Itinerary Details

Day 1 UK - Andernach
Having travelled to the Rhineland town of Andernach in the Romantic Middle Rhine region of Germany, we settle ourselves aboard the mps Amsterdam. The remainder of the evening will be free for strolling through the delightful streets and along the riverside promenades of this attractive Rhineland walled town.

Day 2 Andernach - Cochem
Casting off before breakfast, we meander a short way along the Rhine before setting a course up the meandering and tranquil Moselle River. Cutting through the steep slate hillsides of vineyards, our course leads us round an idyllic bend in the river to reach the Celtic-Roman town of Cochem, lying in the shadow of the fabulous Reichsburg Castle. From here we offer our optional Moselle wine tasting excursion. Having returned from your excursion, we can all relax in Cochem’s maze of little streets and maybe partake of their local wines and apple strudel.

Day 3 Cochem - Boppard
Another early start sees us retracing our route back down the Moselle to re-join the Rhine at Boppard. This afternoon can be spent on our optional Boppard Highlights excursion that incorporates a tour of Boppard aboard the Rhine Express mini road train, which is followed by a chairlift ride to Vierseenblick to gain memorable “bird’s-eye” views of the Rhine. Once back down to earth in Boppard, the remainder of the day will be free in this charming waterside town, which was once a Free Imperial City.

Day 4 Boppard - Rudesheim
This morning we cruise on up the Rhine through the dramatic and fabled narrow Rhine Gorge to reach the attractive, typical Rhineland town of Rüdesheim. Whilst berthed here, you surely won’t want to miss our optional Highlights excursion that features an awesome ride to the heights of the gorge by cable car. Our evening can be spent at leisure in Rüdesheim, experiencing the delights of the Drosselgasse, the famous inclined street of traditional taverns.

Day 5 Rudesheim - Frankfurt
Another early start sees the mps Amsterdam cruising out of the narrow Rhine Gorge into the Rhine’s broader waters before turning off to head up the River Main as far as Frankfurt. It is from aboard the mps Amsterdam that we should gain our best view of Germany’s foremost financial centre with its unique “Mainhattan” skyline. Our optional afternoon guided tour introduces us to the elegant city of Frankfurt. It is refreshingly rounded off with a glass of local apple wine, Ebbelwei, in one of the traditional Ebbelwei taverns in Frankfurt’s Alt Sachsenhausen district.

Day 6 Frankfurt - Mainz
Another breakfast time departure and this time we head back down the River Main as far as the town of Mainz back on the confluence with the Rhine. After lunch we offer an optional guided tour of charming Mainz as well as a visit to the old Rheinhessen wine town of Ingelheim. This evening we may wish to return to the bars of Mainz to relax in the town’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Day 7 Mainz - Mannheim
Having cast off again whilst we’re still snug in our cabins, our Captain sets the mps Amsterdam’s course back onto the Rhine to journey up as far as the lively, open and cosmopolitan city of Mannheim, our furthest port, on the River Neckar. Following another lunch time arrival, we can either relax in Mannheim, a city that successfully blends its architectural monuments with new buildings, or as a romantic finale to our sojourn into the broader Rhine Plains, join our optional coach excursion to visit delightful Heidelberg, further up the Neckar. This evening will offer the opportunity to relax in Mannheim.

Day 8 Mannheim - Koblenz
Turning our course back from the Neckar to the River Rhine this morning, we negotiate our way back through the Plains, past Mainz and down the narrow Rhine Gorge to stop overnight in the 2000 year-old town of Koblenz, back at the confluence with the Moselle River. Our final optional coach excursion takes us into the picturesque Ahr Valley for a spot of wine tasting.

Day 9 Koblenz - Andernach - UK
The final “leg” of our cruise gets underway before breakfast this morning as our Captain returns us safely to Andernach. Having breakfasted, it will sadly be time to bid farewell to our Captain and his crew and, making a promise to return, we disembark the mps Amsterdam for the final time to commence our return journey home via coach and ferry.