The Romantic Rhine: Amsterdam to Basel - Southbound Aboard ms Inspire
Discover the heritage and beauty of The Rhine aboard one of our intimate riverboats. Visit the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, exploring regional delights in the historic cities, towns and countryside linked by the Rhine. Set your own pace with choices along the way: castle visits, bicycling, mountain heights, a spa resort and more.
Along the river Rhine... where mountains rise abruptly from the water's edge, ancient castles perch aloft, keeping watch over comings and goings, gentle valleys and ancient winelands lure, spas give respite, cathedrals speak to powerful times, plains and woods catch the eye, and a river travels, connecting centuries of history, cities of the arts and crossroads of thought. Discover the heritage and beauty of the River Rhine on our 7-night Basel - Amsterdam river cruise aboard ms Grace or ms Inspire. Visit the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, exploring regional delights in the historic cities, towns and countryside linked by the Rhine. Set your own pace with choices along the way: castle visits, bicycling, mountain heights, a spa resort and more.
Along the river Rhine... where mountains rise abruptly from the water's edge, ancient castles perch aloft, keeping watch over comings and goings, gentle valleys and ancient winelands lure, spas give respite, cathedrals speak to powerful times, plains and woods catch the eye, and a river travels, connecting centuries of history, cities of the arts and crossroads of thought. Discover the heritage and beauty of the River Rhine on our 7-night Basel - Amsterdam river cruise aboard ms Grace or ms Inspire. Visit the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, exploring regional delights in the historic cities, towns and countryside linked by the Rhine. Set your own pace with choices along the way: castle visits, bicycling, mountain heights, a spa resort and more.
Traveling Well Includes:
Day 1 - Arrive Amsterdam and embark your riverboat
Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Schiphol International Airport or Amsterdam Centraal Station to your riverboat; check-in time aboard ship is 4:00 PM for all guests. After a discovery briefing where you'll hear about your river travels ahead, please join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner aboard your riverboat to celebrate the start of a fantastic journey.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: D
Day 2 - Canals, museums and more in Amsterdam
Your journey begins with an orientation tour of the city, which at its heart feels more like a village than the compact center of a cosmopolitan city. Landmarks you may see include Centraal Station, built at the end of the 19th century and still a place in constant motion - with people, bicycles, trams and buses; De Waag (Weigh House), once a fortified gate that today houses a popular outdoor cafe; and the Mint Tower, a gate in the city wall (circa 1400) that marks the intersection of two canals, tram paths, a pedestrian-only shopping street, and the city flower market - an ever busy, ever interesting crossroads. You'll then have a choice of excursions. One takes you on a guided canal boat cruise, where you'll glide beneath curved bridges carrying walkers and cyclists - sometimes trams and cars - and by narrow merchant homes, whose goods were once pragmatically stored on the upper floors followed by a guided visit to the famed Rijksmuseum - home to many works by Rembrandt and other old Dutch Masters. Your other option is a three-hour bike ride outside of Amsterdam to the town of Zunderdorp and the village of Ransdorf. Drive to the old university town of Utrecht reuniting with your riverboat for lunch followed by an afternoon lecture.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3 - A day in Koln & exclusive evening
Overnight your riverboat crosses into Germany; after a full morning of cruising and brunch onboard, you'll arrive in Koln (Cologne), a city made a capital of a Roman province in 50 AD. Sightseeing begins with a guided tour of the immense twin-towered Kolner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), whose construction took a mere six centuries. Completed in 1880, UNESCO declared this Gothic Dom a World Heritage Site in 1995, recognizing its cultural value as a testament to the longevity of faith. You'll explore this intimately scaled city on a choice of walking tours (one at a lesiurely pace and the other at a faster pace). Following a bit of free time, travel to a Tauck Exclusive private evening featuring a cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment at Schloss Ehreshoven, a German castle dating back to the 15th century. Built in the 14th century and later expanded in the style of a grand Baroque manor house, the estate is surrounded by a moat, landscaped gardens, and a castle park. Schloss Ehreshoven is frequently used as a film location, but this evening it's the elegant setting for a Tauck guests. Rejoin the riverboat tonight in Koln to continue your cruise.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4 - Koblenz or bicycling on the Rhine
