Rhine River Cruises

Embark on a river cruise along the Rhine - stretching from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea you'll cruise through France, Germany and the Netherlands. Choose from 6,494 river cruises along the Rhine travelling with the world's leading river cruise lines.

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Search 6,494 river cruise departures along the Rhine

Popular Rhine River Cruises

8 Days Amsterdam to Basel

Operator: Avalon River Cruises

From 3,400pp
Save 2,995pp

8 Days Amsterdam to Basel

Operator: Viking River Cruises

From 3,131pp
Save 2,584pp

8 Days Basel to Amsterdam

Operator: Avalon River Cruises

From 3,400pp
Save 2,627pp

8 Days Basel to Amsterdam

Operator: Viking River Cruises

From 6,855pp
Save 180pp

The Rhine River

Map of the Rhine River

Where does the Rhine start & finish?

The Rhine River originates in the Swiss Alps and flows through six countries including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The river ultimately empties into the North Sea at Rotterdam after covering a distance of approximately 1,230 kms (760 miles), making it one of Europe's major rivers.

Castle-Studded Journey

The Rhine boasts the highest concentration of castles in the world along its Middle Rhine section, particularly between Koblenz and Bingen. This stretch is known as the "Romantic Rhine" and offers a fairy-tale backdrop.

The Lorelei Rock

This steep rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, has inspired myths and legends for centuries. According to folklore, a siren named Lorelei bewitches sailors from atop the rock, causing them to crash — adding a dash of intrigue to your journey.

Culinary Cruising

The Rhine valley is not just rich in scenic beauty but also in gastronomy. It's a wine lover's paradise, with regions like Alsace in France and the Rheingau in Germany producing some of the world's finest Rieslings.

Popular starting ports for cruising the Rhine

Amsterdam, Basel, Cologne and Zurich are the most common logistical starting ports for your Rhine river cruise.

Rhine in Flames

If you time it right, you could experience the "Rhine in Flames," an annual event where spectacular firework displays are set off from castles and boats, illuminating the river. It's a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle that adds magic to your river cruise.

Featured River Cruise Operators Featured operators

Avalon
Trafalgar
Viking

Discover

Must-do experiences and highlights along the Rhine
Amsterdam Amsterdam
Cycle the streets and explore the winding canals. Or dive into the arts with a visit to the Van Gogh Museum and explore the Rijksmuseum, with works dating back to the Middle Ages.
Cologne Cologne
Discover medieval treasures and vibrant galleries in Old Town, visit the Dom, Germany's largest cathedral, or just sit back and enjoy a crisp Kölsch beer - only brewed in Cologne - Prost!
Rüdesheim Rüdesheim
Delight in picturesque Rüdesheim with a stroll through Drosselgasse lane, sample wines from the surrounding Rhine Valley vineyards or marvel at the Mechanical Music Museum.
Strasbourg Strasbourg
A cultural fusion of France and Germany, Strasbourg's UNESCO World Heritage Grande Île does not disappoint, showcasing the Strasbourg Cathedral as well as the charming la Petite France.
Freiburg Freiburg
Set in Germany's Black Forest Region, take in the expansive views of this vibrant and eco-friendly town from Schlossberg, or quietly wander down cobblestone streets in Münster market.

Latest reviews

What our clients are saying about their journeys along the Rhine
Romantic Rhine & Moselle Romantic Rhine & Moselle , VIC, Australia, Sep 2026
I was very happy with Hannah and everything that she did for us all the queries that we had she handled them promptly so would recommend her to anyone.
European River Cruise on Rhine and Danube European Gems with Prague , NSW, Australia, Sep 2026
This cruise had a lot of promise but unfortunately the low river levels on the Rhine and Danube ruined the trip. Travelmarvel did their best to give passengers the best possible experience but missing out on Cologne and the Rhine Valley was very disappointing.
It was fine The Rhine & Moselle (Southbound) , OR, United States, Sep 2026
The Rhine water level was too low for us to sail the entire time we were supposed to. The alternative lodgings, for the first two days were pretty bad. Their food was mediocre, BUT when we got on the boat it was wonderful!! Simona was a delight and the food was excellent! We could not sail the last scheduled night but those accommodations were very nice.
River cruise Grand European Tour , WA, Australia, Aug 2026
Thank you so much Global Journeys, we had a wonderful time. Water level was a problem but Viking were beyond helpful and handled the situation very well considering it was beyond their control. Will certainly book with Global Journeys again, all in all very happy travellers.
Captivating Rhine Captivating Rhine , New Zealand, Aug 2026
We had an absolutely wonderful time on AmaWaterways, even with the unfortunate itinerary changes. The way in which this was handled was very professional and extremely well organised. We were never left wondering what was happening or what the plans would be for the next part of our journey. These things happen and I am a firm believer in the most important read more thing being how you handle it and AmaWaterways handled it very very well. Once on board, it didn’t matter that things had changed, as we were kept busy with walking tours, great guides around some beautiful towns and seeing first hand how low the water levels were in places, made us realise the company has done a great job to make sure we still had a great holiday. We look forward to starting to plan our next journey!
Cruising and bussing from Basel to Paris   Paris to the Swiss Alps , SA, Australia, Aug 2026
Although we had some idea that parts of the River Rhine were impassable we ended up only cruising overnight from Basel to Strasbourg. Good hotel to start in Zurich although located a reasonable distance from the interesting parts of town. We were told, only when on board, that we would be mostly on a bus from Strasbourg to Koblenz. Viking did their read more best so that most tours came off. Most of the Mosel cruising was at night time which was a poor arrangement from Viking. Food on the two boats was repeated a couple of times and the staff were much less interested compared to previous Viking cruises. Viking have offered some refunds for future cruises and committed to paying for lunches (although this payment seems to take a long time in arriving). Great hotel in Paris with view of the Eifel Tower. We did not do the Viking tour in Paris and visited the Galeries Layfayette, Sacre Ceour and the Catacombs instead. Viking were excellent in pick up and drop off at both airports.