21 Day European Gems - Paris To Prague

Be met at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the historic centre of Paris. Later this evening you’ll have the chance to get to know your fellow travellers and Tour Director at a Welcome Reception.

Paris is the perfect city to begin your European journey. This morning, open the door to some of the city’s best-loved sights on a guided tour, including the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe. Enjoy the afternoon to further explore Paris at your leisure.

Today, you’re bound to fall head over heels for the ‘City of Love’ during a full day of exploration. Will you enjoy a whirlwind romance with the bohemian fervour of the Latin Quarter? Or cement an enduring devotion to the art at the Louvre Museum? Tonight, perhaps enjoy dinner and a cabaret show at the iconic Moulin Rouge.

Farewell Paris after breakfast as you board your coach and traverse the beautiful landscapes of northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Arrive in Amsterdam to board your river ship, which remains docked overnight within easy strolling distance of the iconic sights. Tonight, enjoy a Captain’s Welcome Reception with your fellow travellers.

Perhaps the best way to get to know Amsterdam is aboard a glass-top boat. Today you’ll join a local guide who will regale you with stories of daily life as you glide through the city’s maze of waterways. Back on land, enjoy some free time to explore this lively city before you travel by coach via Rembrandt’s Windmill to Utrecht and join up with your river ship. From here, your ship will set off along the Rhine as you prepare for tonight’s special Gala Dinner.

Learn how the twin spires of Cologne’s famous cathedral, the Kolner Dom, took over six centuries to complete as you cruise into this picturesque city. Disembark and take the short drive to the town of Bruhl for your Insider Experience. Later, return to Cologne and enjoy time at leisure.

Insider Experience: Visit the World Heritage-listed Augustusburg Castle, home to archbishop-elector Clemens August. On a tour of the 18th-century castle, learn enthralling stories of its infamous former resident and enjoy a leisurely walk through the landscaped parks and gardens.

Experience a true holiday highlight as you cruise through the Rhine Gorge, known to be the most beautiful section of the Rhine River. Your ship docks in Rudesheim, where the Winzerexpress mini-train will take you through the town to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Here, discover one of the most beautiful collections of automated musical instruments in all of Germany.

Today, arrive in the evocative town of Miltenberg. Perfectly positioned at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers, Miltenberg is home to charming half-timbered houses and beautiful squares. Later this evening, enjoy a superb dinner on board.

Insider Experience: Discover genuine German hospitality as you are warmly welcomed into the homes of friendly Miltenberg locals for coffee and cake.

After breakfast, board a coach and travel through the green rolling hills and rich vineyards which sit on the fringe of the pretty town of Wurzburg. Admire it baroque palace and take a walk through the Court Garden. After lunch, you might like to enhance your journey further with an excursion to medieval Rothenburg, a true fairytale town.

Spend a leisurely morning cruising along the last stretch of the Main River before arriving at Bamberg. Enjoy a guided tour, during which you’ll gaze upon such sights as the Old Town Hall and the Bamberg Cathedral, followed by some free time to explore. Later on this evening, your ship will reach the Main-Danube Canal.

The site of Hitler’s now infamous Nuremberg rallies, Nuremberg played a pivotal role for the Nazis during World War II. Learn about the city and the era during a World War II tour, which includes such sights as the Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice. Finish your day with a drink and dinner back on board, then continue over the Main-Danube Canal, crossing Europe’s Continental Divide.

Regensburg awaits at the meeting point of the Danube and Regen rivers. Here, wander along its cobblestone lanes, taking a journey through the ages as you explore the historic streets, medieval buildings and cultural sites on your guided walking tour.

Insider Experience: This evening, enjoy an authentic Bavarian experience on board as you sample local beer and snacks, accompanied by traditional folk music, song and dance.

As you enjoy your breakfast, arrive in the ‘Three Rivers City’ of Passau, where the rivers Inn and Ilz join the Danube. Explore the city at your leisure this morning, or grab a bike and set out to explore. Alternatively, join an optional tour to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, or travel to Salzburg and enjoy the sights from ‘The Sound of Music’.

Having cruised into Austria, dock in Melk and join a local guide for a tour through Melk Abbey. An active Benedictine monastery since 1089, Melk Abbey sits high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube. After, cruise through the picturesque Wachau Valley to Durnstein, a town overlooked by the hilltop ruins of the castle where legendary King Richard the Lionheart was kept as a prisoner in the 12th century. You have the afternoon free to explore the cobbled streets, town houses and taverns of the town.

Embrace the splendour of the former Habsburg empire and the sheer elegance of Vienna as you enjoy a walking tour. You’ll gain an insider’s view and learn about some of the city’s most famous buildings – the Vienna State Opera House, the Museum of Fine Arts and more – as well as its rich classical music culture and history. You will see a number of landmarks, including St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Graben, Hofburg Palace and the Albertina. Afterwards, you may enjoy visiting the Naschmarkt. This evening, perhaps enjoy an optional concert featuring music from Mozart to ‘The Sound of Music’.

With a day at leisure today, you decide on how to shape your experience in Vienna. You may like to take a tour of Schonbrunn Palace, or set off on an intriguing trip to Bratislava in Slovakia. Alternatively, embark on your own discovery. Perhaps visit the Hofburg area where you’ll find the Imperial Treasury, or visit the Spanish Riding School, home to the celebrated Lipizzan horses.

Today, enjoy views of one of the Danube’s most enchanting riverside cities as your ship drifts right into the heart of Hungary’s capital. After breakfast, a local guide will lead you through Budapest to see Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Heroes’ Square. The turbulent history of the Buda Castle is sure to astound you, as this birthplace of Hungarian kings has been besieged no less than 31 times. You’ll also have the chance to see the city’s most famous structure, the spectacular Hungarian Parliament Building, perched on the edge of the Danube River. For those that wish, there’s an opportunity to visit the unique Hospital in the Rock later, located in caverns beneath Buda Castle.

After a Captain’s Farewell Dinner, set off on a twilight cruise through the heart of Budapest and admire the glittering monuments lining either side of the river.

After breakfast, board a coach and pass through the rural landscapes of Slovakia before crossing the border into the Czech Republic. Accented by verdant hills covered in vineyards, the southern countryside of the Czech Republic is a wine-lovers dream. With a three-night stay in Prague, you will have plenty of time to soak in the magic of this beautiful capital – a city of stone bridges, Gothic cathedrals and golden towers, overseen by a grand castle.

Your exploration of Prague begins with a tour of the World Heritage-listed Old Town. Travel across the Vltava River to Prague Castle, which dominates the city skyline. Believed to date back to the 9th century, this castle complex – with its network of palaces and churches – is considered the largest in the world. You’ll then wander across Charles Bridge and arrive in Prague’s Old Market Square. Stop for some time to explore if you wish, and continue to discover the incredible city of Prague on your own terms, with its multitude of sights.

Having become familiar with the layout of Prague, enjoy today at leisure to explore as you please. The Jewish Quarter is a pulsing hub of Semitic history, so perhaps you’d like to head there and learn all about the birthplace of writer Franz Kafka. Or have your camera ready at the Astronomical Clock, a masterpiece in the Old Town Square that visualises time in a truly unique form. Soak up the Bohemian atmosphere along the cobbled back streets and sample Kofola (Czech cola) or one of the Czech beers for which this fabulous city is renowned. Optional touring today includes a tour of Terezin or a lively traditional Czech folklore dinner and show.

Your adventure comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.'