Rhine Enchantment, Amsterdam to Milan - Southbound

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Welcome to Amsterdam! Transfers are included from Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam Centraal Station to your riverboat, where embarkation will begin any time after 4:00 PM. Enjoy a welcome cocktail reception followed by a leisurely dinner as you settle into your floating hotel for a memorable weeklong cruise on the Rhine and a visit to Italy's sparkling Lake Como region and remarkable Milan.

Awaken in Amsterdam and disembark the riverboat to be introduced to this unique city in two distinct ways – on an orientation tour of the city center, and aboard a canal boat cruise. As you float through the city's 17th-century network of canals you'll pass under bridges, check out the distinctive houseboats, see the historic buildings lining the canals, and watch the locals navigate the city on their bicycles. After your canal cruise, enjoy some free time in Amsterdam before getting back onboard your riverboat to sail to Dusseldorf, Germany.

Arrive this morning in Düsseldorf – one of Germany's wealthiest cities, known for its charming Altstadt (Old Town) on the riverfront; its modern avant-garde architecture; Königsallee ("the Kö"), a super high-end shopping street near Altstadt; and a lively promenade by the river. Walk off the riverboat into town for your choice of a "Taste of Dusseldorf" walking tour focused on the city's history, architecture and culinary traditions, along with some tasty local treats; a craft beer tour that visits a number of breweries to offer a sampling of the varieties of dark Altbier the region is known for; or a bicycling excursion along the city's Rhine River waterfront. Back aboard ship this afternoon, your riverboat continues on towards the Middle Rhine. As you cruise, enjoy an onboard lecture by your Tauck Director.

Today, enjoy a full day of cruising through the Middle Rhine Valley. It's a great day to enjoy your riverboat's amenities, and your Tauck Director provides commentary as you glide past sloping vineyards and rocky bluffs, sharing the stories of the Lorelei Rock and the castles standing watch onshore. Arrive this evening in the city of Wiesbaden. With a name that translates to "meadow baths", Wiesbaden is one of Europe's oldest spa towns, famous around the world for its hot springs, which have been in use since Roman times, and blossomed during the Middle Ages. Join for tonight's Tauck Exclusive evening featuring dinner and entertainment at Schloss Biebrich, an 18th-century Baroque palace on the bank of the Rhine in Wiesbaden.

Drive to Heidelberg today for a guided visit to the splendid ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a sprawling red sandstone compound high above the city, and a reminder of 600 years of history, followed by a walking tour of town. Check out the Heidelberg Tun, the biggest wine barrel in the world (and walk on top of it). Learn about centuries of movers and shakers, and the romantic story of the Elisabeth Gate, built in 1615 as a present from Elector Frederic V to his wife Elisabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I of England. He had the triumphal arch secretly crafted in sections and put up as a whole the night before her birthday to surprise her the next morning. The views of the Neckar River Valley from the castle are unforgettable. While strolling in Old Town Heidelberg below, be sure to try a Heidelberg Student Kiss – a special treat invented in the 19th century by a sympathetic chocolatier to give young men a way to express their affections for young women they were not allowed to talk to! Lunch today is at a local beerhouse, then meet your riverboat in Germersheim and spend the afternoon cruising south. You'll have time to enjoy the gym, get a massage… or curl up in a chair on the Sun Deck with a snack and your favorite drink. Have dinner onboard tonight followed by some evening entertainment.

This morning, your riverboat arrives in historic Strasbourg, France – capital of the Alsace and known as the "Crossroads of Europe," home to the European Union's headquarters. You have two choices for exploring today. Drive along the bucolic Alsatian wine route, through countryside where some of the world's best Rieslings are made; following lunch, enjoy a tasting at one of the local wine cellars. Alternatively, bicycling is a great way to explore the lush green vineyards and rolling hills of the Alsace region. Your bike ride finishes with lunch at a local restaurant followed by a wine tasting. Return to Strasbourg this afternoon and continue cruising to Basel, Switzerland.

