Rhine

The Rhine is one of Europe's most storied rivers, flowing northward from the Swiss Alps through the vineyard-draped gorges of Germany's Rhineland before reaching the North Sea. The UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge between Bingen and Koblenz is the jewel of any river cruise — a dramatic landscape of steep slate cliffs, medieval watchtowers, and fairy-tale castles rising above terraced Riesling vineyards.

A Rhine itinerary typically begins in Basel, Switzerland, and ends in Amsterdam, passing through Strasbourg's half-timbered Petite France district, the wine capital of Colmar, the cathedral cities of Speyer and Worms, and Cologne with its magnificent Gothic cathedral.

Beyond the main river, many itineraries include excursions to the Moselle Valley, the Black Forest, and the Dutch tulip fields of Keukenhof, making the Rhine one of the most diverse and culturally rich river cruise routes in the world.