Viking Cruises

2019 River Cruises

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64 For complete itinerary details and videos, visit vikingcruises.com.au RHINE GETAWAY 8 day cruise with 6 guided tours in 4 countries DAY 1 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Arrive in Amsterdam, then transfer to your ship. After boarding, the afternoon is yours to relax or explore the city on your own. If your arrival schedule permits, you may wish to visit the Rijksmuseum, or the van Gogh Museum next door. (D) DAY 2 Kinderdijk, The Netherlands This morning we sail to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a 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. Return aboard for lunch and an enjoyable afternoon of Dutch diversions: sample handcrafted Dutch cheeses and jenever, a distilled juniper liquor, and try your hand at sjoelen (Dutch table shuffleboard). We cruise through the night. (B, L, D) DAY 3 Cologne, Germany Continue along the Rhine this morning; arrive in Cologne and take a walking tour. Stroll through Old Town past St. Martin's Church, and spend some time inside Cologne's Dom, a remarkable Gothic cathedral whose construction began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880. Explore the dockside taverns, cafés and shops on your own. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Cologne Beer Culture & Dinner Immerse yourself in Cologne's lively Brauhaus culture and sample the pride of the city. (B, L, D) DAY 4 Koblenz & Rüdesheim, Germany Proceed along the Rhine, disembarking to tour the 700-year-old Marksburg Castle and its museum. Enjoy an onboard lunch as you marvel at this scenic passage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where castles overlook the river from their hilltop posts. Arrive in Rüdesheim in the late afternoon. Spend free time in the pedestrian-only Drosselgasse and sample a glass of locally produced wine at one of the restaurants or wine bars. Ehrenbreitstein Fortress Ascend to the mighty fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, set high on a hill with magnificent views of Koblenz, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers and the Eifel Hills. (B, L, D) DAY 5 Heidelberg & Speyer, Germany Cruise through the morning as you enjoy breakfast and the passing scenery. Arrive in Mannheim and take a tour of Heidelberg to see Germany's oldest university, founded in 1386. Then, visit the beautiful sandstone ruins of imposing Heidelberg Castle and take in the scenery of the Neckar River Valley and the city's many red rooftops from this hilltop post. Continue with a walking tour through Old Town to Heidelberg's renowned gates. Re-join your ship in Speyer this afternoon and take some time to look around. You dock in full view of the imposing Romanesque cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 11th century on the site of a former basilica, the building's design influenced Romanesque architecture for centuries to come, and is the final resting place of eight German monarchs. Its soaring interior features graceful rows of sandstone columns and a large stained-glass window that was installed in the western facade during a later Gothic period. (B, L, D) A M S T E R D A M , T H E N E T H E R L A N D S K O L C H T R AY, C O L O G N E

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