Rhine River Cruises

Our recommended Rhine river cruises are the best way to explore the mighty Rhine. Sail from the clear lakes and towering mountains of Switzerland to the fairytale castles and terraced vineyards of the Rhine Valley. Journey from Amsterdam to Basel through the scenic Middle Rhine and past the famous Lorelei Rock, or choose an itinerary that explores the pretty meandering River Moselle.

Moor in the heart of picturesque riverside towns like lively Rudesheim, and visit historic cities such as Cologne and Strasbourg, as you voyage through Switzerland, Germany, France and Holland to the North Sea. See the highlights of each port on guided excursions accompanied by local guides, or simply step ashore to explore on your own.


Cruise Collection


About Rhine River Cruises

From Amsterdam, voyage upstream through colourful Dutch waterways and rich farmland to Cologne with its Old Town and great Gothic Cathedral. Continue to Koblenz where the Rhine meets the Moselle, and on to the ancient fortress town of Boppard.

Pass the famous Lorelei Rock on the way to the wine country town of Rudesheim with its lively Drosselgrasse street of restaurants and taverns. At Mainz the River Main leaves the Rhine which continues south, allowing a tour to romantic Heidelberg, the oldest university town in Germany.

Sail on up the upper Rhine to Strasbourg, a cosmopolitan city on the French-German border with a soaring cathedral and colourful half-timbered buildings, and Basel, Switzerland's second largest city. Some itineraries spend a couple of days in Switzerland with visits to Lucerne and the dramatic Bernese Oberland.

The River Moselle is smaller and more intimate, meandering from Koblenz through woods and vineyards for over 160 miles. Travel past hills dotted with romantic castles, and through wine villages such as Cochem, Bernkastel and Piesport to Trier, founded by the Romans 2000 years ago.

Cologne Cathedral Lorelei Rock

Highlights of the Rhine River

Here are a few highlights of a cruise along the Rhine:

  • Amsterdam’s elegant architecture and famous canals
  • Bamberg’s brightly-coloured fishermen’s houses in Little Venice
  • The timber-framed houses of Bernkastel surrounding the medieval square
  • Cologne’s Old Town, dominated by the impressive cathedral
  • Heidelberg, a favourite of writers and philosophers
  • German Corner in Koblenz, where the River Moselle flows into the Rhine
  • The Printing Museum in Mainz, birthplace of Johann Gutenberg
  • Rüdesheim’s wine-growing region
  • See the fairytale Petite France district of Strasbourg
  • The spectacular Rhine Gorge with the legendary Lorelei Rock

River Rhine Ports


Rhine Cruise Reviews

Scenic Rhine
★★★★★ by G.Paterson

We would like to thank every one of you most sincerely for our wonderful cruise down the Rhine. it was, and is an unforgettable experience for George and me, which we will undoubtedly remember forever. I am so glad that I suggested that this was the sort of holiday, at our age we could sit back and just enjoy, After booking we had a couple of friends round and were extolling the services of Blue Water, our agents, they promptly went home and booked for the cruise for themselves ...two weeks before us just checking you out !!! they loved it and assured us that we would enjoy every minute. We did ...Door to door without a hitch! You are to be congratulated on all the members of the crew, from Captain Igor to our cabin boy, a smile and a hand and then another smile, a special mention must be made of Patrik the on board tour manager, and our favourite matre de at the Portobello. Food, wine, entertainment, trips ashore, how could we possibly find fault, Well done Scenic Jewel ..... With our thanks for an Exceptional holiday.

Rivers And Castles Of Europe On Amadolce
★★★★★ by B.Graf

We had an unforgettable cruise seeing the Rivers and Castles of Europe on the AMADOLCE, the cruise exceeded our expectations and thankyou to the team at Blue Water for making this happen for us with no problems encountered especially seeing we travelled from Australia to experience it. They were very efficient in keeping us informed along the way. Truly a trip to remember and the sun even appeared when we started the Rhine Gorge section with all the castles, so we all scrambled up to the fantastic sundeck to take in the picture postcard views