Best Rhine River Cruises

Between Rüdesheim and Koblenz the Rhine squeezes through a gorge of slate cliffs and vineyards, with a castle on almost every bend. Further north it rolls past the Siebengebirge hills and under the bridges of Cologne. Five boat trips and day tours cover the river, from 90 minutes in front of Cologne Cathedral to a full day out of Frankfurt. Each one is set out below with its price and its hours on the water, plus the small print the listings tuck away.

  • Boat season: spring to autumnMost scheduled boats through the castle gorge run from around Easter into October, while the city cruises in Cologne sail through much of the year
  • Check the river before you goAfter a dry summer the Rhine can drop low enough to shorten or cancel sailings, and the Frankfurt day then swaps its boat for a castle visit

In a hurry? Our top pick is ETS Touristik's Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt: ~$167 a person for a coach, a steamboat ride through the UNESCO-listed gorge, lunch by the river and a wine tasting. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator Compare all 5

Rhine boat trips at a glance

  • The castles sit in one stretchMost of them crowd the 65 km (40 miles) between Rüdesheim and Koblenz. Boats from Bonn and Cologne show hills, towns and bridges instead
  • From 90 minutes to a full dayThe city and Koblenz boats last 90 minutes to four hours. The days from Frankfurt run eight to ten hours, with one to two of them afloat
  • Five places to startFrankfurt, Koblenz, Cologne and Bonn, or your own hotel on the private day. Pick the one closest to where you sleep
  • Breezy on deckThe open top deck catches the wind even on warm days. A light jacket earns its place from spring to autumn

If you only have a minute

Which Rhine River cruise should you book?

If a friend asked us how to see the Rhine from the water, this is what we would tell them over a glass of Riesling.

The Rhine trip we would book for most visitors is ETS Touristik's day from Frankfurt, from ~$167. A coach takes you to the Rhine Valley, a steamboat carries you through the castle stretch for an hour or more, and lunch and a small wine tasting fill the rest. It has over 2,800 reviews across the two booking sites.

Already in Koblenz? Gilles' two-hour castles and palaces boat costs ~$21 and heads upstream past Stolzenfels and Lahneck. For Cologne, the KölnTourist skyline trip at ~$27 has more reviews than anything else here. In Bonn, four hours to Linz and back cost ~$30. A group of friends can share Go with Flo's private day with a winery, from ~$142 a head.

No boat can promise high water and blue sky. See which part of the river has the castles and which months suit a cruise, look at how each trip is spent, then read what the listings play down before you pay.

Our pick

The Rhine day we would book: ETS Touristik, from Frankfurt

Not the longest time on the water. It is the easiest way to see the castle gorge, the vineyards and a wine town in one day without a car or a timetable.

A medieval castle with square towers on a wooded rock above the Rhine, vineyards on the slopes across the water Our pick

From Frankfurt: Rhine Valley Day Trip, ETS Touristik

★★★★★ 4.4 from 1,520+ reviews on GetYourGuide · 4.1 from 1,280+ on Viator · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

ETS Touristik is a Frankfurt tour company that has run this day for years. You meet at Wiesenhüttenplatz, a few minutes' walk from Frankfurt's main station, and a bus or van takes you west. After about an hour you are in the Rheingau, with an English- and German-speaking guide beside you all day.

The center of the day is a steamboat ride on the river, on average an hour to an hour and a half long, in the UNESCO stretch between Rüdesheim and St. Goarshausen. Around it come lunch at a riverside restaurant and a lesson in local wine history with a few small tastings. The whole day lasts about eight hours.

Price
from ~$167 per person
Duration
About 8 hours
On the water
1 to 1.5 hours on a steamboat
Stretch
Rüdesheim to St. Goarshausen
Departure
Wiesenhüttenplatz 38, Frankfurt
Food
Lunch included, drinks extra
Guide
English and German
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
GetYourGuide Viator

Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

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How the day runs, step by step

The order of the stops shifts with the boat timetable and the season. This is the outline the listing gives:

Out of Frankfurt

  • Meet at Wiesenhüttenplatz 38, near the main station
  • Drive about an hour west into the Rheingau wine country
  • Board a steamboat for the stretch between Rüdesheim and St. Goarshausen

In the Rhine Valley

  • Lunch at a richly decorated restaurant by the river
  • A tavern lesson on Rhine wine since Roman times, with a few small glasses
  • In summer, an optional open-air cable car above the vineyards
  • A drive up the hills for the view if time allows, then back to Frankfurt

What the price covers

Transport, the guide, the boat and a sit-down lunch are all in the fare, which is why it costs several times a short boat ticket. Drinks are the main thing you pay for on the day.

