This 15-day cruise is a leisurely celebration of five countries along the storied Rhine River. The journey’s highlights are Germany’s castle-studded landscapes and famous Rhine wine region, featuring stops in quaint Rüdesheim and Cologne, known for its thriving art scene. To the south, the Black Forest area, Switzerland’s fascinating Basel and the Alsatian capital Strasbourg; to the north, Holland’s Amsterdam and Belgium’s medieval cities of Brugge and Antwerp. Whether you are familiar with this part of the world or not, our Treasures of the Rhine itinerary lets you see it from a wonderful new perspective.
Inclusive Pricing
The price of this Viking River Cruises vacation includes all meals, shore excursions, 14 guided tours with tour headphones, entertainment and activities.
Day 1 Basel
Arrive in Basel. We meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, enjoy free time and get acquainted with the city—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (D)
Day 2 Basel
After breakfast, join a tour of this multicultural city. See its historic Middle Bridge, cathedral and steep winding streets. Then, tour one of the city’s many art museums. Enjoy afternoon free time—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Lunch and dinner are served aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 3 Breisach
This morning, arrive in Breisach, gateway to the Black Forest. After breakfast, enjoy an excursion through the area’s mountain landscape, meadows and dense forests and see a cuckoo clock-making demonstration. Free time this afternoon. Or, join our optional guided walking tour of Colmar, a quaint Alsatian town. Dine aboard and dock overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Strasbourg
After breakfast take a guided tour of Strasbourg. See the European Parliament and enjoy a guided visit inside the city’s famed cathedral. Free time allows you to further explore the old section of this French-German city. Dinner aboard; cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 5 Heidelberg & Rüdesheim
After breakfast, take a journey to Heidelberg, home to Germany’s oldest university founded in 1386. A guided tour features imposing Heidelberg Castle, a red sandstone ruin overlooking the Neckar River. Continue with a walking tour through the Old Town and marketplace. Return aboard for afternoon cruising, lunch and dinner. Arrive late in Rüdesheim. Enjoy free time in the Drosselgasse, a pedestrian-only street lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Dock overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 6 Rüdesheim & Koblenz
This morning, take a mini-train to tour Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum. Lunch aboard as you cruise through the afternoon past legendary Lorelei Rock, then visit 700-year-old Marksburg Castle and tour its museum. Return to your ship in Koblenz at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle and relax before dinner aboard. Sail this evening to Cochem. (B, L, D)
Day 7 Cochem & Cologne
After breakfast, take a walking tour through this quaint village. See its medieval town gate and marketplace. Then, visit a winery and taste some local vintages. Return to your ship for lunch; cruise through the afternoon, arriving in Cologne tonight. Enjoy free time; remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 8 Cologne
After breakfast, a walking tour takes you past St. Martin’s Church to Cologne’s Old Town and includes a visit to the magnificent Gothic cathedral. Then tour a local Brauhaus and sample the beer. Lunch and dinner are served aboard, but dockside there are many taverns, cafés and shops to explore. Depart late tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 9 Arnhem
Arrive during breakfast in Arnhem and enjoy an excursion to the site of Operation Market Garden and the Airborne Museum. After lunch aboard, explore this quaint town rich in World War II history on your own. Dine aboard. Evening departure. (B, L, D)
Day 10 Amsterdam
This morning, enjoy a glass-topped canal cruise past merchant houses and the famed Skinny Bridge. Visit the Van Gogh Museum and explore works by the famed artist and others. Enjoy free time. Lunch and dinner aboard; dock overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 11 Gouda & Rotterdam
After breakfast, take a journey to Hoogerwaard Cheese Farm for a guided tour and cheese-making demonstration. Continue to Gouda, world-renowned for its cheese. See the Town Hall and St. John’s Church, both Gothic in style. Return to your ship in Schoonhoven for lunch aboard. Enjoy afternoon free time, then sail through dinner to Rotterdam. (B, L, D)
Day 12 Delft & Dordrecht
From Rotterdam, take a journey to Delft, famous for its blue-and-white china. Stop at one of the last Delftware factories for a pottery demonstration. Then, see the Nieuwe Kerk and the Prinsenhof on a guided tour. Return aboard for lunch; sail to Dordrecht. Enjoy a free afternoon in this charming Dutch town, or take an optional excursion to see the windmills at Kinderdijk. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 13 Brugge
Take a tour to Brugge. See the medieval Beguinage courtyard and gardens, the Church of Our Lady, Gruuthuuse Palace and Simon Stevin Square. Enjoy a Belgian meal in a local restaurant, followed by free time. After dinner aboard, you have some free time. Depart late this evening, arriving in Antwerp at midnight. (B, L, D)
Day 14 Antwerp
This morning, tour Antwerp. See Our Lady Cathedral, the Town Hall and Steen Castle. Then, visit the Rubens Museum, filled with works by Peter Paul Rubens. After lunch aboard, the rest of your day is free. Stay docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 15 Antwerp
After breakfast, disembark and we take you to the Brussels airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 3 nights in Brussels, with tours of important Flemish cities Ghent, Brugge, Leuven and Mechelen. (B)
Launched in 2004, Viking Sun was specifically built to accommodate discerning American travelers and to maximize the comfort of your river cruise journey along the Rhine. Each of the 99 spacious outside staterooms has a private bathroom with shower, in-room safe, telephone, TV, hairdryer and individually controlled air conditioning. During your leisure time, enjoy the Sun Deck with breathtaking 360-degree views or relax over cocktails in the Observation Lounge. With a maximum of 198 passengers aboard and a dining room free of assigned seating, Viking Sun provides an intimate atmosphere where you can get to know your fellow passengers. And, you only have to unpack once because your floating hotel travels with you.
