Holland and the romantic Rhine valley (port-to-port cruise)

You'll leave on foot to head to the bike rental office. This guided bike tour will last about 2.5 hours, and you'll be able to explore and learn about all the must-see and out-of-the-way sites in Amsterdam. Enjoy some free time at the Flower Market or at the Albert Cuypmarkt.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Attention: children are under the responsibility of their parents and must be autonomous by bike.
• Classic bikes provided (no electric assistance)
• Helmets are provided on all our cycling tours.

Departure for a tour of Amsterdam by riverboat. With your guide, we'll glide further into this "Venice of the North” along the renowned Amsterdam canals, providing an ideal vantage point on the city's wonderful architecture. Our tour will take us through the four large canals surrounding the center - the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel canals. The Singel river was transformed into a canal in the 14th century to become part of the city's defensive belt, while the other three were conceived at the beginning of the Golden Age as a means to expand the city. Construction started in 1560 and lasted for more than a hundred years. The historical center is now surrounded by those four canals, parallel to one another. Shaped in half-moons, they follow the sun rays making sure that each and every house gets direct sunlight at some point during the day. When looking at a city map, Amsterdam resembles a half-bicycle wheel. Enjoy some free time in the city. Return on board.

PLEASE NOTE

• Times are approximate.

Departure from Nijmegen by coach in the company of your hostess for the Dutch Open Air Museum in Arnhem, which is located in a beautiful wooded park (44 ha). Some 80 authentic farms, windmills, workshops, houses, barns, a church and a school provide an insight on the everyday life and architecture of yesteryear.
Upon arrival, our hostess will hand you a ticket so you can visit the museum on your own. Inside every building, you'll be intrigued by the typical furniture and the displays of various trades and crafts. Some of the buildings are grouped together, such as the beautiful Limburg timber-framed buildings or the Gelderland farms, but the most charming spot is without a doubt the area dedicated to the Zaan region, with its green painted wooden houses and tastefully decorated gables. Our visit will start with the renovated entrance pavilion and its good vantage point over the park and its many windmills. There are farming implements on display in many areas, like the collections center. The lower level gives access to the spectacular panoramic theater HollandRama. In this mobile capsule, films, sounds, lights, smells and temperatures evoke different scenes, from cityscapes to the confines of houses. Return on board by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• This is an unguided tour.
• Bags can be let to the left luggage office.
• Information in the museum (notice board) is given in Dutch, in English and in German.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure on foot for downtown Cologne. You will discover the city in the company of your guide. Crossroads of Europe since the Middle Ages, Cologne has kept its importance as a vibrant commercial and industrial city as well as a cultural and religious center. You will be able to admire the exterior façades of the huge Gothic Cologne Cathedral which took five centuries to complete. Indeed, although construction started in 1247, it was interrupted due to a lack of financing in 1560 and only started again in 1842 upon request of Emperor Frederick Wilhelm IV, who had fallen in love with the building. Construction was finally completed in 1863 and the Gothic Cathedral was the highest building in the world from 1880 to 1884. Around the Cathedral, 12 other Romanesque style churches are set in a circle, representing the 12 holy apostles. We'll then move on to the Old Town and stop to admire the outside of the neo-Gothic building, home of the famous "Eau de Cologne".
Before returning on board, we will have some free time to stroll through the streets of Cologne or try the famous local beer, the Kölsch(1). You will be able to make your way back to the boat on foot at your own pace.

PLEASE NOTE

• (1) not included.
• Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• These excursions are not proposed for all the cruises and depend on the itinerary.
• If the minimum of 25 participants is not reached, the excursion may be either cancelled or proposed at another rate, depending on the number of participants (to be paid for on board).
• The excursions on the first evening and the morning following boarding are only guaranteed for the passengers who have booked the excursion before the cruise.

Departure for the visit of Heidelberg. This cosmopolitan, friendly, and vibrant city is made up of 15 distinct neighborhoods and is particularly attractive to families, students, business people, and researchers. Its high quality of life comes through to visitors, who feel genuinely at home here. We'll begin with a visit to the outside of Heidelberg Castle, where you'll be able to see the Renaissance ruins and parts of its restoration. The castle has a history that is almost as old as the city itself. From either the Great Terrace or the gardens, enjoy an amazing view over Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the valley. Don't miss seeing the Heidelberg Tun. Built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor, it housed the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers in the region. Legend has it that the permanently intoxicated court jester who guarded the cask, Perkeo, died after mistakenly drinking a simple glass of water. You can also enjoy a stroll through the castle gardens, once considered a masterpiece of their time. Built upon several terraces, they were made up of many flower beds, mazes, sculptures, heated greenhouse with orange trees, large ponds, waterfalls, and a man-made grotto. We'll then head for the Neckarmünzplatz, on the banks of the Necker River, and continue with a guided tour of the old city. We'll pass by the Church of the Holy Spirit, the most famous church in Heidelberg, whose steeple dominates the town. And then you can take advantage of some free time to wander through the streets and shops before returning on board.

