Depart Napier for Singapore. On arrival into Singapore, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to our hotel for check-in.
Accommodation for 2 nights including breakfast and late checkout on 20th July (9.00 pm)
If there is one word that best captures Singapore, it is“unique”. A dynamic city rich in contrast and colour, you'll find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture here. Brimming with unbridled energy, this little dynamo in Southeast Asia embodies the finest of both East and West. A single day can take you from the past to the future - from exotic-ethnic enclave to efficient business centre, from serene gardens to sleek skyscrapers. You can start your day with a hearty breakfast amidst lush vegetation with Singapore’s very own orangutang. Then take a step back in time as you enter a traditional Chinese temple, Muslim mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church - all in the same neighbourhood. You can then return to the present by strolling down Orchard Road, picking up the latest fashion trends and entertaining local catch phrases along the way.
Meet our private guide this morning for a half day tour of Singapore. First, we will visit Little India – a haven of Indian culture and ethnicity that embodies the vibrant and colourful pulse of the Indian community in Singapore. Next, drive to the mouth of the Singapore River. The Merlion, a national icon representing Singapore’s humble beginning as a fishing village is located here. The Merlion Park set against the City as backdrop is a sight not to be missed.
Drive past the Financial District to Chinatown and discover the rich heritage of Chinatown through insightful stories. Singapore’s largest ethnic group, the Chinese, first settled here and yet right in its midst you’ll find one of our oldest and picturesque HinduTemple. Our last stop is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the ‘green lung’ of our city. Experience the calm and serenity of this 52 hectares garden. Located within the grounds is the National Orchid Garden where you can marvel at the wide and colourful variety of Orchids on display.
Return to our hotel where the remainder of the day and evening is at leisure.
A full day at leisure (late checkout included). This evening we will be transferred to the airport for our onwards flight to Amsterdam.
On arrival into Amsterdam, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to our hotel where an early check-in has been arranged. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and explore independently.
Accommodation for 1 night including breakfast and early check-in on 21 July
With its myriad of canals (165 to be precise), Amsterdam has developed into one of the world’s most accessible and top tourist attractions. As the city of Amsterdam is so compact it has a unique feel to it, with all its different races and religions living harmoniously together. The City came to life in the thirteenth century when a small settlement emerged at the Dam on the River Amstel, hence giving the city its name. Despite a lot changing since the early days it still has a small town feel with many of the current buildings, houses and architecture worthy of museum status. The locals are very proud of their history and this is made apparent by Amsterdam’s vast array of museums. The amazing architecture of the Rijksmuseum (built in 1885) and the contrast of the modern Van Gogh building take centre stage on the Museum Plein.
Continue to Volendam, a village of fishermen, music and cheese. One of the most characteristic things about Volendam are its traditional costumes, sometimes still worn by its inhabitants. The town has a quaint town centre, with wonderful architecture and well-reserved streets.
Enjoy a visit to The Cheese Factory, one of the newest attractions in the town. Despite the name, it’s much more than a factory – it is an interactive experience that will introduce us to the wonders of Dutch cheese. Find out where cheese comes from, how it was first made and how it is produced today.
At the conclusion of your tour, continue to Amsterdam where we will embark our cruise.
Welcome to Amsterdam! We’ll meet you on arrival and transfer you to your luxurious floating home for the next 15 days. You’ll have time to unpack, relax and get acquainted with your ship, as the excitement builds for everything that’s about to come.14 Nights, a Concerto River Ship.
Meet our private guide this morning for a 6-hour tour to Marken and Volendam.
Marken is one of the Netherlands' most traditional fishing communities. Separated from the mainland by a storm in the thirteenth century, the isolated local population made their living as fishermen. It was not until 1957 that Marken was reconnected with the mainland when a causeway was built. The result is a beautiful time-passed hamlet that is perfectly quaint, well-preserved and surprisingly quiet. While here we will visit the Wooden Shoe Factory. Admire the wooden shoes (clogs) and experience how clogs are made according to a century’s old tradition. During one of the demonstrations, a simple block of wood is transformed into a beautiful clog in just a few minutes.
Choose your sightseeing in Amsterdam. Tonight, celebrate with a gala welcome dinner. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Perhaps slow things down and cruise the canals on a glass-top boat. Maybe visit ZaanseSchans – the quintessential Dutch village known for its windmills and specialty produce. Or even sleep in and take the day as it comes. If you’re lucky enough to be on one of our spring departures, the tulips of Keukenh of Gardens are ready to greet you at every colourful turn
This morning, awake to a new country, a new city, with unlimited possibilities for what the day could bring. After your sightseeing in Bonn, you’ll then travel to Andernach for your first Signature Experience. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Take a discovery through the city. 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, and you will visit the house where he was born, which is now a museum. Alternatively, set off on a bike to explore.
