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Jewels of the Rhine 2024|2025 - 8 Days

8 days
From Zurich to Amsterdam
3.0
2 traveler reviews

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:
River Cruise
Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 182
Ages 12+
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Basel

    You'll arrive at Zurich airport and get picked up for the drive to Basel, where your Emerald Cruises Star-Ship is waiting. After getting your cabin sorted and meeting the captain and crew, you'll head to dinner with the other passengers on board this evening.

    Meals
    Dinner (Dinner on board)

    Included Activities

    • Dinner on board
    Itinerary Image 1Itinerary Image 2Itinerary Image 3
  2. Day 2

    Freiburg

    Take an included guided tour of Freiburg, known as the Capital of the Black Forest, and taste some authentic Black Forest food while you're there. If you'd rather be more active, there's an optional bike tour in Breisach you can do instead.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Freiburg with tasting

    Optional Activities

    • Guided bike tour in Breisach
  3. Day 3

    Strasbourg

    The ship docks in Kehl and you'll head to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace. Walk through the UNESCO Old Town on a guided tour, seeing cobbled squares and half-timbered buildings like Maison Kammerzell and the canal network in Petite France. After that, you'll have free time to wander around on your own.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided walking tour of Strasbourg Old Town
    • Visit to Maison Kammerzell
    • Exploration of Petite France canal network
    Landmarks/POIs
    Strasbourg Old Town
    Maison Kammerzell
    Petite France
  4. Day 4

    Ludwigshafen to Heidelberg

    Spend the morning relaxing on board as the ship sails toward Ludwigshafen along the Rhine, passing where the Rhine and Neckar rivers meet. Then head by coach to Heidelberg and take a guided tour of this UNESCO City of Literature, checking out Heidelberg Castle and other highlights. An optional hike from Mount Königstuhl down to the city is available if you want something more active.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Heidelberg
    • Visit to Heidelberg Castle

    Optional Activities

    • Hike from Mount Königstuhl to Heidelberg
    Landmarks/POIs
    Heidelberg Castle
    Mount Königstuhl
  5. Day 5

    Koblenz

    Cruise to Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet in this 2,000-year-old Roman town. You'll walk through the town center and see the Church of Our Lady and the German Corner on an included orientation walk, then take a cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress for views across the landscape. There's also an optional trip to the Moselle Valley and Cochem Castle if you want to see more.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Orientation walk of Koblenz
    • Visit to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
    • Cable car ride to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress

    Optional Activities

    • Moselle Valley & Cochem Castle visit (extra expense)
    Landmarks/POIs
    Church of Our Lady
    German Corner
    Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
  6. Day 6

    Cologne

    Arrive in Cologne, one of Germany's oldest cities with thousands of years of history behind it. Take an included guided tour through the Old Town, then choose to wander on your own through historic streets discovering local food and cultural spots on the optional 'Seeking the treasures of Cologne' experience.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Cologne's Old Town

    Optional Activities

    • Seeking the treasures of Cologne
    Landmarks/POIs
    Cologne Old Town
  7. Day 7

    Amsterdam

    Start your morning with a choice. Either join an optional guided bike tour to Waterland where you'll see traditional villages and windmills and learn how water is returning to the area, or take an included glass-top canal cruise through Amsterdam's UNESCO canal network seeing buildings from the Dutch Golden Age.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Canal cruise in Amsterdam

    Optional Activities

    • Guided bike tour to Waterland
    Landmarks/POIs
    Amsterdam Canal Network
    Itinerary Image 1Itinerary Image 2Itinerary Image 3
  8. Day 8

    Departure

    After breakfast, you'll say goodbye to the ship and your fellow travelers, then head to the airport with memories of the Black Forest and the charming towns you visited.

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Itinerary Image 1Itinerary Image 2Itinerary Image 3
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Operated by

Emerald Cruises

Number of tours

566

Age Range

12 to 90 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

92%

There’s nothing quite like an Emerald Waterways river cruise. From Europe to...

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Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Emerald Cruises Ship

  • Emerald Sky
    Emerald Sky
    Offering unique river cruising experiences since 2014 on Danube and Rhine to the 182 passengers it can accommodate, Emerald Sky is the perf… Read more
    Capacity
    Built
    2014
    Guests
    180
    Crew
    51
    Length
    135 metres / 443 feet
    Width
    11 m / 36 ft
    Suites
    Staterooms
    Registry
    Gross Tonnage
    3544 gt
    Electricity
    Beam
    Cruising Speed
    13 kn / 24 kph / 15 mph
    Generators
    Engines
    Draft
    Cabin
    91
    Deck
    Deck with Cabins

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Average
    3.0
  • Itinerary
    Good
    4.0
  • Guide
    Good
    4.0
  • Transport
    Rather poor
    2.0
  • Accommodation
    Average
    3.0
  • Food
    Good
    4.0
  • 4.3
  • KR
    · July 22nd, 2024
    The Emerald Website would not allow for early flight dates to be entered when needing a transfer from the airport in Amsterdam. We were forced by Emerald's website to put in the sailing date as our arrival in Amsterdam. I contacted Emerald directly to attempt to reschedule the transfer from the airport to the ship, and was informed that they would not change the time of the transfer to earlier in the day. I then asked to speak to a supervisor to express my issue. After being on hold for several minutes, I was then told it was my responsibility and that a supervisor would not speak with me.
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2024
  • MF
    · April 25th, 2023
    It was not excellent but good…entertainment lacked they had a girl singing that was one of the bartenders and some bell ringers..tours were good.We had one issue we found out that people that were going to train station had their fare covered and we thought transfer was just to airport.both were 30 mins away from port.some people had their fare covered to train station .we had to pay 75 euro.this we found unfair.food was good and waiters were exceptional but rest of staff mainly cruise director didn’t go above and beyond.
    Show more
    Trip date: April 2023

Dates & Availability

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Select departure month

2025

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Apr
May
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2026

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2027

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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Upcoming departures
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Ends on 19 Nov, 2025
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    English
    From:
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    NZ $6,174 per person
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  • -50%
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  • -50%
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  • -50%
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    10 May, 2026
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  • -50%
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    8 May, 2026
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    15 May, 2026
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  • -50%
    From Friday
    8 May, 2026
    To Friday
    15 May, 2026
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  • -50%
    From Sunday
    10 May, 2026
    To Sunday
    17 May, 2026
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    NZ $8,117 per person
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  • -50%
    From Sunday
    10 May, 2026
    To Sunday
    17 May, 2026
    English
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    NZ $8,117 per person
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  • -50%
    From Friday
    15 May, 2026
    To Friday
    22 May, 2026
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    From:
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    NZ $8,735 per person
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  • -50%
    From Friday
    15 May, 2026
    To Friday
    22 May, 2026
    English
    From:
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    NZ $8,735 per person
    2026 Version
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Want to read it later?

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Why book with TourRadar?

    • Trusted and vetted operators
    • Rated excellent on
    • Best price guarantee
    • 24/7 customer support
    • Earn $50 in travel credits
    • Free eSim with every purchase

    To protect your payment and ensure your booking will be processed in Australia, never transfer or communicate outside of the TourRadar website or app.

More benefits
Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Emerald Cruises with your enquiry, they usually respond within 2 days.

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 279745

  • Currencies
    Euro
    France, Germany and Netherlands
    Fr.
    Swiss Franc
    Switzerland
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand you will need an adaptor for type J.

    Type J
    Switzerland
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Germany and Switzerland. Ideally 6 months before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before February 16th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after February 16th, 2026, a minimum payment of $1,000 is required to confirm your booking with Emerald Cruises. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 95 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Emerald Cruises" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec