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Elegant Elbe

Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Discover Berlin’s modern chic, Potsdam’s rococo whimsy
- Experience cruise along Elbe which is one of Europe’s most unspoiled rivers
- Opportunity to visit 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Explore Wittenberg’s and see the historic landmarks.
- Explore Prague
Short Description
Journey to Berlin, Dresden & Prague
See the Elbe Biosphere Reserve. Walk in Martin Luther’s footsteps in Wittenberg, birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Admire delicate Meissen porcelain. Celebrate Dresden, a phoenix risen from the ashes of war. View Saxon Switzerland’s monoliths. Discover Berlin’s modern chic, Potsdam’s rococo whimsy, Dessau’s Bauhaus genius and Prague’s Gothic exuberance. The Elbe is one of Europe’s most unspoiled rivers and it awaits you—from Berlin to Prague—on our 10-day cruisetour.
Itinerary
Day 1: Berlin, Germany
Arrive at the Berlin airport, then transfer to your hotel.* After check-in, you have free time to get acquainted with the city, or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and get oriented.
Day 2: Berlin, Germany
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy a panoramic tour of the vibrant German capital, which has seen its fair share of dramatic changes in the last century. See the Reichstag with its spectacular glass dome, the historic Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and many other iconic sites. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Day 3: Potsdam & Wörlitz, Germany
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
After breakfast, travel to Potsdam. Tour Sanssouci Palace, a perfect example of German rococo architecture, built by Prussian king Frederick the Great in the 18th century. Continue to Wörlitz Park, Germany’s first landscaped park with English-style gardens. Tour inside Wörlitz Castle, fashioned after an English country home, and stroll the grounds. Then, transfer to Wittenberg to embark your ship.
Day 4: Wittenberg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, follow in Martin Luther’s footsteps to view many of Wittenberg’s historic landmarks. Tour inside Luther’s House and St. Marien’s Church, where he preached. See the Castle Church where Luther posted his “95 Theses”; then enjoy free time. Return to your ship and for our afternoon departure as we cruise along a very pretty stretch of the Elbe. Or, you may choose to take an optional excursion to Torgau to see fortified Hartenfels Castle, Market Square and the riverside monument that commemorates the day in 1945 when Russian and American troops shook hands.
Day 5: Meissen, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today, cruise the Elbe and arrive in Meissen during lunchtime. Then stop in at the Meissenware factory, producers of fine porcelain since the early 1700s. Discover how this trademarked porcelain is created by hand, then tour the museum. Proceed to Castle Hill for a walking tour through Old Town. Return aboard for dinner and an evening at leisure. Your ship remains docked overnight.
Day 6: Dresden, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, disembark in Dresden, nicknamed “Florence on the Elbe.” Drive through the 19th-century residential area to the Dresden Castle complex; enter the Green Vault to see a comprehensive collection that houses what many claim is the world's largest collection of treasures, including priceless jewels and emeralds. Continue on foot to see Zwinger Palace, Semper Opera House and the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) with its distinctive bell-shaped dome that survived World War II bombings but collapsed the following day. Later, it was rebuilt.
Dinner is served aboard your ship; afterward, feel free to enjoy Dresden’s many charms and attractions as we remain docked until early morning.
*Please note : If you’re in Dresden on a Tuesday, The Green Vault is closed, therefore you will instead visit Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) to view some of the world’s great masterpieces, including works by Raphael, Vermeer, Rubens and Rembrandt.
Day 7: Saxon Switzerland, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, cruise through the magnificent, soaring rock formations of the Saxon Switzerland region, then dock at the spa town of Bad Schandau. From here we make our way to the famous rock tower known as the Bastei (bastion), formed by water a million years ago, to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Elbe. Return aboard for dinner and evening cruising.
Day 8: Děčín & Prague, Czech Republic
Meals: Breakfast
Awaken in Děčín; after breakfast, disembark and transfer to Prague. Upon arrival, you tour Prague, the “City of a Hundred Spires.” After a guided walk through Old Town, take some free time to explore on your own. Then ride to visit Hradčany Castle. Return to the hotel for check-in and dinner on your own.
