Day 1 - Thursday - Dec 18, 2025
Welcome to Prague, one of Europe's best-preserved and most beautiful cities, with a rich and fascinating history stretching back more than 1,000 years. The Vltava River, the longest in the Czech Republic, runs through the center of Prague with the historic Old Town on one bank and New Town on the other.
Day 2 - Friday - Dec 19, 2025
You'll take a guided tour this morning, led by an expert local guide who will reveal the city's secrets in all their Gothic glory. The red-roofed Old Town is a charming maze of cobblestone laneways, medieval buildings, bustling squares, and elaborate statues. It's compact and almost completely flat, making it perfect for exploring on foot. Don't miss the Old Town Hall where you can hear the 14th-century Astronomical Clock chime, accompanied by a procession of the 12 Apostles. The rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll through this magnificent city, situated on the Vltava River in central Bohemia. Prague is rich in history and home to some of the world's most striking architectural wonders. Your tour director is on hand to help you plan.
Day 3 - Saturday - Dec 20, 2025
You have the morning at leisure to explore this wonderful city, perhaps rise early and take a stroll along the Charles Bridge, without the crowds, or relax and people watch in one of the many cafes around the picturesque Old Town.
Day 4 - Sunday - Dec 21, 2025
Journey by coach to Budapest where you'll board your luxurious Scenic Space-Ship.
Day 5 - Monday - Dec 22, 2025
Divided by the Danube, with Buda on one side and Pest on the other, this city became united in 1873, when a newly built bridge connected the two. The city is an architectural treasure trove comprising styles from Gothic to Art Nouveau and everything in between. At Christmas time, it comes alive with twinkling lights strewn around the city, wooden huts popping up in magnificent locations and seductive scents filling the air with festive spices.
Day 6 - Tuesday - Dec 23, 2025
Today, spend the day cruising the magnificent Danube River before a late afternoon arrival into Vienna. Austria's imperial capital oozes charm with magnificent Baroque buildings, ample green spaces from parks to vineyards, a vibrant coffee-house culture, and masterpiece-filled galleries and museums.
Day 7 - Wednesday - Dec 24, 2025
A city full of grandeur, Vienna comes alive during the festive season. A visit to the Austrian imperial capital during this time of the year will create some unique, magical moments. See the world's most beautiful boulevard, Ringstrasse, all lit up with dazzling displays of Christmas lights and decorations. You'll also enjoy the city's musical heritage in full display with the sounds of famous festive tunes and classical pieces around every corner. After all, you're in the City of Music, which fostered musical geniuses like Mozart and Beethoven.
Day 8 - Thursday - Dec 25, 2025
Merry Christmas - celebrate with newfound friends onboard your Scenic Space-Ship as you cruise towards Passau. You may wish to spend time in the exclusive Salt Therapy Lounge, which provides natural anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties or enjoy the fresh air onboard the Sun Deck as your sail past charming villages and spectacular scenery.
Day 9 - Friday - Dec 26, 2025
Day 10 - Saturday - Dec 27, 2025
Boasting a staggering 2,000-year history, Regensburg has one of Germany's best-preserved medieval town centers, with more than 900 of its Romanesque and Gothic buildings listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Within its narrow laneways, the city lays claim to having the highest concentration of bars in the country. Regensburg is also fringed by the Bavarian Forest, home to hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails and deer, wild boar, fox, and otter. On the confluence of three rivers in Bavaria, Regensburg is known as the best-preserved medieval city in Germany. Join a walking tour with a local guide to see the Old Stone Bridge, the Church of St James, and the Porta Praetoria.
Day 11 - Sunday - Dec 28, 2025
You will arrive in Nuremberg, Bavaria's second-largest city, after lunch. Boasting an Old Town protected by an ancient city wall, this city is dominated by one of the most significant imperial forts of the Holy Roman Empire, the 12th-century Imperial Castle, which was the preferred residence of German kings. Behind its charming facade, Nuremberg also has a turbulent history. During WWII, the city was favored by the Nazis for party rallies, the boycotts of Jewish businesses began here, as did the laws that denied Jewish people German citizenship - known as the 'Nuremberg Laws'. By 1945, the city was reduced to rubble, including large sections of the Imperial Castle and Old Town. Allied powers - the US, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union - held the Nuremberg Trials here between 1945 and 1946, when Nazi Germany leaders were tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Day 12 - Monday - Dec 29, 2025
Built on seven hills, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed town has surprises at every turn. Intersected by rivers and canals, enchanting Bamberg has an Old Town resplendent with cobblestoned streets and well-preserved medieval buildings. A charming Old Town Hall which occupies an island on its own, a Gothic and Romanesque-style cathedral, the Old and New Residences comprising an episcopal palace, a pretty 'Little Venice', and a 12th-century castle that teeters on the highest of the seven hills - are some of the incredible places you'll see during your guided city tour. Bamberg is known for its charming UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, one of Europe's largest intact old town centers. Learn about its fascinating history as you wander through stunning medieval and Baroque buildings on a guided city tour. Back onboard your Space-Ship, you may wish to spend time in the wellness center with a soothing massage.
