Tour Duration: 15 days Tour Code: WAB-E2012 Tour Type: Prices From: A$5141 [Tour Dates]
Tour Itinerary
Day
Description
1
ARRIVE IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION). Holland's delightful 700-year old capital is sophisticated and modern, with a rich and fascinating history. The works of famous Dutch masters can be seen in world-renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh. This afternoon, board your river cruise vessel and meet your crew at a welcome reception. (D)
2
AMSTERDAM. There is no better way to see Amsterdam than by CANAL BOAT, cruising through the elegant grachten lined with stately homes. Afterward, your river cruise vessel sets sail for Cologne. (B,L,D)
3
COLOGNE, GERMANY. Cologne is one of Germany's largest cities, with a river skyline dominated by the soaring twin spires of its magnificent gothic cathedral. The Germano-Roman Museum next to the cathedral is a must for history buffs! Try a Kolsch in one of the many taverns and shop for a bottle of "4711," the original eau de cologne. (B,L,D)
4
RHINE GORGE-RUDESHEIM. The dramatic RHINE GORGE is the most beautiful stretch of river. Pass the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Visit SIEGFRIED'S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM in pretty Rudesheim. Enjoy a SPECIAL TREAT, then there's free time to explore the Drosselgasse. (B,L,D)
5
MILTENBERG Located on the Main River, Miltenberg is a picturesque Bavarian village that thrived on income from river traffic. Its cultural wealth and affluence are reflected in the beautiful medieval and renaissance houses and the gothic splendour of the Merchant Hall shown to you during your guided sightseeing. This afternoon, learn how to bake a local SOFT COOKIE specialty. (B,L,D)
6
WURZBURG Known as the "Pearl of the Romantic Road," Wurzburg is surrounded by sloping hills covered with vineyards. The magnificent BISHOP'S RESIDENZ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B,L,D)
7
BAMBERG Another beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site is medieval Bamberg. our walking tour takes in its breathtaking cathedral, the Old Town Hall straddling the River Regnitz, and serpentine streets with charming houses and 18th-century mansions. (B,L,D)
8
NUREMBERG. Although Nuremberg suffered extensive damage during WWII, much of it was restored to its original style. Marvel at this historic city with its fabulous gothic churches and elegant patrician houses. Nuremberg's traditions include its famous Lebkuchen, toy making, and metal working. (B,L,D)
9
REGENSBURG One of Germany's best preserved medieval cities, Regensburg's architectural highlights include the Old Town Hall and Porta Pretoria-gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. Before dinner we'll introduce you to some of Germany's FAMOUS BEERS. (B,L,D)
10
PASSAU-LINZ, AUSTRIA. Ideally located at the confluence of the Rivers Inn, Ilz, and Danube, Passau is a city of graceful arcades and cobblestone streets. St. Stephen's Cathedral houses the world's largest church organ with more than 17,000 pipes. An optional full-day excursion to Salzburg takes in the popular Sound of Music sights. (B,L,D)
11
MELK-DURNSTEIN-VIENNA Melk's magnificent BENEDICTINE ABBEY dominates the town from its commanding hill site and is one of Europe's largest monasteries. Durnstein, known for the baroque Stiftskirche with its blue facade, lies right in the heart of the Wachau wine region. Above town are the ruins of the castle where England's King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192. Vienna, known as the "City of Music," inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss. (B,L,D)
12
VIENNA Once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Austria's capital has much to offer: lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ring Boulevard, and awe-inspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral, to name just a few of the sights you will enjoy during your city tour. Shop in the Karntnerstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighbourhood cafe. An optional concert is available tonight. (B,L,D)
13
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA. Situated at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, Bratislava is the dynamic capital of Slovakia. The charming Old Town with its Town Hall and Mirbach Palace, as well as gothic ST. MARTIN'S CATHEDRAL, should not be missed. (B,L,D)
14
