Create family memories on our special Rhine River multi-generational cruise! With your children or grandchildren, listen to Rhine River legends as you scan the hillsides for fairy-tale castles, learn about the Middle Ages as you explore German Heidelberg, French Strasbourg, and take in the Dutch way of life with your kids during a bicycle trip outside Amsterdam. 

Starting at: $4,290 * Price includes special offer Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542
Taking a bike ride together Spending time together Amadeus ship on the Rhine River Typical scene in Amsterdam Self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. Credit: Netherlands Tourism Bureau Vermeer's <i>The Milkmaid</i> in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. Credit: Frans Lemmens/Alamy View of Cologne along the Rhine River City of Cologne, showcasing the High Gothic cathedral The idyllic Rhine River, near Kaub Hilltop medieval castle overlooking the Rhine River near Oberwesel The Rhine River Valley The medieval town of Rüdesheim, located along the Rhine The German university town of Heidelberg, along the Neckar River The French city of Strasbourg The delightful Alsatian city of Strasbourg, France Half-timbered houses of Strasbourg

Cruising the Rhine and Moselle: A Family Voyage

From Basel to Amsterdam

9 days from $4,290

Create family memories on our special Rhine River multi-generational cruise! With your children or grandchildren, listen to Rhine River legends as you scan the hillsides for fairy-tale castles, learn about the Middle Ages as you explore German Heidelberg, French Strasbourg, and take in the Dutch way of life with your kids during a bicycle trip outside Amsterdam. 

or Call 855-330-1542

To view a section, please click on an option below.

Special Air Rates/Services

FlexAir is designed to provide you with the flexibility and choice you need to personalize your air travel experience. Explore a wide range of flight options in consultation with our experienced travel professionals to select the flights, routing, class of service, and dates of travel that most fit your needs. Our partner tour operator has negotiated contracts with a wide variety of carriers that allow them to hold flight reservations and then issue your ticket close to departure without additional fees. This protects you from the need to purchase published-fare tickets, which must be ticketed within 24 hours of purchase. FlexAir reservations provide the flexibility to adjust reservations without penalty and to accommodate extensions and upgrades right up until ticketing time, usually around 45 days before departure. We look forward to providing you with more choice and the best possible itinerary for your air travel plans.

Program Includes:

  • Guaranteed transfers between the airport and your overseas accommodations upon arrival and departure (in most cases). We will provide you with all of the details you need to guarantee your transfer.
  • Air schedule change and delay assistance. Book FlexAir to ensure assistance should schedule changes or delays impact your air travel plans.
  • Flight insurance worth up to $250,000, subject to policy terms, is automatically included.
  • Confirmed airline seat assignments at the time of booking (in most cases).
Activity Levels

Activity Level 2: Moderate


Expectations: River cruise that pulls into a pier for disembarkation. Morning, afternoon, or full-day excursions at a moderate pace. Standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and/or outdoor activities. Walking over sometimes difficult terrain (e.g. cobblestones, city hills, stairs without handrails, absence of elevators); some longer walks to get to city centers where coaches are prohibited. Choice of excursions with varying activity expectations offered on some days.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).

Pre-Cruise Extension

Interlaken Pre-Program Option – 3 Days, 2 Nights

Day 1 – U.S. Gateway Cities

Smithsonian Journeys Family Travelers depart the U.S. on a transatlantic flight to Zurich, Switzerland.