Day 9: Prague, Czech Republic
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore this celebrated city, or join an optional tour to Lobkowicz Palace.
Day 10: Prague, Czech Republic
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 2 additional nights in Prague and discover more of this celebrated city.
Availability
- Deposit Price: $ 500
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41 Viking River Cruises Travel Reviews & Ratings
Elegant Elbe
We enjoyed the entire experience
Company Reviews
Viking River Cruise Capitals of Eastern Europe
Good and no so goog
The good:
Rhine water levels were good, no issues. Service on the vessel was A+, excluding one attendant with “attitude” at the front desk. Entertainment was low key but acceptable. Viking succeeds in creating a laid back atmosphere. Viking is like a clock - they run on time. Cabin was nice and shower was exceptional. Most (not all) tours were informative, guides ranged from good to excellent. Tour buses were top shelf with experienced drivers.
The not so good:
All 6 in our group were disappointed with the food (not service but food) all week excluding breakfast. All felt the food offerings got “old” real fast. Food appeared to be prepared in advance and then reheated. Plenty of TV movies, tv and internet reception poor all week.
Most concerning
Viking, customs, and airline never asked to see our proof of vaccination. While Viking did a excellent job in keeping the boat itself clean and sanitized we had an issue on one of the bus tours. A unmasked woman sitting directly behind my wife was sweating & coughing non-stop. Not a occasional sneeze or cough, it was obvious this woman was ill. At the first stop multiple riders relocated to seats as far away from this individual as possible. Regrettably, Viking said/did noting.
Viking claims they are not the Covid police and if we felt compromised we should have put on a mask. Absolutely ridiculous that Viking felt we should have masked but took action to pull this woman aside, require her to mask with a suggestion to see a physician. Again - we’re not talking about normal coughing and sneezing- this woman was visibly ill. Viking was willing to put 30 travelers at risk rather then ask a visibly ill woman to mask up. It’s Vikings boat, tour, bus but they say and do nothing.
Of course 2 of 6 in our group contracted Covid.
Viking had a obligation to do everything within their control to protect us as best possible. In this instance they didn’t even try.
Not trying to trash Viking, just being truthful.
Tourico Vacations -Rhine River Cruise
We sailed from Basel, Switzerland up north on the Rhine River and ended at Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Viking also offers the same route in reverse, from Amsterdam to Basel so you can pick either. For a couple stops on the journey, boats running in opposite cities are docked together.
We had a wonderful time and especially loved how organized the entire Viking journey was, from pre-departure to on-board, everything was seamless. Also unlike many other cruises or guided tours, almost everything was included, which made it feel like a truly relaxing vacation.
Here’s a snapshot of our 7-day itinerary and what we got up to each day!
Day 1: Arrive in Basel, Switzerland
We arrived in the small, quaint town of Basel after our international flight. This was the general arrival / travel date so we expected to just check in and relax but discovered that Viking organized a guided walking tour of the town. That was a nice surprise!
There’s also the option to arrive a couple days early and/or stay a couple days late. If you are thinking of this, here’s a quick guide to the best hotels in Basel to help with accommodation.
Basel is an underrated tourist attraction and the third largest city in Switzerland. The town has a gorgeous Medieval center and plenty of world-class art museums. There’s a reason Art Basel is held here!
We checked out the Romanesque cathedral, took endless pictures of the colorful medieval buildings and headed back to our ship to relax and meet everyone for cocktails and dinner. A great first day!
Read more: An Afternoon in Basel, Switzerland’s Most Underrated City!
Day 2: Germany’s Black Forest & Colmar, France
On our second day, we sailed northward to dock at Breisach, Germany. In the morning, we learned how to make cuckoo-clocks, put together Black Forest cake and walked a bit throughout the Black Forest.
The wooded mountain range is the site of many local legends and populated all over with black fir trees. If you like hiking, the mountains are wonderful!
In the afternoon, we signed up for an optional tour to Colmar. Located in the Alsace Lorraine region, the town is part of France but throughout much of history, changed hands between Germany and France. You’ll find lots of German and French spoken as a result!