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY. Budapest, spanning the banks of the Danube, is Eastern Europe's liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis. Seven bridges connect ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. The massive hilltop castle complex with FISHERMEN'S BASTION and the Matthias Church is among the impressive sights you'll see on your included tour. Shop for renowned peasant embroidery, Herend porcelain, and paprika. (B,L,D)
15
BUDAPEST (DISEMBARKATION). Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Deluxe 14-night cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in an outside stateroom with hotel-style beds CATEGORY E AMSTERDAM: Welcome reception; canal cruise COLOGNE: Guided sightseeing RHINE GORGE: Cruise through the gorge RUDESHEIM: Visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum; special treat MILTENBERG: Guided sightseeing; baking demonstration WURZBURG: Guided sightseeing, visit the Bishop's Residenz BAMBERG: Guided sightseeing, see the Old Town Hall MAIN DANUBE CANAL: Cruise in the canal NUREMBERG: Guided sightseeing REGENSBURG: Guided sightseeing; beer tasting PASSAU: Guided sightseeing MELK: Guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey DURNSTEIN: Guided walk, see the Stiftskirche VIENNA: Guided sightseeing BRATISLAVA: Guided sightseeing, visit St. Martin's Cathedral BUDAPEST: Guided sightseeing, visit Fishermen's Bastion MEALS: Superb dining with all meals on board daily featuring full breakfast (B), lunch (L), and dinner (D), including a welcome reception, Captain's reception and farewell dinner; quality wines from Europe's most famous wine regions with every dinner; one sitting with open seating arrangements Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the cruise description.
Meals Breakfast - 14 Lunch - 13 Dinner - 14
Optional Excursions
To help plan your leisure time, as well as your pre-tour budgeting, here is a list of optional excursions that may be offered on this tour.
Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, group interests, and general feasibility for your tour. Please note prices may be based on the previous year and are subject to change. Full terms and conditions are contained in the important travel documents.
Cost
Description
31
EUR
Name:REMBRANDT & CO - A VISIT TO AMSTERDAM'S RIJKSMUSEUM Location:AMSTERDAM Details:The Masterpieces of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum offer a unique way to view all the highlights of the Golden Age in one place. Discover with our local experts their interrelationships, thematically or chronologically, discover the stories and view the artworks close-up. The most famous painting at the Rijksmuseum is Rembrandt's Night Watch. A national icon that fires the imagination and is always at the centre of discussion; the painting has been successively analysed, interpreted, praised, abused, damaged and restored; It is, in short, the focus of attention. But what makes this portrait of a group of civic guardsmen so special, apart from being the largest painting that Rembrandt ever made? What is it about, what is its background? Find your answers in this visit to the Rijksmuseum.
31
EUR
Name:SUNFLOWERS & OTHER MASTERPIECES Location:AMSTERDAM Details:A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. The museum contains the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. It provides the opportunity to keep track of the artist's developments, or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection. The museum also holds an extensive offer of exhibitions on various subjects from 19th century art history. Join your local expert for an introduction to Van Gogh, before you start exploring the collection at your own pace.
31
EUR
Name:"KLOMPEN", CHEESE AND PEANUT OIL - ZAANSE SCHANS Location:AMSTERDAM Details:The Zaanse Schans is a delightful old hamlet on the banks of the river Zaan with characteristic green wooden houses, charmingly styled gardens, small hump-backed bridges, tradesmen's workshops, historic windmills and engaging little shops. This enchanting hamlet gives an excellent impression of how a typical village on the Zaan must have looked like in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Join our local expert for a journey through times when Dutch Sailing Ships crossed the seven seas and goods from all corners of the world traded in Holland. Don't miss your chance to see the inside of a working windmill and admire the craftsmanship of its mechanics.
