Castles on the Rhine: Family Riverboat Adventure - Southbound

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Amsterdam. A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schipol Airport or Centraal Station to your riverboat for the beginning of your cruise along the Rhine. Meet your riverboat crew for a welcome briefing, then we invite you to join us for a sea shanty performance followed by a welcome reception and dinner aboard the riverboat this evening.

Amsterdam, the remarkable capital of The Netherlands, is all about water; like Venice in Italy, it's dominated by a series of canals that link its many tiny islands. Known to the Dutch as grachten, the city's 17th-century canals fan out in crescent-shaped rings from the northern waterfront. Start your day with a unique view of the city on a canal boat cruise through these historic waterways with a local guide – the city's heart feels more like a village than the compact center of a cosmopolitan city. Aboard the canal boat, you'll glide beneath curved bridges carrying walkers and cyclists – as well as trams and cars – and past the narrow former homes of merchants who stored their goods on the upper floors. Along the way, see a host of 17th- and 18th-century structures, the 19th-century Centraal Station, the city flower market and more. Following the canal cruise, free time in Amsterdam precedes rejoining the riverboat in Utrecht as she sets off along the Rhine, bound for Köln (Cologne), Germany; this afternoon, you'll have an opportunity to attend an ice cream social followed by Dutch clog-painting workshop.

Germany's fourth-largest city, historic Köln (also known as Cologne) was founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD; nearly destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, modern Köln's unique mix of rebuilt, restored and new structures sprawls across both sides of the Rhine. After a full morning of cruising, arrive in Köln and begin your exploration with a guided walking tour of the city, dominated by the immense, twin-spired Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), whose construction only took six hundred years! Completed in 1880, this Gothic "Dom" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Throughout your tour, your family will have the opportunity to partake in a virtual reality historical experience, transporting you back in time to see what life was like here during in the 1920s! This evening, head to Burg Satzvey, a moated castle in Germany's Rhineland region dating back to the 12th-century, for a rustic dinner in the castle's banquet hall that transports your family back to the Middle Ages for some medieval fun! Later, return to the ship and continue your cruise to Koblenz.

Awaken this morning in Koblenz, a beautiful city set at Deutsches Eck – the "German Corner" – where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. The city's roots go way back to the Middle Ages, when its prime location made it a powerful controller of trade along these important waterways. Today you can choose to join your local guide on a walking tour of Koblenz's Altstadt (Old Town), a delightful mix of medieval town squares, tucked-away corners, medieval churches, baroque residences and wine taverns and a gondola ride. Or set off on a bicycling tour* through fields, forests and vineyards along the Rhine-Moselle (Rheinradweg) bicycle route. Bicycling is a countrywide passion in Germany, and the route's easy riverside trails take you through woods, meadows and Riesling winelands, offering views of passing pleasure boats and freighters on the river. Rejoin the riverboat for lunch and cruise the Middle Rhine – the historic legacy is rich and the scenery stunning, with castles and vineyards around many bends.

Arrive late morning in Mannheim before traveling to Heidelberg, Germany's oldest university town. As a major transport link across the heart of central Europe for centuries, the mighty Rhine River was a source of great riches for those who controlled the trade that plied its waters... and today, the cities, towns and castles along its banks remind us of that wealth and the power it created. You'll have a choice of excursion today. Visit the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, perched high above the city of Heidelberg; you'll be awed by the castle's imposing ensemble of buildings from different centuries and architectural periods, radiating out from a central courtyard. Within its walls, you can feel the sweep of hundreds of years of history that was made here – and enjoy the sweeping views of the riverscapes from its terrace and gardens. Alternatively, visit the Technik Museum Speyer, introducing technological innovation from the underwater world to space. Cruise overnight to Strasbourg.

Today your riverboat calls on the historic city of Strasbourg, France, surrounded by the hills of southern Alsace. Renowned for its fairy-tale charm – and as the "Crossroads of Europe" for its role as home to the European Union – Strasbourg is the cultural capital of the French region of Alsace. Have some Franco-styled fun as your family becomes "French for a Day" in Strasbourg during a morning filled with learning French phrases, a sing-along featuring French songs, and a chocolate tasting! You can return to the riverboat for lunch, or stay in Strasbourg and spend the afternoon exploring as you please. Among the treasures you'll see here are the medieval canals, watchtowers and half-timbered houses of La Petite France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; stately city residences; the modern buildings of the European Parliament' and the 11th-century Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. Dinner tonight will be back aboard your riverboat. Tonight, you'll set sail for Basel.

Depart your riverboat this morning for an excursion to Switzerland's Lake Lucerne area and Mt. Pilatus – where mountain peaks, forests and meadows straight out of a picture book await your family. Travel to Kriens where you'll board a cable car for your ascent to the summit of Mt. Pilatus. Mt. Pilatus, by the way, was so named because (a) ancient Roman governor Pontius Pilate was rumored to have been buried there, or (b) it resembles the belly of a large man (perhaps Pilate) lying on his back  – depending on which local legend you believe! Descending aboard the world's steepest cogwheel train from the very top (Oberhaupt), nearly 7,000 feet high, is most definitely part of the fun as you travel downward at a really steep 48° angle, while taking in the views of Alpine meadows and mountain streams. Return to lovely Lucerne and enjoy a Swiss folklore show accompanied by a cheese fondue tasting before meeting up with your riverboat in the historic city of Basel late afternoon. Lying at the center of the "Three Corners," where France, Germany and Switzerland meet at the Rhine, Basel's city skyline is dominated by Münster Cathedral. Join us for a farewell reception followed by dinner; your riverboat is docked in Basel.

Tour ends: Basel. Fly home anytime. Upon disembarking the riverboat (no later than 9:00 AM), transfers are included to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or Basel's SBB train station; guests can also transfer to Zürich Airport or Zurich Hauptbahnhof (train station). Please allow 3 hours for flight check-in.