215 EURO  PER PERSON

City tour in Basel 
During this interesting coach tour you will see the highlights of the city.
Basel is the second largest city of Switzerland with a population of 175.000. The two parts of the city – Little Basel and Great Basel – are located on the right and left bank of the River Rhine respectively.
The late Gothic town hall, built in the 15th century, is the most impressive building in the city center near the market place. The facades of the houses are decorated with wonderful frescos. We then pass the Fish Market and “Barfuesser Square” as well as the “Spalen Gate”, the most famous of the medieval town-gates.
We make a stop at the Museum of Art and take a short walk to the cathedral where you will receive information on its history and architecture. The tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam is located inside this Gothic cathedral.

City tour / walk in Strasbourg  
The excursion starts with a coach tour through the „Capital of Europe“. You will get an impression of the government district and pass the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Justice.
We will also pass the Rhine Palace, the National Library and the Opera. The walk will then start in “Petit France” (Little France). Tanners used to live and work here, on the banks of the river Ill. The old half-timbered houses with their open lofts, where tanners dried the leather and furs, are still well - preserved. The picturesque narrow streets are fascinating.
You will experience the sociability of the Alsatian people on our way to the historical city center.
Passing old guesthouses, delicatessen shops, elegant boutiques we finally arrive at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Your guide will explain the role and history of the cathedral. Afterwards you will have time at leisure to enjoy the city.

Excursion to Heidelberg by coach
This city is known for its famous castle and its picturesque old town embedded in a wonderful landscape. Experience the special atmosphere in the narrow streets of Heidelberg and explore the beauty of the Electoral Palatine churches, the marketplaces and the Old Bridge. Of course we will also visit the castle, which is the town’s major landmark.

City walk in Cologne 
During the Middle Ages Cologne became one of the most famous religious and artistic centers.
The Cathedral of Cologne is the biggest Gothic church in Northern Europe and houses the shrine of the Three Kings. This is the reason for the three crowns in the city coat of arms. The city looks back on almost 2000 years of history.

City tour of Amsterdam by coach with the Rijksmuseum
This tour introduces you to this feisty and pulsating city with its canals and its historic villas and merchants’ houses, a constant reminder that we are in the centre of a sea-faring and trading nation. The atmosphere here has the aura of the Golden Age, combined with a modern lifestyle.
Nowhere else in the world will you find as many historic buildings as in Amsterdam, which has always been home to artists. The most famous of these is Rembrandt. The huge number of museums demonstrates the variety of experience here. Our tour includes the Rijksmuseum with its numerous paintings by famous artists such as Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and works by Frans Hals, Gerard Dour and Jan Vermeer.

Canal cruise in Amsterdam 
Did you know that you can find 165 canals, 1281 bridges, 8 wooden drawbridges, 70 cruise boats, 2500 house boats and 120 pedal boats in Amsterdam?
The so-called “Grachten” are small waterways which flow in concentric circles through the city center of Amsterdam. Most of the canals were built in the 17th century in order to transport products directly from or to the warehouses on their banks, as well as for drainage and defence.
A 60 minute canal cruise past the impressive merchant homes of the “Golden Age” should not be missed as it lets you see the city from another perspective. There is a coach transfer from the ship to the boarding point.

OPTIONAL TOURS:

Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet  
Rüdesheim lies mid-way between the source of the Rhine and its estuary into the North Sea. The town enjoys both historical and natural attractions. The town dates back to pre-Roman times. No-one can say he knows the Rhine without having spent a sunny day in Rüdesheim. Enjoy a visit to this charming town and don’t miss Siegfried’s Musikkabinett. A 15th Century manor house is home to some 350 mechanical musical instruments spanning 3 centuries. The hour-long tour gives an insight into orchestrions and barrel organs and how to store and produce music on them. To get to the Musikkabinett we travel on the „Winzerexpress“ small train. We return to the ship at our leisure and you may wish to visit the famous Drosselgasse with its many wine-bars

Excursion by coach “Impressions of the River Moselle”
Join us on our “Impressions of the River Moselle” coach tour. Experience the enchanting landscape along the River Moselle with its numerous picturesque towns. You will pass an impressive landscape with fortresses, vineyards and typical villages. A highlight of the tour is a visit to Eltz Castle (please note that this visit involves a series of steps). The tour of the castle gives us an insight into eight hundred years of cultural history, reflected in both its architecture and furniture. The treasury houses an exceptional collection of art – with over 500 exhibits from the 12th to the 19th century.

Keukenhof (April 03rd – May 1st 2010)
Where once Countess Jacoba of Bavaria used to collect fresh ingredients for the kitchen of her castle, we have today the splendor of her garden, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year: the kitchen garden of the countess is called Keukenhof in Dutch.
Every spring, the Keukenhof becomes a feast for the eyes. You can find tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other plants in full bloom. Our guided walk gives you an overwhelming display of colors, embedded against a wonderful background of modern and traditional garden architecture.

Excursion to North Holland (from May 08th 2010)
During our excursion by coach you will explore the Dutch province of North Holland, which is located on a peninsula between the North Sea and the Ijsselmeer.
We drive to Zaanse Schans, an open air museum which re-creates a typical residential area of the 17th and 18th century. You will be impressed by the charming green wooden houses and the typical windmills.
Afterwards we drive to Edam, famous for its cheese and explore this picturesque town on foot.

The excursion package includes the following:
- City tour in Basel
- City tour / walk in Strasbourg
- Excursion by coach to Heidelberg
- City walk in Cologne
- City tour in Amsterdam with Rijksmuseum
- Canal cruise in Amsterdam

We offer the following optional excursions which may be booked only on board:
- Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet
- Keukenhof Gardens during the early season cruises
- Excursion to Northern Holland starting from the May 9th cruise
- Excursion by coach „Impressions of the River Moselle”

These prices are based on a minimum of 30 participants per coach. Different tarifs apply to smaller groups of 10 – 20 persons in separate coaches.
Bookings for excursions, which are paid for either in advance or locally and then not taken up, are not eligible for refunds – unless nicko tours are forced to cancel the tour due to river levels or where the minimum number of participants is not achieved.

Please note that exceptional water levels or lengthy waiting times at locks can lead to alterations to the program of excursions and to the points of embarkation / disembarkation.

We reserve the right to alter the printed itinerary and excursion schedule. Should water levels or breakdown make it impossible to cover a particular stretch we reserve the right to transport passengers by coach and / or accommodate them in hotels or to revise the itinerary. Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to transfer to a different ship.