Cultural and Wine Town River Cruise of Rhine, Main and Moselle
Take a two-week great value river cruise along the best sections of the Rhine, Main and Moselle while exploring the architecture, culture and wine of some of Europe’s most interesting and picturesque towns and cities. Your holiday begins in Arnhem where you will embark your ship before cruising into Germany to visit the former capital, Bonn – birthplace of Beethoven. You will sail into the Moselle where you can look forward to exploring the pretty wine town of Cochem and seeing the Renaissance architecture of Bernkastel and historic Trier, Germany’s oldest city, which you will see on an included tour.
Indulge in an included wine tasting in Traben-Trarbach and perhaps join an optional excursion to the imposing Ehrenbreitstein Fortress while moored in Koblenz. Another included tour reveals the highlights of Frankfurt before you have time to wander independently in Aschaffenburg and Mainz. Strasbourg is the capital of France’s Alsace region and an included tour and canal cruise reveal its charms before you cruise up the Rhine into Germany to explore pretty Rüdesheim, Boppard and Andernach en route to Amsterdam where you can soak up the food, drink and culture during an overnight mooring – the perfect way to round off your fortnight of discovery…
Your Tour Includes
TRAVEL
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
Included travel insurance
Return coach travel via Eurotunnel or ferry
ACCOMMODATION
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
All gratuities on board
EXPERIENCES
Cruise Host
Entertainment and activities on board
Tour of Trier
Wine tasting in Traben-Trarbach
Frankfurt city tour
Strasbourg tour and canal cruise
Amsterdam city tour and canal cruise
FOOD & DRINK
41 meals: 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
Day 1 UK - Arnhem
Travel to Arnhem (a journey from Calais of approximately five hours, plus comfort stops), arriving late this afternoon to embark Spirit of the Rhine.
Enjoy dinner on board. Your ship will cruise overnight towards Bonn.
Day 2 Bonn
Arrive in Bonn after lunch and discover the highlights of the city on an optional walking tour with a local guide.
After dinner you will sail overnight towards Cochem.
Day 3 Cochem
Arrive in romantic Cochem on the Moselle after breakfast.
You might like to explore the town independently this morning, while an optional afternoon excursion visits the castle, followed by a wine tasting at a vineyard.
Depart this evening for Bernkastel.
Day 4 Bernkastel
Sail to Bernkastel-Kues where Renaissance houses line the market square. Perhaps embark on an optional panorama train and guided walk of Bernkastel.
Moor here overnight.
Day 5 Bernkastel - Schweich (for Trier)
Set sail before breakfast and spend the afternoon on an included excursion to Germany’s oldest city, Trier, founded in 16BC by Emperor Augustus. See the Roman city gateway, Porta Nigra, and the cathedral.
Moor in Schweich until the early hours.
Day 6 Schweich - Traben-Trabach
Set off in the early hours and cruise through the morning to Traben-Trabach, a picturesque town flanked by hills and vineyards.
Enjoy an included wine-tasting on board before your cruise resumes over dinner as you sail overnight to Koblenz.
Day 7 Koblenz
Meaning 'merging of the rivers', Koblenz' rich history is reflected in a wealth of monuments and historic buildings. Arrive here after breakfast. An optional walking tour this afternoon encompasses Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
Set sail before dinner and cruise overnight towards Frankfurt.
Day 8 Frankfurt
Today you have the whole day to discover this lively, cultural centre, the most international city in Germany thanks to its origins as a trading centre. Despite the dramatic skyline it's a small city – you can walk from one side to the other in 20 minutes! There are plenty of places of interest, from the cathedral to the restored timber-framed buildings of the city centre – Römerburg – as you'll discover on an included tour. You'll also visit the Goethe House and Museum, on the site of the birthplace of the greatest German literary figure of the modern era.
Set sail at dinner time and cruise through the night.
Day 9 Aschaffenburg
Arrive in the early hours and spend the morning in the city known as 'Bavarian Nice' thanks to its sunny climate and lively cultural scene. Perhaps join an optional walking tour of the city.
Set sail at lunch and cruise on through the afternoon and evening before mooring in Mainz, in the early hours.
Day 10 Mainz
Spend the morning in Mainz where you can join an optional walking tour of city or visit Heidelburg and its Renaissance castle on another optional excursion. Mainz, the capital of Rheinland-Pfalz, has a large Romanesque red sandstone cathedral, which retains its cloisters. Behind the cathedral in Gutenbergplatz square is a statue of Johannes Gutenberg, the father of modern printing.
Depart after lunch and spend the afternoon and evening cruising towards Strasbourg.
Day 11 Strasbourg
Arrive in Strasbourg late morning and this afternoon explore the beautiful capital of Alsace whose cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and Gothic cathedral can be seen on an included tour and canal cruise.
Depart this evening and cruise back into Germany overnight.
Day 12 Rüdesheim - Boppard
Arrive in the charming wine town of Rüdesheim for a morning exploring. Perhaps join a fascinating optional excursion to Siegfried’s Museum of Mechanical Music.
Set sail to Boppard, a classic Rhineland wine town, where the waterfront is overlooked by wooded gorges and vineyards, arriving mid-afternoon. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has extensive Roman remains, medieval fortifications and half-timbered buildings.
You remain moored here overnight.
Day 13 Boppard - Andernach
Leave Boppard early morning and cruise through breakfast to spend the rest of the morning in Andernach, home to the world's tallest cold water geyser. See more of the city on an optional walking tour.
During lunch you set off and spend the rest of the day and night cruising towards Amsterdam.
Day 14 Amsterdam
Arrive in Amsterdam late morning, and after lunch you can join an included tour of Amsterdam by coach and canal and see the Royal Palace on Dam Square, the floating flower market, the Central Railway Station, which is built on thousands of wooden piles, and the 19th-century Rijksmuseum.
Afterwards, cruise the canals to the city centre with its historic bridges and gabled houses and view the famous Skinny Bridge, the Montelbaanstoren tower and the Jewish Quarter.
Moor here overnight.
Day 15 Amsterdam - UK
Disembark Spirit of the Rhine after breakfast for your return journey to the UK.
