Cologne at dusk- Koblenz
- Medieval Miltenberg
- Würzburg
Cologne and the Scenic Rhine Gorge
The Rhine and her Tributaries
from
£2,249 per person
9 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.
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Return UK travel service
Explore the cultural sights of the Rhine and Main Rivers
Set off on an all-inclusive 9-night river cruise aboard Spirit of the Moselle visiting a succession of cultural cities along the banks of the Rhine and Main in Germany.
Spend an afternoon in the city of Bonn, where an included coach tour will reveal sights such as the Romanesque Minster Cathedral and the University of Bonn, before you alight to explore further on foot with a local guide.
Next, cruise to Cologne to spend a full day exploring the city independently. Cologne’s main attraction is the twin-spired Gothic cathedral which dominates the skyline. Sail overnight to Koblenz, a historic city overlooked by the vast Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, then sail overnight to Frankfurt. Enjoy an included coach tour of the city before getting up close on foot. In the central square, Römerberg, you can see the medieval Römer complex with their distinctive stepped gables.
After a full day in Frankfurt, you spend a day cruising the Main towards Würzburg. Here, join an included guided walking tour of the Residence Palace, followed by a walking tour through the historic city centre of Würzburg.
Continuing along the Main River, Spirit of the Moselle will negotiate a number of locks, which enable vessels to navigate the differences in height along the river. Enjoy an afternoon in Miltenberg, where the old town, enclosed within ancient walls and gates, is home to picturesque cobblestone streets of half-timbered houses and old wine taverns.
Finally, sail overnight to Mainz, with its medieval market squares and Romanesque sandstone cathedral.
Presenter and consultant Nick Hewer (July 9, 2025 departure)
Nick is a television presenter, company director and former public relations consultant. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College in Ireland and moved to London in the 1960s to join a PR consultancy as a trainee. Within six years he had joined the board and eventually became the company’s sole shareholder. In 1983, Nick’s PR consultancy added the Amstrad Group, founded by Alan Sugar, to its client list and Nick became responsible for the media handling and promotion of all his expanding activities. In 1998 Nick sold his PR consultancy, but continued to represent Lord Sugar’s interests and those of the Secretariat of HH the Aga Khan, another long-term client, until his retirement in 2004, when he moved to France. However, having become good friends with Lord Sugar, Nick was persuaded to join him as his on-screen advisor on BBC One’s The Apprentice. Nick’s other television credits include Countdown, BBC’s Bake Off and The Pilgrimage.
Silversmith Supercrafter, Mark Vardy (August 1, 2025 departure)
Enjoy inspiring craft workshops with Silversmith Supercrafter, Mark Vardy and his assistant Richard Bridge. Look forward to projects such as braided bracelets using a kumihimo disk, necklaces and tote bags. All projects have a practical use, but they are also lovely keepsakes and reminders of a memorable cruise.
Television horticulturalist and journalist, Anne Swithinbank (September 16, 2025 departure)
Horticulturalist Anne Swithinbank’s fascination with plants and nature began at a young age and led her to study for her Kew Diploma in Horticulture. For over 30 years she has been a regular panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, and she continues to write for Amateur Gardening magazine. Anne will give two on-board talks during September 16, 2025 departure.
Wine expert Oz Clarke (October 9, 2025 departure)
Oz Clarke is one of the world’s leading wine experts, whose formidable reputation is based on his extensive wine knowledge and abundant enthusiasm. His passion for the subject dates from his student days at Oxford University, where he won tasting competitions at an early age. Since then his tasting skills have won him an international reputation, and he is acknowledged as having one of the finest palates of anyone writing about wine today. Oz’s frequent television and radio appearances are broadcast around the world. Before wine took over his life in 1984, Oz was a full-time actor and singer, appearing in West End hit shows such as ‘Evita’, ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘The Mitford Girls’, and touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Oz will entertain you with two on-board talks during your cruise.
Itinerary
Spirit of the Moselle
Travel to Mainz and embark Spirit of the Moselle.
Depart Mainz, 0200.
Arrive Bonn, 1200. Depart 1800.
Arrive Cologne, 2100.
