Rhine Valley & Mountain Railway All Inclusive

Your Rhine Valley holiday begins at London St Pancras as you meet the Tour Manager and travelling group. Boarding the Eurostar, we travel under the English Channel to Brussels. In the Belgian capital, we switch to a train to Cologne, where we catch our first sight of the Rhine.

From Cologne, we continue down this historically important river to Koblenz, changing for a short journey south to Boppard. Located on a bend in the Rhine and with great transport connections, Boppard is a popular base for explorations of this beautiful region. Arriving in early evening, our hotel is opposite the train station and boasts a garden terrace overlooking the Rhine. After checking in, we enjoy a welcome drink before our first dinner together.

Tonight and every evening of our stay, we enjoy a three-course dinner with a drinks package, served from 7pm to 9pm, which includes soft drinks, house beer, wine, tea and coffee.

• Dinner

After our first breakfast in Boppard, we walk into the town's historic centre to visit Boppard Castle and its museum. Standing directly on the Rhine, the castle was originally a stronghold for Boppard's nobles before becoming a toll house, collecting payment from the many ships passing through Boppard. The building now houses a museum, showcasing the town's history and exhibits about renowned furniture maker Michael Thonet.

After time to explore independently over lunch, we board the Hunsrück Railway - one of Germany's steepest railways - to Emmelshausen. This scenic route crosses two viaducts and travels through five tunnels, providing fantastic views of the lush forests blanketing the hills. On arrival in the small town of Emmelshausen, there's some free time before we return to Boppard by rail.

There's time at leisure before dinner at the hotel to relax. You could revisit a favourite spot in town or, if you haven't already discovered them, the ruins of an impressive Roman fort in the centre of Boppard.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A holiday highlight awaits after breakfast as we set sail along the majestic Rhine.

Following gentle bends in the river, our cruise takes us through the most scenic part of the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge. Keep an eye out for castles peering out from the tops of cliffs veiled by verdant forests. On the approach to St Goar, we pass the legendary Lorelei Rock. This massive outcrop has inspired many myths, poems and legends, based on the sound created by the currents around it and a special echo. Most of the stories involve a mermaid, water spirit or siren who would lure sailors to their watery deaths. On arrival at St Goar, there's time to look around or enjoy your picnic lunch in a picturesque spot. You might like to visit Rheinfels Castle, one of the area's largest castles - a shuttle leaves from the town hall up to the castle every half hour.

In the afternoon, we cruise back to Boppard where you have some time to relax before dinner with drinks at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A full free day gives you the chance to explore Boppard and surrounding areas at your own pace. One local option is to take the Sesselbahn chairlift up to Gedeonseck (payable locally). From the heights of this mountain station, you can admire fantastic views of the largest U-shaped loop of the Rhine, lined by south-facing vineyards and forests - a great place to relax and enjoy your picnic lunch!

Your VRM Travel card gives you free rail access around the area. It's possible to travel by train and boat to the charming medieval town of Rüdesheim. This popular tourist destination is renowned for its Riesling wines, the characterful Drosselgasse alley and 'Siegfried's Museum of Mechanical Music' in the Old Town. Elsewhere, enjoy a narrow-gauge heritage rail journey past volcanic rock formations on the Vulkan Express from Brohl, north of Koblenz, to Engeln.

If you'd like to head out to explore the local vineyards, the Boppard tourist office offers a guided tour of the area. This evening, dinner and drinks is again available at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

With a history stretching back more than 2,000 years, Koblenz has many attractions to be uncovered during a guided walking tour. Travelling by rail after breakfast, we set out to explore the Old Town.

Koblenz was first established by the Romans at the 'confluence' of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and from these historic roots, and a mixture of French and German influences, the city has developed its own personality. The Deutsches Eck, or German Corner, is the name of the headland at the confluence of the rivers and one of the city's most familiar sights. Some of the popular locations in Koblenz include the 'Four Towers' - four Baroque houses set around Münzplatz - and the 12th-century Basilica of St Castor, a twin-spired Romanesque church near the Deutsches Eck. After our tour, there's free time and you could opt to take a cable car up to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Making your way back to Boppard at leisure, using your VRM Tourist Pass, we gather this evening for dinner and drinks at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Using your VRM Tourist Pass on a full day at leisure is an ideal way to see the beautiful Rhineland and surrounding areas.

You could decide to spend the day travelling between picturesque riverside towns such as Bacharach or Bingen. The latter is dominated by the 19th-century Klopp Castle, which was sketched by JMW Turner. Near Bingen train station, you can view the Mouse Tower which, combined with the ruins of Ehrenfels Castle on the opposite bank, is one of the most attractive settings on this part of the Rhine. Further along is the city of Mainz, where you can find a 10th-century cathedral made of striking red sandstone, and the Gutenberg Museum which contains some of the first printed bibles. Alternatively, enjoy a scenic rail journey beside the Lahn River, perhaps stopping at the UNESCO-listed spa town of Bad Ems on the way to Limburg. With medieval timber-framed buildings and a striking cathedral, this is one of Germany's most beautiful towns.

Wherever you venture, you can return to our hotel this evening for our final three-course dinner and drinks.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An exploration of the Rhine Valley has many highlights, from natural wonders to quaint villages. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Rhine Gorge reveals the river's breathtaking beauty. Steep cliffs lined with vineyards and forests, hilltop castles and mythical sites have been viewed on this relaxing holiday with all meals and evening drinks included.

After our final breakfast together, we board the train along the Rhine first to Koblenz and then to Cologne, where we continue to Brussels. In the Belgian capital, we switch to the Eurostar for the final leg of our journey back to London St Pancras. Arriving this evening, your discovery of the scenic Rhine Valley comes to a conclusion.

• Breakfast