AMSTERDAM, COLOGNE, STRASBOURG, AND MAINZ
On this beautiful cruise along the Rhine River, you’ll enjoy the European charm of the Netherlands, Germany, and France as we dock at historical and quaint cities throughout these countries. On a walking tour of Amsterdam, discover the city’s rich culture, distinctive architecture, and scenic canals. Experience all the gems of Germany as you sail and explore Cologne, Koblenz, Mainz, and Mannheim. In Strasbourg, France you’ll see some of the city’s most impressive buildings and architecture, and then take a walking tour to admire the half-timbered houses. Plus, throughout this cruise, you’ll simply love each day’s incredible views from the water.
Did you know you can make this tour private? Find out about pricing and options
for groups of 15 or more travelers.
Itinerary at
a Glance
Tour Itinerary:
- 1 night at an Amsterdam hotel
- 7-night cruise from Amsterdam to Mainz
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Arnhem (Netherlands)
- Cologne (Germany)
- Koblenz/Ruedesheim (Germany)
- Mannheim (Germany)
- Strasbourg (France)
- Mainz (Germany)
Tour Highlights
- Wonders & Windmills tour with gouda tasting
- Cruise through Amsterdam’s fabled canals
- Walking Tour of Amsterdam
- Tour through Dutch history at the Open Air Museum
- Cologne city tour including the Dom Cathedral
- Walking Tour of Old Town Koblenz
- Heidelberg Castle Tour (Mannheim)
- Strasbourg boat cruise & walking tour
Your Tour Includes
- Optional round-trip airfare from the New York area (varies by departure) including taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
- 1 night accommodation at a superior first-class hotel in Amsterdam
- 7-night cruise aboard the MS Crucevita
- Ground transportation in air-conditioned motor coach
- 21 meals: 8 buffet breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners
- Wine, beer, or soda with dinner
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours including admission fees as indicated in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking Cruise Manager and Local English-Speaking Guides throughout
Max Group Size: 30 travelers
Activity Level: Level 1
Expect most included touring to require walking and standing periods up to 3 hours at a time (up to 2 times per day) on easy terrain with some light stairs. Learn More
Pacing Level: Leisurely
Expect half-day tours most days with a free day in most cities to explore independently. There are few to no early mornings and/or long travel days by bus (don’t worry—there are always comfort stops!), and you may expect to stay in most accommodations for 4+ nights. Learn More
New in 2024: ETIAS Visa Waiver Required for U.S. Passport Holders
A valid passport is required for international tours. Effective for travel in 2024, U.S. passport holders are required to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver. Please visit our Passports & Visas page to learn more about any required actions, next steps, and additional costs.
Encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps, and significant slopes on the shore excursions.
For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit
our Before You Depart section.
Click the Day by Day itinerary above (or swipe on mobile devices) to see the experiences that await on each day of your tour.
Welcome to the Netherlands! After checking into our hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore and dine independently.
Accommodations: Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre or similar
After breakfast, we'll depart on our morning excursion to see the wonders of the windmills! Our first stop will be at the village of Zaanse Schans, the famous open-air museum featuring six windmills and more than thirty houses which were built in the 16th and 17th centuries and invite us to discover the countryside life of medieval Holland! We'll continue on to Edam, the home of the famous Edam and Gouda cheeses. Here, we'll visit a cheese factory that shows us how the cheese is made along with a free tasting! Then it's on to the beautiful village of Volendam, renowned for its colorful timber houses and old fishing boats lining the harbor. Our final stop will be in Marken where we'll visit a clog-making factory that produces the famous hand-made wooden Dutch clogs. Then it's back to Amsterdam where we'll board our floating hotel! Tonight, we'll enjoy a welcome cocktail and a crew introduction will precede dinner.