Today you have two great Swiss cities to decide between. One possibility is to drive to Zurich, a world capital of banking (not to mention chocolate), for a walking tour with a local guide. Visit Bahnhoffstrasse, the city's exclusive shopping boulevard, connecting lovely Lake Zurich with the main railway station. Head into Zurich's Old Town to wander through Niederdorf, a pedestrian area of winding streets, lined with shops, artisan studios, and restaurants. You'll pass by two important places of worship, the Romanesque Protestant church Grossmünster and Fraumünster, once an abbey home for aristocratic ladies, graced with stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. Enjoy a traditional Swiss lunch in a historic Guild House. Your other possibility for the day is to stay in Basel and embark on a walking tour of its Old Town with a local guide before setting off to explore on your own. There's much to discover; the city is known for its many contemporary buildings by noted international architects, and it has the highest density of museums in the country, including the world-class Basel Art Museum. Have dinner back aboard your riverboat, docked in Basel for the night.

After breakfast onboard, bid your crew farewell and disembark your riverboat in Basel for a high-speed train journey to Lugano. Have you ever ridden through a mountain? "Great things are done when men and mountain meet," wrote the poet William Blake, and he could have been talking about the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which you'll go through today, zipping through the base of the Alps. At 35 miles long, it's the longest railway tunnel in the world, a major feat of engineering that took 17 years to complete. Enjoy some free time in Lugano to explore; later in the afternoon, drive across the border into Italy for arrival in Milan, a city that reigns as a world capital of fashion and design. Check into the Hotel Principe di Savoia, a splendid 1920s landmark decorated in classic Italian and Art Deco style that is centrally located on the Piazza della Repubblica. Home to the national stock exchange, Milan has been Italy's financial engine since the Industrial Revolution, and is known for its upscale culinary scene and shops, which you'll discover as you explore the city on your own this evening.

Immerse yourself in magnificent Milan on an orientation and walking tour that includes an outside visit to the incredible Gothic Cathedral of Milan, il Duomo, the third largest Catholic church in the world. It took 500 years to finish this forest of spires and pinnacles topped by the iconic statue of the golden madonnina. Steps from il Duomo, stroll through the city's premier gathering place, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a.k.a. "the living room of Milan." This massive yet elegant shopping arcade, topped by an airy glass octagonal dome, was built as a symbol of Italian unity in the late 19th century and named after the first king of Italy. The afternoon is free. You might want to take in La Scala, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, where Maria Callas sang her heart out… Pinacoteca di Brera, a great art collection including works by Raphael, Bellini, Piero della Francesca, and Caravaggio… the fashion district between pedestrianized Via della Spiga, via Montenapoleone, via Manzoni, and Corso Venezia… or the mildly bohemian Navigli neighborhood of canal-side bars, restaurants, and shops. As you go, be sure to taste the traditional flavors of Milan – sipping a Campari bitter aperitif and sampling dishes like yellow risotto, cassoeula, and ossobuco. But tonight, you have reservations for a Tauck Exclusive – a private viewing of Milan's pièce de resistance, Leonardo da Vinci's mural, The Last Supper, which adorns the dining room at the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent and has a way of drawing the viewer in. You might just feel as if you could walk into the picture, sit down at the table, and strike up a conversation with the apostles (subject to availability; the day of visit may vary).

You're off for a day's tooling around Lake Como, one of Italy's most beautiful lakes, in the shadow of the snowcapped Alps – a mecca for the well-heeled on holiday since ancient Roman times. Drive to tiny Tremezzina, where you'll board a boat for bellissima Bellagio. Your Tauck Director leads an orientation walk in this resort village, known as "the Pearl of the Lake," and you'll have a bit of free time. Take in the lake views and explore the centuries-old buildings, stone lanes, and cobbled stairways lined with shops. A boat cruise shows you more of Lake Como, which the poet William Wordsworth described as "a treasure whom the earth keeps to herself." The forested shoreline is punctuated by small towns with ancient stone bell towers and opulent villas. Disembark the boat in the town of Cernobbio and head back to Milan, where you'll join us this evening to cap a memorable journey with a farewell reception and dinner at the hotel.

Tour ends: Milan. Fly home anytime; a transfer from Hotel Principe di Savoia to Milan Malpensa or Linate Airports OR Milan's Central Train Station is included. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport. For additional hotel nights in Milan, ask at booking.