View Cologne Cathedral towering over the Rhine, explore ancient Nijmegen, and learn about modern-day warfare at the Dutch National Military Freedom Museum before disembarking in the canal city of Amsterdam.
Explore three glorious rivers on this very exciting cruise. Travel Germany's Romantic Road, visit the famed Nurburgring motorsports complex, savor the tastes of Frankfurt, and fully immerse in the historic beauty of towns like Nijmegen, Rothenburg and Cologne. Embark your riverboat in Regensburg, Germany, cruising the Danube to Nuremberg for tours above and underground. Make your way into the countryside to visit Bayreuth, Bamberg and Rothenburg along the Romantic Road. Artisan crafts and passions add local color to your cruise along the Main, where you'll enjoy a hands-on visit to a historic paper mill or be privy to a private piano collection during a visit with your eclectic host. Frankfurt's name alone evokes images of the all-American hotdog that took its cue from the sausages that are made here; discover the city's local specialties on your foodie tour, before a sparkling dinner at Schlosshotel Kronberg raises the culinary bar. Set a course for the race track at Nurburgring or slow your pace on a bicycle ride.
Explore three glorious rivers on this very exciting cruise. Travel Germany's Romantic Road, visit the famed Nurburgring motorsports complex, savor the tastes of Frankfurt, and fully immerse in the historic beauty of towns like Nijmegen, Rothenburg and Cologne. Embark your riverboat in Regensburg, Germany, cruising the Danube to Nuremberg for tours above and underground. Make your way into the countryside to visit Bayreuth, Bamberg and Rothenburg along the Romantic Road. Artisan crafts and passions add local color to your cruise along the Main, where you'll enjoy a hands-on visit to a historic paper mill or be privy to a private piano collection during a visit with your eclectic host. Frankfurt's name alone evokes images of the all-American hotdog that took its cue from the sausages that are made here; discover the city's local specialties on your foodie tour, before a sparkling dinner at Schlosshotel Kronberg raises the culinary bar. Set a course for the race track at Nurburgring or slow your pace on a bicycle ride.
Traveling Well Includes: Exclusive with Tauck Visit the historic race track at Nurburging, considered the greatest road racing circuit in the world, viewing the long North loop track, built in the 1920s, around the village and medieval castle of Nurburg in the Eifel mountains Enjoy a sparkling dinner at Schlosshotel Kronberg, built in 1893 and home to Empress Victoria Friedrich whose antique furnishings hint at the grandeur of this elegant palace Discover Frankfurt on a guided walking tour of its historic sites, learning about its role post-WWII, or take a tasting tour that tempts with the sausages that gave the modern-day Frankurter its name Tauck Values Includes Explore Nuremberg on a choice of excursions that include going underground the city in its historic rock-cut tunnels, where centuries-old breweries would store their beer All private Tauck shore excursions - $2,535 Value! Day 1 - Arrive Regensburg & Embark riverboat
Tour begins: 4:00 PM. Tour begins: 4:00 PM. A transfer is included from Munich International Airport to your riverboat in Regensburg.Check in time aboard ship is 4:00 PM for all guests. Join us for a ship briefing, before a welcome reception followed by dinner onboard your riverboat tonight.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: D
Day 2 - Choices in Nuremberg
An important commercial hub from the Middle Ages onward, Nuremberg, the second largest city in Bavaria, is steeped in a rich historic legacy that can be seen and felt today, both above and below ground. View its well-preserved landmarks, including the imperial castle and the walled Old Town on a locally guided walk that provides insights about this Franconian capital or go underground with a local guide learning about centuries of history both above and below ground. Explore the historic rock-cut tunnels that were cut into the rock starting in 1380. Their main uses were beer storage for local breweries but in the 1940s, they were also used as air raid bunkers. Enjoy time to discover the sights on your own before returning to the riverboat for a farewell cocktail and dinner.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3 - Bamberg or Bayreuth
Your riverboat docks in Bamberg this morning for a day of Bavarian discoveries. You can choose to join our local guide for an in-depth tour of Bamberg, spread over seven hills that earned is nickname, Franconian Rome. Explore its medieval old town, surrounded by Europe's largest intact wall and discover the special smoked beer it is famous for. Or drive to nearby Bayreuth to see its Baroque opera house, charming palaces, historical gardens and museums on a locally guided tour. At its center is the former home of composer Richard Wagner, whose music is featured every year at the Richard Wagner Festival, Germany's most important opera event. Dinner is at leisure onboard the riverboat.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4 - Bavarian beauty on the Romantic Road
Arrive in Kitzinger this morning for a choice of shore excursions. Join a local guide after a short drive for a walking tour of the walled Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber at the north end of the Romantic Road, resplendent with medieval architecture, half-timbered houses and a cobblestoned Old Town. Or, visit Kitzinger with a local guide before heading to Wurzburg to meet the ship in the afternoon. Have dinner onboard at your leisure tonight.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5 - Paper or pianos in Middle Main
Arrive in Marktheidenfelt this morning for a choice of excursions. See how paper is made on an interactive visit to a working paper mill or meet the owner of a private piano collection as your host shows you his prized musical instruments.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 - A taste of Frankfurt
While its name evokes images of the famous sausage that inspired modern-day hot dogs, Frankfurt is home to one of the most impressive skylines in Germany, with world-renowned museums, historic cathedrals and ornately gabled half-timbered houses lining its streets and squares. Join a local guide for a walking tour of its landmark sites or whet your appetite for some of the city's most tempting culinary specialties on a tasting walk. Return to your riverboat for an afternoon of cruising, followed by dinner at leisure onboard.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7 - The Middle Rhine Valley
Enjoy head-turning scenic beauty this morning as your riverboat charts a course through the picture-book landscapes of the Middle Rhine Valley, designated a UNESCO World Heritage for its history as an important transport route and its castle-crowned hilltops. Dock in Boppard for your choice of excursions. Drive to the Nurburgring race track that was featured in the movie Rush; see its Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long Nordschleife North loop track, built in the 1920s, around the village and medieval castle of Nurburg in the Eifel Mountains. Or, go at your own pace as you ride a bicycle along the Rhine in the Boppard area. Join us this evening for a Tauck Exclusive dinner at Schlosshotel Kronberg, built in 1893 under the commission of Empress Victoria Friedrich and sparkling with antiques and paintings from her private estate.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 - Koln (Cologne) & Bonn
Disembark ship in Koln this morning for a walking tour with a local guide. Founded by the Romans in 38 BC, the city is like a living textbook of history and architecture, with Roman ruins, medieval churches, avant-garde buildings and the famous filigree-towered Kolner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sail on to Dusseldorf this evening.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 9 - Pursue your interests in Nijmegen
You have a choice of sightseeing adventures today. Join our local guide for a walking tour into the heart of Nijmegen, the oldest town in the Netherlands and vibrant with medieval sights that straddle streets from the 16th-century Lower Town by the banks of the Waal River to the older Upper Town. Alternatively, learn about the Dutch passion for horticulture during an expertly guided visit to the Gardens of Appeltern and a water pumping station, or venture to the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek, chronicling 20th century history in the Netherlands. Your ship sails this afternoon, bound for Amsterdam. Join us for a canal boat cruise after dinner tonight.
Lodging: ms Joy
Meals: B, L, D
Day 10 - Journey Home
Tour ends: Amsterdam. Disembark ship in Amsterdam this morning. A transfer from your riverboat to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport or Centraal Station is included. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Lodging:
Meals: B
