GoldenPass & the Romantic Rhine

Your holiday begins this morning as we meet at London St Pancras. Aboard the Eurostar, we head to Amsterdam, where our magnificent ship awaits us. We're greeted onboard by our friendly crew and sip on a welcome cocktail while taking in the waterside views.

Take some time to familiarise yourself with our hotel on the river and settle into your comfortable cabin. Later this evening, we have our first dinner onboard accompanied by a traditional Dutch Sea Shanty choir performance - the perfect start to our cruise.

• Dinner

After breakfast this morning, you have the choice of two excursions. The first is a tour of Amsterdam, featuring a canal boat cruise with stunning views of the city's picturesque waterways and architecture. Crossed by more than a thousand bridges and lined by gabled mansions, the canals reveal the history and charm of Amsterdam - a city unlike anywhere else.

Alternatively, you could choose a visit to Volendam and Edam to uncover their cheese heritage. As well as being famed for Dutch cheese, Volendam is a stunning old town, with traditional houses lining serene canals and a small harbour.

Back onboard this afternoon, we begin our first sail toward Cologne.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Optional Excursions

Amsterdam Canal Cruise

Take a wonderful canal boat tour of vibrant Amsterdam, a city famous for its pretty canals and bridges,... More

Uncovering Volendam

Visit Volendam and Edam to uncover their cheese heritage. As well as being famed for Dutch cheese, Volendam... More

As we approach the city of Cologne this morning, you can admire the cityscape of magnificent bridges that span the river and the imposing cathedral. After breakfast, a guided tour of the city introduces us to its streets and squares before we visit the impressive Gothic cathedral which is the largest in northern Europe. The intricate spires and magnificent stained-glass windows of this UNESCO-listed landmark are captivating as we marvel at the grand architecture.

Following lunch, we head to Königswinter to experience the Drachenfels railway. This cog railway rises high into the forests, passing the fairytale Drachenfels castle - whose name translates to 'Dragon's Rock', inspiring many of the dragon-related legends still heard today. Wonderful views across the Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany unfold as we climb higher. After dinner, we depart Königswinter toward the serene waters of the Moselle River.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During a morning of relaxed cruising, our luxurious ship navigates the tranquil waters of the Moselle River, passing the rolling hills of the Moselle Valley towards Cochem. This attractive town is a maze of slender alleys adorned with pastel-coloured buildings and half-timbered houses, dominated by the 11th-century Reichsburg Castle.

After lunch onboard, we embark on a guided tour where we admire the fairytale Reichsburg. In Cochem's Old Town, we find well-preserved sections of the ancient walls and a former monastery that now houses a cultural centre. Following the tour, there's time to explore the picturesque streets at leisure. The central square is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and shops. It's a great place to soak up the local atmosphere.

We continue sailing after dinner on board as we journey back downstream towards Koblenz, where we leave the Moselle behind and rejoin the Rhine.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

There is time at leisure this morning to explore Koblenz, once a Roman stronghold. We recommend strolling to Deutsches Eck at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers where you'll be surrounded by inspiring vistas including the mighty Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. We then begin sailing again and, after lunch, enjoy a highlight of our cruising experience - the Rhine Gorge.

This section of the Rhine is renowned for its spectacular views and the best place to witness them is from the top deck of our ship. We wind around bends surrounded by endless miles of green vineyards, ancient castles, and riverside towns. As we sail, we hear the story of the legendary Lorelei Rock which soars almost 500 feet out of the water.

Docking in Rüdesheim, a land train takes us through steeped vineyards to the centre of the renowned wine town. Here is a choice of excursions, each promising an insight into the Rüdesheim. You could experience why this town is famous for its wine with a tasting, savouring the finest local varieties. Alternatively, you could visit Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet and discover Europe's largest collection of finely tuned mechanical instruments.

After dinner this evening, there is time to explore the town's cobbled streets at your own pace.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During breakfast, we pause in the city of Mannheim. Stepping on land, we journey by coach to Heidelberg for a guided tour. This university town is known for its Old Town and riverfront which is perfect for a relaxing stroll. Our tour includes a visit to the magnificent ruined red sandstone castle that towers over the city, providing views of the surrounding forests, river, and cityscape.

Alternatively, you could stay onboard as we take the short cruise to Speyer. Arriving later this afternoon, you can discover the city at your own pace. There's a beautiful Old Town and among the highlights is the city's cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Returning to our ship, we enjoy dinner and a restful overnight sailing upstream.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sailing into the city of Strasbourg after breakfast, there's a choice of two excursions. The first is a trip into the Black Forest to witness its fairytale panoramas. Experience the beauty of Germany's largest nature park filled with rolling hills, picturesque villages, dense forests, and meadows dotted with wildflowers. As you explore, you'll learn about the enchanting history and folklore of the region.

Alternatively, you could have a city tour of Strasbourg, discovering its history and grand architecture. The city sits on the French-German border and blends the best of the two cultures, with half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. On the tour, we visit its cathedral and La Petite France district.

Following your excursion this afternoon, we return to our ship for lunch and begin our final cruise towards Switzerland, enjoying the vistas enroute.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Optional Excursions

Strasbourg City Tour

On the tour, we visit its striking cathedral and the quaint La Petite France district. Home to tanners,... More

Black Forest

Explore the magical Black Forest to witness stunning views. Germany's largest nature park filled with rolling... More

After our last breakfast onboard this morning, we disembark in Basel. From here, we journey the scenic rail route to Interlaken, a town set between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and the peaks of the Bernese Oberland. On arrival, we check into our hotel which has spectacular views of the surrounding scenery. The town's compact size means that most of its sights can be discovered on foot with an afternoon at leisure.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today sees us boarding the stylish, royal blue and gold panoramic carriages of the GoldenPass Express for an incredible journey from lakeside palm trees to snow-capped mountains. This route is a feat of engineering that has been more than 100 years in the making. Innovative cutting-edge technology now means the train can adapt its gauge, negating the need to change trains at Zweisimmen.

Leaving Interlaken, we pass Lake Thun at Spiez and our panoramic carriages mean we get better views of the lake and fairytale castle than any other tours of the region. We then wind up the hills to the halfway point of this three-hour journey - Gstaad, the mountain resort favoured by Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore.

The last stretch of our journey to Montreux takes us through untamed pine forests and rolling mountains of the Pays-d'Enhaut highlands which are dotted with small villages and alpine meadows. Arriving at our destination we check into our hotel for the night.

You are at leisure for the afternoon in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, framed by the majestic Alps. You could explore the Old Town with its cobblestone streets and historic buildings, indulge in a lakeside lunch at one of the cosy cafes, or visit the iconic Chillon Castle, steeped in medieval history.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast this morning, we make our way to the railway station for our train to Paris. As we board the Eurostar to London St Pancras, look back on the moments we shared. Along the Rhine, we experienced the fairytale scenes of the Rhine Gorge, timeless culture in Rüdesheim, and renowned architecture in Heidelberg, Speyer and Cochem. Your holiday ended with incredible sights of mountainous Switzerland, from Interlaken, the GoldenPass Express and Montreux. In London, we say goodbye and you can make your way home with these new memories.

• Breakfast