Begin your European river cruise on the MS Amacerto in vibrant Amsterdam, enjoying her legendary canals and colorful surroundings. Visit the majestic Cologne Cathedral, the historic university town of Heidelberg, the Alsation capital of Strasbourg, and the legendary Black Forest region. Conclude your 12-day journey in the midst of Switzerland’s stunning scenery and world-famous cities, enjoying lakeside excursions and alpine vistas.
Highlights
Cruise the intertwining canals of Amsterdam
Visit with a local vintner and enjoy a wine tasting in Rudesheim
Explore the red-walled castle of Heidelberg and its Great Vat
Take a cable car to the top of Mount Pilatus for great views of Lucerne
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
After breakfast, your tour of Amsterdam begins with a scenic canal cruise through the city known as the “Venice of the North.” See the tall narrow homes lining the water, the Skinny Bridge, and the house where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding during WWII. Later, enjoy a panoramic city tour that includes many key sights, including a photo stop at the windmill famously painted by Rembrandt. Take some free time to explore on your own before returning to the ship. The ship departs this afternoon, en route to Germany.
Enjoy a guided tour of Cologne this morning, which takes you to the Old Town, Cathedral Square, and the city’s majestic 13th-century Gothic cathedral. Afterwards, have free time to visit some of the local shops or have a coffee at a quaint café. Late tonight, the ship cruises to Koblenz and moors overnight.
This morning, cruise through the picturesque Rhine Gorge, admiring its many castles and fortress ruins and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Arrive in the winemaking town of Rüdesheim and enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting with a local vintner. Or, take a gondola ride above the town to see the Niederwalddenkmal Statue. Later have free time to explore the Drosselgasse, the town’s most famous and charming street, a narrow passage lined with shops and taverns. This evening, visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Instrument Museum, home to a remarkable collection of old robotic and self-playing musical instruments. The ship sails overnight.
Arrive around noon in Speyer, one of Germany’s oldest cities, known for its cathedral, numerous churches, and the 13th-century Altpörtel (“Old Gate”). Choose either a city tour of Speyer or a half-day excursion to historic Heidelberg, where you may visit the red-walled castle with its Great Vat (a 49,000-gallon 18th-century wine cask) and see beautiful views of the Neckar Valley and city below. This evening, the ship continues onward to Strasbourg, France.
Capital city of the Alsace region in northeastern France, Strasbourg is situated on the Rhine at the German border. After arriving this morning, enjoy a panoramic city tour that takes you past the Orangery, the town’s oldest park, the European Parliament, and the Place de la Republique. Afterwards, take a walking tour of the lovely “La Petite France” neighborhood, and see the Gothic cathedral with its famous astronomical clock. The remainder of the day is yours to spend as you wish. The ship moors overnight.
You have two exciting excursions to choose from today. The first is a walking tour of Riquewihr, a picturesque town that looks much as it did back in the 16th century. A second option is a walking tour of Breisach and Freiburg. Breisach is a beautiful town that houses one of Europe’s largest wine cellars. In Freiburg, visit the historical city center and the Augustinerplatz, site of Freiburg’s Münster, a Gothic cathedral constructed of red sandstone. Tonight, the ship cruises to Switzerland.
Day 8: Basel, Switzerland | Disembarkation | Lucerne
1 Breakfast
Disembark after breakfast for a city tour of cosmopolitan Basel. Long an important center for banking, commerce, and trade, Basel’s glorious past is still evident in its medieval Town Hall and exquisite 18th-century homes. After free time for lunch on your own, depart for Lucerne. Visit the Lion Monument en route, a dramatic sculpture that honors the Swiss Guards killed during the French Revolution. Arrive in Lucerne mid-afternoon and check into your hotel.
Day 9: Lucerne
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of this medieval gem. See some of the city’s lovely cobblestone streets, monuments, fountains, public squares, covered bridges, and colorful frescoed buildings. The afternoon offers free time to shop for Swiss-made watches, knives, and delicious chocolates. Or, if you prefer, join the optional tour and cable car ride to the top of a Swiss mountain with incredible views of the surrounding area (seasonal availability).
Day 10: Lucerne | Zurich
1 Breakfast
Enjoy a free morning in Lucerne before checking out of your hotel. Enjoy a leisurely cruise across the tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne to Vitznau and board a motorcoach for a scenic drive to Zurich. Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.
Day 11: Zurich
1 Breakfast
Your morning walking tour of picturesque Zurich includes Grossmünster Abbey, St.Peter (with the world’s largest church clock face), Old Town, Town Hall and Fraumünster, which was fully renovated in 2004 and now offers an exceptional 360° panoramic view of Zurich. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the town on your own, or you may take an optional excursion to see the Rhine Falls.
Day 12: Depart Zurich
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, bid farewell to Switzerland and prepare for your return flight home.
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I could not be happier with my Adventure Life experience, from beginning to end. I travel a lot, and I think your company and personnel do an outstanding job. I truly appreciate your professionalism, attentiveness, and flexibility. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your company and would be happy to serve as a reference.
Constance Block
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.