After a morning cruising the Rhine you arrive in Bonn, capital of West Germany from 1949 until 1999 and the birthplace of famous composer Beethoven. Enjoy an walking tour to see attractions such as the Romanesque Minster Cathedral and the University of Bonn, which was formerly the Elector’s Palace – with its elegant Hofgarten and the baroque City Hall.
Depart 2000.
Founded by the Romans, Cologne has long been an important trading centre and was once home to the composers Schumann and Mendelssohn. The city’s main attraction is the twin-spired Gothic cathedral which dominates the skyline. There are also baroque palaces, medieval churches and a 16th-century City Hall. Perhaps venture into the medieval Old Town, home to characteristic stores and guilds, and visit the Alter Markt, which is reached uphill over cobblestones.
Continue sailing this evening and overnight.
There will be a complimentary shuttle service into the city dependant on the distance of the ship’s berth.
Arrive Koblenz, 0800. Depart 1400.
Scenic Cruise, Middle Rhine Gorge.
Koblenz, meaning 'merging of the rivers', is situated on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. At the exact point where the two rivers meet, the Deutsches Eck, there is a monument with a huge equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I. Above the town sits the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a citadel built by the Prussians between 1816 and 1832.
Sail through the afternoon and overnight.
Arrive 0800. Depart 2000.
The bustling city of Frankfurt sits beside the Main river and, depending on your mooring, can be reached using our complimentary transfer service. The medieval old town, in the heart of the city, is lined with half-timbered buildings, boutiques and quaint apple-wine taverns. In the central square, Römerberg, you can see the medieval Römer complex with their distinctive stepped gables and opposite is the Old St Nicholas church.
See more of Frankfurt by coach and on foot during an included excursion this morning.
Sail overnight.
Spend the day aboard Spirit of the Moselle, enjoying the facilities on board. Continue sailing overnight.
Arrive 0800. Depart 1800.
An important city in the Middle Ages, Würzburg features numerous baroque buildings erected by the prince-bishops of the Schönborn family in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Residence Palace, one of Europe’s most renowned baroque castles, was built here between 1720 and 1724 for the prince-bishop Johann Philipp Franz, who commissioned master builder Balthasar Neumann to create the 'palace of all palaces'.
An included excursion this morning visits the Residence Palace for a guided walking tour, followed by a walking tour through the historic city centre of Würzburg in the company of a local guide.
Continue sailing overnight.
Arrive 1400. Depart 1900.
Miltenberg is set in the scenic Main valley, between the Odenwald and the Spessart Mountains. The oldest part of the city lies on the left bank of the Main below a steep wooded hill, crowned by a 13th-century castle. The old town, enclosed within ancient walls and gates, is home to picturesque cobblestone streets of half-timbered houses and old wine taverns.
Arrive Mainz, 1200.
Mainz is known for its medieval market squares, half-timbered houses, Romanesque sandstone cathedral and St Stephen’s church, which features stained glass windows by renowned artist Marc Chagall. Behind the cathedral in Gutenberg square is a statue of the father of modern printing Johannes Gutenberg, who was born in Mainz in the 14th century.
For October 9, 2025 departures
Arrive Aschaffenburg, 0800. Depart 1400.
The city of Aschaffenburg is set beside the Main River. The riverbank is dominated by the Renaissance Johannisburg Palace. It’s a vast complex, with four wings and two towers, built in the 17th century. In the old quarter, on Theaterplatz square, is a fine neo-classical theatre, arcade and fountains. Nearby, there is a replica of a Roman villa discovered in Pompeii – the Pompejanum – commissioned by King Ludwig I and built between 1840-1848.
Disembark Spirit of the Moselle after breakfast and begin your return journey.
For October 9, 2025 departures
Arrive Nierstein, 0800.
Disembark Spirit of the Moselle after breakfast and begin your return journey.
Including...
All Inclusive†
Cruise Director
Plus…
- Drinks reception and Farewell dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- All gratuities on board
- Return flights and transfers.
Included excursions
- Tour of Frankfurt by coach and on foot
- Tour of Bonn by coach and on foot
- Würzburg and the Residence Palace
Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration.
†The included drinks are available from 9am to midnight and include non-branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
from
£2,249 per person
9 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.
from
£2,249 per person
9 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.