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★ Hosted by Tsh and Kyle Oxenreider
Catholic Pilgrimage · 11 Days · Cruise

Liturgical Living along the Rhine River with Kyle and Tsh Oxenreider

Join Michael & Alexandra Foley Tsh & Kyle Oxenreider and Haley Stewart on a pilgrimage on the Rhine. This pilgrimage will visit Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Dates
June 3–13, 2025
Departs See brochure/registration - departure gateway not printed
Duration
11 Days
Trip code 25RS06RHTO
From
$4,795
The Pilgrimage

Walk in the Footsteps of Faith

Michael & Alexandra Foley, Kyle & Tsh Oxenreider, Haley Stewart, and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you as cruise the Rhine River and visit sites throughout Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Tsh and Kyle Oxenreider
Your Host

Tsh and Kyle Oxenreider

Catholic pilgrimage leaders

Tsh Oxenreider is an author, teacher, podcast host, and pilgrimage guide. She has written six nonfiction books, including At Home in the World, Shadow & Light, and Bitter & Sweet, and publishes The Commonplace. She also hosts A Drink With a Friend and teaches humanities. Tsh and her husband, Kyle, entered the Catholic Church after journeys through evangelical and Anglican Christianity. Having lived abroad, traveled extensively, and led multiple pilgrimages, she brings literature, culture, place, and Christian spiritual practice together in her writing and travel programs.

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Know Before You Go

What's included

✓ Included

  • ✓7-night Rhine River Cruise on the MS Symphonie, a premium category ship renovated in 2017
  • ✓Breakfast, lunch, & dinner on the ship
  • ✓Open bar including wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, water, coffee & tea (champagne and premium drinks are an additional cost)
  • ✓All shore excursions and sightseeing (as noted)
  • ✓Air-conditioned deluxe motor coaches
  • ✓Parking fees for buses
  • ✓Accommodations at first-class hotel in Lucerne for 2 nights
  • ✓Service charges and hotel taxes
  • ✓Buffet breakfast daily at the hotel
  • ✓1 hotel dinner (standard 3-course menu; beverages may be purchased at an additional cost)
  • ✓Farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant in Lucerne
  • ✓All transfers with a private air-conditioned motor coach as per itinerary
  • ✓Professional, English-speaking, Christian tour guide throughout(one guide per bus)
  • ✓Train and funicular tickets in Switzerland
  • ✓Entrance fees are included to sites specifically listed (outside view means no entrance is included)
  • ✓Luggage handling at hotels (one piece per person in/out)
  • ✓Whisper sets
  • ✓Select International Tours Travel Portfolio
  • ✓2 nights hotel accommodations
  • ✓Daily buffet breakfast
  • ✓Touring as listed in the itinerary
  • ✓Private bus transportation
  • ✓Full day train tour
  • ✓English-speaking tour guide throughout
  • ✓Local taxes

× Not included

  • ×Personal expenses
  • ×Medical and Travel Insurance
  • ×Gratuities of $220.00 for the ship’s crew, drivers, guides, and included meals will be added to the invoice and collected ahead of time for the passengers' convenience.
  • ×Church donations
  • ×Any items not explicitly mentioned in the listed inclusions
  • ×Beverages at meals unless otherwise noted
  • ×Airline seat assignments and assistance with pre-flight check-in
  • ×European visa requirement
  • ×Any airline baggage charges
  • ×Baggage handling at the airports and hotels over one suitcase per person
  • ×Any charges incurred due to excessive luggage, including the cost of additional baggage, vehicle, or porterage charges

Gratuities of $220.00 for the ship’s crew, drivers, guides, and included meals will be added to the invoice and collected ahead of time for the passengers' convenience.

Day by Day

Your pilgrimage, mapped out

Tap any day to explore. Meals: B breakfast · L lunch · D dinner.
Day 1June 3, 2025
Depart for Amsterdam
+

Depart for an overnight flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Add-on airfare from most major airports, as well as premium and business class upgrades, are available upon request.)