Included
  • Bus or van from Frankfurt and back
  • An English- and German-speaking guide
  • The boat ride on the Rhine
  • Lunch at a restaurant and the small wine tastings
Not included
  • Drinks with lunch
  • The summer cable car, paid on the spot
  • A proper wine sampling (the listing says so)
  • A boat on every day of the year

Between us, before you go

The listing is frank about the river. At high or low water, and on winter days when the boats don't run, the boat ride is replaced by a visit to a castle. Read the operator's message the day before, and if a cruise matters most to you, travel between spring and early autumn.

Some Viator reviewers found the boat part too short for their taste. How the river level changes a trip covers the rest.

Why it beats a Frankfurt day on your own

You can reach Rüdesheim by regional train and buy a boat ticket at the pier. Doing that, you juggle two timetables, find lunch and a tasting yourself, and lose time if a connection slips. ETS strings it together and hands you a guide who explains the castles as they pass. The Frankfurt day hour by hour sets both ways side by side.

Who we would not send on it

Anyone who wants long hours on the water, who will be happier on the four-hour boat from Bonn. Travelers already sleeping in Koblenz, who can step onto the castles boat for a fraction of the price. And wheelchair users with a chair that does not fold, which the listing cannot take.

Book it if

You are staying in Frankfurt and want the classic Rhine in one day: castles from the deck, a wine village, lunch by the water and someone else doing the driving. It suits first-time visitors, couples and older travelers who prefer a seat on a coach to changing trains.

Skip it if

Ready for the castle gorge?

The ETS day is on GetYourGuide and on Viator. GetYourGuide shows the higher score and lets you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the forecast and the river first.

GetYourGuide Viator

On board

How a Rhine boat trip works

Every trip on this page answers two questions differently. Are you already sleeping by the river, or coming in from Frankfurt? And do you want a couple of hours on deck, or a whole day with the boat as one part of it?

Style · a boat from a river town

Step aboard at the pier

Gilles, Koblenz, KölnTourist, Cologne, Bonner Personen Schiffahrt

1.5–4 hall of it on the water, out and back to the same pier

You walk to the river, show your ticket and sit on deck for the whole trip. Food and drinks are sold on board. The price is low, but you need to be in Koblenz, Cologne or Bonn already.

Style · a day out of Frankfurt

Coach or van, boat, lunch and wine

ETS Touristik, Go with Flo, private

7–10 ha drive to the valley, a cruise of one to two hours, tastings and viewpoints

The castle gorge is out of reach of a short city boat, so these days drive you there. The boat is the highlight, not the whole day, and the price covers the transport and the guide.

Weather and boats through the year

  • How full the boat timetables usually are
  1. Jan4°C high39 °F

    Few boats in the gorge, grey and quiet

  2. Feb6°C high43 °F

    Carnival in Cologne, high water possible

  3. Mar11°C high52 °F

    First spring sailings, cold on deck

  4. Apr15°C high59 °F

    Timetables start, blossom on the slopes

  5. May19°C high66 °F

    Fresh green vineyards, long days

  6. Jun22°C high72 °F

    Light late into the evening

  7. Jul24°C high75 °F

    Warmest decks, fullest boats

  8. Aug24°C high75 °F

    Fireworks evenings, low water risk

  9. Sep20°C high68 °F

    Harvest begins, calmer boats

  10. Oct14°C high57 °F

    Golden vines, wine festivals

  11. Nov8°C high46 °F

    Short days, timetables thin out

  12. Dec5°C high41 °F

    Christmas markets, festive city cruises

Temperatures are rough daytime highs in the Rhine Valley; the open deck feels several degrees colder in the wind. The bars show roughly how many scheduled boats run, which also depends on the water level that year. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick. The months in detail.

