Springtime Tulips & the Rhine 2013
(Amsterdam to Frankfurt)

Day 1: Amsterdam
Arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport where you’ll be transferred to the ship. (D) 

Day 2: Amsterdam
Featured Excursions: Canal cruise and Choice of Anne Frank House OR Van Gogh Museum

What intrigues you most? Do you want to walk through the house where Anne Frank wrote her diary, or would you like to see the paintings Vincent van Gogh left to his brother Theo? Choose whichever you prefer, and you’ll also see Amsterdam from its famous canals. Glide along waterways dug during the Dutch Golden Age and admire the stately houses built with the riches of the Dutch East India trade. You’ll also see some of the city’s architectural highlights on your way to and from the ship. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Gala)

Day 3: Amsterdam, Zaandam
Featured Excursions: Keukenhof Gardens and Zaanse Schans

All of your senses will be in for a treat as you visit the Keukenhof Gardens, a 70-acre showcase of over seven million flowers, where spring bursts out in all of its colorful glory. This is one of the most impressive public gardens in the world, and it is open for only nine weeks each year. In the afternoon, visit the outdoor museum of Zaanse Schans village. Zaanse Schans is traditional Holland in a nutshell: the Dutch bring their children here to show them how their ancestors lived. Try on a pair of clogs, watch a cheesemaker press out a round of cheese, and climb the stairs of a windmill to see how the machinery works. (BB, D)

Day 4: Arnhem
Featured Excursions: Choice of guided tour of Kröller-Müller Museum OR WWII Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek

Arnhem is your gateway to the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to a huge collection of Van Gogh’s paintings, including Café Terrace at Night, as well as works by Picasso, Mondrian, Rodin, and many contemporary European artists. Or visit the WWII Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek to learn about the brutal 1944 Battle of Arnhem. History comes alive through veterans’ recordings and a large collection of artifacts. You’ll also stop at the Airborne cemetery. Buried there are 1,759 men, many of them Allied soldiers who lost their lives in effort to take the bridge at Arnhem (a story told in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far). (BB, L, D)

Day 5: Cologne
Featured Excursions: Cologne walking tour and Roman-Germanic Museum

Arrive in Cologne and ramble through the narrow streets of Old Town with your guide, passing by tiny squares, little churches, and awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cologne was founded by the Romans;
you’ll tour the Roman-Germanic Museum, built around a Roman villa that was discovered in 1941. It contained an incredibly well-preserved mosaic of Dionysus that now joins numerous finds illuminating everyday life in the Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (the Roman name of Cologne), including the world’s largest collection of Roman glass vessels and a unique assortment of Roman jewelry. (BB, L, D)

Day 6: Braubach, cruising the romantic Rhine River, Rüdesheim 
Featured Excursions: Guided visit to Marksburg Castle and evening guided stroll along Drosselgasse

Awaken to the sights of the Rhine, including the famous Lorelei Rock and, at the confl uence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers, German Corner, with its monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I. Then take a leisurely walk through lovely Braubach, a charming town with many half-timbered houses, before your visit to Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine hill castle to have remained occupied and undestroyed for over 700 years. You will feel that you have stepped into the daily life of the past as you walk through the kitchen and banqueting hall, the armory and the chapel. Don’t miss the re-created Medieval garden, with 150 plants used in the Middle Ages for curative (or magical) purposes. Later, marvel at the stunning scenery of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Spend the evening exploring Rüdesheim’s Drosselgasse, a lively and picturesque lane of wine taverns. (BB, L, D)

Day 7: Frankfurt
Featured Excursion: Frankfurt walking tour

After a relaxing morning onboard, tour dynamic Frankfurt. Dive into the energy of this sophisticated city with your guide, roaming from its historic heart, Römer Square, to its landmark skyscraper, Main Tower. Take an elevator to the top for a view of 50 skyscrapers that reveal the importance of this European hub, which people from 200 nations call home. Visit the colorful Kleinmarkthalle to taste the famous local sausage and try the local cider, called ebblewoi. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

Day 8: Frankfurt (disembark), transfer to the airport
Disembark the ship and transfer to Frankfurt International Airport for your flight home. (CB/BB)

Is there a more glorious sight than springtime along the Rhine? Experience Dutch flower culture at its height among the acres and acres of tulips carpeting the Keukenhof Gardens. Cruise past vine-covered hillsides burgeoning with new leaves in the great Riesling-growing districts of Germany.

Water has always been a dominant element in the Netherlands, both in its long struggle to hold back the sea and keep its land habitable and in its history of global trade. Now, though the 17th-century Golden Age may be gone, the Netherlands’ cosmopolitan outlook and entrepreneurial spirit remain. This cruise will show you both the most traditional side of Dutch life and the most contemporary.

From the Netherlands, journey into Germany. Though modern Germany is better known for its industrial might than for its romantic landscapes, artists of all kinds have celebrated the beauties of the Rhine landscape for hundreds of years. Sip a glass of Riesling in the Rheingau and practice your German at a café with a view of Medieval church spires. Ramble through Roman ruins and learn how far back the roots of this ancient nation go.

Follow the Rhine from amazing Amsterdam to fabulous Frankfurt and discover glorious paintings, WWII battlefi elds, Medieval castles, delectable food, and delightful people. Who will enjoy this cruise: History buffs will be in heaven, whether they wish to explore the ancient Roman, the Medieval, or the 20th-century world. Gardeners may roam through millions of blooming tulips, and art lovers will fi nd many legendary collections to admire.

•  
• 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the stylish River Ambassador
• All transfers on arrival and departure days 
• All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and 
• freshest ingredients
• 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
• Captain’s Welcome Gala and Farewell Dinners
• Complimentary fine wine, beer, and soft drinks during lunch and dinner onboard; bottled water replenished daily in your stateroom; and 24-hour specialty coffee and tea station
• 10 excursions, including 2 “Choice Is Yours” options, fully hosted by English-speaking  local experts
• Exclusive Go Active Program and “Gentle Walking” options
• 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
• State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
• Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks
• Captivating onboard local entertainment
• Signature Lecture: “The Rhine, River of  Culture and Trade”

Cabin onboard River Ambassador

• Cabin upgrades are available.
• Prices exclude additional port charges of $140.
• A limited number of singles are available for an additional supplement.
• Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines. Sorry, we are unable to offer air from countries other than the U.S. However, for those international customers who are able to arrange their own transportation to the trip origination city, we are able to offer the land/cruise portion of the package at the price quoted.