Day 2June 4, 2025
Arrive in Amsterdam
+

We’ll meet our English-speaking tour guides for our pilgrimage as we visit the picturesque village of Zaanse Schans, where we’ll view traditional wooden houses and a bonafide windmill. We’ll then immerse in the Dutch’s love affair with cheese and make our own during a workshop at a working farm. We’ll go through the Beemster region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Netherlands’ first polder (a tract of land reclaimed from a body of water and surrounded by dikes), then stop at a family-run farm in Middenbeemster and enjoy a drink. We’ll learn the basics of cheese-making during a hands-on demonstration (and take some with us). We’ll also visit the charming town of Edam, world-famous for its namesake cheese, where we’ll have lunch and stretch our legs. Rhine River 2025 / 5

Day 3June 5, 2025
Leisure Day in Amsterdam
+

The ship is docked in Amsterdam for the day, giving us ample time to explore Amsterdam on our own. Mass will be celebrated on the ship in the morning. Visit one of the many museums (be sure to purchase tickets online in advance), the flower market, rent a bike, or take a boat tour through the city’s many canals. You may also stay in town for lunch or return to the ship. Before dinner in the evening, we’ll meet in the lounge for a talk by one of the group leaders. Our ship will then cruise through a canal to Nijmegen. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

BLD
Day 4June 6, 2025
Canals, Windmills, & Flowers
+

We’ll celebrate Mass at the iconic Gothic masterpiece St. Stephen’s Church in Nijmegen, a charming Dutch city known for its rich history, picturesque architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. We’ll then visit the Dutch open-air museum in Arnhem, then return to the ship to spend time with other passengers as we have lunch on the ship. In the afternoon, we’ll sit on the deck and leisurely watch the ship sail past lovely villages and windmills. We’ll also gather in the lounge for a retreat with the group leaders. Our ship will then cruise in the evening toward Cologne, Germany. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included) 6 / Rhine River 2025

Day 5June 7, 2025
Cologne & Koblenz, Germany
+

Early this morning we’ll arrive in Cologne, a 2,000-year-old city, where we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the world-famous Cathedral and Treasury. The immense Cathedral is the most visited tourist attraction in Germany; amazingly, although much of the city around it was destroyed during World War II (and fourteen bombs hit the Cathedral itself), it emerged mostly unscathed. St. Edith Stein studied Catholicism in Cologne and converted on Jan 1, 1922 at St. Martin’s Church; later she was beatified on May 1, 1987, in Cologne by Pope St John Paul II and canonized by him in 1998 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. We’ll hear the story of the saint, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, including her journey as she left Cologne for Echt, Holland. We’ll also see the Church of St. Andrew and the tomb of St. Albertus Magnus, as well as attend Mass. We’ll have lunch on the ship as we enjoy watching the prettiest part of the Rhine as we sail past castles and lovely little towns. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at Koblenz, a small walkable city ideally situated at the Rhine and the Moselle confluence. We’ll enjoy wine tasting in Koblenz and leisure time exploring the town or relaxing on the ship. (overnight onboard; breakfast, lunch, & dinner included) Rhine River 2025 / 7

Day 6June 8, 2025
Rüdesheim & Mainz, Germany
+

In the morning we’ll disembark in the wine village of Rudesheim to celebrate Mass at St. Hildegard Church and visit the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard of Bingen. Pope John Paul II called Hildegard “a light for her peoples and her time” and was later made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict in 2012. The Abbey is on a hill above Rudesheim with a magnificent view of the Middle Rhine Valley. Set amidst scenic vineyards, the Abbey is home to a community of nuns who continue to live by the rules of Saint Benedict, dedicating themselves to prayer and work. You may choose to walk from the town to the Abbey or take the bus.

Day 7June 9, 2025
Speyer & Strasbourg, France
+

We’ll disembark in Speyer to visit the Speyer Cathedral, the burial site of German kings and the oldest church in Germany. We’ll also have an opportunity to taste the famous spaghetti ice cream before we board our bus for a 90-minute ride through the countryside to Strasbourg to celebrate Mass and tour the ancient French city. Sights include the famous Strasbourg Münster and the Petite France Quarter, a former mill and tanner district that still maintains its medieval charm. We’ll also visit the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady, which is home to the world’s first documented Christmas Tree. Strasbourg is the self-described ‘Capital City of Christmas,’ as the Strasbourg Christmas Market is the oldest and largest in France. Following a boat ride on the city canals, we’ll enjoy lunch at our leisure in town. In the evening we’ll enjoy the Captain’s Gala Dinner on the ship and head to the Black Forest region overnight. (overnight onboard; breakfast & dinner included)

BD
Day 8June 10, 2025
Breisach, Germany & Colmar, France
+

After cruising through the night we’ll arrive in Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest. Our morning excursion through the mountain landscape, rolling meadows, and dense forests will remind us of the fairytales written about this area. In the heart of the Black Forest we’ll visit a local workshop for a cuckoo clock-making demonstration. In the afternoon, we’ll cross into 8 / Rhine River 2025

