7 Night Cruise sailing from Frankfurt to Amsterdam aboard River Ambassador.

Celebrate spring along the Rhine with the perfect blend of nature, art, and history

This perfectly paced trip provides ample daytime sailing through the complex network of canals that crisscross the Netherlands and down the Rhine River to Germany, including the spectacular UNESCO-designated Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Discover the springtime highlights of this region and enjoy four guided visits to some of the Netherlands' and Germany's top museums.

Stroll through the fragrant and colorful floral landscape of the Keukenhof Gardens, showcasing more than seven million flowers, and visit the living museum village of Zaanse Schans. Cruise through the canals of Amsterdam on a guided tour of the city. Visit the Van Gogh Museum or walk through the very house where Anne Frank wrote her diary, feeling her presence as you admire the original manuscript on display. Marvel at the huge collection of Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rodin works at the Kröller-Müller Museum, or visit the WWII Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek. In Braubach, visit Marksburg Castle-inhabited for over 700 years and virtually unchanged in that time.

Celebrate the best of this region's nature, art, and history during the peaceful time of spring.
Who will enjoy this cruise: Art lovers will find beauty in the world-class museums; gardeners will relish a visit to the world's largest flower garden and surrounding countryside; and history buffs can trace the events of the region's past with guided tours of treasured artifacts.

Day 1: Frankfurt (embark) (D)

Day 2: Frankfurt, Rüdesheim

Featured Excursion: Frankfurt city tour

In the morning, tour dynamic Frankfurt, said to be the smallest metropolis in the world. The energy of its cosmopolitan citizens and soaring skyscrapers makes for a sophisticated city that has become one of the most important hubs in Europe. You will be taken on a scenic drive around this metropolis off the Main, dubbed "Mainhattan." The skyline of Frankfurt is defined by 50 high-rise buildings, two of which are the tallest skyscrapers in the European Union. Visit the historical area around Römer Square, Old Town, the Golden Mile, and Frankfurt's Times Square. You'll pass Goethe-Haus, the childhood home of one of Europe's greatest writers and philosophers, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; Goethe University, birthplace of the Frankfurt school of philosophy; and the beautiful Botanical Gardens. (BB, L, Captain's Welcome Gala)

Day 3: Cruising the romantic Rhine River, Braubach

Featured Excursion: Marksburg Castle visit

Enjoy the area's natural and cultural highlights from the perfect vantage point of your ship's panoramic deck as your journey takes you from Rüdesheim to Braubach along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine-the scenic 40 miles of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area features stunning landscapes and ancient castles that for many esteemed 19th-century poets, composers, and painters embodied a romantic spirit that was later dubbed "Rhine Romanticism." After lunch, take a leisurely stroll in lovely Braubach, a charming town with many timber-framed houses, and visit Marksburg Castle, a beautiful fortress that is one of the prime structures of the Rhinegau. This is the area's only hill castle to have remained occupied and undestroyed for over 700 years. (BB, L, D)

Day 4: Cologne

Featured Excursions: Cologne walking tour and Roman-Germanic Museum

Arrive in Cologne and stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town with your guide, passing by tiny squares, little churches, and awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral, the city's most famous landmark and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 632 years to complete Germany's largest cathedral, which is one of the most important Gothic churches in Europe. You'll then tour the Roman-Germanic Museum, built on the walls of a Roman villa which was discovered in 1941 and which contained the world-famous Dionysus mosaic. Numerous finds illustrating everyday life in the Roman Empire will lead you into the heart of the Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (the Roman name of Cologne). (BB, L, D)

Day 5: Arnhem

Featured Excursions: Choice of Kröller-Müller Museum OR WWII Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek

Arnhem is your gateway to the Kröller-Müller Museum, which is home to a huge collection of Van Gogh's paintings, including Cafe Terrace at Night. You can also enjoy works by Picasso, Mondrian, and Rodin, as well as many modern European artists. Or visit the WWII Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, which commemorates 1944's Battle of Arnhem. History comes alive through veterans' recordings and a large collection of artifacts. (BB, L, D)

Day 6: Zaanse Schans, Amsterdam

Featured Excursions: Zaanse Schans and Keukenhof Gardens

Visit the living museum of Zaanse Schans-historical Holland in a nutshell. You'll feel as though you've stepped back in time as you stroll through the village's 17th- and 18th-century streets while watching men and women create traditional Dutch crafts. Then you'll sail to bustling Amsterdam, Holland's largest city. All of your senses will be in for a treat as you visit the Keukenhof Gardens, a 70-acre showcase of over seven million flowers, where spring bursts out in all of its colorful majesty. This is one of the most impressive public gardens in the entire world, and it is open for only nine weeks each year. (BB, D)

Day 7: Amsterdam

Featured Excursions: Canal cruise and choice of Anne Frank House OR Van Gogh Museum

Enjoy a canal cruise through Holland's largest city, Amsterdam, which boasts history, art, architecture, bicycles, cobblestone streets, museums, and canals. Even the simplest of shops has a distinct charm, and every street tells a story. Then walk through the very house that served as a hiding place for the Frank family during WWII. This is also where Anne Frank wrote her diary, and the original manuscript is on display. Or visit the Van Gogh Museum where The Potato Eaters and Sunflowers are part of the world's largest collection of his work. (BB, L, Captain's Farewell Dinner)

Day 8: Amsterdam (disembark) (CB/BB)