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Glacier Express & the Romantic Rhine

 
4.4 stars(19 reviews)
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202520262027
Duration
11 days
From per person
£4,099 £3,999
Tour code
EGR26
Mobility Rating 2
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Tour & Cruise

Cruise the romantic Rhine, sailing through stunning scenery and exploring historic cities before experiencing the iconic Glacier Express, staying in the alpine resort of Zermatt

Experience a holiday of a lifetime with an an enchanting Rhine river cruise followed by a rail adventure on the renowned Glacier Express. From the streets of Amsterdam, where historic landmarks meet modern allure, to the picturesque Moselle Valley and the legendary Rhine Gorge, every moment is a cultural experience.

Marvel at the architectural splendour of Cologne, explore the traditional towns of Cochem and Rüdesheim, and delve into the rich history of Heidelberg and Speyer. This adventure continues in the breathtaking beauty of Zermatt and with a spectacular journey on the iconic Glacier Express, where panoramic windows unveil Switzerland's most stunning alpine landscapes, from deep gorges and picturesque valleys to towering peaks and mountain villages.

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You might also like our similar tour Glacier Express & The Majestic Rhine!

Unforgettable experiences

Riding iconic railways through Swiss landscapes
Riding iconic railways through Swiss landscapes
Journey through stunning mountain scenery on the renowned Glacier Express and enjoy some of the most sensational views of the Matterhorn on the Gornergrat Mountain Railway.
Admiring the Rhine Gorge
Admiring the Rhine Gorge
Sail through this enchanting UNESCO World Heritage site with amazing views from our ship of the spellbinding castles, verdant forests, vineyard-clad slopes, and dramatic Lorelei Rock.
Staying in Zermatt and Chur
Staying in Zermatt and Chur
Enjoy stays in idyllic Zermatt, waking to views of the mighty Matterhorn mountain, and in picture-perfect Chur – Switzerland’s oldest village, with time to explore these beautiful locations.
Touring Heidelberg
Touring Heidelberg
Explore this beautiful riverside city with an expert guide, strolling by wonderful medieval buildings and seeing its ruined, red sandstone castle that towers over the city.
Discovering Rüdesheim
Discovering Rüdesheim
Wander the city’s famous Drosselgasse, lined with traditional pubs and wine cellars, and choose between a local wine tasting or a visit to the marvellous Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet.

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GoldenPass & The Romantic Rhine

10-day holiday

Discover the magnificent GoldenPass Express, staying in Interlaken set between two peaceful lakes and enjoy an enchanting cruise on the romantic Rhine.

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The Romantic Rhine: Amsterdam to Basel

8-day holiday

Enjoy a leisurely cruise from the pretty canals of Amsterdam, through the picturesque Moselle Valley and enchanting Rhine Gorge, to the Swiss city of Basel.

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Itinerary

DAY1To Amsterdam where we board our luxurious ship

Your holiday begins this morning as we meet at London St Pancras. Boarding the Eurostar, we head by rail to Amsterdam.

On arrival in the Dutch capital, we're greeted onboard by our friendly crew and sip on a welcome cocktail while taking in the waterside views. There is time to unwind and familiarise yourself with the luxurious new surroundings and settle into your cabin.

Later this evening, we enjoy our first dinner together in the panoramic restaurant accompanied by a wonderful performance from a traditional Dutch Sea Shanty choir - the perfect start to a fantastic cruise down the Rhine.

Includes
  • Dinner
DAY2Amsterdam canal boat cruise and optional trip to Volendam

Awaking on our floating hotel, we enjoy breakfast onboard before getting to know Amsterdam on a sightseeing canal boat cruise, soaking up stunning views of the city's picturesque canals and architecture.

Alternatively, take the optional excursion, visiting Volendam and Edam to uncover their cheese heritage. As well as being famed for Dutch cheese, Volendam is a stunning old town, with traditional houses lining serene canals and a small harbour.