Accommodations: MS Crucevita
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
With its characteristic canals surrounded by narrow, low, and crooked 17th-century houses, Amsterdam is without a doubt, one of the most charming capital cities in Europe. With a rich cultural life and a wide range of entertainment, Amsterdam is a full-scale city, which has managed to retain its small-town feel. Our morning begins with a canal cruise through Amsterdam’s fabled canals followed by a city walking tour to introduce us to all the major highlights: we'll see the exterior of Anne Frank's House, the marketplace, and the many canals that crisscross the city. Return to the ship for lunch. The balance of the day is at leisure to explore the city further.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
North of the port lies one of the biggest attractions of the Netherlands, the Open Air Museum of Arnhem. Here, completely reconstructed historical monuments are manned by volunteers who will immerse us into the life of the past. This included tour will take us back to a setting of merchant's houses, 19th-century farmhouses, and mills of the golden age with samples of life on the farms, fields, factories, wine taverns, and shops. The people, dressed in authentic costumes and settings, will regale us with stories about their "way of life" and maybe serve you a cup of coffee or a pint of beer in 'the good old way'. A lively and humorous presentation of old Dutch customs and habits. Sail on to Cologne.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to Germany! Enjoy the passing vistas while at sail. Our walking tour of this fabulous city will include the Haymarket, Festival Halls, Town Hall, Jewish Baths, Old Market, and Cologne's the Dom, the remarkable Gothic cathedral whose construction began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880! We'll return to the ship for lunch and the balance of the day is at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we'll enjoy a delightful walking tour of the Old Town including St. Castor’s Basilica, the Monument of Emperor Wilhelm I, and the town’s landmark, the “Schängel” Fountain. The balance of the day is at leisure. After dinner on the ship, consider exploring Ruedesheim, an ancient town of timber houses and cobblestone streets dating back to the 1500s!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Located at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, Mannheim is an industrial city and home to Mercedes Benz and many other major corporations. Today, we'll enjoy an excursion to Heidelberg. One of the oldest and most famous university towns in Germany, Heidelberg is one of the country's most endearing small cities, famous for its historical baroque center, spirited student atmosphere, beautiful riverside setting, and ancient bridge crossing the Neckar River. The impressive hilltop castle is also home to the largest wine barrel in the world, holding over 220,000 liters of wine!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to France! Our tour begins with a one-hour boat cruise along the canals, offering unique views of the half-timbered houses and impressive European institutions. Afterward, our walking tour features sights such as the Place de la Republique, Orangerie, EU Parliament, and Cathédrale de Nôtre Dame. After our tour, we'll delight in the delicious flavors of authentic French cuisine and local wine during our lunch at a popular local restaurant. This evening, we'll enjoy the Captain's Farewell Dinner!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Our tour comes to an end after we enjoy breakfast and disembark today. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive package will transfer to the airport for our return flight and touchdown in the U.S. later today.
Meals: Breakfast
We are working diligently to secure future tour dates and pricing for
this itinerary. Please fill out the "Request a Future Date" form
linked below, and we will notify you once dates are available.
Featured Accommodations
Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre offers lovely views, complimentary WiFi internet, and a health club featuring a gym with cardio fitness equipment. Consider enjoying a meal at the hotel's Silk Road restaurant or explore the nearby historical centre. Rooms feature a laptop safe, mini fridge, and a hairdryer in the bathroom.
Website
This elegant, luxurious, boutique-style vessel was designed in an old-world grand yacht style with a maximum capacity of 110 passengers. All cabins are approximately 150 sq feet with modern amenities including beds that can be stowed away during the day to create extra space to relax, air-conditioning/heating which can be regulated individually, a mini safety deposit box, a telephone, and a hair dryer. Cabins on the main deck have panorama windows while cabins on the upper Promenade deck will have new french balconies. The superb public areas include a panorama restaurant, cozy bar and lounge, a fireplace, a gym, sauna, library, and sun deck! The decks are interconnected by a regular elevator suitable to carry up to 4 persons. The currency on board the ship is the Euro.
View Cabin Options & Deck Plans
Sandra
We had a really lovely trip. The Rhine is beautiful with a very interesting history. Great local guides, and super Smartour guides! We always love meeting new people on ship! Food and staff, great!
Lucia A
The Cruise was very well organized, personnel were polite and efficient. Cruise Director and Cruise Manager were outstanding. This is our second time having Galia as Cruises manager and as always she was very professional, effective and caring. The ship was excellent as well, well maintained and well managed. All its personnel were well trained and did their job very effectively. The food was excellent with enough variety to satisfy all tastes.The local tour guides were good, some better than others, but all did their job and conveyed the information as needed. We were "land only" clients, Galia and the ship personnel were extremely attentive and helpful upon our disembarkment, they called us a taxi and made sure the driver understood our final destination. Definitely worth our money and better than most other tours we have taken. Our congratulations to SmarTours for, once again, providing a most rewarding experience
Christina
Very good value for the money. Sicilian chef had a varied menu for each meal. We are vegetarians and had something different for each meal which is a rarity! Unlimited beer and wine at lunch and dinner were definitely enjoyable! The ports of call were beautiful although most of the local tour guides were on a mission to tell you what they knew and didn’t want to address our questions. However, Otto in Koblenz was amazing! The tour guide in Rotterdam was actually rude and combative when a fellow traveler informed him that we couldn’t hear him when he turned his head. The guide reprimanded him and told him he should have informed him sooner! We left the group after that. The keyboard player in the evening was good but he needs to expand his repitoire of music because by the third night he was repeating the same songs. The crew was attentive and helpful. The ship very clean and the room size was rather spacious for a river boat. This being a Russian vessel, the only TV channel, RTV was totally right wing.
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