The Best Rhine River Cruise Excursions
Windmills, cathedrals, castles and Alsace — the Rhine’s best excursions from Amsterdam to Basel.
Get Free River Cruise QuotesThe best Rhine river cruise excursions span four countries: the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Here they are, roughly north to south.
Netherlands and Lower Rhine
Kinderdijk
A UNESCO-listed landscape of historic windmills, visited on many Amsterdam-based Rhine itineraries.
Cologne
The cathedral dominates the riverfront; tours usually include it and the old town.
The Rhine Gorge
Between Koblenz and Rüdesheim, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of castles, vineyards and steep slopes. Ships cruise this stretch in daylight so you can watch from the sun deck, passing the Lorelei rock. Excursions often visit a castle such as the Marksburg above Braubach, or a wine town like Rüdesheim or Boppard.
Heidelberg, Speyer and the Upper Rhine
From ports such as Mannheim or Speyer, many itineraries offer Heidelberg: the castle ruins above the Neckar, the old bridge and Germany’s oldest university town. Speyer itself has a vast Romanesque cathedral. Scenic offers a guided castle tour with Baron and Baroness von Mallinckrodt on select Rhine, Main and Danube cruises.
Strasbourg, Breisach and Basel
Strasbourg’s Petite France quarter, with half-timbered houses on canals, is a highlight of any Rhine trip. From Breisach, tours climb into the Black Forest or cross to Colmar in Alsace. Basel, where Switzerland, France and Germany meet, is the usual start or end point. The Moselle, which joins the Rhine at Koblenz, adds Cochem and Bernkastel on some itineraries.
Route details are on Rhine Riverboat Cruises and Germany River Cruising; for wine-led sailings, Wine River Cruises.
Making the Most of Rhine Days
- Be on the sun deck for the Rhine Gorge — it is usually a half-day of scenic cruising with commentary.
- In Cologne, climb the cathedral tower if your legs allow; the view over the river is worth it.
- In Strasbourg, take a boat on the Ill canals or simply wander Petite France.
- Use free time in Rüdesheim or Boppard for a glass of local Riesling.
- Ask whether Heidelberg is an included tour or an optional one on your line.
Each line packages these differently; Scenic Freechoice, Uniworld and Avalon Choice often offer two or three versions of the same day.
Rhine Excursion Questions
What are the best Rhine river cruise excursions?
Our short list: the Kinderdijk windmills, Cologne Cathedral, a castle in the Rhine Gorge, Heidelberg, Strasbourg’s Petite France and the Black Forest from Breisach. Which you see depends on your itinerary and line.
Do Rhine cruises go to Heidelberg?
Heidelberg is on the Neckar, not the Rhine, so it is visited by coach from Rhine ports such as Mannheim or Speyer on many itineraries.
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