Switzerland, the Heart of the Rhine & Moselle featuring Oberammergau extension - 2022

Today, you’ll board your flight to Basel.

If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, a representative will meet you and arrange transfer to the pier in Basel, where you will board your Deluxe river ship and officially begin your European river cruise. If you were already in Europe for our unforgettable Oberammergau pre-trip extension, you’ll transfer to Basel with some time for lunch and exploring in Lake Constance.

Vantage Onboard Enrichment:

• Bicycles are available for exploring your new surroundings on two wheels; see the Concierge to reserve
• Chess, shuffleboard, track, spa, and other amenities

Located on the Rhine, Basel traces its history as far back as the early Celts and Roman Empire. You’ll take a walking tour, and then enjoy an afternoon at leisure. We'll have shuttles available to take travelers to the city center. Celebrate this evening at the Captain's Welcome Party and Dinner.

• Half-day walking tour of Basel

Enjoy a full-day Alsatian Wine Route tour today, with a visit to Colmar and the famous Unterlinden Museum. In Riquewihr, known for its Riesling wines, enjoy a walking tour and money for lunch as you spend time exploring on your own.

• Full-day excursion along the Alsatian Wine Route including visits to Colmar and Riquewihr

• Onboard lecture: The European Union

• Discover the UNESCO-listed French town of Neuf-Brisach on an easy 9-mile cycle. Click here for details

Bonjour and welcome to picturesque Strasbourg! Following a morning drive from Kehl over the border into France, take part in an included walking and canal boat tour that takes you to the elegant Palais Rohan, Cathedral Notre Dame, the ultra-modern European Union Parliament, the quaint shops and parks of “La Petite France,” and the Tanners’ Quarter. There will be afternoon shuttle buses to the city center. Tonight, enjoy evening entertainment aboard the ship.

Included Feature:

• Tour Strasbourg by foot and canal boat, including a visit to the UNESCO-listed Grand Île

• French Alsatian Dinner on board

Following breakfast this morning, you'll set off on a walking tour of Speyer and its eponymous 11th-century cathedral. Once one of the largest cathedrals in the world, this UNESCO World Heritage Site remains the final resting place for many former emperors and heads of state. You'll return to the ship for lunch, before heading back out for an insightful home-hosted visit with coffee, cake, and conversation.

• Enjoy coffee, cake, and stories with a local family in Speyer

• Walking tour of Speyer including Speyer Cathedral

• Celebrate German traditions with a festive on board party

• Join your Concierge for a 14-mile cycle along the Rhine River to Koller Island. Click here for details

Awaken in Mainz, once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, where you'll enjoy breakfast on the ship. Then you’ll visit the Johannes Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to the inventor of moveable type and home to one of the original Gutenberg Bibles. You'll have time this afternoon to explore Mainz on your own, and later, enjoy a cooking demonstration where our expert chef will share some tips and tricks on how to make local delicacies.

Included Feature:

• Visit the Gutenburg Museum to see one of the original Gutenberg Bibles

• Take a painting lesson from a local artist
• Evening pub crawl in town headed by your Cruise Director

Begin your day with breakfast on board and a morning of scenic sailing as you head into UNESCO-listed Rüdesheim, known for its winemaking and culinary delights. You’ll savor this town’s delectable delights for yourself with lunch at a local restaurant, accompanied by wine tasting.

Following lunch, you’ll enjoy a deeper look into this delightful destination with a choice of tours. Board a cable car up to the Niederwald Monument and enjoy panoramic vistas of rolling vineyards and the glittering Rhine as far as the eye can see. You’ll arrive at the top of the hill and be greeted by this incredible 34-foot tall monument, constructed in 1871 to commemorate the founding of the German empire following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

Or, you can choose to board a mini-train from Rüdesheim to Brömserhof for a guided visit of Siegfried's Musikkabinett, the first German museum dedicated to the preservation and display of mechanical musical instruments. Located in a former noble court dating back to the 16^th-century, this unique museum houses over 350 exhibits and musical instruments, from delicate musical boxes to a full-size piano-orchestrion.

Whichever tour you choose, you’ll have some free time to explore on your own before heading back to the ship. We’ll overnight in port, so you’ll be able to enjoy dinner on board or enjoy an evening ashore on your own.

