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Magnificent Europe 2024
15 Day River Cruise Amsterdam to Budapest
Tour Description:
From Amsterdam to Budapest, and in many exciting stops along the way, experience the culture of Central Europe in a unique way on this timeless river cruise vacation. Amsterdam is Holland’s lively capital—both historical and modern. This colorful city is loved for its vibrant mix of sophisticated architecture and classic squares and canals. See the treasures of this 700-year-old city from a unique perspective on a canal cruise along the elegant grachten. On to Germany for a guided city walk in Cologne—the stunning 2,000-year-old city known for its Gothic-style architecture. Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, offering the most beautiful view of the Rhine River, and stop in the charming wine town of Rüdesheim. Enjoy guided sightseeing in Würzburg, Volkach, Bamberg, Nuremberg, and Regensburg, and sail the Main Danube Canal, which connects the Main and Danube Rivers. Your first stop in Austria is the lovely town of Melk. Visit its magnificent Benedictine Abbey, then sail through the picturesque Wachau Valley. Your local experts will also introduce you to two capital cities: Vienna, Austria, also known as “The City of Music” for inspiring the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss; and lively Budapest, Hungary, with its unique energy and countless must-see sites. This truly is a river cruise to remember!
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Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing| Day 1 Amsterdam (Embarkation): | Onboard welcome reception |
| Day 2 Amsterdam: | Canal cruise |
| Day 3 Cologne: | Choice of Cologne highlights walking tour or Jewish Heritage walking tour or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 4 Rhine Gorge-Rüdesheim: | Scenic cruise through the Rhine Gorge; choice of visit to Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum or cable-car ride to the Niederwald Monument in Rüdesheim |
| Day 5 Miltenberg: | Guided walk |
| Day 6 Würzburg: | Guided sightseeing, visit the Bishop's Residence |
| Day 7 Volkach: | Choice of walking tour or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 8 Bamberg: | Choice of guided tour, see the Old Town Hall or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 9 Roth. Excursion to Nuremberg: | Choice of guided tour in Roth, or guided tour in Nuremberg, or hike with your Adventure Host, or guided tour in Nuremberg, or Nuremberg Rally Grounds tour; onboard lecture |
| Day 10 Regensburg: | Choice of guided tour or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 11 Passau-Linz: | Guided tour in Passau; free time in Linz |
| Day 12 Melk-Wachau Valley-Vienna: | Guided tour of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk or walk with your Adventure Host; scenic cruise through the Wachau Valley; free time in Vienna |
| Day 13 Vienna: | Choice of guided tour or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 14 Budapest: | Scenic cruising into Budapest; choice of guided tour, see Heroes' Square or hike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 15 Budapest (Disembarkation): | Your vacation ends this morning |
Notes:
- In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
- Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
- Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
ITINERARY
ITINERARYDay 1
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION) Welcome to Holland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Amsterdam must arrive by 3:30 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to the gardens at Keukenhof—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, consider joining a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
Spend free time exploring the colorful streets, bridges, and canals of Amsterdam—with its many cafés and art galleries.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
AMSTERDAM-CANAL.jpg
Day 2
AMSTERDAM Canals of Colorful Amsterdam
CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam with a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”
This afternoon choose among the Guided Optional Excursions available.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE
AMSTERDAM-CANAL-CRUISE.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch
DinnerDay 3
COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
ACTIVE Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure, OR;
DISCOVERY Join a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR;
CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—explore the Old City and see its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral.
Don’t miss the chance to enjoy free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years!
This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RÜDESHEIM
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 4
RHINE GORGE–RÜDESHEIM Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country
This morning cruise through the dramatic Rhine Gorge and see the famous rock of the Lorelei.
ACTIVE Take an open-air cable car ride to the Niederwald Monument. Ride or walk back down through the vineyards; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat, OR:
DISCOVERY Tour the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat.
Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MILTENBERG
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 5
MILTENBERG Beauty on the Main River
Ask about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.
CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour of Miltenberg, a showcase of medieval half-timber homes and home to Germany’s oldest inn .
Spend free time riding a bike through the beautiful villages on the Main River shores.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO WÜRZBURG
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 6
WÜRZBURG A Perfect Day in the Pearl of the Romantic Road
CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Würzburg with its Old Main Bridge, towering fortress, and baroque Bishop’s Residenz—with the largest known ceiling fresco.
Enjoy the city on your own or visit a local winery.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN WÜRZBURG
WURZBURG.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 7
VOLKACH Storybook Settings
You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the beautiful Bavarian town of Rothenburg. See the local sights and enjoy the fairytale atmosphere that has inspired artists.
Sail to Volkach and get ready for your afternoon activity.