How each trip is spent

  • On the road or ashore
  • On the water
  • May run longer

Total hours and the time on the boat come from the listings; where the cruise falls in the day is our estimate, because the order of stops changes with the timetable. The private day ends when your group is ready to head back to Frankfurt.

  1. Pick your stretchThe castles crowd the gorge between Rüdesheim and Koblenz; Bonn and Cologne are about hills and city views. The river in four parts.
  2. Choose your monthMay, June and September usually bring full timetables without the July crowds. When to go.
  3. Watch the riverLow water late in a dry summer can cut sailings short. Water levels explained.
  4. Board in the right townKoblenz for a short castle boat, Rüdesheim for the wine town at the gorge's southern gate. The two towns.

Twelve Rhine castles you can see from the deck names the towers along the way and says which of these trips passes each one.

How to choose

How to pick the right Rhine trip

The river is the same all the way down. What changes is the scenery on the banks, how long you sit on deck and what you pay on top of the ticket.

Scenery

Castles and vineyards in the gorge, green hills by Bonn, a cathedral skyline in Cologne. Which stretch has what.

Starting point

From Frankfurt you need a whole day; from Koblenz, Cologne or Bonn you walk to the pier. Where to board.

Time on the water

Four hours on the Bonn boat, two on the Koblenz castles trip, one to two on the Frankfurt days. Day boat or river cruise.

Wine

A small tasting on the ETS day, a private cellar visit with Go with Flo, a glass from the bar on the others. Riesling on a cruise day.

Who is coming

Boats suit children well; tastings are for adults. The Cologne ships are not wheelchair-accessible, and ETS takes folding chairs only. Castles to spot with kids.

Price

From ~$21 a person for two hours in Koblenz to ~$167 for the full day from Frankfurt. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do in the Rhine Valley

The 5 tours

Five ways onto the Rhine, side by side

We read the Rhine listings on both booking sites and kept the strongest of each kind of trip. Each card gives the price, the length and the company that runs it. It also names the catch, with a button for each booking site.

A Rhine village of white houses below steep vineyard slopes, with a passenger boat moored at the riverbank Our pick

From Frankfurt: Rhine Valley Day Trip, ETS Touristik

The one we would book for a first day on the Rhine.

Eight hours from Frankfurt with a guide: a steamboat through the castle stretch between Rüdesheim and St. Goarshausen, lunch by the river and a short lesson in local wine with small tastings. In summer you can add a cable car ride above the vines.

  • Rating4.4 from 1,520+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 8 hours, 1–1.5 on the boat
  • Tour companyETS Touristik
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsThe castle gorge, lunch, no train changes
  • Ideal forFirst-time visitors staying in Frankfurt

Good to know: At high or low water, and on winter days without boats, a castle visit replaces the cruise. Drinks at lunch and the cable car cost extra. Viator's score is lower, at 4.1. The day hour by hour.

~$167per person
GetYourGuide Viator
The pale walls and slender tower of a hilltop castle above the Rhine near Koblenz, under white clouds Castles for less

Koblenz: Rhine Valley Castles and Palaces Boat Tour, Gilles Rheinschifffahrt

Two hours of castles for the price of a lunch.

From the pier on the Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer the boat heads upstream past the Electoral Palace, Lahneck and Stolzenfels, with views back to the Deutsches Eck and on toward Marksburg. Snacks and drinks are sold on board, and dogs are welcome.

  • Rating4.4 from 2,450+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 2 hours, all on the water
  • Tour companyGilles Rheinschifffahrt
  • DepartureBrücke 2, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer, Koblenz
  • StrengthsLowest price, castles straight from town
  • Ideal forAnyone staying in Koblenz, families

Good to know: This is the northern gate of the gorge; the Loreley and the densest run of castles lie further south. Sold on GetYourGuide only, so the Viator button opens Viator's other Rhine day cruises. Koblenz or Rüdesheim.

