From

US $3,898 per person

Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps (Christmas Cruise) 2026

8 days

•

From Amsterdam to Basel

4.0

2 traveler reviews

View all
View all

From

US $3,898 per person

+ $250 Port Charge

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Booking needs min. 2 travelers

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Operator: AmaWaterways
River Cruise: Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Group Tour: Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Fully Guided: An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity: Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 162
Ages 12+

Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

Day 1
Amsterdam
Meals
Dinner
Day 2
Amsterdam
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided canal cruise through Amsterdam
Day 3
Cologne
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour through Cologne Old Town
Optional Activities
- Christmas Markets in Cologne
- Guided bike ride along the Rhine and through historic Stadtgarten
Landmarks
Cologne Old Town
Stadtgarten
Day 4
Rüdesheim
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Cruise through Rhine Gorge
Optional Activities
- Wine tasting in Rüdesheim vineyards
- Explore Drosselgasse
- Christmas Markets in Rüdesheim
- Gondola ride to Niederwalddenkmal
- Vineyard hike
- Guided bike tour along the Rhine River
- Visit Siegfried's Mechanical Instrument Cabinet
- Rüdesheimer coffee experience
Landmarks
Rhine Gorge
Niederwalddenkmal
Drosselgasse
Day 5
Ludwigshafen
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Excursion to Heidelberg with visit to Heidelberg Castle and Great Vat
- Guided hike up Philosopher's Path in Heidelberg
- Christmas Markets in Heidelberg
- Excursion to Speyer to visit UNESCO World Heritage Romanesque cathedral
- Visit medieval Old Gate (Altpörtel) in Speyer
- Christmas Markets in Speyer
- Technik Museum in Speyer with exhibits of vintage cars, military aircraft and submarine
Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Great Vat (Heidelberg)
Philosopher's Path
Speyer Cathedral
Altpörtel (Old Gate Speyer)
Technik Museum Speyer
Day 6
Strasbourg
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Walking tour through La Petite France district
- View of Cathédrale de Nôtre Dame and astronomical clock
Optional Activities
- Christmas Markets in Strasbourg
- Guided bike ride through Strasbourg and Parc de l'Orangerie
Landmarks
La Petite France
Cathédrale de Nôtre Dame
Parc de l'Orangerie
Day 7
Basel
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Guided walking tour of Basel
- Guided bike tour through Basel covering Switzerland, France and Germany
- Full-day excursion to Lucerne to visit medieval towers and Chapel Bridge
- Swiss wine tasting at a local winery
- Tour of Wildegg Castle
- Hike to Wildegg Castle
- Basel Christmas Markets
Landmarks
Basel Old Town Hall
Basel Market Square
Chapel Bridge (Lucerne)
Wildegg Castle
Day 8
Basel to Departure
Meals
Breakfast

Landmarks
Cologne Old Town
Stadtgarten

Landmarks
Rhine Gorge
Niederwalddenkmal
Drosselgasse

Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Great Vat (Heidelberg)
Philosopher's Path
Speyer Cathedral
Altpörtel (Old Gate Speyer)
Technik Museum Speyer

Landmarks
La Petite France
Cathédrale de Nôtre Dame
Parc de l'Orangerie

Landmarks
Basel Old Town Hall
Basel Market Square
Chapel Bridge (Lucerne)
Wildegg Castle

What's Included

Expand All

Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Additional Services
Transport

What's Not Included

Flights
Insurance
Optional
Additional Services

Operated by

AmaWaterways

4.4

(31 reviews)

Number of tours

147

Age Range

12 to 90 years old

Response time

within 3 days

Response rate

56%

AmaWaterways operates the finest fleet and provides all-inclusive river...

