Central Europe Five River Cruise To Vienna
This great value holiday aboard the Spirit of the Rhine takes you on a river cruise along the main rivers of central Europe, through Germany and Austria, from Trier in the Moselle wine region to the cultural capital which is Vienna. This cruise takes you along the Moselle, Rhine, Main, Altmuhl and Danube Rivers.
Your cruise begins on the Moselle with an included trip on Bernkastel-Kue’s panorama train and the opportunity to visit Reichsburg Castle or explore Cochem aboard a Noddy train during optional excursions. Continue to the winetown of Rüdesheim, set in the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, and perhaps see the self-playing instruments of Siegfried’s Museum of Mechanical Music before cruising to Miltenberg and the Bavarian town of Würzburg, set beside the River Main.
Visit 18th-century Residenz Palace, take a tour of Bamberg where the town hall sits on an island in the Regnitz and explore historic Nuremberg before joining the Danube. An optional excursion to Weltenburg Abbey includes a boat trip through the Danube Gorge and you can stroll through the medieval streets of Regensburg on another optional tour. Cruise into the scenic Wachau Valley to visit Melk, whose ornate Abbey is a masterpiece of high Baroque architecture, and Dürnstein where an optional walking tour includes an organ concert at the abbey.
Your Tour Includes
TRAVEL
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
Included travel insurance
Return flights and transfers
ACCOMMODATION
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
All gratuities on board
EXPERIENCES
Cruise Host
Entertainment and activities on the ship
Bernkastel panorama train and guided walk
Wurzburg and the Residenz Palace
Bamberg city tour
Historic Nuremberg
FOOD & DRINK
32 meals: 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 11 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
Day 1 UK - Luxembourg - Trier
Fly to Luxembourg and transfer to Trier where you’ll embark Spirit of the Rhine.
Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner on board as your ship begins the overnight cruise towards Bernkastel.
Day 2 Bernkastel-Kues - Cochem
Arrive early this morning in Bernkastel-Kues for an included trip on the panorama train, followed by a guided walk.
Depart this afternoon and arrive in Cochem this evening.
Day 3 Cochem - Rüdesheim
Take an optional trip on Cochem’s Noddy train this morning or join an optional visit to Reichsburg Castle.
Set sail at lunchtime and arrive in Rüdesheim late tonight.
Day 4 Rüdesheim
Visit Siegfried's Museum of Mechanical Music on an optional morning excursion before cruising through the afternoon and overnight towards Miltenberg.
Day 5 Miltenberg
After an early arrival in Miltenberg perhaps spend the morning on an optional beer tasting excursion.
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon cruising towards Würzberg and continuing through the night.
Day 6 Würzburg
Arrive early this morning in Würzburg, set among vineyards on the banks of the River Main.
It was an important city in the Middle Ages, but owes its present appearance to the prince-bishops of the Schönborn family, who erected a large number of baroque buildings in the 17th and 18th centuries. Enjoy an included guided tour of one of Europe’s most splendid baroque palaces, the Residenz, dating back to the 18th century. Admire the famous grand staircase and Imperial Hall with frescoes by Tiepolo and the extensive gardens, then continue into the Bavarian town to see the 13th-century Fortress of Marienberg, the cathedral and old Main Bridge.
Spirit of the Rhine will begin the overnight cruise to Bamberg this afternoon.
Day 7 Bamberg
Set off on an included tour of this UNESCO-listed city this morning. Visit the cathedral and walk through the historic streets to see the Old Town Hall located on an island in the river and the quaint fisherman’s houses of ‘Little Venice’. This afternoon you may like to explore the culinary traditions of Bamberg on an optional walking tour.
Your ship cruises towards Nuremberg this evening and overnight.
Day 8 Nuremberg
Arrive in Nuremberg for an included sightseeing tour that reveals the elegant architecture and major sights of this historic Bavarian city, from its medieval beginnings to the present. Once famous for the manufacture of toys, it achieved infamy in the 20th century as the setting for the notorious Nazi rallies, and later for the war crimes trials of 1945-46.
Afterwards, continue sailing overnight to Kelheim.
Day 9 Kelheim - Regensburg
Arrive before breakfast and perhaps join an optional morning excursion to Weltenberg Abbey, with an included boat trip through the Danube Gorge, before rejoining your ship in Regensburg. This afternoon perhaps explore the medieval streets of Regensburg on an optional walk through the UNESCO-listed old town.
Continue cruising late this afternoon towards Passau.
Day 10 Passau
Spend the morning in Passau, where an optional walking tour reveals the baroque St Stephen’s Cathedral and old and new Bishop’s Palaces.
Cruise through the afternoon and night to Melk.
Day 11 Melk - Dürnstein
Following an early arrival this morning you may like to join an optional excursion to Melk Abbey. Your ship departs at lunchtime for an afternoon arrival in Dürnstein. Perhaps join an optional tour of the city, followed by an organ concert in the abbey.
Spirit of the Rhine sets sails late this evening and cruises overnight towards Vienna.
Day 12 UK - Vienna
Disembark your ship after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
