Cecilienhof Palace- The Reichstag in Berlin
- The River Havel
River Cruise
Celebrated Cities of Hamburg & Berlin with the Havel River: to Berlin
The Elbe, Oder and German Waterways
from £1,749 per person2 passengers 7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required
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New holiday
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VIP on selected river cruises
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Full board
Sail the Elbe and the Havel through Germany
Your holiday begins in Hamburg, whose attractions include Alster Lake in the heart of the city and the art deco Kontorhaus – Europe’s first commercial district and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After sailing the Elbe to Launburg, you’ll enjoy an included tour of Luneburg, a historic Hanseatic town with over 1,000 years of history. En route to Berlin you’ll have the opportunity to venture into the Harz Mountains, take a walking tour of Brandenburg and visit Cecilienhof Palace, built for Prussia’s Crown Prince William and his wife Cecilie, during optional excursions. From Potsdam, continue along the Havel to Berlin to see the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate and what remains of the Wall during an included coach tour.
Including...
20 meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Cruise Host
Plus...
- Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- Entertainment and activities on board
- Return flights and transfers
Included excursions
- Luneburg city tour
- Harz Mountains
- Berlin city tour
Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration
View Full Itinerary
Day 1 UK to Hamburg
Fly to Hamburg and transfer to the port where you embark your ship Johannes Brahams.
Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner. Remain moored here overnight.
Day 2 Hamburg 🎧
You'll have the whole day to explore Hamburg. This vibrant city blends its maritime heritage as a free Hanseatic city with a host of modern attractions Perhaps explore further on an optional morning tour.
Day 3 Hamburg to Lauenburg
This morning you’ll sail to Lauenburg to embark on an included tour of Luneburg, a historic Hanseatic town with over 1,000 years of history.
Its wealth stemmed from salt production and the Alter crane at the docks stands as a reminder of this profitable trade. Grand gabled houses were constructed during its medieval heyday and remained intact throughout the Second World War.
Admire the gabled houses, Gothic churches, the town hall and the small harbour before returning your ship and sailing overnight towards Wolfsburg.
Day 4 Wolfsburg to Magdeburg
Following an early arrival in Wolfsburg you’ll venture into northern Germany's highest mountain range, the Harz Mountains on a full-day included excursion, which explores the UNESCO-listed towns of Goslar and medieval Wernigerode.
Alternatively, stay on board your ship and sail to Magdeburg, where excursion participants will rejoin the ship, which moors here overnight.
Day 5 Magdeburg to Brandenburg
Your ship sails early this morning from Magdeburg, arriving in Brandenburg mid afternoon. You may like to join an optional walking tour of the city, which was renowned for the manufacture of toys and bikes in the 19th century.
Your ship remains moored here overnight.
Day 6 Brandenburg to Potsdam to Berlin
Spend the morning in Potsdam and perhaps visit Cecilienhof Palace, where the Potsdam Conference decided the future of Germany in 1945, on an optional excursion.
Continue cruising to Berlin, arriving this evening and mooring here overnight.
Day 7 Berlin 🎧
Spend the day in the capital, where this afternoon an included coach tour reveals the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate and what remains of the Wall.
Originally a small port on the River Spree, the city of Berlin had developed into the capital of the German Empire by 1871. The physicist Albert Einstein, painter George Grosz and writer Bertolt Brecht all called the city home at some point. With the fall of the wall in 1989, the city was reunified and has regained some of its former glory, with the restoration of the Reichstag building as a shining example. Parts of the wall remain and serve as reminder of the Soviet era. Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most important crossing points between the East and West, is now a popular tourist attraction.
Remain moored in Berlin overnight.
Day 8 Berlin to UK
Disembark after breakfast and travel to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Hamburg City Tour
Germany's second largest city and Europe's second largest port is officially known as the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and it was one of the core founders of the medieval Hanseatic trading league. To truly appreciate the sights of central Hamburg you will first enjoy a relaxed coach tour before exploring further on a guided tour which will take you to all the key attractions including Rathaus - the city hall - which resembles London's Houses of Parliament; Alster Lake in the heart of the city; the art deco-era Kontorhaus, which was Europe's first commercial district and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll also have time to stroll along the lakeside boulevard of Jungfernstieg and soak up the ambience of the bohemian, creative hub of Gängeviertel.
Walking Grade 2
Three hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
Brandenburg City Walk
Once ruled by Slavic princes and part of the Hanseatic League, the town of Brandenburg rose to prominence in the 19th century when it became an important industrial centre, renowned for the Manufacture of toys and bikes. But from these auspicious beginnings it took a turn for the worse when it became the home of one of the country’s first concentration camps. This walking tour takes in the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, an austere-looking building of both Romanesque and Gothic design with a sumptuous interior. You will also see parts of the medieval city wall with its watchtowers, 15th century St Catherine’s Church, St Gotthard’s Church and the Gothic Old Town Hall, in front of which stands Roland, a statue of a knight erected in 1474 to mark the town’s independence.
Walking Grade 3
Two hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
Potsdam and Cecilienhof Palace
Enjoy a guided tour of the last Hohnzollern building to be constructed in Potsdam, Cecilienhof Palace. Built in 1913-17 in the style of an English country manor for Prussia’s Crown Prince William and his wife Cecilie, who lived here until shortly before the end of World War II. The architectural history of the palace and the lives of the Royal couple are pictorially displayed on three wall panels at the entrance. In summer 1945 world history was made at the palace when representatives of the three main allies of World War II met here to discuss the restructuring of Europe and the future of Germany. The conference, officially known as the Three Powers Conference of Berlin, resulted in the Potsdam Agreement and the Potsdam Declaration. After your tour here, you’ll have some free time in Potsdam before seeing some of the highlights during a coach tour on the return journey to your ship.
Walking Grade 3
Two-and-a-half hours
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Optional on 7 nights itinerary
The Elbe, Oder and German Waterways
from £1,749 per person2 passengers
7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required
The Elbe, Oder and German Waterways
from £1,749 per person2 passengers
7 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £20 if not required
