stones at Porta-Praetoria Arch and cross the medieval Stone Bridge. This afternoon you’ll hear a lecture about an engineering marvel — the Main-Danube Canal — which you’ll transit this evening and tomorrow morning.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
9
[top] |
Main-Danube Canal / Nuremberg, Germany
As your ship arrives into Nuremberg this morning, you’ll hear a lecture on the Development of a typical German town, using Nuremberg as the example. On your city tour of Nuremberg, you’ll visit the Documentation Center and the Rallygrounds as you explore the city’s World War II history. You’ll receive money for lunch and in the afternoon you’ll enjoy either a visit to the former home of Albrecht Dürer, the renowned German printmaker and artist, or to the German Toy Museum.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
10
[top] |
Bamberg, Germany
You’ll soon discover why today’s destination is considered by many to be Germany’s most beautiful city. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. On your walking tour of the lovely Old Town, you’ll see many examples of the city’s fine architecture. Bamberg is also the center of a rich Bavarian beer-brewing tradition. Consider relaxing in a beer garden with a hearty ale during your free time.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
11
[top] |
Würzburg (Rothenburg), Germany
Today you’ll choose from the two tours offered. The first takes you to along the Romantic Road, Bavaria’s fairytale region of beam-and-stucco houses and turreted castles, to the wonderfully preserved medieval walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Or, choose a tour of the grand Würzburg Residenz, a baroque gilded palace preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After your guided tour, you’ll visit the Residenz’s own wine cellar for a tasting. Vineyards from the Franconian region produce a surprising array of white wines, from very dry to sweet. This evening, after the tour of your choice, dine ashore at a Würzburg restaurant featuring hearty Bavarian fare.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
12
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Wertheim, Germany
This morning’s scenic cruising brings us to the small Franconian town of Wertheim, located where the Tauber River flows into the Main. The Wertheim region is celebrated for its fine glassware, and a local glass blower will join us aboard ship to demonstrate this age-old art. Next, you’ll step back in time on a walking tour of Wertheim’s cobblestone streets and squares. Tonight, you’ll love the local entertainment onboard the ship!
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
13
[top] |
Aschaffenburg / Frankfurt (Heidelberg), Germany
Set off from Aschaffenburg for a full-day excursion to Heidelberg, home to Germany’s oldest college. Arriving in this exquisite town, you’ll tour the 15th-century Heidelberg Castle, an imposing Gothic-Renaissance ruin of red stone. You’ll receive money and free time for lunch on your own to explore the charms of Heidelberg, then you’ll rejoin the ship in Frankfurt.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
14
[top] |
Rüdesheim, Germany
You’ll be enchanted by the Rhine Valley wine town of Rüdesheim, where you’ll choose to take a cable car to Niederwald Monument or visit Siegfried’s Musikkabinett. Then, listen to the Legend of the Lorelei as you sail past the quaint villages, fairytale castles, and dramatic cliffs of the Rhine Gorge. The day ends in style with the Captain’s Farewell Party & Dinner.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
15
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Cologne, Germany
When you arrive in Cologne, you’ll admire this masterpiece of flying buttresses and sneering gargoyles that rivals Notre Dame in Paris. Inside you’ll find the revered Shrine of the Three Magi. As your Memorable Journey comes to a close, enjoy a final afternoon of relaxing and scenic sailing.
Deluxe Vantage River Cruise Ship (B,L,D) |
16
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Amsterdam / Return Home
Or, stay in Amsterdam for our 3-night extension.
(B) |
Please note: Port times and itineraries are subject to change. Fluctuating water levels may affect itinerary.
On the Budapest-Amsterdam itinerary, the dinner ashore is in Würzburg, and on the Amsterdam-Budapest itinerary, the dinner ashore is in Rüdesheim.
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