~$21per person
GetYourGuide More on Viator
A white sightseeing ship on the Rhine in Cologne with the twin spires of the cathedral behind it Most reviewed

Cologne: Top Sights Rhine River Cruise, Skyline Tour, KölnTourist

Cologne Cathedral and five bridges from the deck.

The ships leave from below the cathedral, cruise south past the crane houses of the Rheinauhafen to Rodenkirchen, then turn north to the Zoobrücke. Four sailings a day, every two hours from 10:45 am to 4:45 pm, carry recorded commentary in English and German.

  • Rating4.4 from 3,720+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 90 minutes
  • Tour companyKölnTourist
  • DepartureKonrad-Adenauer-Ufer, by the cathedral
  • StrengthsCentral pier, frequent sailings, English commentary
  • Ideal forA free afternoon in Cologne

Good to know: A city cruise with no castles or vineyards, and the ships are not wheelchair-accessible. Sold on GetYourGuide only; the Viator button shows Viator's other Rhine day cruises. Day boat or river cruise.

~$27per person
GetYourGuide More on Viator
The Rhine bending past wooded hills and islands south of Bonn, seen from high above the water Longest on the water

From Bonn: Rhine River to Linz Sightseeing Boat Tour, Bonner Personen Schiffahrt

Four hours afloat, under the Drachenfels and back.

The boat leaves the Alter Zoll in Bonn and runs upstream past the old government quarter, Bad Godesberg and Königswinter below the Siebengebirge. It continues by Unkel and the towers of the Remagen bridge to Linz, then returns. There is covered seating if it rains.

  • Rating4.5 from 550+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 4 hours, out and back
  • Tour companyBonner Personen Schiffahrt
  • DepartureAlter Zoll, Brassertufer, Bonn
  • StrengthsMost time on deck, low price, history on the banks
  • Ideal forSlow travelers and repeat visitors

Good to know: Green hills and towns rather than the castle gorge. On Viator the same boat scores 3.7 from only 9 reviews. Which stretch has the castles.

~$30per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Colorful half-timbered houses with carved beams and a hanging wine-tavern sign in a Rhine town Private

Private Rhine Valley Tour with River Cruise and Wine Tasting, Go with Flo

Your own guide, a two-hour cruise and a family winery.

Florian Härtl collects your group from its Frankfurt hotel in a van. The day takes in Rheingau villages, a two-hour cruise, the area's largest castle ruin and the best lookouts. It ends at a family-run winery with a private tasting and a look around the cellar, and you are back by early evening.

  • Rating5.0 from 4 reviews on GetYourGuide; 20+ on Viator
  • DurationAbout 7–10 hours
  • Tour companyGo with Flo
  • GroupPrivate, up to 8 people
  • StrengthsHotel pickup, longest cruise of the day trips, a real winery
  • Ideal forFamilies and friends sharing the cost

Good to know: The "from" price assumes a full van. A solo traveler pays several times as much, and meals are extra. Very few reviews on either site. Riesling on a Rhine day.

~$142per person
GetYourGuide Viator

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about Rhine cruises that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you spend the trip counting castles or staring at a riverbank you did not come for.

What you should know

  1. The castles live in one stretch. Between Rüdesheim and Koblenz the slopes carry around 40 castles and fortresses. A boat in Cologne or Bonn shows something else entirely. Which stretch.
  2. A day tour is mostly ashore. On the ETS day the boat fills one to one and a half of the eight hours. If time afloat is the point, a four-hour boat beats it.
  3. The river decides the timetable. Low water after a dry summer and high water after heavy rain can shorten or stop sailings. Water levels.
  4. Commentary is recorded, and patchy. In Cologne it plays only on four sailings a day. On a busy top deck the speakers can be hard to hear, so a printed castle list helps. The castles.
  5. On board, you pay as you go. Every boat here sells food and drinks, but none of them includes a glass in the ticket. On the ETS day even lunch drinks are extra.
  6. The wind is colder than the forecast. Moving into a breeze on open water takes several degrees off the air, so pack a layer even in June. The months.
  7. Two of our five are not on Viator. The Koblenz and Cologne boats sell on GetYourGuide only; their Viator button opens other Rhine day cruises, not the same trip.
  8. Private prices assume a full van. Go with Flo's per-person price drops as the group grows to eight. Booked alone, it costs several times the figure on this page. All the prices.

