Grand European Discovery River Cruise
16 Days
Tour Code: GED
Travel along three majestic rivers - the legendary Rhine, the meandering Main and the enchanting Danube and be inspired at every turn. Touch history in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria.
Experience wonderfully preserved towns that offer a glimpse into life as it must have been lived centuries ago. Take in Miltenberg’s crooked streets and leaning houses and Strasbourg’s “Petite France,” which is lined with canals. Explore legendary landmarks - the Niederwald Monument in Rudesheim, 900-year-old Melk Abbey and the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Wurzburg Residenz. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the enchanting Bavarian Forest. Enjoy culinary diversity while indulging in wiener schnitzel in Austria, sipping fine Rheingau and Franconian wines and drinking hearty beer in Germany. Come discover Europe on this all-encompassing adventure.
Stay in a Category 5 Moselle Deck cabin with private bath (option to upgrade for low additional cost).Enjoy 40 meals including 14 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 14 dinners.
Tour price is per person and is based on two people sharing a twin bedded room.
***This tour is operated by our sister company.
Your Tour Price Includes
VIP Door-to-Door TransferTransfers you from your door step to select airports. Start your vacation in style with our outbound VIP Door-to-Door Town Car airport transfer service available on every tour from over 40 cities throughout the USA. Our service will collect your from you home and transfer you to your departure airport. We will arrange a pick-up time from your home that suits you, and your driver will meet you at your front door and assist with your bags before transporting you to the airport with ample time for check-in. |
Local Expert Guides on all city tours |
Airport/Cruise TransfersAirport arrival and departure transfers included with the purchase of combined air and land package. |
Deluxe Stateroom |
Travel DocumentsGET travel wallet, Cruise Companion Booklet, $100 Frequent Traveler Discount upon return for a future tour. |
40 Meals with wine during dinner and bottled water in your stateroomEnjoy 40 meals including 14 Buffet breakfasts, 12 lunches and 14 dinners with wine, beer and soft drinks (including Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Dinners). |
Professional Cruise ManagerYour cruise will be conducted by the most experienced Cruise Directors in the business. They will manage the intricate details of your tour, keeping you entertained with anecdotes and stories to make sure your vacation is educational, entertaining and fun. |
Loud & ClearThis tour utilizes our personal audio system allowing you to roam and explore sites (within 60 feet) without missing any insight from your Tour Director or local guide. |
Included Shore Excursions
Strasbourg canal cruiseStrasbourg is known as the ’Crossroads of Europe’ and is home to a magnificent, single-spired Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame, and beautiful half-timbered houses; it is also the seat of the European Parliament. See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries - on a canal cruise that passes Petite France, the picturesque old quarter with its timber-frame houses adorned with flower boxes. |
Half-day Nuremberg city tourAfter cruising parts of the impressive Main-Danube Canal, visit Nuremberg, an archetypal German Medieval city encircled by mighty defensive walls and red-roofed buildings. Birthplace of Albrecht Dürer and famous for its pocket watches, the city also held the astounding War Crimes Trials after WWII. Discover the sights of Nuremberg during your panoramic tour before exploring its walled Old Town on foot. |
Full-day tour of HeidelbergHeidelberg, a perfectly preserved Medieval city nestled in the Neckar River Valley along Germany’s Castle Road. Heidelberg is home to Germany’s oldest university and is forever immortalized by Sigmund Romberg’s operetta, The Student Prince. Your tour takes you past the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, where you’ll be guided through the castle’s courtyard. You will also get to see the world’s largest wine barrel. Continue your tour in downtown Heidelberg and through Old Town where you’ll see the town’s late-Gothic church. |
Regensburg walking tourRegensburg, one of the finest Medieval towns in Europe, captures 2,000 years of living history with outstanding manmade monuments like the 12th-century Stone Bridge and the towering Gothic cathedral. Your walking tour takes you past the architectural treasures of Old Town as well as the Cathedral of St. Peter with its magnificent 14th-century stained glass windows. Genuine Bavarian hospitality adds to the vibrant mix of art and culture in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
Gondola ride to the scenic Niederwald HeightsYou’ll board a mini-train for the short trip to the Niederwald Gondola. The adventure takes off the moment your gondola rises up the hillside. During the ride and once at the top, you will be mesmerized by the fairytale views that appear on all sides, including Rudesheim, the vineyards of the Rheingau, and the Niederwald Monument. Perched at the top of the Niederwald Height, the monument can be seen by all who pass through this section of the beautiful Rhine Valley. |
