2 – 17 September 2025
15 DAYS • 5 COUNTRIES
NETHERLANDS • GERMANY • FRANCE • SWITZERLAND • ITALY
Earlybird discount of $1,400 per room applies until 29 October 2024*
I’m so excited to bring you this gorgeous, fully-escorted tour, which we have designed exclusively for my readers which includes a luxury cruise and a bespoke land itinerary to take you into some beautiful places across Europe.
It includes an seven-day all-inclusive luxury cruise on the Rhine, and eight days on land staying in boutique hotels and enjoying excursions with our own private guides.
We begin in Amsterdam with two nights pre-cruise in a boutique 4* star so we can explore this beautiful city. We have a private guided walking tour to get our bearings, and plenty of free time to explore and shop and eat at our leisure.
Then we board Uniworld’s SS Antoinette, where we have French Balcony cabins, to slide our doors back and enjoy the river views from our own bed if we want to!
This Castles Along the Rhine cruise with Uniworld has the most all-inclusive features of any of the river cruises. That means not only delicious farm-to-table meals, but also unlimited premium wines and spirits. Plus daily guided excursions, and use of bicycles, if you fancy heading off for a little ride.
There is also free Wifi, a fitness centre, wellness classes, and fun onboard entertainment. Gratuities are also included, so there are no surprises at the end of our trip.
We will have private experiences just arranged for cruise passengers, like visiting a museum after hours, or a famous landmark, or local nightlife. Our guides will reveal local gems as we explore villages, find treats to eat, or maybe go golfing or kayaking.
You can also book curated excursions directly with the cruise company for an extra cost if you want to taste cheese with a cheese affineur in Rüdesheim, for example, or ride through the streets of Bordeaux in a retro sidecar. You’ll get a private car and guide and can tailor your day to suit.
Cologne, Germany
History buffs will enjoy a tour through Cologne’s Old Town, where three medieval gates remain standing, as does the old city hall with its Renaissance façade.
Wander through the city’s historical center and take in its charming atmosphere, narrow alleyways flanked by old houses, and countless breweries, with ample free time to explore on your own.
Koblenz, Germany
Where the Moselle melds with the Rhine. Today we’ll get to know Koblenz, an historic town with a colourful past and eclectic architecture, and enjoy a visit to the stunningly medieval Marksburg Castle.
As we come upon picture-perfect Koblenz, we’ll sail past Deutsches Eck (German Corner) with its historic monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I.
If you’re feeling energetic, uou can take a 12.5 mile guided cycle tour and see the beautiful fishing village of Spay, take a break at a local beer garden, and bike back along the Rhine Cycle Path to return to the ship. That sounds like me!
Rüdesheim, Germany
Today we experience Germany’s fabled Rhine River towns of Rüdesheim and Boppard. Enjoy a private tasting of estate-grown Rieslings at Castle Vollrads, take a stroll through beautiful Boppard, or hike through some of the most beautiful landscapes that line the Rhine.
This morning, we’ll cruise out of Rüdesheim and into the sublimely beautiful and romantic Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
Germersheim (Speyer), Germany
Speyer—“spire” in English—is well named, since the four red towers of the Romanesque cathedral dominate the Old Town.
If you’re interested in automotive history, trains, or aeronautical technology, you’ll enjoy a stop at the Technik Museum, home to Europe’s largest space flight exhibition. Get up close and personal with an original jumbo jet, submarine, and rescue sea cruises. See the Russian space shuttle BURAN, an original moonstone, space suits, a Soyuz landing capsule, as well as locomotives, vintage cars, motorcycles, and thousands of other exhibits.
Or just roam at your leisure and bring back stories to share with us over canapés later.
Strasbourg, France
This city is the most beautiful in Europe I reckon! Not to say that I’ve seen every single city, but I chose this Rhine cruise because it has Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region, on the itinerary.
Today we will see Strasbourg on foot with a local expert, who will guide us through this historic town with its cobbled lanes, half-timbered homes, giant stork nests, and mouth-watering pastry shops. The city is wrapped by the river Ill and flower boxes spill over the walls and from window sills.