Everything in one table

Five Rhine trips, catch included

The five tours side by side. Each row sets the strength of a trip against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt (our pick) A first day on the Rhine ~$167per person About 8 h Wiesenhüttenplatz, Frankfurt ETS Touristik
4.4 on GetYourGuide		 Castle gorge, lunch, tasting. Boat only 1–1.5 h, swapped for a castle at extreme water.
GetYourGuideViator
Castles and palaces boat, Koblenz A short castle trip ~$21per person About 2 h Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer, Koblenz Gilles Rheinschifffahrt
4.4 on GetYourGuide		 Cheapest castles on the river. Northern edge of the gorge, no Loreley.
GetYourGuideMore on Viator
Skyline cruise, Cologne An afternoon in Cologne ~$27per person About 1.5 h Below Cologne Cathedral KölnTourist
4.4 on GetYourGuide		 Cathedral views, most reviews. A city cruise, no castles.
GetYourGuideMore on Viator
Bonn to Linz and back Long hours on deck ~$30per person About 4 h Alter Zoll, Bonn Bonner Personen Schiffahrt
4.5 on GetYourGuide		 Siebengebirge and Remagen bridge. Hills and towns, not the gorge.
GetYourGuideViator
Private day with cruise and winery Groups of four to eight ~$142per person 7–10 h Your Frankfurt hotel Go with Flo
5.0 on GetYourGuide		 Two-hour cruise, private winery. Expensive alone, very few reviews.
GetYourGuideViator

About the numbers. Prices are regular "from" rates per person in US dollars; both sites sometimes show them lower on sale, and the private day changes with the size of your party. Check the booking page, which has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who watched the castles go by

Fourteen travelers, some who sailed under blue skies and some who met a grey, low river, on what won them over and what they would change.

★★★★★Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt

We had two days in Frankfurt for a conference and no wish to work out German train timetables. The coach left from right by the station and our guide talked about the vineyards the whole way out. The boat part was the highlight, castles on both banks, and someone pointed out the Loreley before we even knew to look. Lunch in a beautifully painted old restaurant, then a funny little lesson about Roman wine with three small glasses. Tired and happy by six.

LHLinda H. · Melbourne, AustraliaSunny on deck
★★★★★Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt

Castles, a boat, lunch and Riesling without renting a car. Exactly the lazy Rhine day we wanted.

PSPieter S. · Utrecht, NetherlandsSunny on deck
★★★★☆Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt

Good day overall and the guide was great company. The boat ride felt short to me, a bit over an hour, and the commentary on deck was hard to hear over the wind. If you want hours on the water, this is not that trip. For the castles, lunch and an easy ride from Frankfurt, it did the job. Lunch drinks are extra, so budget a little for those, and bring a warm layer even in summer because the deck is breezy.

GMGary M. · Leeds, UKGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt

We went in late September and the vines were turning gold. The cable car above the vineyards was extra and completely fine to pay for. Our guide knew the name of every village we passed.

ABAisha B. · Toronto, CanadaSunny on deck
★★★★★Koblenz castles boat

Booked it on a whim after a morning at the Deutsches Eck. Two hours, Stolzenfels sliding past, a cold beer from the bar. Cheap and very good.

MFMarkus F. · Zürich, SwitzerlandSunny on deck
★★★★★Koblenz castles boat

Our two boys counted the castles out loud and argued about which one was the best. Two hours was the right length for them, and for us the price felt almost too low. Bring a jacket, the top deck gets windy.

CRCarmen R. · Sevilla, SpainSunny on deck
★★★★☆Koblenz castles boat

Nice trip from Koblenz and easy to book the same morning. I expected more of the famous castle scenery, then realized the Loreley stretch is further south. Pleasant, but go in knowing it is the start of the gorge, not the middle.

JWJames W. · Denver, USAGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Cologne skyline cruise

The cathedral from the water at four in the afternoon, with the light on the spires. Worth doing on day one in Cologne.

