Day 3
Rhine Gorge & Mainz - Slipping our moorings in Boppard we cruise through the Rhine Gorge, where the waters narrow to one-fifth their normal width and flow more swiftly. Sheer valley walls soar and magnificent birds of prey glide on the thermals above.
Teutonic knights built the numerous redoubtable castles as symbols of their power and to extract tolls from ships, but the fortresses now stand as silent ruins on forested hillsides as reminders of how fortunes change with the passage of history. This really is the magical Rhine of our imagination, so find a comfortable spot on the Sun Deck or in the forward observation lounge and enjoy the experience of cruising this famous stretch of water.
We leave the ship and embark on a guided tour of Mainz’s historic old town, a fascinating journey through its charming cobblestone streets. Our guide will share intriguing stories and insights about the town's rich history and architectural highlights along the way. The tour will end at the exquisite St. Stephan’s Church, renowned for its captivating Chagall windows, which we'll have the opportunity to admire up close.
After exploring the church, we'll have some free time to wander the vibrant market square, where local vendors showcase a variety of goods.  You can also visit the magnificent St. Martin’s Cathedral, an architectural gem that is a prominent feature in Mainz's cityscape and is over a thousand years old.
Personalise your holiday -
Guided tour of the Gutenberg Museum
Duration: 1.5hrs
Price: £10pp (2025) & £11pp (2026)
With your guide, walk to the Gutenberg museum, dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg, a native of Mainz, who invented printing with movable metal type over 500 years ago! It houses a reconstruction of his workshop and, outstandingly, two original 1455 Gutenberg Bibles.
Founded in 1900 by Mainz citizens, the museum highlights the history of letterpress printing through technical tools, typesetting machines, and printing presses. As a "World Museum for the Art of Printing," it features sections on the origins of printing in East Asia, scripts from the Islamic world, and the development of manuscripts. Other displays cover the history of printing presses, bookbinding, fine press techniques, and the production of paper and colours.
Optional excursion can be done instead of the walking tour of Mainz.
Please contact us at least two weeks before you’re set to depart to add the above experience to your booking before departure. Minimum numbers apply, and capacity is limited.Â
Day 4
Heidelberg - Overnight we cruise further downstream, and, after breakfast, we take a short drive to Heidelberg, undoubtedly one of Germany’s most perfect architectural treasures and all the more remarkable because it escaped bombing during the Second World War.
Set in an almost idealised German landscape, this jewel sits on the banks of the River Neckar, surrounded by forests and with an imposing castle dominating the church spires and terracotta gabled roofs of the compact Aldstadt – the romantic Old Town. Its 14th-century university, one of the most prestigious in Europe, lends Heidelberg a genteel atmosphere rather similar to its ‘twin’ town – Cambridge. During the 19th century it was the centre of Germany’s Romantic Movement, on the route of the ‘Grand Tour’ and visited by many artists including JMW Turner, who captured its splendours for eternity.
There are few more delightful places to explore, as you’ll discover on our guided walking tour, which reveals its principal attractions – including the magical stone bridge with its twin white towers, its imposing castle that stands guard over its romantic old town – and local secrets. Afterwards, you’ll have time to explore on your own before returning to the ship for lunch.
The afternoon is free for you to relax on board or explore Mannheim.
Alternatively, you can choose to extend your stay to explore more of Heidelberg. Enjoy the local cuisine for lunch at your leisure and then return to Mannheim in the mid-afternoon for some free time. 
Day 5
Strasbourg & Colmar - By breakfast we’ve arrived in France and the charming city of Strasbourg, capital of the Alsace region. The city is a complete delight – its centre a mosaic of winding alleys and lanes lined with quirkily crooked, half-timbered houses largely unchanged since the 14th century. During its history Strasbourg has been both German and French, and you see influences of both in its language, cuisine and appearance, creating a truly individual ambience.
This morning, you have a couple of exciting choices.
Explore this delightful city on a walking tour with a local guide leading us to its enchanting centre – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – taking in the Petite France quarter of pretty canals lined with classic pastel-coloured houses crisscrossed with timbers and with flower-filled window boxes, the famous multi-towered Ponts Couverts, or covered bridges, and, of course, the stunning Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral, which Victor Hugo memorably described as a ‘veritable tiara of stone’.
We return to the ship for lunch and this afternoon you are free to explore Strasbourg further.
Alternatively, join our full day excursion, starting with a drive along the legendary Alsace wine route to Colmar, passing through a string of picturesque villages, wine-producing towns and exceptional landscapes. We enjoy all this on a splendidly scenic drive, soon arriving in the medieval town of Colmar, the best-preserved in Alsace.Â
Little known outside the area, it’s a magical concoction of canals, former merchants’ houses, ancient religious buildings and antique shops.
