Rhine Cruise and Davos Alpine Stay

TRAVEL
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
Included travel insurance
Return flights and transfers

ACCOMMODATION
7 nights Full Board aboard the ship, 4 nights Half Board in hotels
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
All gratuities on board

EXPERIENCES
Cruise Host
Amsterdam city tour and canal cruise OR Amsterdam Culinary Walking Tour
Heidelberg and Castle visit
Strasbourg tour and canal cruise
Walking tour of Bern
Lake Lucerne cruise

FOOD & DRINK
28 meals: 11 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 11 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board the ship
Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner

Fly to Amsterdam and transfer to the port to embark Spirit of the Rhine, which remains moored here overnight.

Enjoy dinner on board.

The Dutch capital is rightly popular for its friendly welcome, picturesque canals, world-class museums and galleries and laid-back cafes and bars.

This morning you can join an included excursion that gives you the opportunity to experience the local food and culture. After disembarking your ship and meeting your guide, take a tram to Central Station from where you will begin a walking tour of the Dutch capital. Along the way look forward to tasting local delicacies including herring, cheese and croquettes and rounding it off with a sweet treat from a bakery.

Alternatively you could join an included tour of Amsterdam by coach and see the Royal Palace on Dam Square, the floating flower market, the Central Railway Station, which is built on thousands of wooden piles, and the 19th-century Rijksmuseum.

Afterwards, enjoy a canal cruise to see the city centre with its historic bridges and gabled houses up close and see the famous Skinny Bridge, the Montelbaanstoren tower and the Jewish Quarter. Spirit of the Rhine sets sail at lunchtime and you will spend the rest of the day and night cruising towards Cologne.

Arrive at lunchtime in Cologne, Germany's cultural capital and perhaps see the highlights on an optional coach tour.

Alternatively, enjoy an afternoon of exploring using our state-of-the-art interactive map – don't miss the vast Gothic cathedral, started in 1248 to house the relics of the three Magi but not finally completed until 1880! You can see the magnificent shrine to Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar – now among the patron saints of Cologne – behind the high altar.

Depart later this evening and cruise overnight towards Koblenz.

Having arrived before breakfast, you can spend the morning in Koblenz, at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle.

Discover the attractive riverside promenade and several historic churches, all set beneath the Festung Ehrenbreitstein citadel on top of the hill, which you might choose to visit on an optional excursion this morning.

Later this morning your cruise continues through the UNESCO-listed Middle Rhine to the charming wine town of Rüdesheim, passing the fabled Lorelei Rock en route.

This evening, perhaps visit one of the 'olde-worlde' taverns in the famed Drosselgasse for a glass of local beer or wine. Alternatively, join an optional excursion that visits the extraordinary Siegfried's Museum of Mechanical Music or another which features a wine tasting.

Your ship remains moored here overnight.

Before sunrise your ship will sail to Mainz.

Here you can use your interactive map to explore the atmospheric Old Town and famous Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg. Born in the city he was the inventor of the 'moveable type' printing press, and is known as the 'father of modern printing'.

This afternoon, an included excursion visits the home of Germany's oldest university, the city of Heidelberg. Highlights include the Old Bridge across the River Neckar and the ruined castle high above the city. Its rather random appearance is due to it having been added to through different periods of German architectural styles. Virtually destroyed by lightning in 1764 it was cannibalised by locals who used stones from it in their own houses!

Sail overnight for Strasbourg, pausing briefly in Mannheim this evening.

You arrive just before lunch in the capital of Alsace, with the afternoon to discover its cobbled streets, picturesque half-timbered houses and cathedral.

Enjoy an included city tour and canal cruise that will help you get your bearings.

Your ship departs for Breisach this evening.

Arrive in the early hours with a day to explore Breisach, an important medieval town of the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century.

It's overlooked by a 12th-century cathedral – St Stephansmünster – set high on a hilltop above. It's also known as the 'gateway to the Black Forest' and you'll have the chance to join an optional excursion to picturesque Colmar with its well-preserved old town, and the wine town of Riquewhir. Another optional tour visits Lake Titisee, in the Black Forest for a short cruise and lunch.

Depart later tonight and cruise to Basel.

Disembark Spirit of the Rhine after breakfast and transfer by coach to the capital, Bern, where you can join an included two-hour walking tour of the beautifully preserved historic city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoy lunch at your own expense and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure before transferring back to Basel to check-in for a two night stay at Hotel Gaia (3Q).

Basel is located at the meeting point of Switzerland, Germany and France and today is yours to explore its many attractions at your leisure.

Basel Minster is one of the most famous buildings in the country – construction of the red sandstone cathedral with its iconic twin slim towers, began in 1019. The city is known for its museums, not least the Kunstmuseum, which housed Europe’s first art collection open to the public in 1661 and is the largest art museum in Switzerland. The University dates from 1460 and is regarded among the top-100 institutions in the world.

Dinner is at a local restaurant tonight.

After breakfast begin your journey to Davos, the final stop on your tour, taking in the delights of lovely Lucerne on the way.

Enjoy free time at leisure to explore this picturesque Swiss city situated at the end of the lake and backed by snow-capped mountains. Don't miss the 14th-century water tower or the chance to walk across the world's oldest wooden footbridge to the charming old town. Here you'll find the oldest baroque church in Switzerland as you explore the narrow streets. Keep an eye out for somewhere to have lunch, at your own expense.

After lunch glide across Lake Lucerne to Brunnen as you continue your journey to Davos, the highest town in Europe, for a two-night stay on a half-board basis at Hotel Grischa Davos (4Q), where you will enjoy dinner for the next two nights.

Breathe deep, enjoy the crystal clear air – at 1,560m Davos is the highest town in the Alps.

The day is yours to either make the most of the superb wellness facilities at your hotel or to get out and about at altitude. Perhaps take the chance to ride a cable car to sample the stunning views from Jakobshorn or see the sights of the town, including the Botanical Garden Alpinum Schatzalp and the The Kirchner Museum, which offers visitors the unique experience of viewing the art of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in the place it was created.

After breakfast check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport in Zurich for your return flight to the UK.