YTYuki T. · Osaka, JapanSunny on deck
★★★★★Cologne skyline cruise

My mother is not a fan of long tours, so ninety minutes on the river was perfect for us both. We took the 12:45 for the English commentary and sat inside when a shower came through, then went back up for the bridges. The crane houses at the old harbour were a surprise.

ODOlivia D. · Dublin, IrelandGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Cologne skyline cruise

Simple and well run. Ship left on time, cold Kölsch at the bar, cathedral views both ways.

RKRafael K. · São Paulo, BrazilSunny on deck
★★★★★Bonn to Linz boat

Four hours on the water and I could have stayed longer. We sat on the open deck almost the whole way, past the old government buildings in Bonn and up to the Drachenfels, which looks far more dramatic from the river than from the town. The towers of the Remagen bridge were a quiet moment on board. In Linz there was a short stop, then back downstream with the sun behind us. Very good value for a whole afternoon.

ENElin N. · Gothenburg, SwedenSunny on deck
★★★★☆Bonn to Linz boat

A relaxed trip with lovely hills, but no castles to speak of, so do not book it for that. Covered seats saved us from the rain.

TCThomas C. · Lyon, FranceGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Private day with wine

Six of us shared the van, which made the price sensible, and Florian made the day feel like visiting a friend who happens to know everything about the Rhine. He picked us up at the hotel, timed the cruise around the light and took us to lookouts we would never have found. The winery at the end was family-run, unhurried, and the tasting went on in the cellar long after we expected to leave. It was the best day of our trip to Germany.

SGSarah G. · Chicago, USASunny on deck
★★★★★Private day with wine

Expensive for the two of us, but every hour was ours. The castle ruin above St. Goar and the private tasting made it.

HLHannah L. · Auckland, New ZealandSunny on deck

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All aboard

Book the Rhine Valley day from Frankfurt

If you are in Frankfurt between spring and autumn and want one day on the Rhine that covers the castles, the vineyards and a wine village, we would book the ETS Touristik trip. A steamboat through the gorge, lunch by the water and a guide who explains what you are looking at.

You can hold a place now and pay nearer the day. Cancelling is free until 24 hours before, which leaves time to check the river. Bring a light jacket for the deck.

~$167

per person · about 8 hours · from Frankfurt

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Boat ride and lunch included
  • ✓ English-speaking guide all day

Good to know

Why the Rhine has so many castles, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading turns a parade of towers into a story you can follow from the deck, bend by bend.

The Rhine runs about 1,230 km (765 miles) from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. For most of that way it is a broad working river. Between Bingen and Koblenz it cuts a narrow, winding valley through slate mountains, and that short stretch is the one on the postcards.

01A toll road on the water

For centuries the Rhine carried wine, timber and salt, and whoever held a bend could stop a boat and charge it. Bishops, counts and knights built castles on the rocks to do exactly that. The island fortress of Pfalzgrafenstein at Kaub still sits in the middle of the current like a moored stone ship.

02Ruins and rebuilding

Many of the castles were wrecked in the wars of the 17th century and left as ruins. In the 1800s the Romantic movement fell for the gorge, and Prussian royals rebuilt several towers as summer homes, Stolzenfels near Koblenz among them. What you see from the boat is often half medieval, half 19th-century dream. The castles one by one.

03Slate, sun and Riesling

The steep slopes face the sun and hold its warmth in their dark slate, which is why vines grow where little else could. Terraces climb almost to the castle walls, and many are still worked by hand. Riesling rules here, with red Spätburgunder around Assmannshausen. Wine on a Rhine day.

The moment most passengers remember is the hush on deck as the boat swings into the Loreley bend and the cliff rises straight out of the water.

04The rock that sank the sailors

Near St. Goarshausen the river bends hard around a slate cliff of about 130 m (430 ft), the Loreley. Currents and rocks made it dangerous for boats. Poets turned the danger into a siren who combed her golden hair and lured sailors to their deaths, most famously Heinrich Heine in 1824. The Loreley up close.

05Where two rivers meet

At Koblenz the Moselle flows into the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck, a point topped by a huge equestrian statue. Above it on the far bank stands the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. UNESCO listed the gorge from here to Bingen and Rüdesheim as a World Heritage site in 2002. Koblenz or Rüdesheim.