Day 2 – Zurich / Interlaken

Upon arrival, transfer by deluxe motor coach to Interlaken where rooms are reserved at the deluxe Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, surrounded by the remarkable peaks of the Bernese Oberland. After getting settled, your Smithsonian Journeys Travel Director will take you on a short orientation walk to acquaint you with the area around the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Victoria Jungfrau Hotel & Spa

Day 3 – Interlaken

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel. Explore on your own today with an entire day free of planned activities. Your Smithsonian Journeys Travel Director will be available to assist with information, directions, sightseeing and dining suggestions. (B)

Victoria Jungfrau Hotel & Spa

Day 4 – Interlaken / Bern and Basel

After breakfast, depart the hotel for the vibrant Swiss capital city of Bern where you’ll enjoy a walking tour around the Old Town Quarter. Then enjoy free time for lunch and individual sightseeing. Afterward, depart for the drive to Basel, situated on the Rhine River, where you’ll embark your ship and begin the cruise. (B)

Victoria Jungfrau Hotel & Spa: Nestled in Interlaken between two magnificent glacial lakes, the Victoria Jungfrau sits within the view of the famed Jungfrau and the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. A grand hotel of European tradition, the hotel is a blend of old world and modern design. Three restaurants offer a fascinating array of local specialties as well as traditional European cuisine. Rooms are welcoming and decorated in soft colors and fine fabrics. Sparkling bathrooms feature luxury amenities, marble vanities, bright lighting, robes, hair dryers, and magnifying mirrors. Room amenities include hardwood floors, flat-screen TVs with cable and satellite channels, minibars, direct-dial phones, ironing boards, bedside controls with individual reading lights. WiFi is available.

Post-Cruise Extension

Amsterdam Post-Program Option — 3 Days, 2 Nights

Day 1 — Amsterdam

Disembark the ship and join a walk along the Old Harbor and visit the National Maritime Museum, that serves to pass-on the national maritime history and tradition of Amsterdam with interactive exhibits including the replica of the three-mast ship Amsterdam. Afterwards, check in at the upscale and centrally located Amsterdam Marriott Hotel.  

The remainder of the day is at leisure. Your Smithsonian Journeys Travel Director will be available for suggestions on sightseeing, shopping, and meal reservations.

Doubletree Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station (2021 Program)

Amsterdam Marriott Hotel (2022 Program)

Day 2 — Amsterdam

Breakfast will be served in the hotel. The day is free of planned activities so you can explore on your own. Your Smithsonian Journeys Travel Director will be available for suggestions on sightseeing, shopping, restaurant information, and reservations. (B)

Doubletree Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station (2021 Program)

Amsterdam Marriott Hotel (2022 Program)

Day 3 — Amsterdam

Breakfast will be served in the hotel. At the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for your return flights to the U.S. (B)

Doubletree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station: Located in the heart of Amsterdam you’ll find the Doubletree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station. The hotel has a great location and is within easy reach of all the city’s top attractions and landmarks. The train station offers easy access to other places in the Netherlands you may wish to visit on a day-trip. At the end of the day, return to the comfort of your well-appointed guest room and perhaps enjoy a drink in the Sky Lounge Amsterdam, the hotel’s rooftop bar and terrace. WiFi is available throughout the hotel.

Amsterdam Marriott Hotel: Located in the heart of Amsterdam, you’ll find the upscale Amsterdam Marriott Hotel. The hotel has a great location on Amsterdam’s famous Leidseplein and within easy reach of all the city’s top cultural attractions and historic landmarks. At the end of a day of touring, return to the comfort of your well-appointed guest room and perhaps enjoy a drink at Sorel’s Bar and dinner at the Midtown Grill. WiFi is available throughout the hotel. 

Youth Directors

Ani Arzoomanian and Jennifer Witt

Experienced Smithsonian Journeys Youth Directors, Ani Arzoomanian and Jennifer Witt will lead groups of similarly aged children and young adults on educational and recreational activities developed to enhance their appreciation of the sites visited. They look forward to welcoming you and your young traveling companions to the trip!

Ani Arzoomanian is a fourth-grade teacher in Arlington, Virginia. She received her Master's in Education from the University of Rhode Island, from where she also holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and is actively involved in charity work. Recently, she spent time in Uganda supporting schools in rural areas and continues to raise awareness about the importance of education. 

