Top Rivers & Seas Luxury Historic Sightseeing River Cruises & Packages 2025/2026

Our 93 most popular Rivers & Seas Luxury Historic Sightseeing River Cruises & Packages trips. Compare tour itineraries from 28 tour companies. 9 reviews.

93 Trips match your criteria (23 - 44 shown)

Portugal's River Of Gold
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4.7/5 Excellent
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Cruise Map : Explore Lisbon, then see unspoiled vistas, stop at ports of call largely unchanged for centuries and sample the local cuisine and port wines on your Douro River cruise.
  • Lisbon, Portugal : Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, is not only the country’s largest city with a population of more than 500,000 people, but it is also one of the oldest cities in the world, boasting over 20 centuries of continuous human habitation.
  • Porto & Bitetos, Portugal :Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, is a thriving economic center as well as a place of great traditional importance.
  • Régua & Pinhão, Portugal : The peaceful town of Peso da Régua, commonly known as Régua, overlooks the Douro River with the Serra do Marao mountains at its rear.
  • Barca D’Alva, Portugal : This tranquil town is shadowed by mountains and surrounded by miles of gorgeous countryside filled with vineyards and orchards.
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Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

Trip dates & details
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Ultimate River Cruise
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3.7/5 Great
39 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • See the fascinating Nuremberg
  • Discover Trier city tour
  • Explore Paris
  • Explore Mainz and visit Gutenberg Museum
  • Explore Kitzingen and enjoy Wine cellar visit & tasting
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Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

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Danube River Cruise Bike Tour
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4.8/5 Excellent
62 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • With graceful bridges, spires, turrets and abbey towers embellishing its banks, the Danube River guides you through history
  • Experience each grand cityscape as it was historically designed to impress—from the water
  • Enjoy one of our most flexible itineraries—an ideal trip for a range of cycling abilities
  • Experience unforgettable moments like pedaling in Austria's famous Wachau Valley wine region and an evening cruise through Budapest's illuminated cityscape
  • Choose between more miles on your bike or expertly guided tours on foot

Themes

Culinary & Wine, 50 Plus, Cycling & Biking, Hiking & Walking, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Until Covid clears, I would steer clear of Backroads. We were partially through their June 2020 Costa Rica tour when a guest tested Covid positive. She and her husband were isolated. The rest of the group were offered wimpy masks. Nobody was offered Covid testing daily and masks were not required of the guests or staff. The guides kept repeating "not in the CDC guidelines." Our group of six decided that the Backroads response was inadequate so returned home mid-excursion. The hotel and food was excellent, but the provided bikes were inadequate. The front derailleurs were poorly adjusted, and most of the riders had the chains come off during the first ride. Hikes or bike rides were conducted in downpours. Disappointed for charging such a premium price."

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France's Finest
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4.7/5 Excellent
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • See the fantastic Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral,
  • Get an opportunity to see historic beaches of Normandy
  • Explore France
  • Discover Lyon a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Enjoy cruising to Les Andelys, known for its imposing castle

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

Trip dates & details
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Port Wine & Flamenco
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3.7/5 Great
39 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Explore Lisbon
  • Discover Guimaraes and visit UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Visit Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
  • Visit Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Explore Madrid

Themes

Cultural, Culinary & Wine, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

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Roof of the world
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4.7/5 Excellent
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Experience 6-day Yangtze River cruise in veranda stateroom
  • Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Culture Curriculum: Enjoy tea with a Tibetan family; attend lectures on the Yangtze River, Mao Zedong & China’s current affairs; practice tai chi every morning aboard.
  • Enjoy a concert of the Hubei Bells
  • Learn a few Chinese words
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Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

Trip dates & details
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Christmas Markets on the Rhine
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3.7/5 Great
39 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Explore get a chance to visit Christmas Markets.
  • Enjoy Strasbourg city tour and visit Christmas Markets
  • Opportunity to cruise along Rhine Gorge, admiring many amazing castles
  • Experience cruise across the tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne
  • Drive to Rüdesheim experience wine tasting

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

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Melodies of the Danube
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3.7/5 Great
39 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Enjoy a fascinating cruise from Budapest to Vilshofen & spend 3 nights in Prague (or Munich)
  • Enjoy Linz walking tour
  • Explore Budapest
  • Discover Prague
  • Opportunity for an amazing Klosterneuburg bike tour

Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!"

Trip dates & details
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Rivers & Seas Luxury Historic Sightseeing River Cruises & Packages Reviews

L

LyndaB

Dec 2022

Written on

Totally Awesome

Our Cruise with American Cruise Lines was totally awesom...

J

JamesBond

Dec 2022

Written on

Fabulous Thanksgiving Cruise

We've never had a Thanksgiving like the experience that ACL provided. Not only is it great to be cruising someplace warm and beautiful like the Great Rivers of Flor...

W

Wayne H

Jan 2017

Written on

The most amazing river trip in Europe

Traveling from Belgium through 6 countries to Switzerland is one of the most amazing travel experiences in Europe, especially if traveling with Grand Circle Travel. ...

R

Rick & Fran

Aug 2015

We enjoyed the entire experience

We enjoyed the entire experience; Normandy and Omaha Beach were especially moving. The food and service deserve praise too. This is our third Viking cruise and we'll...

L

Larry

Oct 2018

Misleading and often just plain dishonest.

We paid for a 3 week luxury river cruise but received a large group bus trip across Europe with many days of packing and unpacking. I called our Viking representativ...

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