Day 9June 11, 2025
Basel & Einsiedeln, Switzerland
+

We’ll enjoy our last buffet breakfast on board the ship before disembarking in Basel. We’ll then travel through Switzerland to the Einsiedeln Marian Shrine and explore the magnificent monastery with its elaborately decorated pastel ceilings, marble side altars, and a large high altar. The most important part of the Basilica is the Lady Chapel, which is reminiscent of Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Above the chapel’s altar is the Black Madonna, resplendent in rich robes and surrounded by gold clouds. We’ll visit the monastery, celebrate Mass, enjoy lunch, and then continue on to Lucerne for dinner and overnight. (overnight onboard; breakfast & dinner included) Rhine River 2025 / 9

Day 10June 12, 2025
Lucerne, Switzerland & Our Lady of the Rock
+

Today we’ll travel to Orselina, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland, to see the pilgrimage church of Our Lady of the Rock (Madonna del Sasso), which can be reached only by foot, either a 30-minute hike to the top of the mountain or by a funicular (which is what we’ll take!). We’ll visit the Shrine and celebrate Mass, then end the day with a special farewell dinner in a local restaurant. (overnight in Lucerne; breakfast & special dinner included)

BD
Day 11June 13, 2025
Return Home
+

After breakfast, we’ll be transferred to the Zurich airport for our flights home, taking with us fond memories of our unforgettable journey down the Rhine River.

Day 11June 13, 2025
Lucerne, Switzerland & Mt. Titlis
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We’ll depart by motorcoach to Engelberg Abbey and then by cable car to the top of Mount Titlis, considered one of Switzerland’s top destinations. We’ll visit Engelberg Abbey and have time to explore the lovely little Swiss town, then return to Lucerne for a walking city tour and dinner at our leisure. (overnight in Lucerne; breakfast included)

B
Day 12June 14, 2025
Lucerne, Switzerland & Jungfraujoch
+

Discover Europe’s highest train station on this full-day train tour to Jungfraujoch. We’ll admire the Bernese Oberland on our way to Lauterbrunnen, where we’ll complete our Alpine ascent by cogwheel train. On our arrival we’ll marvel at the UNESCO-listed landscape and explore summit attractions, such as the Ice Palace and Sphinx Observatory, where we can soak up panoramic views of Aletsch Glacier, Europe’s longest glacier. We’ll then return to Lucerne for dinner at our leisure (overnight in Lucerne; breakfast included)

B
Pricing

Choose how you travel

Main Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (cash)
$5,095per person

Main Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Main Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$5,299per person

Main Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Most popular
Main Deck Double - Land and Cruise (cash)
$4,795per person

Main Deck Double - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Main Deck Double - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$4,987per person

Main Deck Double - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Main Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (cash)
$7,490per person

Main Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Main Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$7,790per person

Main Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Upper Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (cash)
$5,395per person

Upper Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Upper Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$5,611per person

Upper Deck Suite - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Upper Deck Double - Land and Cruise (cash)
$5,095per person

Upper Deck Double - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Upper Deck Double - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$5,299per person

Upper Deck Double - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Upper Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (cash)
$7,990per person

Upper Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (cash). Main trip package. Cash price.

Upper Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (credit card)
$8,310per person

Upper Deck Solo - Land and Cruise (credit card). Main trip package. Credit-card price.

Switzerland 2-night extension - double occupancy (cash)
$1,295per person

Switzerland 2-night extension - double occupancy (cash). Optional trip component. Cash price.

Switzerland 2-night extension - double occupancy (credit card)
$1,347per person

Switzerland 2-night extension - double occupancy (credit card). Optional trip component. Credit-card price.

Switzerland 2-night extension - solo occupancy (cash)
$1,790per person

Switzerland 2-night extension - solo occupancy (cash). Optional trip component. Cash price.

Switzerland 2-night extension - solo occupancy (credit card)
$1,862per person

Switzerland 2-night extension - solo occupancy (credit card). Optional trip component. Credit-card price.

ETA Required
Confirm requirements with Select for this destination.
Deposit
A deposit of $1,000.00 per person and a copy of your passport picture page should be sent by February 19, 2025.
Final Payment
Final payment is due by March 5, 2025.
Passport Validity
Your passport must be valid through December 15, 2025.
Payment Fee
A non-refundable 4% credit card convenience fee applies to all credit card transactions.
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