Sun Deck
Enjoy sunshine and fresh air while you take in 360-degree views of the scenery as you sail past castles, towns, villages, trees and vineyards. Stand at the railings or relax in a comfortable deck chair—cushions are available. Some of the seating has a canopy for those who prefer shade. There is an access way from the Sun Deck to the bridge, as well as to the Library via staircase at the ship’s stern.
Observation Lounge/Bar
The Observation Lounge is a terrific place to meet old and new friends before and after meals. It boasts a large sitting area with chairs, small tables, sofas and a bar area with barstools. The Lounge has a projector and screen installed in the ceiling, so slides can be shown, and there is a stereo system and dance floor.
Restaurant
The restaurant is where all meals are served during your cruise. Because it features panoramic windows, you will not miss any of the scenery while you are dining. It seats 198 guests at 29 tables which vary in size, accommodating 6, 8 or 10 guests per table. The dining room is open seating, so you are free to sit where you like—a great way to make new friends. The atmosphere is casual but elegant, with high-quality table linens, china, cutlery and glassware. The room has a stereo system for playing quiet music during meals.
Call for your Extra Discounts 800-640-4899
Viking Cruises On the Rhine
One of Europe’s longest and most important rivers, the Rhine flows through Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands. In addition to being a vitally important waterway, it has also served as a military defense and been the basis for regional and international borders—in fact, the Rhine and Danube once formed most of the northern border of the Roman Empire.
Grand European Tour 15 DAYS
Imagine 15 magical days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, seeing the best of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Explore the historic cities of Vienna, Bratislava, and imperial Budapest, admire Holland’s windmill-studded tulip fields and Germany’s fairy-tale castles, and enjoy the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley.
In the 8th century, Emperor Charlemagne dreamt of a canal that could unite Europe’s great waterways, but it was not until 1992 that his vision came to pass. Now, the Main-Danube Canal allows ships to travel directly from the North Sea to the Black Sea, traversing Western, Central and Eastern Europe in a single journey. See the canals of Amsterdam, the castles of the Rhine Valley and many colorful capitals of Eastern Europe on an incredible 22-day cruisetour that includes eight countries on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. This itinerary provides the ultimate European experience.
Explore the heart of Europe on a 15-day journey along the Danube, Main and Rhine Rivers. Cruise through historic regions of Austria, Germany and Holland enjoying breathtaking scenery, fine wines, grand cathedrals and Old World ambiance. Tour ancient castles, Vienna’s Opera House, Regensburg’s Old Stone Bridge and the beautiful baroque abbey at Melk.
Imagine 15 magical days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, seeing the best of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Explore the historic cities of Vienna, Bratislava, and imperial Budapest, admire Holland’s windmill-studded tulip fields and Germany’s fairy-tale castles, and enjoy the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley.
Discover the romance of Paris and Prague and all the quaint small towns in between on this 12-day journey, including two nights each in Paris and Prague and a scenic river cruise along the Moselle, Rhine and Main Rivers. Take in the picturesque landscape of vineyard-clad hillsides as you cruise through Germany and sample fine wines of the region.
This itinerary gives you all the highlights of the legendary Rhine in just 8 days. Explore the canals and museums of historic Amsterdam, tour Cologne’s Dom Cathedral, Koblenz’s Marksburg Castle and Heidelberg Castle and discover multicultural Strasbourg. An excursion through the lush landscape of the Black Forest complements your river cruise.
Switzerland to Belgium 15 DAYS Treasures of the Rhine
This 15-day voyage visits five countries along the legendary Rhine River. Discover Switzerland’s Basel, France’s Strasbourg, Amsterdam’s picturesque canals and medieval Belgian cities Brugge and Antwerp. Ride through Germany’s enchanting Black Forest region and sail past castle-dotted landscapes as you explore the Rhine’s famous wine region.
Enjoy Holland’s springtime floral splendor and visit two of Belgium’s medieval cities on a 10-day Low Countries journey. Explore cosmopolitan Amsterdam and visit its world-famous museums. In Belgium, stroll Brussels’ Grand Place and discover Brugge. Tour Holland’s legendary windmills and Delta Works. Sample Dutch cheeses and Belgian chocolates.
With the decrease in the value of the dollar and the high price of fuel the cost of hotels and meals have doubled in European during the last three years. Savy travelers have come to understand that a river cruise offers the best value for a European Vacation. Accommodations, all meals on board and shore excursions are included in the price and some companies even include wine with dinner. Because of this, you do not have to live in fear of the $300 per night hotel bill, the $100 not so wonderful restaurant meal and the $10 cup of coffee with no free refills.Mike Davies
Many people believe that by dealing directly with the cruise line, they cut out the expense of a middleman. But when it comes to cruising, this is never the case. The cruise lines depend on travel agents to sell their product, and so it is the cruise lines who pay the agent's commission, not the customer. The lines also offer agents various extra incentives, bonus commissions and value-added perks, giving the travel agents more pricing leverage and the ability for us to offer you lower rates: There are many superb and well-trained travel agents, but there are not many who know as much as we do about river cruising.