Your riverboat arrives this morning in Koblenz. The city's roots go back to the Middle Ages, when its location made it a powerful one as the controller of trade along these major waterways. You may choose a morning of a scavenger hunt in Koblenz, or a bicycling excursion* along the Rhine-Lahn cycle path. If you choose to the scavenger hunt, explore a mix of delightful town squares, tucked-away corners, medieval churches, baroque residences and cozy wine taverns complemented with tastings at local shops throughout. Should you choose to go bicycling (a countrywide passion in Germany), you'll follow easy riverside trails through forest, meadows and Riesling winelands, taking in views of the passing pleasure boats and freighters. After lunch aboard the riverboat, the entire afternoon is spent cruising through the quiet Rhine River Valley, past small cities, churches, ancient walls and castles; enjoy dinner and other activities aboard the ship tonight.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5 - Explore Speyer or Heidelberg and its famous castle
Following a morning's cruise, arrive in Mannheim. Nicknamed the city of inventions, Mannheim is known for its inventions, many of which are used in our day to day lives including the automobile, the tractor and the bicycle. Your adventures today offer you a choice of exploring either Speyer or Germany's oldest university town, Heidelberg. If you choose Speyer, begin at the impressive Technik Museum - dedicated to every form of technology that moves, from vintage cars to the Russian BURAN space shuttle. Then walk to Speyer Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its natural glass windows and roof made entirely of stone. Or choose an excursion to Heidelberg, where narrow lanes, shops and pubs housed in 17th-century structures in the Altstadt are kept lively by the cadence of student life. Visit the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, of which Mark Twain wrote in A Tramp Abroad; the schloss is an imposing ensemble of buildings from different architectural periods; from its terrace and gardens, the sweeping views impress along with the feel of 600 years of history. Tonight, your ship charts a course for Strasbourg.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 - Sightseeing in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden
You'll wake this morning cruising along on the Rhine, watching as the hills of southern Alsace, many checkered with vineyards, pass you by. Once docked, the day begins in the Alsatian cultural capital of Strasbourg, France with a choice of excursions. Home to the charming canals and half-timbered houses of La Petite France, stately city residences, a Gothic cathedral, and plenty of winstubs, traditional Alsatian beer pubs, you'll have the option to either explore Strasbourg on foot or by bicycle. After a morning of sightseeing in Strasbourg, you may choose to stay in town to explore on your own or travel to the German spa resort town of Baden-Baden, on the edge of the Black Forest for a walking tour and free time in the town center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to the ship for a Chef's Signature dinner and an evening of cruising.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7 - Mt. Pilatus or wine tasting along the Alsatian wine route
A choice of excursions await you today upon your arrival in Switzerland, commonly referred to as the Playground of Europe. On one, you'll head out for the heights of Mt. Pilatus aboard a gondola, climbing from Kriens to the very top (Oberhaupt) - nearly 7,000 ft. high; return via Alpnachstad, at the edge of Lake Lucerne, aboard the world's steepest cogwheel train and enjoy an orientation tour of Lucerne, Switzerland's City of Lights. Alternatively, you may prefer the pleasures of lunch and a wine tasting along the Alsatian wine route. If so, you'll head to Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built in the 1200s. Burned, abandoned and restored to its former glory in 1899, the castle presents a picture of a mountain fortress of the Middle Ages; after your visit, head to the French Alsatian town of Riquewihr for lunch and a wine tasting. Regardless of your choice, your day ends in Basel - a major crossroads of travel and thought since the 15th century. An orientation tour reveals parks, museums, galleries, and restaurants; the Rhine Promenade; 14th-century Munster Cathedral; and modern buildings by architects like Frank Gehry and Yoshio Taniguchi. Join us this evening for the captain's farewell reception followed by dinner aboard ship.
Lodging: ms Grace
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 - Journey home
Tour ends: Basel. Fly home anytime. Upon disembarking the riverboat (no later than 9:00 AM), transfers are included to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or Basel's SBB train station; guests can also transfer to Zurich Airport or Zurich Hauptbahnhof (train station). Please allow 3 hours for flight check-in.
Lodging:
Meals: B
Call (847) 455-8897 for more information or to book today! Mention code 18851723
- Cruise Line
- Tauck River Cruising
- Offer
- Offer valid through 12/31/2024
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Cruise Ship
- ms Inspire
Click for more information on this ship.
Day | Port | Arrive | Depart |
Day 1 | Amsterdam | ||
Day 2 | Amsterdam | ||
Day 3 | Cologne | ||
Day 4 | Koblenz | ||
Day 5 | Germersheim | ||
Day 6 | Strasbourg | ||
Day 7 | Basel | ||
Day 8 | Basel |
- Dates/Pricing
- Disclaimer
- * Land / cruise price per person in U.S. dollars, based on double occupancy, includes cruise fare, most meals, port charges, shore excursions, applicable fuel surcharges, and gratuities to Tauck Directors, Tauck Cruise Director, ship staff, local guides & drivers, and on all included meals.
Itinerary Changes - Although not expected, Tauck reserves the right to alter the sequence of ports or omit or substitute scheduled ports or attractions at any time without prior notice. Further, museums and attractions may be subject to closure due to state, local or religious holidays.