The Magic of Montreux with a Rhine Cruise

Day 1 UK - Geneva - Montreux Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your flight to Geneva. On arrival, transfer to Montreux and our hotel for two nights, the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4T) or similar. Day 2 Montreux Today is free for you to explore Montreux at your own pace. Your included Riviera Card allows unlimited free travel on local trains and buses, and a discount on boat cruises on Lake Geneva and on some museums and attractions, making it easier for you to enjoy this lovely city and its beautiful surroundings. A visit to Château de Chillon is highly recommended. This majestic castle on the shores of Lake Geneva contains formal great halls, a bedroom preserved in its original, subdued Bernese style, and underground rooms which inspired Lord Byron to write ‘The Prisoner of Chillon’. Day 3 Montreux - Broc - Gruyères - Basel Today starts with a visit to Broc and a grand chocolate factory - Maison Cailler, home of the oldest Swiss chocolate brand still in existence. Discover the story of the company and how chocolate is produced, from the journey of cocoa to the creation of the company’s trademark flavours, before tasting some of their exquisite chocolate. We then head to medieval Gruyères, where we enjoy a short orientation tour of the picturesque town before enjoying a delicious cheese fondue in a local restaurant. Our journey then continues to Basel, where we embark MS Serenade 1 (4T) and the Captain’s gala dinner is served this evening. Day 4 Basel (Mount Rigi) Our exciting included excursion takes us first to Goldau, where we board our first cogwheel train to take us through the scenic valley up to the top of Mount Rigi for 360-degree panoramic views of the spectacular alpine scenery. Later, we take a different cogwheel train route down the mountain to Vitzhau, on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Here we join a steamboat for a scenic cruise to Lucerne where there is free time to explore before returning to our ship in Basel for dinner. Day 5 Breisach Explore the town of Breisach and its landmark Stephansmunster cathedral or join an optional excursion to the Black Forest that encompasses a boat trip on beautiful Lake Titisee and time to explore Triberg with its waterfalls and cuckoo clocks. The evening we depart for Strasbourg. Day 6 Strasbourg We awake in France this morning, and join an included guided tour of Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament, a magnificent Gothic cathedral and a UNESCO-listed Old Town, known as ‘Petite France’, filled with pretty half-timbered houses. We also enjoy a cruise along the city’s canals before we depart this evening. Day 7 Mainz - Lorelei Passage - Koblenz Spend your morning strolling through Mainz to discover the variety of architecture here, including the half-timbered buildings of the Altstadt; or alternatively join an optional walking tour of the pretty town of Speyer that includes an 11th century cathedral. This is one of the most important monuments from the Holy Roman Empire era, with a crypt which contains the tombs of eight of Germany’s emperors and kings. This afternoon our cruise continues through the Lorelei Passage, passing the fabled Lorelei Rock, to Koblenz where we dock overnight. Day 8 Koblenz - Cologne We sail to Cologne, arriving early afternoon to start your independent explorations, or to join a fascinating optional walking tour. Cologne’s must see sights include the Old Town with its narrow cobble-stoned alleys and busy squares, the magnificent UNESCO-listed medieval cathedral, which was constructed over the course of 700 years, and the Mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, one of the markers of a Medieval Jewish community. We continue into the Netherlands this evening. Day 9 Cologne - Amsterdam We make our final journey to Amsterdam. After lunch, we explore this fascinating city on an included guided tour. This cosmopolitan capital delights visitors with its pretty canals criss-crossed by over 1,000 bridges, the exquisite architecture and world-class art collections. Enjoy a canal cruise to view such treasures as the famous Skinny Bridge, the Montelbaanstoren tower and the Jewish Quarter, where Anne Frank’s house can be seen. This evening we enjoy the Captain’s farewell gala dinner on board. Day 10 Amsterdam - UK Transfer to Amsterdam Airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.