Kehl, directly across the river from Strasbourg, will be our ship’s base while we explore the Alsatian capital. If you’re feeling adventurous, take advantage of Uniworld’s bicycles or Nordic walking sticks and explore the banks of the river.
The afternoon will be free to explore on our own- and take hundreds of photos!
Breisach, Germany
Breisach is our gateway to the Alsatian Wine Road and our launching point for an excursion along the celebrated Route des Vins, which hugs the foothills of the Vosges mountain range.
Step into a storybook today during a visit to the Alsatian town of Kayersberg. This tour pairs side-by-side with the “Alsatian Villages” excursion. Don’t miss a local favorite treat: Kugelhopf, a yummy Bundt cake traditional to Alsace.
Basel, Switzerland
Today is our last day on the cruise, but our tour is only half way through! After we disembark, we set off in a private coach to Lucerne and have arranged local guides to meet us along the way and reveal their favourite places.
Lucerne, Switzerland – 2 nights
Lucerne is a city of two halves, the old historic part and the new. We have a morning guided walk, and the afternoon is free time to explore on your own. Or stick with me! That’s the beauty of my tours, you never have to be alone – unless you want to be! I will let you know what I’m doing, and those who wish to, can join me.
Mark Twain said of the famous Lion sculpture that is here in Lucerne, it is the saddest sculpture he had ever seen. We will hear the story of why it was carved and placed in the historic part of this lake city. The iconic Chapel Bridge is a must see, and we’ll have free time to explore as well.
Stresa, Italy – 2 nights
We’ve chosen Stresa as our base for two nights so we can visit Lake Maggiore and Lake Como on our way out to Milan.
We have hired water boats and local guides for our excursions and will enjoy getting our George Clooney on while we motor on the lakes, and explore the islands and lakeside towns. We’ll eat delicious local food, enjoy tastings, learn all about this region and have time to shop or dine at our leisure.
Milan, Italy – 2 nights
We will stop at Lake Como today on our way to Milan and enjoy lunch there.
The next day we will have a walking tour in Milan, then free time. Our last supper will be tonight – after we have visited Leonardo’s Last Supper!
Add on your own stops
This tour finishes in Milan, so we can have easy access to several international flights, or maybe you want to add on a few more days and explore more of Italy. It’s only around three hours by train to Venice, or two hours to Genoa.
We can arrange flights and accommodation, private guides and transfers, so let us know at the time of booking if you’d like some more ideas, or if you already know where you’d like to go, let us book it for you and take the hassle out of it.
Costs of this fully escorted luxury European Tour
What you get:
- 15 nights accommodation
- 15 breakfasts, 7 dinners
- Other meals as noted (and all those on the cruise)
- All drinks on the cruise
- Private guides
- Private luxury coaches and drivers
- Private tours and excursions
- All entry fees to attractions, as listed
- Your host, Megan Singleton
- Personal assistance from Weka Travel
Cost: NZ$21,225pp twin share
Single supplement: NZ$11,325
*To be eligible for the $1,400 earlybird discount per room, a deposit of $5,000pp is payable by 29 October 2024.
Or, secure your spot for $2000 deposit per person today.
If this tour sounds like you, mail me for a registration form: [email protected]
Ts & Cs
This itinerary has been carefully planned each day, but there may be occasions when plans have to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. We cannot be held responsible for any changes to this itinerary.
Note from Uniworld: The itineraries presented are subject to modification due to water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but changes may still be necessary throughout the cruise. This day-to-day schedule is subject to change. Your final day-to-day schedule will be provided onboard on the first day of your cruise.
Travel insurance is a requirement of this tour. Please ensure your policy is on file with us before we depart.
Flights are additional. This is because they are so variable, including where people are travelling from and to, who wants to use air miles, who wants to travel on specific airlines, where people would like to stop over, etc. We will contact you personally to arrange your flights, or you are welcome to meet us in Amsterdam and depart from Milan under your own arrangements.