Festive Markets & the Magical Rhine Valley

We travel to Cologne and settle aboard our ship for a relaxing evening. 

After breakfast we visit the beautiful city of Cologne. The hive of festive activity takes place around the cathedral and the old town, where you will find a maze of pretty stalls offering outstanding arts and crafts. There are also a number of smaller markets to enjoy including the Harbour Christmas Market held on the Rhine. We rejoin the ship for lunch and continue cruising down the Rhine to Bonn, the former capital of Germany and birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. Enjoy free time this afternoon to explore the city’s rich architectural heritage, not forgetting its magical Christmas markets. Relax onboard this evening as we berth overnight in Bonn. 

This morning we cruise down river to Koblenz, which sits at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. We’ll arrive around lunch time and this afternoon is free for you to visit the Koblenz Christmas markets, which feature over 130 festively decorated wooden stalls offering a range of handmade gifts and Christmas decorations. Enjoy a glass of red or white glüwein whilst listening to festive music playing and explore the city’s quaint lanes and atmospheric squares filled with beautiful old buildings. We return to the ship later this afternoon for an early evening sailing to Boppard, where we berth overnight. 

Admire the scenery as we continue our cruise to Oberwesel this morning. On arrival you can join our optional excursion to Rüdesheim for a visit to the wonderful Mechanical Music Museum of Siegfried and a glass of glüwein before enjoying some free time in the delightful Christmas markets which are held in the town’s chocolate box old quarter. Later this afternoon we’ll rejoin the ship in Andernach. For those not joining the optional excursion you are free to relax on board as we sail to Andernach where we berth overnight. 

This morning we bid farewell to our captain and crew and disembark for the return journey to the UK.