I highly recommend visiting this quaint medieval town. Every street looks perfectly preserved and it’s quite colorful. We wandered mostly on our own, ducking into gelato shops and chocolate stores while enjoying the colorful, medieval feel.
Read more: The Most Picturesque Alsatian Town of Colmar
Day 3: Strasbourg, France
If you skip the optional to Colmar, no worries! Strasbourg is its larger cousin and also located in Alsace, France.
We had a wonderful guide for this day who guided us throughout the small canals, pointing out colorful streets and letting us know about Strasbourg’s tangled history in the hands of Germany and France.
Strasbourg occupies a strategic position on the Rhine River and is the ninth largest city in France. It’s home to many European councils and organizations, like the European Court of Human Rights (a building built like a ship) and the Council of Europe.
For the most part, we stuck to the Old Medieval Town but drove through the modern section. Highly recommend a visit to the Cathedral!
Read more: 24 Hours in Strasbourg (coming soon)
Day 4: Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg is a university town with a energetic, small town feel. In the morning, we visited Heidelberg Castle, which perhaps should be called a ruined fortress, as much of it was destroyed by lightening, fires and war.
The ruins and castle are built high above the city and the observation terrace is well worth a look! Meanwhile, the city was almost entirely spared from bomb attacks during World War II and it’s narrow streets and baroque charm remain largely intact.
We explored Heidelberg’s Old Town (Altstadt) by walking along the main shopping street Hauptstrasse. This is actually the longest shopping street in Europe! For the most part, I spotted large chain stores & restaurants.
I actually recommend skipping this street to explore the quaint alleyways and backstreets instead. Much more picturesque!
Read more: The Best of Heidelberg Germany in 1 Day
Day 5: Rhine River Castles & Koblenz, Germany
By day 5, we had reached the middle Rhine and spent our morning above deck watching the gorgeous small German towns and castles along both sides of the Rhine River. Our Viking program director gave a guided tour along the way, pointing out castles left and right.
Many of them are situated high above local towns and we saw lots of German camper vans parked at the base. I recommend bringing a pair of binoculars for this part, as some of the castles can be set a bit farther away and the detail through a zoom is incredible.
By afternoon, we reached Koblenz, a city set at the mouth of two rivers. We explored Marksburg Castle and wandered a bit on our own after. This was another ruined fortress high above the river. Interesting history, but wear good shoes! The entire castle is unpaved, rocky and entirely uneven.
A couple others from the cruise did the optional dinner excursion on this day and raved about it.
Read more: A Photo Diary of Pretty Rhine Castles
Day 6: Cologne, Germany
During the Holy Roman Empire, Cologne was the largest medieval town in Europe. Naturally, it’s Gothic cathedral is the hallmark draw! The nice thing about this stop is the ship can dock right into town, so you can join the tour or explore on your own.
We explored the Kölner Dom’s interior and were suitably awed. If you want a great view, Viking offers an optional tour that takes you all the way to the very top! I had already been to Cologne on a previous trip so instead, we opted for a palace excursion.
We visited Augustusburg Castle, one of two gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site classified as Bruhl Palaces. The castle was once home to the prince-archbishops of Cologne and is decked out in gold, marble and all-around extravagance.
I particularly liked the massive entryway staircase which was gilded and made my mouth drop open when we turned the corner. Highly recommend this day trip if you love castles half as much as I do!
The interiors were really unique and the guided tour was excellent. After the main palace, we did a quick tour of the hunting lodge as well, which was just as stunning.
Read more: Exploring Cologne (coming soon)
Day 7: Kinderdijk, The Netherlands
Kinderdijk is home to the Netherlands’ famous windmills. I’ll admit I didn’t know too much about the country outside of Amsterdam and our guide was quite helpful to explain the history of the nation and the purpose of its many windmills. Much of the Netherlands would sink, were it not for windmills to pump away water.
We even got to tour inside the home of a windmill keeper (see photos of a windmill interior here!). What I didn’t realize was that windmill caretakers actually lived inside them with their families!
I thought the interiors were particularly interesting and our guide mentioned that some Dutch families managed to fit 13 children inside.
They’re quite small so I noticed lots of hooks for hanging, curved bunk-bed type rooms and lots of stair ladders. The Dutch windmill keepers also had a number of really unique boats which I took too many pictures of!
