Rhine in Flames to Switzerland

We travel to Cologne where we join our ship. This evening we enjoy a relaxing dinner onboard as we sail overnight towards Rüdesheim.

Relax onboard as we cruise along the Rhine which leads us through the Rhine Gorge and past the legendary Lorelai. This afternoon we arrive at the quaint wine town of Rüdesheim. Here you can enjoy the town’s many highlights on our optional excursion, including a cable car ride for panoramic views across the Rhine valley. This evening we set sail for Speyer.

This morning we arrive in the charming town of Speyer. Easily explored on foot, Speyer has a magnificent Romanesque Cathedral, as well as an abundance of museums and the remains of a medieval synagogue. You can also take advantage of our optional excursion to the Speyer Technical Museum which houses vintage cars, locomotives and an original Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. Lunch is served onboard before we sail overnight to Strasbourg.

This morning we arrive at the magnificent city of Strasbourg, which is well known for its world heritage status. Enjoy some free time to explore the main sights at leisure or take a walk around the old city. You can enjoy our fantastic optional excursion cruising along Strasbourg’s waterways, which is a great way to see the city. We return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon sailing to Basel.

We arrive this morning into the old University City of Basel. Here you can join our included full day excursion by coach to the Swiss resort of Lucerne. This scenic journey follows a route that tunnels through the Jura Mountains, before arriving at Lucerne - the historic and scenic heart of Switzerland.  Here you can visit the beautiful Chapel Bridge with its prominent water tower, one of the most photographed landmarks in Switzerland. Tonight we sail overnight to Breisach.

This morning we arrive into Breisach, where the Black Forest meets the Alsace. Here you can join our optional excursion into the beautiful Alsace, stopping at the little village of Riquewihr where we enjoy wine tasting at the famous Dopff & Irion vineyard. This afternoon we set sail for Mannheim.

We cruise to the river port of Mannheim where you can join our optional excursion to the majestic city of Heidelberg, home of Germany’s oldest university, for time at leisure. We return to our ship for lunch onboard as we cruise to Rüdesheim where we arrive late afternoon. Tonight we witness the thrilling Rhine in Flames spectacle, from aboard the MS Arena, as a flotilla of beautifully illuminated ships as they make their way down the Rhine basking in the glow of a thousand Bengal lights, while hill top fireworks create shimmering cascades of colour high above the mountains, castle and vineyards. Overnight sailing to Andernach.

This morning we bid farewell to our captain and crew and set off on the return journey to the UK.