ACTIVE Bike along the Main Danube Canal with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Join a Walking Tour of the quaint town of Volkach with its half-timbered houses and cobblestoned streets.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BAMBERG
VOLKACH.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 8
BAMBERG The City of Seven Hills
ACTIVE Your bike is ready! Hop on and bike along the canals in Bamberg with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of the former home to imperial dynasties, and see its Romanesque cathedral, Old Town Hall, and seven hills crowned with churches.
Later, enjoy live entertainment performance while sailing this evening.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROTH
BAMBERG-TOWN-HALL.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 9
ROTH. EXCURSION TO NUREMBERG Legends and History Lessons
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
ACTIVE Explore Roth's Lauter valley with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the Bavarian town of Roth—with its half-timbered houses, market square, and 1535 hunting lodge Schloss Ratibor, OR;
CLASSIC Choose a Guided Tour of Nuremberg’s medieval architecture, gilded fountain, gothic cathedral, and Kaiserburg Castle, OR;
CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of the historic Nuremberg Rally Grounds—used by the Third Reich.
DISCOVERY Enjoy an Onboard Lecture about the Main-Danube Canal—linking these two rivers to make a vital connection enabling navigation between the North and Black Seas.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO REGENSBURG
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 10
REGENSBURG Bavaria’s Medieval Miracle
ACTIVE Explore Walhalla by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Join a Guided City Walk and see Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and Porta Pretoria—built in 179 AD as the entrance to Castra Regina fortress.
You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the Benedictine Monastery in Weltenburg.
Alternatively, spend a free afternoon exploring Regensburg on foot or by bike through its charming streets.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO PASSAU
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 11
PASSAU Where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers Meet
CLASSIC Join a Guided City Walk to learn more about this beautiful “City of Three Rivers.”
You may join a full day Guided Optional Excursion to Salzburg, the city of Mozart, or a full-day Guided Optional Excursion to the picturesque Bohemian town of Cesky Krumlov.
Alternatively, cruise to the lovely town of Linz.
LINZ, AUSTRIA
Legendary, Lovely Linz
This evening, feel free to explore Linz on your own.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MELK
PASSAU.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 12
MELK–WACHAU VALLEY Frescoes Above and Vineyards Below
ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a walk along the Danube river and around Melk., OR:
CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the frescoed ceilings, statues, incredible library, and ornate pipe organ of Melk’s Benedictine Abbey.
Enjoy a coffee or cocktail on the Sky Deck as you sail through the picturesque Wachau Valley to wonderful Vienna this afternoon.
VIENNA
Viennese Waltzes on the Blue Danube
Consider joining a Guided Optional Excursion to attend a Royal Waltz Concert in an elegant hall this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN VIENNA
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 13
VIENNA Royal Collections and Amusing Attractions
ACTIVE Explore Vienna's Danube Island by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Explore the Habsburg Empire with a morning Guided City Tour of Vienna’s gilded landmarks. See the Imperial Palace complex—the winter residence of the Imperial Family, the iconic Vienna Opera House and stunning St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Join a Guided Optional Excursion to Schönbrunn Palace—summer home of the Habsburg family or choose a Guided Optional Excursion to fascinating Bratislava.
Consider a tram ride to Vienna’s Prater amusement park or to one of the many museums nearby.
Later, enjoy live entertainment as you sail to Budapest.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BUDAPEST
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 14
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY The Pearl of the Danube
ACTIVE Hike up to a magnificent viewpoint in Budapest with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Sightseeing tour of Budapest, including the iconic Heroes’ Square.
This afternoon choose among the Optional Guided Excursions available or enjoy Budapest on your own. Indulge in a piece of cream cake in one of the many cafés. Consider a scenic hike above the Danube.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BUDAPEST
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BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 15
BUDAPEST (DISEMBARKATION) Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
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Accommodations
Accommodations| Budapest |
InterContinental Budapest
Deluxe
Hotel as shown or similar
Apaczai Csere Janos utca 12-14 Budapest Hungary
Few would argue the InterContinental Budapest is in the city's best location: right on the Danube across from Castle Hill and the Royal Palace. With the Chain Bridge and the Parliament just steps away, there's no shortage of superb sightseeing opportunities. The Váci Utca shopping street, Central Market Hall and the Gellért Baths are also nearby.
Deluxe
Hotel as shown or similar
Apaczai Csere Janos utca 12-14 Budapest Hungary
Few would argue the InterContinental Budapest is in the city's best location: right on the Danube across from Castle Hill and the Royal Palace. With the Chain Bridge and the Parliament just steps away, there's no shortage of superb sightseeing opportunities. The Váci Utca shopping street, Central Market Hall and the Gellért Baths are also nearby.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