Bavarian Forest horse-drawn carriage ride and Theresienthal visitAfter taking a scenic drive through the Nature Reserve of the Bavarian Forest, marvel at the amazing glass collection exhibited in the Theresienthal Glass Museum. Experience the art of glass-making firsthand during a visit to a nearby glass workshop, and follow the glass from the oven to the cooling station while learning about the extraordinary history of Theresienthal. Cap the day off with a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride through the Bavarian Forest. |
Miltenberg walking tourMiltenberg is protected by its old walls and two gates - one facing east, and another facing west. While on your walking tour, you’ll discover why this Medieval town seems to leap from the pages of a German fairytale with its 14th- and 15th-century half-timbered, gabled house; the Crooked House; and the Royal Inn, which has been a working hotel since the 17th century. |
Passau walking tour and St. Stephan’s organ concertPassau boasts a delightful layer of Italian-style on quintessential German foundations. Explore the well-preserved town on your guided walking tour. Visit St. Stephan’s Cathedral, home to Europe’s largest pipe organ, where you’ll hear a magnificent organ recital. |
Wurzburg Residenz visit and winetastingVisit Würzburg Residenz, an immaculate example of Baroque architecture and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This grand palace was built and decorated in the 18th century by an international team of architects, sculptors, stucco-workers, and painters. Particularly noteworthy is Tiepolo’s ceiling fresco—the largest in the world. Enjoy the magnificent garden, one of the most expansive and beautiful in Europe. Your tour will be capped off with a private winetasting of fabulous Franconian wines in the historic Residenz cellar. |
Melk AbbeyTour Melk’s 900-year-old Benedictine abbey, a masterpiece of Baroque art and architecture situated high atop the granite cliffs of the Danube.The views from the terrace are spectacular, but the splendid frescos, marble, and gilded plasterwork of its interior will be the true highlight of your visit. |
Bamberg Walking TourBamberg has one of Europe’s largest intact Old Town centers, and like Rome, the city is built on seven hills—only here, a church tops each hill. Your walking tour takes you past the imperial cathedral, the four-winged New Residence, the Town Hall lapped by the Regnitz River, and Little Venice, an area of colorful fishermen’s houses from the 19th century. |
Vienna City TourThere can be no exploration of the Danube without a visit to Vienna, which is a city both steeped in history and on the cusp of current trends. Your panoramic city tour takes you along the stately Ringstrasse showcasing imperial Habsburg grandeur, past the Rathaus (City Hall), Parliament, the Hofburg (Imperial Palace), and the State Opera, among other sights. Leaving the motorcoach, you’ll start a walking tour through the Hofburg grounds, culminating at magnificent St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Visit the Baroque State Hall of the Austrian National Library, said to be the most beautiful library room in the world. |
Optional Excursions
Optional excursions can be purchased upon arrival.
The list below is a sampling of excursions that may be offered by your tour director.
Rudesheim Dinner & EntertainmentTake a short mini-train ride to a local restaurant in downtown Rudesheim and enjoy a 4-course dinner with wine and entertainment. The entertainment will be provided by a local band, playing international and German tunes - a fun-filled, interactive evening of music, song and dance. |
Bicycle Tour with Picnic LunchStart right from the shop and cycle to the tip of the conjunction of three rivers at Passau Ortzpitze. Then close to Wernstein, there is a stately castle perched on the hilltop, this is where we will have a picnic: a hearty Bavarian Brotzeit - dark bread, local smoked ham or cheese and a glass of wine if you like! |
Flossenburg Concentration CampLocated near the Czech border, when you arrive at Flossenburg Concentration Camp you will watch a short introductory video and then take a guided tour of the former camp grounds and memorial area. You then have free time to explore the new exhibit with English texts at your own cost. Then drive to the village of Floss and enjoy a guided visit to the renovated synagogue and have lunch at Hotel ’Goldener Lowe’ before returning to the ship. |
Vienna - Schonbrunn Palace ExcursionDrive along the Wienzeile and Naschmarkt to Schonbrunn Palace. Walk into the courtyard, then through the main entrance to your tour through the palace. There is free time for walking through the garden and coffee shop. |
Thurn & Taxis Castle ExcursionOriginally an Italian noble lineage, the Taxis worked their way up to become one of the most influential lineages in Europe. Thurn & Taxis established the first certified mail and precious goods delivery service in Europe. Today, the family are the biggest landowners in Germany. |
Vienna - Vienna ConcertDrive along the Ring Boulevard to Kursalon where you will enjoy a Mozart & Strauss concert and sip a glass of champagne during intermission. On your way back to the ship take a panoramic drive along the the beautifully illuminated Ringroad and view Rathaus, Parliament, Hofburg, and State Opera. |