Day 13 - Tuesday - Dec 30, 2025
After a leisurely morning onboard your Space-Ship, you will arrive in Wurzburg. This Baroque city straddles the Main River in the heart of Franconian wine country. Surrounded by undulating vineyards, Wurzburg is home to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed palace, a dominating hilltop fortress, the 15th-century Old Main Bridge, and three universities, including Bavaria's oldest.
Day 14 - Wednesday - Dec 31, 2025
| Cruising the Main River, Germany |
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Spend the day relaxing at leisure onboard as your cruise while cruising along the Main River towards the Germany city of Frankfurt, where you will arrive late this evening. Choose to wander off board and ring in the New Year in the city of Frankfurt or stay onboard, where your cruise director and Enrichment manager have planned a fun party and would be delighted to celebrate the New Year with you.
Day 15 - Thursday - Jan 1, 2026
This morning, you will disembark in Rudesheim, a pretty town surrounded by steep vineyards that have been cultivating wine for a staggering two millennia. The charming town center is filled with half-timbered houses lining cobbled streets, quaint shops selling trinkets such as cuckoo clocks, as well as a smattering of wine taverns and open-air beer gardens. Take a mini train from the pier to Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum, where some 350 musical instruments from the 18th and 19th century play themselves for your enjoyment. This afternoon, relax onboard the Sun Deck and admire the scenic landscapes as you cruise along the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhine Gorge in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65-kilometer stretch of the river that is dotted with some 40 hilltop castles and fortresses that span a period of 1,000 years. Sailing down this section of the river is like being transported through the pages of a fairy tale book. The Rhine is abounded in myths and legends; folklore that has been passed on for generations, including the story of Lorelei. This enchanting female was betrayed by her sweetheart and spent her days bewitching men. As her punishment, she was sent to a nunnery, however on her way she jumped to her death in the river. Legend has her spirit casting spells on sailors who passed the rock, where a bronze statue sits today.
Day 16 - Friday - Jan 2, 2026
You will arrive in Cologne today, a city known for its liberal and laidback lifestyle, its unique beer culture, auto industry, and the jaw-dropping cathedral that dominates its skyline. Settled by the Romans, this major cultural center for the Rhineland was built during the Middle Ages but was largely destroyed during WWII. The magnificent Gothic cathedral, an enormous UNESCO World Heritage-listed site that dates to 1248, was badly damaged but stood tall above the ruins of the city. Discover Cologne on a walking tour. Wander the laneways of the historical Old Town, which is home to breweries serving up draft Kolsch beer, and enjoy free time to visit the city's centerpiece and icon, Cologne Cathedral.
Day 17 - Saturday - Jan 3, 2026
Amsterdam is a treasure trove of architectural beauty, masterpiece-filled galleries, tranquil scenes of boats putting along 16th-century canals, narrow cobbled laneways filled with boutiques and cafes, and streets busy with cyclists criss-crossing their way about town. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, much of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed canal system exists today as it did hundreds of years ago, lined with well-preserved canal houses and intersected by charming bridges.
Day 18 - Sunday - Jan 4, 2026
Travel by high-speed train to Paris and spend three nights at one of the centrally located hotels.
Day 19 - Monday - Jan 5, 2026
It's your first morning in Paris, so why not start the day with a pain au chocolat and a cafe au lait? Paris is a city that has been immortalized in endless movies, TV shows, books, and paintings, so even if you're a first-time visitor you will feel like you already know it. Its elegant streets, grand buildings, shady parks, stylish cafes, and even more stylish residents, you'll quickly be swept up in the joie de vivre.
Day 20 - Tuesday - Jan 6, 2026
Today is yours to enjoy, with a full day to explore Paris. Discover some of the city's most famous districts, like the charming Latin Quarter, the modern La Defense, the Neoclassical Place Vendome, or the fashionable Le Marais. Visit one of the excellent museums, like the Musee des Arts et Metiers, the world's oldest science museum dating back to 1794, or the Musee Carnavalet, which charts the history of Paris from the Gauls to the 20th century. You could plan a literary tour of the city, taking in the favorite writing spots of Victor Hugo, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Simone de Beauvoir. And of course there are endless options for shopping, art galleries, historic sites, or eating and drinking. Or you might like to do as the French do and embrace the 'art of doing nothing'. The French word flaneur means to wander aimlessly through a city with no destination in mind. It's a relaxed way to soak in the sights and mingle with the locals, stopping for coffee or a glass of wine when you feel like it or perhaps browsing in an appealing bookstore or gallery. It's one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a day and gives you a real feel for life in Paris.
Day 21 - Wednesday - Jan 7, 2026
Say 'au revoir' to Paris this morning. Take time for a final indulgent breakfast at the hotel or perhaps stop for a coffee at the legendary Cafe de la Paix, a Paris institution that has occupied a prime spot in the Place de l'Opera since 1862. You'll then be transferred to the airport or train station to begin your journey home.
