The Rhine: castles, Cologne and the Black Forest between Amsterdam and Basel.
The Rhine is Europe’s easiest first river cruise: Amsterdam at one end, Basel and the Swiss Alps at the other, and in between Cologne’s cathedral, Koblenz, the castle-lined Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg and Strasbourg. Every Rhine sailing from AmaWaterways, Avalon, Viking, Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald, Riverside, CroisiEurope, Amadeus and Tauck is here, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. Call 1-800-444-1560 and a river cruise expert prices the lines against each other for your week.
Three ways to sail the Rhine
Pick a departure city and the list below filters to it.
Amsterdam to Basel
- 7 nights: Cologne, Koblenz, the Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg or Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach for the Black Forest
- Every line runs it, in both directions, so the widest choice of dates and prices
- Add Lucerne or Zurich after, or Amsterdam before
Best for: first river cruise, families with teens, castles and wine
Basel to Amsterdam
- Fly into Zurich or Basel, sail north and end with Amsterdam’s canals and museums
- Spring sailings add Keukenhof and the tulip fields
- Pairs with a Paris stay by train from Amsterdam
Best for: anyone combining Switzerland and Holland
Castles and vineyards of the Moselle
- Cochem, Bernkastel and Trier on the Moselle plus the Rhine Gorge
- Luxembourg or Frankfurt starts on AmaWaterways, Avalon and Viking
- Smaller towns, steeper vineyards, Riesling at every stop
Best for: repeat river cruisers, wine lovers
Rhine river cruise deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Rhine sailing from every river line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra; below them, every departure with full sorting by line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Rhine sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Pick your embarkation city
Each button filters the list above to one departure city.
Which line for the Rhine?
Every line is on the list above. Our one-line take on each, with a link to its deals page.
When to go
The Rhine sails from late March to December. These windows have the most space and the best weather for what they offer.
Rhine river cruise questions we answer every day
Which is better for a first river cruise, the Rhine or the Danube?
The Rhine. It has a sailing most days of the season, the most castles per mile, big cities at both ends for easy flights, and the shortest transfers. The Danube wins on grand capitals; many people do the Rhine first and the Danube next year.
How long is a Rhine river cruise?
The classic Amsterdam to Basel itinerary is 7 nights. Rhine and Moselle itineraries run 7 to 10 nights, Christmas market sailings 5 to 7 nights, and grand voyages combine the Rhine with the Main and Danube for 14 nights to Budapest.
Which direction should I sail?
Northbound ends in Amsterdam, which is the easier city to add nights to. Southbound ends near Zurich and Lucerne. Flights into Amsterdam are usually cheaper than Zurich, so check both; we price the whole trip either way.
Are flights included?
Some lines sell the cruise with air included or at a fixed add-on and we price it both ways. Close to sailing the line’s air deal is often cheaper than booking your own flights, so ask before you buy tickets.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities where not included and optional excursions are extra.
Do you have Danube and Christmas market cruises too?
Yes: Danube river cruises, Christmas market river cruises and every other river on our river cruises page.
Talk to a Rhine river cruise specialist
Tell us your week and your budget, and we price every Rhine line side by side, with taxes and port fees included and the flights and hotel nights worked out. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.