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

AmaWaterways Ship

AmaSerena
AmaSerena is a regal river ship accommodating both guests who wish to socialize with kindred cruisers and those seeking private rejuvenat… Read more
Built
2015
Guests
162
Crew
51
Length
135 m / 443 ft
Staterooms
81
Registry
Switzerland
Gross Tonnage
3600 gt
Beam
11 m / 36 ft
Cruising Speed
11 kn / 20 kph / 13 mph
Staterooms / Suites Deck Plans Dining

Traveler Reviews

4.0

Overall rating based on 2 Reviews

Itinerary
4.5
Transport
5.0
Guide
5.0
Accommodation
5.0
Food
5.0
Tour Operator
4.4

S
Spence
January 11th, 2022
3
I am rating this as Good. All went well on the trip - not as many markets open as some closed before we got there or...
I am rating this as Good. All went well on the trip - not as many markets open as some closed before we got there or were not open that day we were there. The surprise outside the door was a bit underwhelming - gigantic item to put into luggage already full of purchases - would have been better to have smaller and easier to pack. The staff was excellent and friendly. A last minute change on Covid testing caused some frustration and I felt like the ball dropped on helping the customer. Cologne for 3day prior to flying testing had to change to Amsterdam 24hr testing. We were told this and basically was said you have to do it we are not doing anything now there is a QR code. I felt like - we are done with you now - your problem not ours. I figured out the QR code but then a list of 15 locations came up - some were 20 miles away some 8 miles. I finally went to the Cruise Director and said - "okay which one of these do we pick that is closest walking distance from the ship"? At least he figured it out which took a bit of time. A map to the area would have helped as it took 4 of us over 45 minutes to finally find the testing site. At least we got it done - and had 3 hrs to look around after before the 5pm curfew started on Amsterdam. Other than those few things the trip was nice. First time on Ama and probably will use my other lines instead - far more customer friendly in getting you taken care of with testing etc. But it was a nice trip.Show more
Traveled in December 2021
P
Paul
September 7th, 2018
5
Fantastic trip all staff amazing
Traveled in August 2018

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Upcoming departures

From Sunday
29 Mar, 2026
To Sunday
5 Apr, 2026
English
From:
US $6,898 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Sunday
12 Apr, 2026
To Sunday
19 Apr, 2026
English
From:
US $6,198 per person
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
19 May, 2026
To Tuesday
26 May, 2026
English
AmaSerena
From:
US $6,698 per person
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
9 Jun, 2026
To Tuesday
16 Jun, 2026
English
From:
US $5,298 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
16 Jun, 2026
To Tuesday
23 Jun, 2026
English
AmaSerena
From:
US $5,298 per person
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
23 Jun, 2026
To Tuesday
30 Jun, 2026
English
From:
US $5,198 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
30 Jun, 2026
To Tuesday
7 Jul, 2026
English
AmaSerena
From:
US $4,998 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
7 Jul, 2026
To Tuesday
14 Jul, 2026
English
From:
US $6,398 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
14 Jul, 2026
To Tuesday
21 Jul, 2026
English
AmaSerena
From:
US $4,899 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250
From Tuesday
21 Jul, 2026
To Tuesday
28 Jul, 2026
English
From:
US $4,998 per person
Multiple Room Types
Port Charge
$250

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More benefits

Can’t find the answer to your question?

From

US $3,898 per person

+ $250 Port Charge

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Booking needs min. 2 travelers

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 276155

Currencies
€
Euro
France, Germany and Netherlands
Fr.
Swiss Franc
Switzerland
Plugs & Adapters
As a traveler from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for type J.
Type J
Switzerland
Vaccines
- These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
- Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Germany.Switzerland. Ideally 6 months before travel.
Visa
- Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
- Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
Payment information
- For any tour departing before June 16th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after June 16th, 2026, a minimum payment of $400 is required to confirm your booking with AmaWaterways. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 95 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
- The following cards are accepted for "AmaWaterways" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
Cancellation Policy
- TourRadar can request AmaWaterways to hold spaces for you for up to 48 hours without any credit card details.
- TourRadar is an authorized Agent of AmaWaterways. Please familiarize yourself with the AmaWaterways payment, cancellation and refund conditions.
Accessibility
Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps (Christmas Cruise) 2026

Itinerary

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Included Activities

Cologne

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Rüdesheim

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Ludwigshafen

Optional Activities

Strasbourg

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Basel

Optional Activities

Basel to Departure

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What's Included

What's Not Included