Signature Experience
Visit Namedy Castle. Go beyond the gates and wander about the rooms, hidden nooks and grounds, then enjoy a cocktail party in the ballroom, where a pianist sets the mood.
Have your camera handy to capture some of the best scenery you’ll encounter as you cruise through the Rhine Gorge. Dock in Rüdesheim, where you will then choose your sightseeing. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
A gondola ride over the Rhine Valley will give you the best perspective of the town. For something a little more quirky, Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum houses fine automated musical creations. Otherwise, a selection of fine Rhine Valley wines eagerly await your palate at an onboard tasting.
Seize the day with your choice of sightseeing. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Pick up the pace and hike through a forested area overlooking Franconian vineyards. Or, go slow and head to a local cellar for a tipple or two. You can even stay on your ship and learn a little German.
The day is yours to design with our Freedom of Choice sightseeing inclusions. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Enjoy a walk to the 18th-century Würzburg Residence. Or traverse the Romantic Road to Rothenburg. Maybe get to know the locals with a visit to a family-owned farm, with a home-cooked morning tea on the menu.
Relax on board as you sail to Bamberg. On arrival, join an exploration with a local expert to uncover everything World Heritage-listed Bamberg has to offer. BLD
Select the sightseeing inclusion that best suits you. You will be rewarded with freshly baked gingerbread on your return. This afternoon, cruise onto the Main-Danube Canal. Having taken 32 years to construct, the canal links the North and Black seas. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Perhaps journey through Nuremberg’s history with its Gothic churches and World War II sites. Or keep fit with a hike through the Schwarzach Valley.
After your sightseeing inclusion, a student from the University of Regensburg will come aboard for a presentation. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
In Regensburg, explore its World Heritage-listed city centre. Or put on your dancing shoes for a Bavarian dance class at a local beer haus. Maybe take a culinary walk and visit the Michelin-starred Storstad.
Choose from our fabulous Freedom of Choice inclusions today. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
From Passau, head to Salzburg to visit some of the sights featured in Roger and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Or set off into the Czech Republic, where Česky Krumlov awaits. Either way, re-board your ship in Austria’s Linz. Alternatively, explore the town of Passau, followed by a relaxing day on board cruising to Linz.
A choice of sightseeing greets you in Melk. It’s then onto more remarkable scenery as you cruise through the Wachau Valley to Dürnstein, where you’ll roam its cobblestone lanes at your leisure. Or perhaps take a guided bike ride along the river from Melk to Dürnstein. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Visit the statuary-adorned Melk Abbey. Otherwise a local expert is on hand to show you around town.
Today you will enjoy your Freedom of Choice inclusion. Tonight, your Signature Experience awaits. BLD
Freedom of Choice Sightseeing
Perhaps take in the city’s many landmarks along the Ringstrasse, including St Stephen’s Cathedral. The 1,441-room Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens are a favourite. Or tick another country off your list and journey to Slovakia’s Bratislava. Otherwise, get active with a bike ride to Klosterneuburg Monastery.
Signature Experience
After dinner, head to the Family of Liechtenstein’s City Palace in the heart of Vienna, where we have arranged an exclusive cocktail party and private recital, just for you. A full orchestra will perform classical masterpieces by Mozart and Strauss. You will also been enchanted by an operatic recital and some members of the Mozart Boys’ Choir.
Enjoy a relaxing morning sailing to Budapest. Afterwards, enjoy your Signature Experience on May to September departures. BLD
Signature Experience
This afternoon, follow in the footsteps of the Habsburg Empire. Enjoy a welcome reception at Budapest’s Royal Waiting Room, then board the Grand Empress steam train. You will see inside some ornately adorned carriages from the early 1900s. Gödöllő Palace, Elisabethof Bavaria’s favourite residence, is your destination. You will be shown through this monument of Hungarian aristocracy and architecture. Later, be treated like royalty with dinner served on your train, before returning to your ship. Operates on all departures between May and September
This morning we disembark our cruise in Budapest and commence our overland journey through Slovakia and its High Tatras National Park to Zakopane, Poland. On arrival enjoy dinner at the hotel and overnight.
Enjoy a morning city tour of Budapest taking in its historic monuments, followed by the afternoon at leisure to further explore. Finish the day in style with an illuminations cruise through the twinkling lights of Budapest. BLD
Sadly, the time has come to say goodbye and be transferred to the next part of the journey. B
Accommodation for 1 night including dinner and breakfast.
Today we continue our journey to Krakow, stopping in Wieliczka mines en-route to discover the traditions and history of the mines. Following our guided tour, we depart to Krakow for check-in and an evening at leisure.
