The Romantic Rhine: Amsterdam to Basel - Southbound 2025

8 days
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
Additional images not provided by operator
Video not provided by operator
4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews  
87%
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
none

USTOA

River Cruise
Discover the heritage and beauty of The Rhine aboard one of our intimate riverboats. Visit the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, exploring regional delights in the historic cities, towns and countryside linked by the Rhine. Set your own pace with choices along the way: castle visits, bicycling, mountain heights, a spa resort and more.
From$5,890
See departure dates

Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Along the river Rhine… where mountains rise abruptly from the water's edge
    • ancient castles perch aloft
    • keeping watch over comings and goings
    • gentle valleys and ancient winelands lure
    • spas give respite
    • cathedrals speak to powerful times
    • plains and woods catch the eye
    • and a river travels
    • connecting centuries of history
    • cities of the arts and crossroads of thought.Discover the heritage and beauty of the River Rhine on our 7-night Basel – Amsterdam river cruise aboard ms Grace or ms Inspire. Visit the Netherlands

What's this trip about?

    Discover the heritage and beauty of The Rhine aboard one of our intimate riverboats. Visit the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, exploring regional delights in the historic cities, towns and countryside linked by the Rhine. Set your own pace with choices along the way: castle visits, bicycling, mountain heights, a spa resort and more.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start City Amsterdam, Netherlands
End CityBasel

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • France
  • Netherlands

Attractions

  • Amsterdam
  • Heidelberg
  • Koblenz
  • Lucerne
  • Strasbourg

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Dinner and entertainment at Schloss Ehreshoven, a German castle dating back to the 15th century All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions and distinctive inclusions – $2,073 Value ValueChoices of bicycle excursions in Strasbourg & Koblenz Scenic sailing through the historic castles & winelands of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Arrive Amsterdam and embark your riverboat

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Amsterdam.
 A transfer is included from Schiphol International Airport or Amsterdam Centraal Station to your riverboat; check-in time aboard ship is 4:00 PM for all guests. After a discovery briefing where you'll hear about your river travels ahead, please join us for a welcome rec...
Day 2 Canals, museums and more in Amsterdam

Your journey begins with an orientation tour of the city, which at its heart feels more like a village than the compact center of a cosmopolitan city. Landmarks you may see include Centraal Station, built at the end of the 19th cent...

Day 3 A day in Köln & exclusive evening

Overnight your riverboat crosses into Germany; after a full morning of cruising and brunch onboard, you'll arrive in Köln (Cologne), a city made a capital of a Roman province in 50 AD. Sightseeing begins with a guided tour of the im...

Day 4 Koblenz or bicycling on the Rhine

Your riverboat arrives this morning in Koblenz. The city's roots go back to the Middle Ages, when its location made it a powerful one as the controller of trade along these major waterways. You may choose a morning of a scavenger hu...

Day 5 Explore Speyer or Heidelberg and its famous castle

Following a morning's cruise, arrive in Mannheim. Nicknamed the "city of inventions", Mannheim is known for its inventions, many of which are used in our day to day lives including the automobile, the tractor and the bicycle. Your a...

Day 6 Sightseeing in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden

You'll wake this morning cruising along on the Rhine, watching as the hills of southern Alsace, many checkered with vineyards, pass you by. Once docked, the day begins in the Alsatian cultural capital of Strasbourg, France with a ch...

Day 7 Mt. Pilatus or wine tasting along the Alsatian wine route

A choice of excursions await you today upon your arrival in Switzerland, commonly referred to as "the Playground of Europe." On one, you'll head out for the heights of Mt. Pilatus aboard a gondola, climbing from Kriens to the very t...

Day 8 Journey home

Tour ends: Basel.
Fly home anytime. Upon disembarking the riverboat (no later than 9:00 AM), transfers are included to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or Basel's SBB train station; guests can also transfer to Zürich Airport or Zurich Hauptbahnhof (train station). Please allow 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Basel, Switzerland

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip

Dates & Availability

Price From $5,890
Price per day$736
Last Updated: 11/13/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Standard
Single Standard
Double Luxury
Availability
23 Apr 2025
01 May 2025
$6,690
$6,690
$9,140
14 May 2025
22 May 2025
$7,190
$7,190
$9,640
21 May 2025
29 May 2025
$7,190
$7,190
$9,640
06 Aug 2025
14 Aug 2025
$5,890
$5,890
$8,340
13 Aug 2025
21 Aug 2025
$5,890
$5,890
$8,340
03 Sep 2025
11 Sep 2025
$7,190
$7,190
$9,640
15 Oct 2025
23 Oct 2025
$6,690
$6,690
$9,140
29 Oct 2025
06 Nov 2025
$6,390
$6,390
$8,840

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Tauck Reviews & Ratings

4.4/5  Great
Excellent
16
Great
4
Average
0
Disappointing
3
Terrible
0
Write a Review

Other Tauck Reviews

K

Kurlyk40

May 2024

Written on

Great Scenery but Accommodations Lacking for cost

My husband and I booked the Yellowstone tour with Tauck expecting so much more with the accommodations, food, and tour director based on the price point. We were sa...

S

Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

Write a Review

Tour Operator

Tauck

none
View Profile

It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

youtube_video_1


twitter_1

What they’re known for
Fun group tours and cruises that are culturally-focused and great for families and seniors on vacation.

Associations

About Travelstride

Find your perfect trip

An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. Thousands of itineraries from over 1,000 trusted travel companies.

Save time

Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. Don't sweat the logistics — travel providers plan for you.

Save money

Book directly with the operator. See inclusive packages for the best values, and get access to amazing deals.

Travel confidently

Read unbiased user reviews, pick the operator that suits your needs, and connect with them directly.

Logistics

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
MS INSPIRE, MS GRACE
MS INSPIRE Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Inspire cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Rhine and Moselle rivers as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open MS GRACE Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Grace cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Rhine River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open.
MS INSPIRE MS GRACE
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
ALL_AGES
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-RIY2025

Become a member

(it's free)
  • Save up to $700 per person
  • Access members-only specials
  • Personalize trip recommendations
Sign up and save
Top Tour Companies on Travelstride:
All 1,600+ companies >