Later, we begin sailing to Cologne, embarking on our first relaxing cruise of the holiday and enjoying on board dinner this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY3Arrival in Cologne and riding the scenic Drachenfelsbahn

On our approach to Cologne this morning, the city's bridges and imposing cathedral hone into view. When we arrive, a guided tour introduces us to its lively squares and Romanesque townhouses before a visit to the city's impressive twin-spired cathedral, the largest in northern Europe. Standing in awe of this Gothic masterpiece, we also view the stained-glass windows of this UNESCO-listed landmark.

After lunch, we head for Königswinter to journey on the Drachenfels Cog Railway. Rising high into the forests, we pass the fairytale Drachenburg Castle - whose name translates as 'Dragon's Rock' and has inspired many of the dragon-related legends still heard today. Travelling to the summit, we can admire wonderful views across the rolling hills of the Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.

Departing Königswinter after dinner, we begin sailing towards the winding Moselle River.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY4Exploring Cochem at the heart of the Moselle Valley

During a morning of relaxed cruising, our luxurious ship navigates the tranquil waters of the Moselle River, passing the rolling hills of the Moselle Valley towards Cochem. This attractive town is a maze of slender alleys adorned with pastel-coloured buildings and half-timbered houses, dominated by the 11th-century Reichsburg Castle.

After lunch onboard, we embark on a guided tour where we admire the fairytale Reichsburg. In Cochem's Old Town, we find well-preserved sections of the ancient walls and a former monastery that now houses a cultural centre. Following the tour, there's time to explore the picturesque streets at leisure. The central square is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and shops. It's a great place to soak up the local atmosphere.

We continue sailing after dinner on board as we journey back downstream towards Koblenz, where we leave the Moselle behind and rejoin the Rhine.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY5Through the magical Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim

There's free time this morning to explore Koblenz, once a Roman stronghold. We recommend strolling to Deutsches Eck at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers where you'll be surrounded by inspiring vistas including Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Setting sail, we encounter a highlight of our cruise after lunch as we drift through the romantic Rhine Gorge. This UNESCO-listed section of the river is renowned for its spectacular views. Winding around bends surrounded by miles of vineyards, hilltop castles and picturesque towns, we also hear the legend of the Lorelei Rock. Soaring almost 500 feet out of the water, this monument has been the inspiration for countless myths and legends, including the tale of a siren whose song has enchanted passing sailors.

We dock in Rüdesheim and travel to the centre of this renowned wine town by land train. Here, there's a choice of excursions. You could savour Rüdesheim's most famous produce with a tasting of the finest local varieties of wine or visit Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet. After dinner, you're free to explore the town's cobbled streets, including colourful Drosselgasse.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY6Along the Upper Rhine to Heidelberg and Speyer

Cruising towards the Upper Rhine, we arrive in the city of Mannheim after breakfast. From here, we journey by coach to charming Heidelberg for a guided tour. The university town is known for its pretty Old Town and stunning riverfront which is perfect for a relaxing stroll. Our tour includes a visit to the magnificent ruined, red sandstone castle that towers over the city, providing amazing views of the surrounding forests and river.

Back onboard, we begin sailing to Speyer after lunch. Arriving later this afternoon, you can discover one of Germany's oldest cities at your own pace. There's a beautiful Old Town and among the highlights is the 11th-century cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most important landmarks of the Holy Roman Empire.

Returning to our ship, we enjoy dinner onboard ahead of a restful overnight sailing upstream.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY7Reaching Strasbourg and optional Black Forest excursion

Sailing into the historic Alsace city of Strasbourg after breakfast, there's a choice of two wonderful excursions. The first is a trip into the magical Black Forest to witness stunning views. Germany's largest nature park filled with rolling hills, fairytale villages, dense forests and wildflower meadows. On an exploration of this idyllic setting, you'll learn about the enchanting history and folklore of the region.

