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Explore Ashore on a river cruise
Join a Europe cruise excursion to experience local culture
River cruising’s main attraction is exploring a number of towns and cities in a single trip, unlike a traditional holiday. It is like having numerous city breaks in one go. But where could you visit, and why should you explore ashore with us?
Excursions included on every cruise
Every Saga river cruise includes a selection of excursions in the price, designed especially for you. New for our 2026 season, every cruise includes an excursion in every port!
All our river cruise excursions allow you to explore the port and its surrounding areas while learning about its culture and history, often with a local guide.
The Danube
Cruise along Europe’s second-longest river and enjoy included excursions in eight beautiful countries, rich in history. Highlights include Budapest, Vienna, the Iron Gates Gorge and the Danube Delta.
Explore our Danube river cruisesThe Rhine
Discover quaint wine towns, lively cities and picturesque scenery as you sail the Rhine, complete with verdant vineyards crowned by fairytale castles.
Explore our Rhine river cruisesDutch and Belgian Waterways
Enjoy cruising through unique countryside and exploring iconic, historic sites along the waterways of Belgium and the Netherlands. These include Flanders Fields, the Keukenhof Gardens and vibrant Amsterdam.
Explore our Dutch and Belgian river cruisesThe Moselle
A tributary of the Rhine river, the Moselle winds its way from France to Koblenz in Germany. Expect picturesque scenery, traditional houses and ancient castles as you sail this scenic river.
Explore our Moselle river cruisesThe Douro
Step aboard Douro Serenity and sail through the beautiful landscapes of Portugal under the Iberian sun. With up to eight included excursions, our Douro cruises are packed with great experiences.
Explore our Douro river cruisesNew river cruise experiences in 2026 and 2027
Our 2026 and 2027 river cruises feature an exciting selection of included excursions and experiences…
Watch André Rieu live in concert
Back by popular demand for 2026 and 2027, enjoy a cruise and concert with André Rieu in his hometown of Maastricht. Everyone who joins one of these cruises is guaranteed tickets to the concert, but we expect it to sell very fast!
Image credit © Marcel van Hoorn
Explore our André Rieu river cruises
Enjoy a mini cruise
Looking to try our river cruises? Take a look at our shorter five-night cruises. These shorter cruises have been very popular with our guests – they are the ideal way to get a taste of a river you would like to explore, and to treat yourself to an all-inclusive European break.
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Cruise and stay itineraries
Our cruise and stay itineraries offer the chance for you to get a deeper insight into European cities. Begin your European river cruise in 2027 with a short break in the cultured capital city of Prague or try one of our already popular sailings in the historic cities of Budapest or Vienna?
View our cruise and stay cruises
Sail the scenic Moselle
In 2026, Spirit of the Moselle will be cruising the river that inspired her name. Look forward to discovering the beauty, history and culture of destinations such as Trier, Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel.
Explore our Moselle river cruises
See the Keukenhof Gardens in bloom
Springtime sees Holland’s famous Keukenhof Gardens transform into a carpet of over 800 tulip varieties, as well as hyacinths and daffodils. Wander at leisure along the flower-lined paths, past eye-catching sculptures and surprise bursts of colour at every turn – you may even find inspiration for your own garden!
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Visit Würzburg and the Residence Palace
An important city in the Middle Ages, Würzburg boasts the UNESCO-recognised Residence Palace. Visit the Baroque palace on an included walking tour, admire the rich array of art and furnishings, and choose to stroll the manicured gardens.
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The Iron Gates Gorge
Be amazed as your cruise through the dramatic scenery of the Iron Gates Gorge. The soaring cliffs of the gorge are best seen from the Danube as it meanders past the striking limestone of the Carpathians. Along the way pass by the Decebalus rock – the impressive carving of the last Dacian king is the largest of its kind in Europe.
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Optional excursions
If you’re interested in exploring more of your destination and getting a deeper look into its culture, history and landscapes, you can opt to join one of our optional Europe cruise excursions, designed by our team of destination experts.
These include scenic land train journeys, museum visits, wine tastings and visits to lush gardens and nature reserves. We’ll send you all the details a few weeks before you sail so you can pre-book.
Our top excursion destinations
The Danube: Budapest
Hungary’s capital is made up of two parts built on either side of the Danube, Buda and Pest. While they’ve been united in 1873 and joined by the Széchenyi Chain Bridge since 1849, the cities each have a distinct character. Explore Budapest’s fascinating history on included walking tours and enjoy free time throughout your visit.
Discover our Danube river cruisesThe Rhine: Rüdesheim
Rüdesheim is a quaint little wine town situated on the banks of the Rhine, overlooked by verdant vineyards. Explore cobbled streets lined with traditional half-timbered houses and perhaps visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, home to the world's largest collection of immersive self-playing instruments.
Discover our Rhine river cruisesDutch Waterways: Amsterdam and Keukenhof Gardens
Amsterdam is a walkable city full of attractions, from canal tours to museum visits, shopping to the café culture. As you cruise through the Netherlands, you can also visit Keukenhof Gardens from Zaandam, where you can discover a huge range of floral delights.
Discover our Dutch and Belgian river cruisesThe Moselle: Cochem
The small town of Cochem enjoys a beautiful setting beside the Moselle and is overlooked by the neo-Gothic Reichsburg Castle. You may wish to visit this picturesque castle and learn about its colourful past, or perhaps take a scenic land train journey around Cochem.
Discover our Moselle river cruisesThe Douro: Oporto and Lisbon
Our Douro cruises are packed with excursions and exciting destinations. In Oporto you can enjoy visiting traditional wine cellars and sampling the region’s specialty, port wine. While visiting Lisbon you can learn about the capital’s rich history on a guided tour, or maybe enjoy a Fado show and meal.
Discover our Douro river cruises
Excursion availability
All of our river cruises include excursions at selected ports. Take a look at our excursion availability page to see when excursions are available to book.
Find out moreImportant Information
§ Travel Insurance is underwritten by Astrenska Insurance Limited, subject to medical screening. A price reduction will be applied if the included travel insurance is not required. Pre-departure cover (cancellation rights) is provided by Saga and is only available when taking out the included insurance. Read More