PLEASE NOTE

• Depending on the cruise, departure and/or return on board in Mannheim
• The access to the castle needs climbing up a 300m gradient.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach in the company of your hostess towards Keukenhof. Upon arrival, your hostess will give you an entry ticket that will allow you to stroll freely inside this beautiful flower garden extending on 32 hectares (79 acres). You'll be delighted by its wonders, from the enchanting colors and fragrances of the many tulips, narcissus, daffodils and other ornamental bulbs to the orchid pavilion and the Japanese country garden. Do not miss the breathtaking view over the tulip fields from the 1892 windmill located at the back of the garden!
In the 15th century, the garden as we know it today was nothing but hunting grounds where aromatic herbs were grown for the kitchens of the castle belonging to Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, hence its current name, "Keukenhof” - "kitchen garden” in English.
Return on board in Amsterdam by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Only on pre-booking.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Free visit in the park; open from March 20th to May 11th 2025. The opening dates are subject to change by Keukenhof Flower Park. 
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Wheelchairs are available through online booking on the Keukenhof website (passengers will have to use their own credit card).

We'll leave by coach with our guide for Volendam, a charming village that has preserved its character for over six centuries thanks to the tough vitality of its fishermen. We'll then visit a cheese factory in the area to discover how the famous Gouda cheese is made. We'll enjoy tasting the different flavors and ages available of one of the most popular cheeses in the world. We'll then head for Zaanse Schans, an open air museum with wooden windmills, barns, and houses. Take a walk through the stunning buildings and the unique peat landscape or watch traditional clog making techniques. Don't miss the small but impressive clog museum that features one of the largest and most attractive collections of wooden shoes in the Netherlands: painted, carved, ice clogs with iron trimmings, horse clogs, and decorative clogs. Take advantage of some free time on this excursion to indulge in authentic Dutch traditions. We'll return to our ship in Amsterdam by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended: guided visit on foot at Volendam and Zaanse Schans.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll leave by coach with our guides for the city of Delft.
We'll discover this charming city made famous by its blue and white ceramics, Delftware, as well as its connections to the Dutch Royal Family and the renowned painter Johannes Vermeer. We'll stroll through the enchanting city center—where you'll be able to experience a bit of authentic Dutch living: calm canals shaded by trees, petite bridges, and historical buildings. We'll also visit a delft pottery factory in the city (or nearby) where you'll discover the secrets of making this famous imitation porcelain. We'll then head to the Oude Kerk, Nieuwe Kerk, and the Prinsenhof - where William of Orange was assassinated in 1584. Afterwards, we'll travel by coach to Rotterdam. We'll then return on board. 

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll go to the center of Rüdesheim to catch a gondola lift to the Niederwalddenkmal, a monument built in the 19th century to commemorate the first unification of Germany. From there, you'll have a great view of the small city, the vineyards and the Rhine. We'll hike through the vineyards to the Abbey of St. Hildegard, built in the early 20th century. You'll have some free time to explore the abbey before we return to the ship through the vineyards once more.

PLEASE NOTE

• Wear comfortable, sturdy walking shoes.
• 8km-hike with a 300m elevation gain.
• Times are approximate.
• The order of the visits can change.

You will start the visit with a tour and commentary of the Rüdesheim vineyards by mini-train, during which you will discover the famous vineyards already cultivated in the Roman period. During this tour, the history of winemaking in the region will be explained and you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Rüdesheim and the Rhine. The train will then stop right before the historical Bassenheimer Hof cellar, a seigneurial residence from the 16th century, where we'll indulge in a wine-tasting*. A winemaker from the Störzel family cellar will guide you through a tasting of three different wines, from the driest to the sweetest, all the while telling you about the history of the cellar and winemaking in the Rüdesheim region, complete with local stories. Afterwards, our visit will continue on to the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments located 100m away from the cellar in an old building from the 15th century. The "Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett" is the first German museum dedicated to self-playing musical instruments, which holds an impressive collection of no less than 350 mechanical musical instruments dating back to the 18th century to the 20th, all spread out on more than 4000 ft². This is a vast collection, dating back three centuries, of fascinating musical instruments that function like computers, ranging from tiny, delicate music boxes to an enormous orchestrion. Tools and machines for the production of organ pipes, cardboard sheet music, rolls of sheet music and perforated disks are also on display in the collection. Whatever their age, museum visitors always take great pleasure in discovering this special music, the techniques from the past and how these instruments work. After visiting the Museum, you will have some free time to stroll through the streets of Rüdesheim ambling down the famous Drosselgasse, before making your own way back to the boat.

PLEASE NOTE

• Warm clothes are recommended for the visit of the cellar.
• After the visits, passengers will have free time in Rudesheim until they go back to the boat on foot on their own.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• *Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.