Day 1: Arrive PragueA transfer is included from Prague’s Ruzyne Airport to Hilton Prague Old Town. Welcome to Prague! We invite you to join us this evening for a royal welcome reception, tour and dinner at 16th-century Lobkowicz Palace in the Prague Castle complex.
Overnight: Hilton Prague Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Past & Present in Beautiful PraguePrague, which means “crossroads,” is a place where ancient and modern converge; the Czech capital and “city of a hundred spires” boasts soaring cathedrals and grand palaces. Explore the Hradcany (Castle) district, where 1,000-year-old Prague Castle is surrounded by palaces, gardens, museums and monasteries, with a local guide. Visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus, and enjoy a memorable Tauck Exclusive, a private tour of the grand libraries of Strahov Monastery. Spend the afternoon as you please or join us on a walking tour through ethereal Old Town where you will see the famous Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church and one of Prague’s most famous sights, Charles Bridge.
Overnight: Hilton Prague Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3: Regensburg / Embark CruiseThere’s a site on the Danube that the Roman legions who camped here 2,000 years ago called Castra Regina; today, Regensburg is Germany’s largest surviving medieval city, with some 1,400 historic buildings. Discover its rich heritage, including Germany’s oldest stone bridge and Gothic Dom St. Peter, on a guided walking tour with your local guide. You might try Regensburg’s renowned Bavarian sausage for lunch before boarding ms Swiss Jewel to begin your cruise – which you’ll kick off in style with a welcome-aboard cocktail reception that is hosted by your Captain.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 4: Main-Danube Canal / NürnbergThe Main-Danube Canal fulfilled the dream of creating a link between the North Sea and the Black Sea when it was completed in the 1990s. Learn all about it from a local expert today as your riverboat transits this engineering marvel. Arrive in Nürnberg; an orientation tour reveals the must-see sites of this influential Bavarian city, which was the center of the German Renaissance, and played a key role in World War II and its aftermath. After lunch with entertainment at a local restaurant, discover Nürnberg’s walled medieval heart on a walking tour.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Bamberg / Along the MainDock in Hassfurt for an excursion to charming Bamberg, set atop seven hills. Take a walking tour of Old Town, see its 13th-century cathedral, and visit a historic Bamberg brewery for a brewery tour and tasting. As you cruise the Main this afternoon, you can listen to commentary by your Tauck Directors throughout the ms Swiss Jewel or in your cabin.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Wurzburg and the ResdenzWürzburg has a long and storied history; its cathedral occupies a site consecrated by Charlemagne himself in the 8th century. But much of the architecture you’ll see as you tour this cathedral town was reconstructed by citizens – most of them women (dubbed Trümmerfrauen, or “rubble women”) – after 90% of the city was destroyed in World War II. This includes the Alte Mainbrücke and the Residenz, a beautiful palace complex you’ll visit this morning and return to tonight for dinner in the wine cellar featuring a wine tasting and entertainment.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7: Miltenberg / Bavarian NightsCruise to Miltenberg and spend the morning exploring this old Bavarian town with its hilltop castle, medieval gates and market square, half-timbered houses and traces of its Roman roots. Later, you’ll have time to enjoy your riverboat’s entertainment options – from Wii games to video-on-demand in select cabin categories to organized activities with your Tauck Cruise Director – as you glide past the River Main’s lush, romantic landscapes. A Bavarian-themed dinner entertains this evening.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8: Historic HeidelbergHead out for a full day’s excursion to Heidelberg, home to Germany’s oldest university. A walking tour reveals Old Town’s delightful mix of medieval Gothic walls and gates, Renaissance and 17th-century Baroque homes and palaces; take a funicular ride up to romantic Heidelberger Schloss, a prime example of a Gothic-Renaissance castle. Have lunch in a local Heidelberg restaurant followed by some time to explore on your own before rejoining ms Swiss Jewel to continue your cruise this evening along the Rhine River.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9: Baden-Baden, Elegant Spa TownBaden-Baden’s famous springs have been known to bathers since Roman times; in fact, the German word “baden” translates to “bathe.” Visit this acclaimed Black Forest spa town today on an excursion from Plittersdorf, discovering castle ruins and the remains of its Roman baths on a walking tour. The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky penned The Gambler while gambling compulsively at the sumptuous Baden-Baden Casino, which a more recent patron – German-born screen icon Marlene Dietrich – called “the most beautiful casino in the world.” Check out this 250-year-old Belle Èpoque treasure, then explore more of Baden-Baden on your own if you wish before continuing your riverboat cruise to Strasbourg, France.
Overnight: Aboard ms Swiss Jewel
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10: Strasbourg / Disembark RiverboatArrive in Strasbourg, principal city of France’s Alsace region and site of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, where you’ll disembark your riverboat. Having seen much history over the centuries, Strasbourg’s rich mix of architecture ranges from Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque to Art Nouveau to modern, like the European Parliament buildings you’ll pass en route to a walking tour of La Petite France in the Grande Ile district – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with canals, medieval watchtowers and half-timbered houses. Visit the 11th-century Cathedral of Our Lady; towering over the city, it was the world’s tallest building for 200 years, and can be seen from across the Rhine. Spend the rest of the day exploring on your own.
Overnight: Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, Strasbourg, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 11: Alsace / Route des VinsFrom Strasbourg, embark on a day of sightseeing along the renowned Route des Vins d’Alsace (Alsatian Wine Road), passing through small villages of the historic Alsace region, one of France’s most important wine-growing areas. These villages are charming, the locals welcoming and the wine... Sample the wares of local vintners during lunch at a former manor house in the town of Obernai before returning to Strasbourg for an evening that is spent dining as you please.
Overnight: Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, Strasbourg, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 12: Journey HomeTour ends: Strasbourg, France. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile to Strasbourg International Airport; you should allow 3 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight: Meals Included: Breakfast
Tauck Tour Deals
Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey.
Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE.
Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE
Tauck Single Specials
For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost.
Tauck Single Specials in North America
Best of the Canadian Rockies
Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island
Charleston/Savannah
Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia
San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys
Tauck Single Specials in Europe
A Week in Ireland
A Week in Spain
Mediterranean Discovery
Istanbul and the Black Sea
Treasure of the Mediterranean
Cruising Mediterranean Shores
The Blue Danube
Holland Belgium in Spring
Strasbourg to Prague Serenade
The Rhine and Moselle
Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat
Budapest to the Black Sea
Classic Italy
Bellissima Northern Italy
Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome
A Week in Paris and Provence
Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America
Panama Canal & Costa Rica