Day 1 - Monday - Oct 23, 2023
Welcome to Budapest, capital of Hungary. Transfer to your ship from the airport. Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises. After boarding, the afternoon is yours to relax or do a bit of exploring; if your arrival schedule permits, join an organized walk to Budapest's famous covered market in the three-story Great Market Hall established in 1897. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner. (D)
Day 2 - Tuesday - Oct 24, 2023
Today we visit highlights of the hilly Buda and cosmopolitan Pest sides of the city, starting with Pest's National Opera House and historic Heroes' Square. In Buda, walk along Castle Hill to Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship; the rest of the day is yours to explore the city. You may wish to visit the Art Nouveau Gellert Spa, or one of the many other lavish facilities in this "City of Healing Waters". Return to your ship for dinner and evening departure. (B,L,D)
Day 3 - Wednesday - Oct 25, 2023
Enjoy a day of scenic cruising as you sail along the beautiful Danube toward Vienna, arriving early this evening. After dinner, relax or enjoy an optional classical concert. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Thursday - Oct 26, 2023
Today we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna. Ride along the Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. See some of the city's Baroque architecture, including the world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan's Cathedral, and Hofburg Palace. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. As always, your program director can help you plan your free time. Or you may take an optional tour to Schonbrunn Palace, the Versailles of Vienna, graced by a number of formal gardens, Grecian statuary, the world's oldest zoo, and the "Roman ruin" erected in 1778. After dinner, relax or enjoy an optional classical concert. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - Friday - Oct 27, 2023
Today, visit the abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria's finest Italian Baroque architecture. See its wonderful frescoes and admire the comprehensive collection of medieval manuscripts in its library. Rejoin your ship and cruise through dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 6 - Saturday - Oct 28, 2023
Arrive this morning in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz, and Danube rivers. Your guided walk along the town's narrow streets takes you through the Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. You'll see the New Bishop's Residence and visit the impressive Baroque St. Stephan's Cathedral with its ornate interior. Inside, you are treated to a special concert played on the 17,000-pipe organ, considered Europe's largest church organ. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship, and return to the city for further exploration on your own before departing. We cruise through the night. (B,L,D) Note: Passau organ concert is only available May 1-October 31 and is closed on Sunday.
Day 7 - Sunday - Oct 29, 2023
Arrive in Regensburg after breakfast and tour this wonderfully preserved medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including structures dating back to Roman times. Discover many 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses and see the splendid St. Peter's Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Wurstkuche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany's oldest restaurant. Cruise through dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 8 - Monday - Oct 30, 2023
During our morning cruise, you may choose to attend a noteworthy presentation about the European Union. Then in the late morning you'll arrive in Nuremberg; after lunch, disembark for a tour. Visit the ruins of Zeppelin Field, the Nazi parade grounds of the 1930s, and see the Palace of Justice, site of the infamous Nuremberg Trials. See the Old Town area as you walk past the Albrecht Durer House and Main Market Square. You can spend more time exploring Nuremberg, or join an optional World War II tour including the illuminating Documentation Center. Enjoy free time throughout the evening; dinner is served aboard your ship. We depart in the wee hours of the morning. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - Tuesday - Oct 31, 2023
Enjoy a tour of Bamberg, with its medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your walking tour includes a visit to the magnificent 11th-century cathedral, reworked in late Romanesque style in the 13th century, and the picturesque city hall built on a tiny island in the middle of a river. Take some free time to enjoy Bamberg and sample some of the town's distinctive smoke-flavored beer before returning aboard. (B,L,D)
Day 10 - Wednesday - Nov 1, 2023
After breakfast, tour Wurzburg Bishops' Residence, one of Germany's largest and most ornate Baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy an onboard lunch or join an optional journey along Germany's Romantic Road to Rothenburg, which features a turreted city wall and impressive Gothic and Baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship for dinner and an evening glassblowing demonstration. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - Thursday - Nov 2, 2023
Wertheim is located at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers. During your morning walking tour, experience life in a typical small German town. Stop in a bakery and a butcher shop, and learn about Wertheim's glassblowing tradition. Enjoy free time to explore before returning to your ship for lunch. (B,L,D)
Day 12 - Friday - Nov 3, 2023
Today, we cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine; this stunning stretch of the river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We pass the Lorelei Rock, which marks the river's narrowest point; the rock is named after a legendary Rhine Maiden who lured sailors to their demise. This afternoon, we'll stop to visit Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine fortress never destroyed. Rejoin your ship in Koblenz and dine aboard. (B,L,D)
Day 13 - Saturday - Nov 4, 2023
Arrive in Cologne during breakfast, then disembark for a tour of Germany's fourth largest city. Stroll through the Old Town past St. Martin's Church and visit the Dom, Germany's largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend your free time enjoying Cologne's atmospheric waterfront before returning aboard for dinner and evening departure. (B,L,D)
Day 14 - Sunday - Nov 5, 2023
We sail along the Rhine during the morning hours, enjoying scenic views. Spend your morning enjoying some popular Dutch diversions: sample Dutch cheeses and jenever, a distilled juniper liquor, and try your hand at sjoelen (Dutch table shuffleboard). After lunch, your ship arrives in Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for an afternoon tour of this ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. You learn why the windmills were built and see how they work, plus you enter a working windmill for a tour of its mechanisms and living quarters. Board your ship for departure and dinner. Arrive in Amsterdam after midnight. (B,L,D)
Day 15 - Monday - Nov 6, 2023
After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight. Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises. Or, extend your journey with two additional nights in Amsterdam; take time to explore the city's neighborhoods, museums, and exciting nightlife. (B)
