Fly from London to Amsterdam and transfer to your ship. After boarding, the afternoon is yours to explore the city on your own.

This morning, sail to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you tour this fascinating network of windmills and other ingenious flood management technologies. After lunch aboard, enjoy an afternoon of sjoelen (Dutch table shuffleboard) and sample Dutch cheeses and jenever, a juniper liqueur. Cruise through the night.

You have a morning tour of Cologne, including a visit to the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return aboard for lunch, then enjoy scenic cruising along the legendary Rhine and a lively discussion about German culture before dinner.

Cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine, stopping in Koblenz to visit Marksburg, the only Rhine castle never destroyed. After your tour, continue cruising; this stunning stretch of the Rhine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You pass Lorelei Rock, which marks the river’s narrowest point; the rock is named for a local legend about Rhine Maidens who lure sailors to their doom. Lunch and dinner served aboard.

The morning is spent sailing along the beautiful Main River as it winds its way through the Spessart region. After lunch, stop in Miltenberg, known for its half-timbered houses, including the oldest inn in Germany. Back on board, learn about the region’s glass-blowing traditions during a live demonstration; you also have the opportunity to learn some useful German words and phrases. Sail through the night to Würzburg.

After breakfast and an interesting presentation about the European Union, tour Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy scenic afternoon cruising or take an optional excursion along Germany’s “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg, which features a turreted city wall and lovely Gothic and baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship for dinner and evening cruising.

Sail through the morning; after lunch we visit Bamberg, with its medieval city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your walking tour includes a visit to the magnificent 11th-century cathedral, reworked in late-Romanesque style in the 13th century, and the very picturesque City Hall built on a tiny island in the middle of a river. Take some free time to enjoy Bamberg and sample some of the town’s distinctive smoke-flavoured beer before returning aboard.

After breakfast, disembark in Nuremberg. Visit the ruins of Zeppelin Field, used in the 1930s as Nazi parade grounds, and see the Palace of Justice, site of the famous Nuremberg Trials. See the Old Town area as you walk down past Albrecht Dürer’s House and Main Market Square. This afternoon, spend more time exploring Nuremberg or join an optional World War II history tour including the Documentation Centre Museum. Enjoy your free time and depart just before dinner.

Arrive in Regensburg after lunch and tour this wonderfully preserved medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including structures dating back to Roman times. Discover many 13th and 14th-century patrician houses and see the splendid St. Peter’s Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany’s oldest restaurant. Cruise through dinner.

On this morning’s walking tour, see Passau’s narrow streets and Italianate architecture, and pass the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century fortress that served for centuries as a bishops’ stronghold. Then, listen to a concert on Europe’s largest pipe organ in St. Stephan’s Cathedral.† Take some time this afternoon to explore Passau before returning aboard to cruise through the scenic Schlögener Schlinge, a sort of hairpin turn in the river. † Passau organ concert not available after November 1

After lunch, visit the abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria?s finest Italian baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship; cruise through the spectacular Wachau Valley this afternoon. After dinner, you have free time to explore Dürnstein. You can see Kuenringer Castle, or sample some local vintages from this famous wine-producing region.

Ride along Vienna’s Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. You will also see Vienna’s world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. Return aboard for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. After dinner, enjoy an optional classical concert.

After an early arrival, you embark on a walking tour of the Slovak Republic’s charming capital to see attractions like the medieval fortifications at Michael’s Tower, baroque Trinity Church and Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral. You also pass by several baroque palaces from the Hapsburg Dynasty before you return to your ship for an afternoon of scenic cruising. Late tonight, arrive in Budapest.

The Danube River divides this Hungarian capital city into “Buda” and “Pest.” Explore both parts, starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, stroll Fishermen’s Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard with the rest of the day to explore on your own. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian farewell dinner.

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Budapest airport for your return flight to London.