Rhine River Cruises: The 15 Best Trips Compared

1.Top Sights Rhine River Cruise – Skyline Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,030 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28Our pick

A 90-minute Rhine cruise in Cologne with recorded English and German commentary, Cathedral views, crane houses, and five bridges.

“Very relaxed cruise. Don't expect a tour guide as its just a comfortable cruise.”

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2.City Sightseeing Cruise on the Rhine

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 2,954 reviews · 1 hour · from $23

A 1-hour Rhine cruise from Düsseldorf with English and German audio, Old Town views, and drinks onboard for about $23.

“It was great experience, ferry look very good inside, a lot of place on top floor . Drinks and snacks available.”

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3.Rhine Valley Castles and Palaces Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,824 reviews · 2 hours · from $21

Cruise Koblenz on the Rhine through UNESCO castle country, spotting Lahneck and Stolzenfels, with an optional Marksburg stop in 2 hours.

“Such a relaxing way to enjoy the wonderful history from a new perspective.”

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4.Rhine Valley Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,317 reviews · 8 hours · from $175

UNESCO Rhine Valley day trip from Frankfurt with a real river steamer cruise, castles and vineyards views, plus included lunch and wine history.

“It was a little expensive but the river cruise portion was great. The restaurant selection and wine tasting were very crowded, just with our group. Food was just Ok. Michael, our guide, was truly awesome. He was worth the price almost by himself!”

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5.Rhine Valley Trip from Frankfurt including Rhine River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,179 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $167

Cruise the UNESCO Rhine Valley from Frankfurt, with castle views, Rüdesheim, a wine lesson and lunch or dinner options for an easy day out.

“Scenic cruise along the Rhine with many castles and quaint villages. Eclectic and fun little restaurant with good food and tasty regional wines we had to bring home. Beautiful local Christmas Market to get in some last minute shopping. And our guide Michael was fun and informative.”

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6.Rhine Valley boat tour along the castles and palaces

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,084 reviews · 2 hours · from $22

Relax on the La Paloma for a 2-hour Rhine cruise from Koblenz past castles like Marksburg and Stolzenfels, with bilingual commentary.

“It’s a refreshing ride along the Rhine in a hot summer day. Staff are friendly. One thing they can improve on are the speakers on the boat, there should be more speakers outside cause you barely hear the guide’s voice especially when there are other tourists that are talking to each other.”

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7.Cologne City Tour Experience cathedral city on the Rhine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 852 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35.07Top rated

Join a 2-hour small-group walking tour of Cologne, from Cologne Cathedral to Roman sites and the Rhine, led by an English guide.

“Sascha was great! He was very knowledgeable and had so much great information about Cologne. We had a great Day trip”

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8.2-Hour Evening Cruise on the Rhine River

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 797 reviews · 2 hours · from $34

A 2-hour Cologne Rhine cruise at dusk, with DJ-style lounge music and big cathedral views, plus comfortable seating and a bar on board.

“It was a lovely evening and cruise goes up and down seeing main City sites. Fully stocked bar and DJ plays music. Only improvement would be to have odd commentary about key landmarks as sail by.”

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9.1-hour Rhine Cruise in Cologne

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 677 reviews · 1 hour · from $22

Enjoy a 1-hour Rhine cruise in Cologne with cathedral views, harbor scenery, and recorded English and German commentary.

“Nice little trip over the river. Not too busy so we could choose a nice table on the deck, enjoying ourselves having some drinks while navigating in the sunshine. We did the 5.15pm boat trip and there was only music on, no tour guided”

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10.Rhine River Winter Cruise with Festive Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 676 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28

Cologne winter Rhine cruise with live festive music, warm indoor comfort, and big-window views of Cologne Cathedral plus Glühwein.

“Very pleasant gentle ride on the Rhine with a singer and table service for drinks. Lovely way to spend a morning away from the hustle and bustle of the markets.”

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11.Rhine River to Linz Sightseeing Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 358 reviews · 4 hours · from $30

Bonn to Linz Rhine sightseeing boat, 4 hours. Major river sights, panoramic views, plus food and cool drinks on board for $30.

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12.Old Town Sightseeing Cruise along the Rhine

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 305 reviews · 1h 10m · from $16Best value

A 70-minute Rhine cruise from Koblenz, with onboard commentary and big views of Old Town sights like Deutsches Eck and Ehrenbreitstein.

“personeel was erg vriendelijk, korte vaart heen en weer op de rijn met uitleg over de historie van oude gebouwen is niet erg spannend.”

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13.2-Hour Evening Rhine River Cruise with Live DJ

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 248 reviews · 2 hours · from $34

A 2-hour Düsseldorf Rhine cruise with a live DJ, panoramic city views at dusk, and a bar onboard. Easy evening plan for $34.

“Vielleicht lag es am Donnerstag, den wir gebucht hatten + am schlechten Wetter, aber es war leider absolut lahm. Keinerlei Stimmung, niemand getanzt in- oder Outdoor alle saßen Spießig unter sich an ihren Tischen und haben gegessen und gesittet getrunken. Null Stimmung. Alles sehr sehr groß daher verläuft es sich auch sehr. Und wenn man indoor sitzt kann man sobald es dunkel ist nicht mehr wirklich rausgucken da sich alles von innen in den Scheiben spiegelt, man muss also raus. Aber das ist eben nur bei gutem Wetter möglich. Ich würde es nicht nochmal machen.”

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14.Cologne Rhine River 1-Hour Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 204 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $24.10

Rhine boat cruise in Cologne past the Cathedral and Chocolate Museum. 1-hour English audio ride, plus an optional night upgrade.

“Prompt, well-organized tour on a clean and comfortable boat. Great option if you’re tight on time. Definitely worth the fair price!”

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15.2-Hour Segway Tour along the Rhine

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 175 reviews · 2 hours · from $93

Ride a Segway along the Rhine in Düsseldorf, pass Rhine Tower and parliament views, then sip an included Altbier at Uerige brewery.

“super lustig und vor allem ein sehenswerter Ausflug mit vielen tollen Tips und Informationen! hat uns richtig gut gefallen!”

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