Alternatively, you could enjoy a city tour of Strasbourg. Alsace is now in France but was once part of Germany. The grand architecture of its main city reflects this blend of the two cultures. On the tour, we visit its striking cathedral and the quaint La Petite France district. Home to tanners, millers and fishermen in the Middle Ages, this pretty area is now a UNESCO World Heritage site of cobbled streets, flower-lined canals and beautiful half-timbered houses.

Following your excursion this afternoon, we return to our ship for lunch and begin our final cruise towards Switzerland, enjoying the picturesque vistas enroute.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY8Arrival in Zermatt

We enjoy our last breakfast onboard this morning before we disembark in Basel. After waving goodbye to our wonderful crew, we continue our journey by rail on the scenic route to the iconic alpine setting of Zermatt for the second part of our trip. We check into our hotel for two nights in this stunning, car-free mountain village. Sitting at the heart of the Swiss Alps, it has wonderful views of the surrounding alpine peaks including the mighty, Matterhorn mountain.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
DAY9Beautiful views on the Gornergrat Mountain Railway

A journey on the Gornergrat Mountain Railway awaits us today. This celebrated cog railway trip ascends the Gornergrat with constant and magnificent views of the Matterhorn, to its summit - the second-highest railway in Europe. As we reach the top, stunning views of glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and valleys below are revealed. From here, you can soak up views of the surrounding mountains including the imposing Matterhorn.

The rest of the day is free in Zermatt for you to explore or relax and get dinner independently this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast
DAY10The iconic Glacier Express to Chur

Today, we board the magnificent Glacier Express. Our panoramic journey takes us through undeniably Swiss scenes of green meadows, dense, evergreen forests and snow-capped mountains, ambling along the beautiful Rhine Valley aboard 'the slowest express train in the world'. We spiral up the mountains, crossing vast viaducts, burrowing through tunnels and rising above the clouds on our way to Chur.

As we arrive and check into our hotel, you can explore Switzerland's oldest village's history, culture, and sights before dinner this evening. Wander the Altstadt - the Old Town - to discover the authentic restaurants and relaxed bars that add to the town's lovely atmosphere.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY11Homeward bound

After breakfast, it's time to bid farewell to Chur. We make our way to the railway station and head towards Paris where we catch Eurostar. On the journey back, you can think over all the memories made on this scenic adventure, from stunning river landscapes and historic towns to the breathtaking vistas of the Swiss Alps aboard iconic railways. Arriving in London, we say goodbye and you can make your way home.

Includes
  • Dinner

Additional information

Info - Travel Options

We offer a Standard Class and First Class rail options for departures on this tour. You can find out which class each departure is by clicking on the information button in the pricing grid. (Look for S - Standard Class and F - First Class)

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

What’s included on the tour?

Trains & Ships

More information on the different trains and ships that are used on this tour.

MS Amadeus Star Cabin DS | Great Rail Journeys

Travel in luxury and style when you choose one of our Deluxe Suites. Our largest en-suite cabins, at 26.4 square metres, a walk-out balcony, walk-in wardrobe an river-view lounge area.

MS Amadeus Star Cabin A1 | Great Rail Journeys

These en-suite cabins are stylish and impressively spacious at 17.5 squre metres, with a panoramic window balcony, walk-in wardrobe and seating area.

MS Amadeus Star Cabin B1 | Great Rail Journeys

These en-suite cabins are stylish and impressively spacious at 17.5 squre metres, with a panoramic window balcony, walk-in wardrobe and seating area.

MS Amadeus Star Cabin C1 | Great Rail Journeys

Our Classic Staterooms offer quality, and elegance with space to relax in comfort at the end of the day. And we recognise the importance of having somewhere inviting to retire to after an engaging day of cruising or excursions. These 16 square metre en-suite cabins offer a wide picture window and large walk-in wardrobe.

Enhance your holiday

London Hotels

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

Read more

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

London hotels
UK rail connections

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

Read more

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.

