Riverboat day-trip excursions on the Rhine River remain amongst the most popular activities for travelers to Germany. During summer, many boats cruise on the Rhine River (Rhein) but during winter, pleasure boat sightseeing cruises are fairly rare. The largest Rhine riverboat operator, Köln-Düsseldorfer (usually simply abbreviated to KD) does operate day-trip excursion cruises during winter with the number of sailings particularly high during advent and the Christmas market period. New Year’s party cruises are also popular. During winter, KD Rhine River boat cruises depart from Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf, Rüdesheim, Bingen, Boppard, and Frankfurt (Main River).
Winter Day-Cruise Excursion on the Rhine River in Germany
The number of day-cruise excursions on Rhine River boats is very limited in winter compared to the summer, spring, and autumn timetables. Winter sailings are more common during the pre-Christmas advent period but even during the rest of the winter many travelers may still be able to cruise on the Rhein.
Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) Rhine boats operate on a limited winter schedule from late October to early April. No cruises are available from a few days before Christmas to early February.
KD offers the following two cruise options on the Rhine River during winter:
- From Cologne (Köln): hour-long sightseeing cruises on weekend afternoons.
- On the Middle Rhine: daily cruises from Boppard to St Goar via St Goarhausen and the classic Rhine cruise through the Loreley Valley from Rüdesheim to St Goarhausen via Bingen, Kaub, and St Goar. Return cruises along the same routings are optional.
All KD cruises during the winter period outside advent require prior reservations, as boats only operate if a minimum number of passengers book.
Advent and Christmas Market Rhine River Boat Cruises in Germany
KD operates many sightseeing cruises during the pre-Christmas advent period. These sightseeing cruises last from an hour to up to three hours and are circular, i.e. returning to the same port without stopping en route. Food is served on most boats but usually optional.
Most Rhine cruises during the advent period are on weekends but in some cases cruises also operate on Thursday and Friday. Advent cruises usually operate from the first weekend after November 24 to the last weekend before December 24, but rarely after December 20 and never on Christmas Eve or Day.
KD river boat cruises during the advent period usually sail from:
- Rüdesheim / Bingen – weekend afternoons.
- Cologne / Köln – Thursday, Friday, and weekend afternoons; brunch cruise on Sunday; live music cruises on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Düsseldorf – Friday and weekend afternoons; live music cruises on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Frankfurt – cruising on the Main River on Friday and weekend afternoons.
In Cologne, the KD’s large MS Wappen von Köln boat hosts a Christmas market during the advent period. The boat remains anchored near the Gothic cathedral next to the old town area.
New Year’s Party Cruises on the Rhine and Main Rivers in Germany
KD has special New Year’s cruises on December 31 each year. These Silvesterparty cruises depart from Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt, as all-inclusive cruises with buffet dinners, drinks, and live music.
Longer, multiple-day cruises on the Rhine are also very popular to visit Christmas markets along the Rhein. Week-long cruises are commonly offered in international markets but two or three-day cruises are also available.
During the warmer seasons, the Middle Rhine with Loreley Valley is the most popular region for Rhine cruises. However, many Rhine day-trip cruises also depart from Cologne and Koblenz. The Rhine in Flames is a popular series of huge firework performances staged along the Rhine River each summer.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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