41
EUR
Name:EXCURSION TO WELTENBURG ABBEY AND THE DANUBE GORGE Location:WELTENBURG Details:The Danube Gorge has both a gentle and a strange beauty. In a magnificent show of force, the Danube has carved its way through the Swabian Alb to create a stunning landscape - a wild, romantic stretch of river with sheer cliffs rising over 300 feet out of the water. At its upper end the Weltenburg Abbey is located on a peninsula directly beneath the cliffs of the Gorge. It was founded by Irish or Scottish monks in 620 and is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. The present Benedictine abbey dates back to the 18th century when it was extensively rebuilt in baroque style. Their ceiling frescos of the Heavenly Jerusalem blend seamlessly with the abbey interior and are particularly noteworthy. Important is also that Weltenburg Abbey houses the oldest abbey brewery in the world, as the monks have been brewing beer since 1050. A beer and a "pretzel" are a welcome refreshment.
64
EUR
Name:SALZBURG - MOZART'S SOUND OF MUSIC Location:SALZBURG Details:True, Salzburg is the birth-place of Mozart and you will find the face of the city's most famous son everywhere. Salzburg is also the setting for the Sound of Music movie, which has shaped the city's perception in the minds of generations. But Salzburg is much more. It is a city with history based on the salt trade from the nearby Alpine Mountains, it is a city of beautiful baroque buildings, and a city perched between the mountains and green waters of the Salzach river. It is a city with a long cultural heritage and in the small busy lanes like the "Getreidegasse" with its wrought iron signs you might get a feeling, how busy this city always was. Today we would like to show you Salzburg and its past, we will show you the Austrian Lake district and our local experts will talk about what it takes to be Austrian and to live in this country today.
49
EUR
Name:ROYAL WALTZ CONCERT Location:VIENNA Details:Would a stay in Vienna be the same if you were not able to listen to the tunes of the "Blue Danube Waltz" or the "Radetzky" March? Your Cruise Director will accompany you to one of Vienna's famous Concert Halls. Avalon will make preferred seating arrangements. In order to celebrate this evening in style, have a glass of sparkling wine in the intermission, before you listen to the famous tunes brought to you by opera singers and watch the elegant ballet dancers as they interpret some of the most well known classical tunes from Vienna.
44
EUR
Name:A VISIT OF SCHONBRUNN IMPERIAL PALACE Location:VIENNA Details:Schonbrunn, the former summer residence of the Imperial family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here for the better part of the year in numerous rooms to house the large Imperial family in addition to representational rooms. Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. The monarch spent his last years entirely in the palace, which became the property of the new Republic of Austria only two years after his death. Today, the palace is part of UNESCO's cultural heritage due to its historic importance, its unique grounds and its splendid furnishings. Follow our local expert and visit Empress Sisi's former summer residence, afterwards take your time to stroll through the park or enjoy a demonstration of how the famous Viennese Apple Strudel is made - Samples to taste included.
39
EUR
Name:SCHLOSSHOF - A CASTLE AND ITS PEOPLE Location:BRATISLAVA Details:Just another castle? No! Schlosshof is more than just a castle. While other palaces show you the splendor of representation, this one grants a view backstage. Our local experts show you what happened to the palaces in wintertime, when it was simply too expensive to heat the mighty structure; we will stroll through the park and hear the stories of how the old patterns were miraculously found and redone. We will get an idea of what a feast might have looked like, in the days of Prince Eugen. But the real fun part is to see how the many helping hands worked in former times from the farmers to the gardeners, from the locksmiths to the servants, from the laundry girls to the kitchen staff. Explore the herb and spice garden; Pet the white donkeys, and after all take your time to look behind the scenes in order to get a full picture of living like a Marie Antoinette
19
EUR
Name:BUDAPEST'S NIGHT LIGHTS Location:BUDAPEST Details:Buda and Pest two cities of the same capital divided by the river Danube and connected by beautiful bridges like the "Chain Bridge" or the "Elisabeth Bridge". Join your local expert on a drive up to the hills of Buda for a breathtaking view overlooking the roofs of Budapest, and the latest gossip in town.
Optional Excursions