The cathedral quarter is surrounded by pastel-coloured half-timbered houses displaying the intricate wrought-iron hanging signs so typical of this area of Europe. We’ve plenty of time here to sit, enjoy a coffee and a lunch at leisure, watch the world go by or just wander.
We return to Strasbourg for a guided tour of the Petit France quarter, after which you are free to explore at leisure.
We return to the ship for dinner, and afterwards unwind to a medley of live music and songs performed on board by a professional duo.
Personalise your holiday -
Land train tour of Strasbourg
Price: from €8pp
Duration: 30-40 mins
Hop on the Little Train and discover the charming narrow streets of Strasbourg's old town, the romantic 'Petite France', the many quays and covered bridges and the famous Cathedral Square.
Optional excursions can be done after or instead of the guided walking tour.
This excursion can be arranged with your Cruise Concierge on board and is payable locally. Â
Personalise your holiday -
Take a cruise tour of Strasbourg
Price: from €15.70pp
Duration: 1hr 10mins
Discover Strasbourg from a unique perspective - the water! As it flows through the centre of the city, you'll explore three of Strasbourg's 15 districts. Along the way, you'll spot the UNESCO-protect Grande ÃŽle, the imperial district of Neustadt, the European Parliament and more.
Optional excursions can be done after or instead of the guided walking tour.
This excursion can be arranged with your Cruise Concierge on board and is payable locally. Â
Day 6
Rüdesheim - As we started our journey back downstream, after a leisurely breakfast head up to the sun deck and take in the views from the comfort of a sun lounger or retire to the lounge to chat over a coffee with newly made friends. Watch the idyllic scenery slipping past through the panoramic windows: rolling hills and fertile vineyards, home to the Liebfraumilch wines of the region, oxbow lakes, long deserted by the river flow and now havens for bird and wildlife.
After a relaxing morning cruise, we arrive in Rüdesheim after lunch for free time to explore – if you imagine a typical Rhine town, then this would be it. Narrow crooked streets lead down to the sweeping river with a backdrop of wooded and vine-covered slopes. Riesling is the speciality grape here and Rüdesheim has many atmospheric Weinstuben where you can sample local wines produced from the surrounding vineyards.
Alternatively, you can choose from one of our included experiences:
Consider exploring Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, where you delve into the fascinating realm of automatic musical devices. You'll encounter an incredible assortment of instruments that operate like machines, from intricate, delicate music boxes to a grand orchestrion.
If you’d rather embrace nature, you could take a scenic ride in a two-person cable car above the renowned vineyards of Rüdesheim, soaking in the exquisite views of the Rhine River and the idyllic countryside. Once you reach the summit, the scenery becomes even more spectacular, and you can enjoy a leisurely walk around the Niederwald monument, which commemorates the unification of Germany by the Prussians in the 1870s, providing a tranquil spot to gaze upon the town below.
On board tonight, we enjoy a culinary spectacular – the ‘Chef’s Dinner’, when the chef prepares his superb ‘signature’ dishes for you to enjoy in the splendid surroundings of the ship’s restaurant - a truly memorable experience.
Day 7
Cologne - This morning, early risers can enjoy phenomenal views as once again we pass through the Rhine Gorge where, in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, the Rhine Maidens guard lost treasure, the ‘Rheingold’. What better way to spend the morning than relaxing on the Sun Deck beneath dramatic rocky, vineyard-topped valley sides dotted with romantic ruined castles. The valley sides dissolve and hills give way to plains as we progress majestically to Cologne.
This afternoon you will have a choice of guided tours.
You may opt for a guided tour of Cologne’s historic old town, where a knowledgeable local guide will share captivating tales from the city’s past. Wander through the lively old town, characterised by its winding cobblestone lanes, beautifully restored architecture, fantastic shopping venues, and charming pubs, some of which still craft their own beer. The Great St. Martin Church has towered over the old town since medieval times, while the ancient City Hall proudly holds the title of Germany’s oldest town hall.
Alternatively, consider a specialised tour of the cathedral led by an expert. This majestic Gothic church, the largest in Northern Europe, remarkably withstood the bombings of the Second World War and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After six centuries of construction, this iconic structure boasts numerous treasures, including fetching stained-glass windows and a golden sarcophagus believed to hold the remains of the three kings from the Nativity story. Please be aware that space for this tour is limited, and it will not be held on religious holidays.
As night falls, a sumptuous dinner provides the perfect finale to this memorable cruise through the romantic River Rhine.