05/06/2023 UK to Budapest

Fly to Budapest and embark Spirit of the Rhine. Enjoy dinner on board this evening while you remain moored here overnight.

06/06/2023 Budapest 🎧

Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. The cities have been officially united since 1873, but they are still very different in character.

An included city sightseeing tour reveals a wealth of attractions from the elaborate Hungarian State Opera House and grand Parliament Building, to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Buda Castle.

Sail towards Bratislava this afternoon.

07/06/2023 Bratislava to Vienna 🎧

Spend the morning in historic Bratislava, Slovakia's capital city. The Old Town has palaces, churches and cathedrals and is overlooked by two castles – see more on an optional city tour.

Sail into Austria and on to Vienna this afternoon.

Perhaps go ashore after dinner this evening to attend an optional concert of music by Mozart and Strauss.

08/06/2023 Vienna 🎧

Spend the day in Vienna, the capital of Austria and home to the waltz, tempting coffee houses, the Prater amusement park and one of the world's finest opera houses.

Explore the city on an included morning tour that reveals the Opera House and St Stephen’s Cathedral, alternatively opt for an included walking tour of the city that focuses on local culture and cuisine.

This afternoon you have the opportunity to visit UNESCO-listed Schönbrunn Palace and attend an evening music concert in a Viennese palace during optional excursions.

Your ship departs for Dürnstein late tonight.

09/06/2023 Dürnstein to Melk 🎧

This morning you arrive in Dürnstein, one of the most picturesque towns on the Danube River. Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned here, in the now ruined Kuenringer Castle, during the late 12th century. Explore further during an included walking tour.

This afternoon, depart for Melk, known for its great baroque abbey with a magnificent church and a famous library. Perhaps visit the abbey on an optional guided tour that reveals the lavishly decorated interior and the artistic treasures within it.

Depart Melk early this evening.

10/06/2023 Passau 🎧

Enjoy the afternoon in Passau, which stands at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers and is the most easterly city in Bavaria.

You may like to explore St Stephen's cathedral or join an optional walking tour and discover the oldest part of the town which stands on a narrow tongue of land between the Inn and the Danube.

Your ship departs during dinner.

11/06/2023 Regensburg 🎧

Arrive in Regensburg this morning and perhaps explore this medieval city on an optional excursion.

Head to the Domplatz (Cathedral Square), to see the 13th-century Gothic Cathedral of St Peter, famous for its 14th-century stained glass and its boys’ choir. The 12th-century stone bridge across the Danube provides the perfect spot from which to photograph the city.

This afternoon you can join a tour of Weltenberg Abbey, famous for its old brewery. It was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style between 1716 and 1739 by two brothers – architect and painter Cosmos Damian Asam and sculptor Quirin. The excursion also includes a short cruise through the Danube Gorge.

12/06/2023 Nuremberg

Your ship arrives in Nuremberg mid morning and in the afternoon you can see some of the highlights on an included excursion.

The Imperial Castle, Kaiserburg, dominates the skyline but the city has undergone a great deal of restoration since it was heavily bombed in World War Two. In 1935 the German Army built a stadium here in which they held their infamous rallies and, later, Nazi war criminals were tried in Nuremberg by the Allies.

The artist Albrecht Durer lived here from 1509 to 1528 and his house is now a museum, while the main square, the Hauptmarkt, hosts a world-famous Christmas market.

Your ships sets sail again this evening and cruises overnight.

13/06/2023 Bamberg 🎧

You have the whole day to explore Bamberg, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany and, like Rome, built on seven hills. Because of its well-preserved mixture of imposing architectural styles and baroque town houses it’s designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Explore independently – perhaps stroll around the old town and visit the famous Imperial Cathedral on Cathedral Hill and Altenburg Castle at the town's highest point – or you can join an optional excursion.

Depart this evening and cruise towards Würzburg.

14/06/2023 Würzburg

Sail to the university city of Würzburg which flourished in the Middle Ages and has a wealth of beautiful Baroque buildings.

Arrive after lunch then you might like to join an optional city tour, including a visit to the Residenz Palace, this afternoon. The castle was built between 1720 and 1724 for the prince-bishop Johann Philipp Franz, who commissioned master builder Balthasar Neumann to create the 'palace of all palaces'. The result is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your ship departs this evening for Miltenberg.

15/06/2023 Miltenberg

Spend a few hours this afternoon in medieval Miltenberg, where squares of traditional half-timbered houses are enclosed by ancient walls and overlooked by a fortress.

Perhaps join an optional excursion to a local brewery.

This evening, cruise along the Main River to Mainz where the Danube meets the Rhine.

16/06/2023 Mainz 🎧

This morning you can explore Mainz' Romanesque cathedral or the famous Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to the ‘father of modern printing’, Johannes Gutenberg.

You also have the opportunity to join an optional excursion to the medieval university city of Heidelberg. Set on the River Neckar, beneath a castle, the town became a favourite destination for 19th-century travellers undertaking ‘The Grand Tour’.

17/06/2023 Strasbourg 🎧

Spend an afternoon exploring Strasbourg's many architectural treasures. Sitting on the border of France and Germany, the city is a wonderful combination of the cultures of both countries. Much of the architecture is German in style, while the ancient quarter of La Petite France is a maze of narrow streets of medieval buildings, crossed by canals and surrounded by old fortifications.

See more on an included tour and canal cruise.

Depart Strasbourg during dinner and sail overnight to Breisach.

18/06/2023 Breisach to Basel

Spend a full day in Breisach and in the afternoon there’s a choice of optional excursions: a visit to Colmar and the Alsace or an boat trip on Lake Titisee.

19/06/2023 Basel to UK

Disembark Spirit of the Rhine after breakfast for your return journey to the UK.