UK train tickets

Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 19 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (11)
  2. 4 stars
    (6)
  3. 3 stars
    (1)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

J & E Ashwell

5 stars

Submitted 25/Jun

The Glacier Express was a wonderful day trip but the day before was even more spectacular. At 10,000 feet on top of the Gornergrat mountain on a clear, warm, windless day the views were as good as they can be. We stayed all day, soaking in the 360 degree, view with the Matterhorn almost within touching distance.

Collected by Trustpilot

c howard

5 stars

Submitted 23/May

Excellent holiday, would certainly recommend - with the exception the baggage was not collected from the ship as arranged, this has caused a lot of problems and my complaint has been lodged but I have had no reply - the staff on the ship did not load the case although it was labelled correctly, we were told to leave the case outside the door of our bedroom and hand in the necessary documentation to reception - this we did. It was not until Baggagemand phoned us to check everything was in order that it came to the notice I had my bag and it had not been transferred. I am far from happy I have not even had an acknowledgment from GRJ

Collected by Trustpilot

Paul Strangways

5 stars

Submitted 13 Oct 2024

Fabulous cruise - great service, food and excursions. Completely recommend it( and it was our first cruise ever!)

Collected by Trustpilot

Malcolm Townend

5 stars

Submitted 04 Jul 2024

The journey started at St Pancras Railway Station meeting our excellent tour manager Rebecca White. She escorted us on our very comfortable and punctual Eurostar to Amsterdam. Rebecca left us in Amsterdam onboard our cruise ship Amadeus Star which looked after us as if we were royalty. The whole staff from Cruise Director to cabin cleaner had our enjoyment and wellbeing at the heart of their daily employment. What seemed too soon we landed at Strasbourg and back into the competent and capable hands of Rebecca for our onward journey to Zermatt. We should have experienced the Gornergrat Train up part of the Matterhorn but a cruel act of Mother Nature thwarted this excursion in the form of a landslide covering chunks of the railway line. Rebecca did not accept this as an obstacle to spoil our trip and substituted this trip with that of a cable car trip up to 15000 feet above sea level. This awesome trip was far, far better than any words that I could use to describe it and I am of the opinion that the company should consider making this a permanent part of their holiday package. This was then followed, on our last tour day with a fantastic trip on the fantastic Glacier Express which included lunch onboard the train. Whilst in Switzerland two of our party experienced a medical emergency in the night and Rebecca’s superb management skills came to the fore and she organised medical assistance which allowed the couple to rejoin the group and make their way back home with the rest of the group. Conclusion - an excellent experience which should not be missed. p.s. I forgot about Great Rail Journeys brilliant use of a company called Baggaman who collects your suitcase and take it to the cruise ship for you. It is in your cabin on your arrival. Our suitcase was returned to us the day after we arrived home. An absolute joy not to have lugged this on and off all the rail elements of our trip.

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Roly Parker

5 stars

Submitted 04 Jul 2024

Excellent tour, itinerary, river cruiser accommodation, and excursion, followed by wonderful Glacier Express train ride.

Collected by Trustpilot

Duncan

5 stars

Submitted 20 Jun 2024

One of the best holidays we've ever had. We now realise that the cruise companies have a lot to deal with to ensure traveller satisfaction, and Mother Nature can affect things. Our weather forecast wasn't too good before we sailed, but we then had sunny and warm weather throughout the cruise, and beyond. Cruise staff, in all parts of the boat were attentive and pleasant, fellow travellers friendly and good fun, and our cruise and rail managers guided us carefully, ensuring all connections were met, and did so in a friendly, informative manner. The Rhine water was very high, and did affect one stop, so rainfall will always be a big factor to consider. But we fully intend to travel with Great Rail Journeys in future.

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River Cruise Holidays 2026

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Experience the magic of cruising along some of Europe’s most picturesque waterways. Glide serenely along the romantic Rhine, explore the blue Danube or meander through the enchanting Douro Valley. With our river cruises, you’ll drift through beautiful landscapes and historic towns.

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