Jennifer Witt is a fourth-grade teacher in Arlington, Virginia. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an M.Ed. from George Mason. As a fourth grade teacher, she loves working with kids and guiding them to discover new things. She has lived in the DC area her whole life and enjoys visiting the Smithsonian museums on the weekends. She also enjoys traveling to new places, previously traveling to Africa to work with schools in rural Uganda. She is looking forward to meeting you and your young travel companions on the Rhine!

River Cruising

Guidance on water levels and itinerary modifications

Your ship is designed with state-of-the-art flexibility in navigating rivers. On rare occasions, river cruising is subject to challenges due to unannounced river lock maintenance and/or weather-related increases or decreases in river depth. Extreme conditions may render a portion of a river itinerary unnavigable.

Should your river cruise be affected: 

  • You will receive a revised schedule outlining any changes prior to your departure either by regular mail or email. 
  • Any additional transportation, hotel accommodations, meals or special events, as a result, changes to the published itinerary will not increase the price of your trip. 
  • All ports of call and trip highlights contained in your original itinerary will be included in your revised schedule.  Under these extreme circumstances, additional motor coach travel, ship changes and/or hotel nights may be required to ensure participants experience the trip safely and as advertised.
Ship

Amadeus Queen

Completed in 2018, this gracious ship with 81 luxury cabins and suites offers the utmost in service, safety, and comfort. Step into the elegant reception area and immerse yourself in an ambiance akin to an elegant European hotel.

Relax in the panoramic lounge, indulge yourself with a soothing massage, browse in the boutique or connect with friends and family back home on the Internet. At the end of each day, return to the comfort of your bright, modern cabin featuring views of the passing scenery, satellite TV and a private bathroom with shower.

On the Amadeus Queen hospitality is a passion. The ship’s crew and staff are trained in the subtle art of attentive and gracious service. The day begins in the bright Panorama Restaurant with a plentiful breakfast. For lunch, one can choose between varied menu specialties. Dinner each evening is a four-course menu featuring regional specialties. As an added value feature all of your meals are included and local beer and table wines are served with each lunch and dinner during the cruise portion of your journey. 

The English-speaking, international crew provides warm hospitality and attentive care. The Amadeus Queen meets the highest maritime and technical safety standards and is the only fleet of European river ships to have been awarded the “Green Certificate” of environmental preservation.

Amadeus Queen

Completed in 2018, this gracious ship with 81 luxury cabins and suites offers the utmost in service, safety, and comfort. Step into the elegant reception area and immerse yourself in an ambiance akin to an elegant European hotel.

Relax in the panoramic lounge, indulge yourself with a soothing massage, browse in the boutique or connect with friends and family back home on the Internet. At the end of each day, return to the comfort of your bright, modern cabin featuring views of the passing scenery, satellite TV and a private bathroom with shower.

On the Amadeus Queen hospitality is a passion. The ship’s crew and staff are trained in the subtle art of attentive and gracious service. The day begins in the bright Panorama Restaurant with a plentiful breakfast. For lunch, one can choose between varied menu specialties. Dinner each evening is a four-course menu featuring regional specialties. As an added value feature all of your meals are included and local beer and table wines are served with each lunch and dinner during the cruise portion of your journey. 

The English-speaking, international crew provides warm hospitality and attentive care. The Amadeus Queen meets the highest maritime and technical safety standards and is the only fleet of European river ships to have been awarded the “Green Certificate” of environmental preservation.

Reading List
 Print this Reading List

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Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Travel Guard provides an on-tour Insurance Plan. On-tour emergency evacuation insurance (up to $100,000), medical expense coverage (up to $25,000), dental expense coverage (up to $500), travel medical assistance and worldwide travel assistance (U.S. Residents only). It also includes up to $25,000 medical and up to $500 dental expense coverage, and 24-hour worldwide travel and medical assistance. Please click here to view complete coverage details.

Please visit www.TravelGuard.com/SmithsonianJourneys or call Travel Guard at 1-800-208-6142 to learn about additional (optional) coverage.