Fun fact: Kinderdijk is in the region of Holland in the nation of The Netherlands where the people speak Dutch.
Read more: Visiting A Dutch Windmill Home (and other day trips from Amsterdam!)
The Rhine Getaway Cruise
One thing I liked about sailing with Viking is how leisurely the day to day pace is. There’s generally an opportunity to sight see in the morning and afternoon, with one included tour and one optional tour.
We chose to do 2 optionals and on the other days, relaxed on board or went into town to explore on our own! It was a well-balanced pace and I truly felt “on vacation”.
Here’s a recap of our daily itinerary with Viking:
Day 1 Arrive in Basel, Switzerland
Day 2 Morning: Sail to the Black Forest
Afternoon: Explore Colmar, France
Day 3 Explore Strasbourg, France
Day 4 Morning: Explore Heidelberg’s Castle and Old Town.
Evening: Stop in Rudesheim
Day 5 Morning: See German castles along the Rhine River
Afternoon: Visit Koblenz, Germany
Day 6 Morning: Visit Cologne, Germany
Afternoon: Day trip to Bruhl Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Day 7 See dutch windmills at Kinderdijk. Arrive in Amsterdam in late evening.
Watch video: Tourico Vacations Viking River Cruise
Great time
WONDERFUL STAFF & SEAMLESS ORGANIZATION
Details
Ship Name
Viking Astrild
Ship Stats
Boasting many of the same popular design elements of our Viking Longships, our new Elbe ships - scheduled to set sail in 2015 - feature state-of-the art engineering, deluxe accommodations and streamlined Scandinavian interiors. Plus, the ships feature customized hulls and engines specially built to navigate this historic river.
Ship Description
- All staterooms are outside with river view
- Veranda Suites are 250 square feet, have separate sleeping & sitting quarters, a full veranda & French balcony & 2 flat-panel TVs
- All staterooms & suites have hotel-style beds with optional twin-bed configuration
- All Upper deck staterooms have a full veranda or French balcony
- Private bathroom with shower; premium bath products; bathrobe & slippers upon request
- 42" flat-panel Sony TV with infotainment system featuring movies on demand plus CNBC, CNN, National Geographic & more
- Telephone, safe, refrigerator, hair dryer & individual climate control
- The Lounge & bar with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead to an open air Aquavit Terrace
- Restaurant with windows for panoramic views
- Sun deck with shaded sitting area & organic herb garden
- Library corner & onboard boutique
- Free wireless Internet
- Laundry service
- Bottled water replenished daily
- Voltage: 220V & 110V in stateroom (U.S. outlet)
Deck & Cabin Plans
Optional Activities
Extend Your Cruise With 2 Nights In Berlin
Begin your European journey in Berlin, giving you time to see the many landmarks of this vibrant world capital.
All this is included:
2 nights in Berlin: Hilton Berlin (or similar)
2 breakfasts
Services of a Viking host
Hotel & ship transfers
2017 SEASONAL PRICING
Mar - Apr; Jul - Aug; Nov $499
May - Jun; Sep - Oct $549
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Cancellation policy
For any cruise/land booking, whether under deposit, partially paid, or paid in full and air-inclusive packages paid in full, the following travel agent or guest-requested situations are considered cancellations and penalties will apply as noted below: changes to departure date; substitutions of itinerary; substitution of another person for original booked guest(s); or changing to a promotional fare. All cancellations must be in writing. For all air-inclusive packages cancelled after issuance of an airline ticket, the air portion of the refund, if any, will be processed only after the return of airline ticket to Viking. The following cancellation charges will be assessed for all written cancellations received prior to departure up to the scheduled time of departure.
Cancellation received | Following charges will apply: (Broken out by days before departure) 121 days or more is $100 per person | 120-90 days is 15% of full fare | 89-60 days is 35% of full fare | 59-30 days is 50% of full fare | 29-0 days is 100% of full fare.
Full Fare is defined as the full cost of any cruise, land or air component purchased from Viking.
Trip ID#:
EleElbVik
Meals Included
5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 5 Dinners
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