06Downstream to Bonn and Cologne

North of Koblenz the valley opens. The volcanic Siebengebirge hills rise above Königswinter, and at Remagen two dark towers mark the bridge that US troops captured in March 1945. The river then reaches Cologne, whose cathedral has been a World Heritage site since 1996. The river in four parts.

1,230 kmLength of the Rhine

65 kmThe UNESCO castle gorge

About 40Castles and fortresses in it

130 mHeight of the Loreley rock

Worried the boats won't sail? Our guide When low water stops the Rhine boats explains how the river level changes a trip.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Rhine River cruises

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a Rhine River cruise cost?

The five trips on this page start at ~$21 per person for two hours from Koblenz, ~$27 for 90 minutes in Cologne and ~$30 for four hours from Bonn. The full day from Frankfurt with lunch costs from ~$167, and the private day from ~$142 a head in a full van. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Rhine cruise is the best?

For most visitors, the ETS Touristik day from Frankfurt, because it reaches the castle gorge and adds lunch and wine without any planning. If you are already in Koblenz, the two-hour castles boat gives you castles for far less. In Cologne, the skyline cruise.

Which part of the Rhine is the most scenic?

The Upper Middle Rhine between Rüdesheim and Koblenz, a UNESCO World Heritage site with around 40 castles, steep vineyards and the Loreley rock. North of Koblenz the scenery turns to green hills and cities. The river in four parts.

When is the best time for a Rhine cruise?

May, June and September usually combine full boat timetables, mild weather and fewer crowds than July and August. Autumn brings the grape harvest but also a higher chance of low water. In winter few boats run in the gorge. The best months.

Do Rhine boats sail in winter?

Few scheduled boats run through the gorge in winter, and the ETS day replaces its cruise with a castle visit on days without boats. City cruises in Cologne sail through more of the year, including festive cruises around Christmas.

Can low water cancel my cruise?

Yes. After a long dry spell the Rhine can fall so low that boats shorten their routes or stop, and very high water after heavy rain does the same. Book with free cancellation and read the operator's notes the day before. Water levels explained.

Will I see the Loreley on these trips?

The ETS day's boat stretch runs from Rüdesheim to St. Goarshausen, which passes the Loreley. The Koblenz boat turns back well before it, and the Cologne and Bonn boats are far downstream. On the private day, ask your guide which stretch the cruise covers. The Loreley.

Should I board in Koblenz or Rüdesheim?

Koblenz suits a short castle trip straight from town and has the bigger choice of hotels. Rüdesheim sits at the southern gate of the gorge, closer to the Loreley and Frankfurt, with vineyards and wine taverns. The two towns compared.

Is a day boat the same as a Rhine river cruise?

No. The trips here last from 90 minutes to a day, with no cabin or luggage. Week-long river cruises sleep on hotel ships between cities such as Amsterdam and Basel and pass the castle gorge in a few hours. Day boat or river cruise.

Is wine included on Rhine cruises?

Only on the two Frankfurt days. ETS includes small tastings during a short wine history lesson, and Go with Flo ends with a private tasting at a family winery. On the boats you buy wine at the bar. Riesling on a Rhine day.

Are Rhine boat trips good for children?

Usually, yes. Kids can roam the deck, spot towers and wave at barges, and the two-hour Koblenz boat is a good length for them. The tastings on the Frankfurt days are for adults, and an eight-hour coach day is long for small children.

Are the boats wheelchair-accessible?

It depends on the ship. The KölnTourist ships in Cologne are not, per the listing. ETS Touristik can take folding wheelchairs if the traveler can walk a few steps. Ask the operator before you book any of the others.

What should I bring on a Rhine cruise?

A light jacket or sweater for the wind on deck, sunglasses and sunscreen for the open water, a little cash for drinks on board and comfortable shoes for the wine towns. A list of the castles makes the trip more fun. Twelve castles from the deck.

Can I cancel a Rhine tour for free?

The ETS day can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide, where you can also reserve now and pay later. Check each listing for the others; the terms show on the booking page before you pay.

Read before you travel

Guides to the Rhine by boat

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.