Rhine Explorer

Titan Travel VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your journey to your chosen airport for your flight to Amsterdam. Upon arrival, embark MS Serenade 1 (4T), where light refreshments are available. A welcome cocktail and captain’s gala dinner are served this evening.

A morning tour of Amsterdam showcases the city’s crooked waterside houses and Golden Age architecture. See the sights by water as you float under pretty bridges and past gabled merchants’ houses, before exploring further by coach. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Amsterdam – perhaps view the world-class collections in the Rijksmuseum or step inside the Museum Our Lord in the Attic, a townhouse which hides a secret 17th century church in its attic.

We arrive in the Dutch city of Arnhem. Most famous as the site of a major WWII battle, we end our guided tour of the city at a museum dedicated to that campaign. Photos, films and documents tell the story of the Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden, while the unique ‘Airborne Experience’ puts you in the footsteps of a British parachutist. We depart late this afternoon, snaking our way along the Rhine towards Cologne.

A morning walking tour shows off one of Germany’s most attractive cities. It’s filled with Gothic, medieval and Roman architecture, including a spectacular spired cathedral which we see in detail today. The cathedral, as magnificent in size as in decoration, was created over hundreds of years to house the mortal remains of the scriptural Three Kings. We sail onward to Königswinter.

This morning, we head to Schloss Drachenburg, a castle-like villa set on a hill overlooking the Rhine. Built back in the late 1800s for a baron who never actually moved in, the villa has been faithfully restored and renovated with tapestries, murals and rich wood panelling. Once we’ve admired its spires, battlements and landscaped gardens, we cast off for Koblenz, arriving in the early evening..

The 19th century Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is the last incarnation of the fortifications that have watched over Koblenz from its clifftop perch through the last millennia. There’s an optional excursion to the fortress this morning; alternatively, spend a few hours strolling around this 2,000-year-old town with its beautiful baroque architecture and café-lined squares. Just after lunch, we set sail and begin an afternoon of cruising along one of the river’s most scenic stretches, the UNESCO-listed Upper Middle Rhine Valley. We’ll pass vineyards, castles and storybook towns, and cruise through the Lorelei Passage, one of the narrowest sections of the river. Early this evening we arrive in Rüdesheim, where we dock overnight.

You’ve got the morning free to see Rüdesheim, a lovely riverside town with a long history of winemaking and an old quarter that’s full of half-timbered buildings. Take a stroll along cobbled streets to find shops selling local wine and intricate wooden gifts, or visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum for something a little different. Early this afternoon we continue along the Rhine towards Speyer, gliding past Riesling vineyards and wooded hills.

Join us for an optional walking tour of Speyer this morning, or explore at your own pace. The city’s red-brick Romanesque cathedral is its crowning glory, dating back around 1,000 years. Other sights to tick off include the ruins of a 12th century Jewish synagogue and the Old Mint, with its beautiful baroque façade. In the afternoon, we continue sailing south towards Strasbourg.

A guided city tour and canal cruise allows us to uncover the best of Strasbourg. We focus on the UNESCO-protected old quarter – a cluster of cobbled streets, covered bridges and colourful half-timbered houses. There’s another spectacular cathedral to see, too. Completed in 1439, it features a lofty spire, Gothic façade and stunning stained-glass windows. The rest of the day and evening is at leisure for you to enjoy Strasbourg.

This morning, we arrive in the German town of Breisach, on the edge of the Black Forest. Discover the town’s pastel-shaded buildings and hilltop cathedral, or join our optional excursion into the Black Forest to wind your way through wooded valleys to the shores of Lake Titisee for a cruise, before stopping in the quaint town of Triberg for free time (and perhaps a slice of that famous Black Forest gateau).

We transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.