Lindblad Expeditions debuts European river cruises – including wine tasting and museum tours along the Rhine

The exploration brand is bringing its experts to the destinations on the continent

River cruising is an increasingly popular way of having a holiday on water (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Lindblad Expeditions has revealed details of debut sailings on the Rhine next year as it prepares to bring its exploration style of cruises to European rivers for the first time.

The expedition cruise brand already takes passengers through the Peruvian Amazon, the Nile in Egypt, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the United States, but is now developing customised itineraries for Europe.

The sailings will be provided on a new 120-passenger ship called Connect through the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions partnership with charter ship brand Transcend Cruises, in a deal that runs until at least 2028.

Departing from April 2026, itineraries include an eight-day Rhine River: Castles, Culture and Culinary Delights trip that passes through the rolling hills and vineyards of the Rhine Gorge.

Excursions include wine tasting at the Cave Historique des Hospices de Strasbourg, home to one of the world’s oldest wines, and dinner with university students in Heidelburg to discover what daily life is like at one of Germany’s oldest academic institutions

Passengers can also explore Holland and Belgium on an eight-day Medieval History and Scenic Waterways sailing along Amsterdam’s scenic canals with calls at historic cities such as Antwerp and Delft. Highlights of the trip include a visit to the famous tulip fields of Keukenhof and an exclusive after-hours tour of artwork from Van Gogh and Rembrandt at the Kröller-Müller and Mauritshuis Museums

Bookings open on 20 May 2025.

Each voyage will be staffed by expedition leaders, knowledgeable field staff and at least one National Geographic expert.

The experts will guide passengers on private tours, exclusive tastings and curated excursions.

Read more: The best river cruises around the world

Natalya Leahy, chief executive of Lindblad Expeditions, said: “These new itineraries are crafted with the same pioneering spirit that defines our expeditions around the world, delivering deeply immersive, authentic and all-inclusive experiences of these destinations.

“Guided by veteran expedition leaders and National Geographic experts, enriched by exclusive experiences ashore and aboard a brand-new, state-of-the-art river vessel, these voyages are proof that how you see it matters.”

River cruising is one of the fastest-growing areas of the market, according to industry body Cruise Lines International Association, and cruise brands are responding with new sailings and ships.

Avalon Waterways launched a new Bordeaux itinerary in March to satisfy demand from passengers to explore the region.

Viking Cruises took delivery of its latest river ship, Viking Nerthus, earlier this year, and it has 25 additional river ships on order up to 2028. This will take its total ships on the river, sailing in destinations including Europe and Egypt, to 109.

Land tour operator Trafalgar is entering the market next year, while Celebrity Cruises has ordered 10 ships to launch Celebrity River Cruises, which will set sail in Europe from 2027.

Read more: The best European river cruises