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Europe’s Imperial Treasures – a 19-day Ultimate Europe experience!
Book passage on the 19-day Europe’s Imperial Treasures Princess cruisetour in 2017, for an unforgettable grand tour of northern Europe! Princess will offer this cruisetour on 12 dates, April through August. Your ship will be the stunning Regal Princess.
Your fantastic tour of Europe starts in Budapest, with its beautiful old baroque buildings and cobblestone streets. After a good night’s rest, you set out on a tour visiting Heroes’ Square, the Castle district, Matthias Church and other sights.
Then, travel by motorcoach to Vienna, stopping enroute for lunch at a local restaurant and driving the picturesque Ringstrasse before arriving at your hotel. Tonight you’ll attend a concert of Vienna’s famous classical music.
The next day, set out on tour again, past Vienna’s best sightseeing: Parliament, the Opera House, Hofburg Palace and City Hall, enroute to a tour of Schoenbrunn Palace.
In the morning, you’ll motorcoach to Rosenburg Castle, where you’ll learn about falconry. Then, it’s on to Prague.
After a good night’s rest, embark on a guided tour featuring Old Town, the grounds of Hradcany Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral. The Astronomical Clock and more. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, you’ll depart by coach to Berlin, visiting the ancient Saxony capital of Dresden enroute.
Your day in Berlin features a full-day panoramic tour of all of this city’s fabled sights: the Ku’damm, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Charlottenburg Palace, Tiergarten Park, the German State Opera House and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, even stopping for pictures at Checkpoint Charlie. A special dinner will be held tonight at one of Berlin’s finest restaurants.
The next morning, you’ll motorcoach to Rostock for your ferry crossing to Gedser, then continue by coach to Copenhagen, to board the Regal Princess for your fabulous cruise, ahead.
Princess Cruise Lines’ 11-day Scandinavia/Russia cruise on the Regal Princess, roundtrip from Copenhagen, presents a fascinating array of magical cities. Many optional tours are offered throughout the cruise to enrich your appreciation of the splendor of Northern Europe.
Your first port of call is Oslo, Norway. Highlights to see include City Hall, the Viking Ship Museum, KonTiki Museum, and Fram Museum. Or perhaps you’ll chose a trip to the open-air Folk Museum, a group of old buildings gathered from all over Norway representing the true culture of the country. The unique Gol Stave Church and Vigeland Sculture Park are more special tours offered.
You will then make a stop again in Berlin, via the port of Warnemunde, so you can catch up on what you missed while there a few days ago – or simply stay onboard and enjoy the beautiful amenities of the ship.
The next stop is Tallinn, Estonia. This port city has wonderfully preserved medieval architecture. Town Hall Square has been a hub of activity since the 12th century.
A highlight of this cruise is the 2-day stay in St. Petersburg. The ship is your hotel while you tour this incomparable city. Two days of optional touring will allow you to visit the Hermitage Museum, Smolny Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood (where Alexander II was assassinated), Peterhof Palace (built by Peter the Great) and much more. You’ll enjoy a traditional Russian lunch at the Astoria Hotel, with local entertainment as you dine. Spend a delightful evening at the theatre and attend the Russian ballet. Or schedule an Imperial Evening at Catherine Palace, with a visit to the stable building housing the well-preserved coaches that once carried Russia’s nobility. Continuing on, you’ll be entertained at the palace with champagne and music, followed by dinner consisting of Russian cuisine, including caviar, vodka and wine. Entertainment winds up your evening before you head back to the ship, with the Royal Guard bidding you fond farewell.
Yusupov Palace, Menshikov Palace, the Palaces of Oranienbaum – summer residences of the Tsars – Tea at the Russian Villa, or Private Car tours –all of these outstanding tours will help to make this port stop one you’ll never forget.
The next port city you’ll visit is Helsinki – called the “Daughter of the Baltic” by its citizens. Take a countryside Historical Tour of Finnish Homes, renowned for their design. Also included is a visit to the Seurasaari Museum, a step back into Finland’s folk history, where you can experience the lifestyles of its people in the collection of early villages and farms. Other tours offer sightseeing by boat through the beautiful island-studded sea surrounding Helsinki or trips to the old section of Porvoo, where you can sample Finnish cuisine during your lunch at the old Haikko Manor.
From its humble beginnings as a Viking fortress, Stockholm, your final stop, is now Sweden’s capital city. Tour the Vasa Museum, visit Old Town, the Royal Palace, or shop for glassware and antiques. Or perhaps escape into the Swedish countryside to explore historic Gripsholm Castle and the charming village of Mariefred.
As your ship arrives back in Copenhagen, you’ll certainly want to consider adding extra nights in this city. Think of Copenhagen and a dozen different impressions pass through your mind: Tivoli Gardens, Hamlet’s Castle, the Little Mermaid, Stroget, all the palaces, Old Town and more. Princess has hotel and tour packages both pre and post cruise.
Panda Travel has early-booking and group discounts now available on selected sailings. Call them for more information at 602-943-3383 or 800-447-2632.
Itineraries subject to change
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