Included Feature:

• Choice of tours: Cable car to Niedewald Monument or Siegfried’s Musikkabinett visit

You’ll enjoy scenic sailing as you set off from Rüdesheim and make your way to historic Koblenz. Following lunch on board the ship, you’ll debark for a walking tour of Koblenz, the scenic baroque gem where the Rhine and Moselle meet. Its dramatic German Corner juts into the rivers’ meeting point like the prow of a proud ship, with a giant equestrian statue of William I its figurehead. After seeing the main sights of the Old Town, you will have the rest of the afternoon at your leisure.

Back on board the ship, you can take part in an interactive cooking lesson highlighting the pleasures of a Swabian delicacy. This evening, you’ll enjoy live entertainment following dinner in the shipboard restaurant.

Included Feature:

• Walking tour of Koblenz

Cultural Discovery:

• Interactive cooking lesson in the Captain’s Club: Swabian Meat Pockets
• Evening entertainment onboard

Set out on a walking tour of Bernkastel to admire this “International Town of Vines and Wine.” The surrounding landscape boasts massive fortresses and fairy-tale castles, and the town’s half-timbered houses lining the banks of the Moselle will enchant you. You’ll enjoy learning about the viticulture of Germany during a wine tasting at a local cellar. You’ll have free time in the afternoon to explore on your own before heading back to the ship.

Following cocktail hour and dinner onboard, you can close out the evening while enjoying a live onboard musical performance

Included Feature:

• Walking tour of Bernkastel

Culinary Feature:

• Sample some of the Moselle Valley’s famed vintages at a local cellar

You’ll spend a relaxing morning on board, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Rhine Valley as you sail into the charming Rhine Valley town of Boppard. After lunch, you’ll have time to explore this quaint German village on your own. Beyond the quintessentially German architecture and lovely river views are expansive rolling vineyards and popular hiking trails waiting to be discovered. For the history buff, Boppard’s Old town is home to dreamy castles and 4^th-century Roman structures. Enjoy a stroll along the beautiful waterfront promenade, pop into one of the many boutiques for a bit of shopping, or stop for a bite of spätzle and wurst at a traditional café.

Back on board following your day of exploration, you can take part in an interactive cooking lesson in the Captain’s Club or sit in on a cocktail hour presentation in the ship’s lounge. Dinner this evening with be accompanied by an exclusive wine pairing.

Cultural Discovery:

• Interactive cooking lesson in the Captain’s Club: Dark beer braised pork ribs

This morning, enjoy breakfast on the ship. You'll then head from Boppard to Cochem by motorcoach for a tour of the majestic Reichsburg Castle. This neo-Gothic structure — which once sat in a state of ruin for 180 years — was rebuilt in 1868 and served as the summer residence of the Ravené family. Nowadays, this fanciful structure is open to the public and you’ll enjoy a guided tour, along with a “meet and greet” with costumed performers and a complimentary glass of wine.

You’ll have some free time to explore Cochem on your own before returning to your ship for lunch and an afternoon at leisure. Dinner this evening will be served in the shipboard dining room.

Included Feature:

• Reichsburg Castle tour with wine

Enjoy a morning walking tour of the wonderful city of Cologne. You'll also enjoy a special tasting of Kölsch beer, a distinctive style that the New York Times once stated was like "drinking an entire culture." Afterward, relax on the cruise and enjoy the scenic views as you cruise towards the Dutch border.

Included Features:

• Walking tour of Cologne featuring views of the city's famous cathedral
• Kölsch beer sampling at Brauhaus FRÜH

• Onboard entertainment

• Enjoy some of the most scenic cycle paths of the iconic Rhine River through Cologne-Deutz during a 5-mile route. Click here for details

Today, embark on a walking tour of Nijmegen. This is the oldest city in the Netherlands, and the entire region is teeming with stories from World War II. Enjoy time at leisure in Nijmegen after the tour. In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy some scenic sailing.

• Walking tour of Nijmegen, Holland's oldest town

This morning, you'll get the perfect view of Amsterdam’s historic center on a narrated canal cruise along the city’s 17th-century canal ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterwards, visit Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum for a guided tour.

• Canal cruise and visit to the Rijksmuseum

• Live classical music performance on board

Depart for home today after an unforgettable journey.