What are the dates of this trip?

This itinerary operates on multiple dates in the month of March of 2026. The ship that will be sailing on the 18-25th March 2026 is known as the Emerald Sun.

How long is this deal available ?

The deal is avilable as long as the cabins remain. If you could kindly let us know your dates of travel we could share pricing and relevant details.

Early Season on the Rhine 2026

8 days

•

From Amsterdam to Basel

4.1

31 traveler reviews

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Plan your adventure:

Operator: Emerald Cruises
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 - 182
Ages 12+

Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

Day 1
Amsterdam
Day 2
Amsterdam
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Canal cruise through Amsterdam's UNESCO World Heritage-listed canal system
- Clog painting on board
Optional Activities
- Dutch Delights (extra expense)
- Private Hidden Gems tour of Amsterdam (extra expense)
Landmarks
Amsterdam Canal System
Day 3
Cologne
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Panoramic tour of Düsseldorf
- Guided tour of Cologne's Old Town
- Cocktail-making demonstration on board
Optional Activities
- German Beer Experience (extra expense)
Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral
Rhine River
Day 4
Koblenz
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks served with dinner on board)
Included Activities
- Visit a wine museum
- Cooking demo on board
Optional Activities
- Moselle Valley & Cochem Castle visit (extra expense)
Landmarks
Koblenz
Day 5
Heidelberg
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Heidelberg including Heidelberg Castle
Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Day 6
Strasbourg
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Panoramic walking tour of Strasbourg's Old Town
Optional Activities
- Baden Baden Spa experience (extra expense)
Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
Maison Kammerzell
Petite France
Day 7
Black Forest
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Freiburg with Black Forest delicacies tasting
Optional Activities
- Guided bike tour through Breisach
- Guided tour of Colmar (extra expense)
Landmarks
Black Forest
Day 8
Basel
Meals
Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
Landmarks
Basel

Landmarks
Amsterdam Canal System

Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral
Rhine River

Landmarks
Koblenz

Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle

Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
Maison Kammerzell
Petite France

Landmarks
Black Forest

Landmarks
Basel

What's Included

Expand All

Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Additional Services
Transport

What's Not Included

Flights
Insurance
Optional
Additional Services

Operated by

Emerald Cruises

4.1

(31 reviews)

Number of tours

684

Age Range

12 to 90 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

88%

There’s nothing quite like an Emerald Waterways river cruise. From Europe to...

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

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Emerald Cruises Ship

Emerald Sun
A sister ship to Emerald Dawn, Star, Sky and Destiny, Emerald Sun is yet another amazing choice for your European getaway. You will notic… Read more
Built
2015
Guests
182
Crew
47
Length
135m
Suites
92
Staterooms / Suites Deck Plans Dining

Reviews from other tours by Emerald Cruises

Tour Operator
4.1

Lynn
July 23rd, 2025
5.0
This is the best river cruise we have had. The itinerary, staff, and organisation was excellent. The atmosphere was...
Show more
Mark
April 25th, 2023
4.0
It was not excellent but good…entertainment lacked they had a girl singing that was one of the bartenders and some...
It was not excellent but good…entertainment lacked they had a girl singing that was one of the bartenders and some bell ringers..tours were good.We had one issue we found out that people that were going to train station had their fare covered and we thought transfer was just to airport.both were 30 mins away from port.some people had their fare covered to train station .we had to pay 75 euro.this we found unfair.food was good and waiters were exceptional but rest of staff mainly cruise director didn’t go above and beyond.Show more

Dates & Availability

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Upcoming departures

Hurry, deals only available for a limited time!

Ends in1d1h37m18s

-4%
From Saturday
6 Mar, 2027
To Saturday
13 Mar, 2027
English
From:
$3,145
US $3,007 per person
Start Amsterdam, End Zurich, 2027 Version
View this tour
-4%
From Saturday
13 Mar, 2027
To Saturday
20 Mar, 2027
English
From:
$3,145
US $3,007 per person
Start Zurich, 2027 Version
View this tour
-4%
From Saturday
13 Mar, 2027
To Saturday
20 Mar, 2027
English
From:
$3,145
US $3,007 per person
2027 Version
View this tour
-4%
From Saturday
20 Mar, 2027
To Saturday
27 Mar, 2027
English
From:
$3,145
US $3,007 per person
Start Amsterdam, End Zurich, 2027 Version
View this tour

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