
Cruise · 4 nights · with Riviera Travel
Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers
Four days cruising the wintry Rhineland aboard Riviera Travel's MS Oscar Wilde, focusing on Germany's festive Christmas markets and the dramatic Rhine Gorge.
- Duration
- 4 nights
- Departs
- 30 Nov 2026
- Sails from
- Cologne
- Returns to the same port
- Ship
- MS Oscar Wilde
- From
- £2,579
- per person, sharing
Highlights
What makes this one worth it
Scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge’s steep vineyards and castle ruins
Visits to traditional Christmas markets in Rüdesheim, Bonn, and Cologne
Tour of Bonn’s old townIncluding Beethoven’s birthplace
Choice between Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet or Niederwald Monument cable car
Live Rhenish folk music performances onboard MS Oscar Wilde
About the trip
This short river cruise leaves from Cologne, coursing through the narrower, vineyard-lined stretches of the Rhine Gorge towards Rüdesheim. There, the crooked streets frame Christmas market stalls, and you can visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, an unusual collection of automatic musical instruments, or take a cable car up to the Niederwald Monument overlooking the river.
Returning along the Rhine Gorge, the route calls at Bonn where a guided old town tour reveals its post-war history, ornate old town hall, and the Beethoven House museum, while the local Christmas market provides a seasonal backdrop. The voyage concludes back in Cologne with a stroll around the old city and its multitude of themed Christmas markets, including the one beneath the cathedral’s towering spires.
Riviera Travel’s MS Oscar Wilde provides a comfortable base with spacious cabins and a convivial atmosphere for mostly solo travellers. The cruise mixes scenic river passages with cultural visits and festive market time, interrupted by the occasional folk music performance onboard.
- 1 Cologne
- 2 Rüdesheim am Rhein
- 3 Bonn
Itinerary
The route, day by day
Day 1
Cologne
Day 2
Rhine Gorge
Day 3
Rüdesheim
Day 4
Rhine Gorge
Day 5
Bonn
Day 6
Cologne
When to go
Departures and prices
Lowest price each month, per person.
Riviera Travel confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
Before you book
- Price based on
- Two people sharing a cabinThe operator confirms the exact basis when you book.
- Travelling alone
- Check with Riviera Travel
- Flights
- Not needed if you join at Cologne
- What’s included
- Check with Riviera Travel
- Accessibility
- Check with Riviera Travel
For full details of what’s included, check with Riviera Travel. See the full details on their site
Questions people ask
- How long is Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers?
- Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers is a 4 nights cruise holiday.
- Where does Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers depart from?
- Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers departs from Cologne.
- Who operates Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers?
- Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers is operated by Riviera Travel aboard MS Oscar Wilde.
- How much does Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers cost?
- Prices for Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets River Cruise for Solo Travellers start from £2,579, subject to availability.
The operator
Riviera Travel
River cruises and escorted tours
A British operator that began in 1984 with a handful of tents in the south of France. Its tours and river cruises travel with a Riviera tour manager or cruise director looking after the group.
You book with Riviera Travel directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.
New to Germany? Our Germany guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.
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