Spectacular Switzerland and the Mighty Rhine – Lucerne, Strasbourg, Rüdesheim and Cologne

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service, then travel to northern France for an overnight stay.

We continue to the old university city of Basel, where we join our ship and enjoy a relaxing evening on board.

Today, you can join our included full day excursion by coach to the Swiss resort of Lucerne. This scenic journey follows a route that tunnels through the Jura Mountains, before arriving at Lucerne – the historic and scenic heart of Switzerland. Here, you can visit the beautiful Chapel Bridge with its prominent water tower, one of the most photographed landmarks in Switzerland. We return to the ship for dinner this evening and overnight sailing to Strasbourg.

This morning we arrive into the magnificent city of Strasbourg, which is well known for its world heritage status. Enjoy some free time to explore the main sights at leisure or take a walk around the old city. You can enjoy a fantastic optional excursion cruising along Strasbourg’s waterways, which is a great way to see the city. Return on board in time for lunch and a free afternoon for further exploration. This evening we set sail for an overnight sailing to Mannheim.

We arrive into the river port of Mannheim where you can join our morning optional excursion to the majestic city of Heidelberg, home of Germany’s oldest university, for time at leisure. We return to our ship for lunch onboard as we cruise to Mainz where we arrive later this afternoon. Mainz is situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Main Rivers and has been the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate since 1946. We are berthed overnight in Mainz.

This morning we arrive into the quaint wine town of Rüdesheim. Here you can enjoy the town’s many highlights on our optional excursion, including the fascinating Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum. We return to the ship for lunch on board and an afternoon sailing to Koblenz. We arrive in Koblenz later this afternoon where there’s free time to explore, followed by dinner on board the ship before we set sail.

We arrive in Cologne this morning, where there’s the chance to join an optional walking tour with a local guide. Cologne is a beautiful city, dominated by its huge Gothic cathedral and our local guide will show you some of the highlights. We return to the ship for lunch before we set sail for Amsterdam.

Today you are free to explore Amsterdam at your leisure. Amsterdam boasts 120 canals, 1280 bridges and a host of museums. During your free time, why not admire the 17th-century merchant houses or the floating flower market, which is ablaze with colour in every season. There are many traditional and contemporary art galleries too and of course, Amsterdam is a haven for shoppers. We gather for our final meal on board the ship tonight.

Disembark and head to Antwerp. Spend time exploring the historic heart of the city and the charming narrow streets, spacious squares and elegant shops. Continue to our overnight hotel in Belgium.

Return home.