Accommodation for 2 nights including breakfast
Krakow is a city wrapped in legend,where time flows differently and where every moment becomes a moment of history. For centuries Krakow was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings,drawing great scholars and artists from the whole world. Their talents and imagination created the city’s rich legacy of unique historical relics, which reflect the most important trends in European culture. The renaissance RoyalCastle at Wawel, the gothic St Mary’s Basilica, the historical trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall, the former separate Jewish city of Kazimierz (and even the Now a Huta district) are all famous landmarks which make a visit to Krakow extremely worthwhile. Although infamous for its Jewish ghetto created by the occupying Nazis during World War II, the city’s long history is particularly evident in the special atmosphere of the beautiful and mysterious streets of the Old Town and Kazimierz – now World Heritage sites. Here you will find everything you need to allow you to escape from everyday life: galleries full of exhibitions, cafés, pubs and restaurants - all of this is an integral part of any visit to Krakow.
We discover Krakow on a morning walking tour. Krakow is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. It was also the first-ever to be included on the UNESCO Heritage list. Walk through the Old Town, which survived World War II largely undamaged and visit Wawel castle and Krakow Cathedral. Following the tour, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
After an early breakfast we visit the largest of the German concentration camps of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II –Birkenau. Here our local guide will take us on a walking tour of the grounds to acquire a proper sense of the location that has become the modern-day symbol of the Holocaust of the European Jews.
In the afternoon we continue to Brno, Czech Republic, where we overnight.
Accommodation for 1 night including breakfast
Before departing to Prague this morning, we join a local guide for a short stroll through the old town of Brno and spend some free time for lunch before our drive to Prague. On our way to the capital we stop in an enchanting small medieval village of Kutna Hora, the city of silver, for a short orientation walk. Arrive in Prague late this afternoon and check-in for our three-night stay.
Accommodation for 3 nights including breakfast
Prague is Europe’s (and one of the world’s) most popular tourist destinations. It was one of the few European cities relatively untouched during the World Wars, allowing its historic architecture to stay intact. Here you will find yourself surrounded by centuries-old buildings and monuments - most notably Prague Castle and Hradcany, the largest ancient castle in the world. It also has a lively night life, mostly due to the extraordinary range of beers available at nominal prices. It contains one of the world’s most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic,Neo-Classical and ultra-modern.
This morning our coach will take us across the Vltava River and up the hill to the largest castle complex in continental Europe: Prague Castle. We will tour the impressive St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica (when available), and the Golden Lane. We then enjoy a scenic cruise on a riverboat along the beautiful River Vltava, with lunch included. Following the tour, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure.
Our walking tour with an English-speaking guide will take us on a short stroll through the city Jewish Quarter, entering only the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Spanish Synagogue. We then continue to the Old Town Square for the tour which features the general area; The Old Town Square with the baroque church of St. James, Black Madonna House, Estate Theatre, Food Market and Wenceslas square. After the walking tour the remainder of the day is at leisure.
We regroup later in the evening at Restaurant U Marčanu (or similar) for our farewell folklore dinner with some colourful music and traditional cuisine of the Czech Republic.
Enjoy breakfast and a morning at leisure before our transfer to the airport for our onwards flights.
Transit Singapore and board the flight back to Auckland.
Arrive in Auckland, clear customers and collect luggage before flying south to Napier and home. That concludes our amazing adventure together.
Terms and Conditions: pricing is based on per person twin share, departing from Napier in Economy Class, unless otherwise stated for twin/double accommodation, inclusive of all discounts, taxes and government fees. All prices are in New Zealand dollars. Sales are valid until 30 March 2020 or until the tour sells out. Confirmation on booking must be secured by a non-refundable deposit of $3,000 per person which is required within 3 days of the reservation. A Full and Comprehensive Travel Insurance must be purchased at the time of paying your deposit. The balance of the tour must be paid no later than 25th March 2020. Upon full payment this tour is non refundable and non-transferable. All payments are to be made by Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS or Direct Credit only. Credit card payment will incur a 2% surcharge. Prices are subject to change without notice and subject to availability at time of booking. All cancellation and amendment fees are subject to additional supplier and agent cancellation and amendment fees. Product in this flyer is supplied by suppliers with their own terms and conditions, please ask for more details. Exchange rates: Prices are quoted in NZD based on tariffs and exchange rates in effect at 12th of September 2019. Changes in exchange rates may occur and we reserve the right to adjust prices accordingly. It is our policy to try to present the true cost of our holidays inclusive of all pre-payable Airline, Cruise fuel surcharges, insurance levies and taxes. Please accept however that these taxes and levies are not within our control. Therefore, if a new tax or levy is to be introduced or increased we reserve the right to pass on any increase in cost. Events beyond our control, such as currency fluctuations, changes to the price of aviation fuel or changes to the cost of services and facilities may result in the prices charged to you being different. The group will be escorted by Stephen Jennings, owner / operator of YOU Travel Napier, subject to a minimum of 16 passengers booking and paying in full by 25 March 2020.
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