River cruising is the perfect choice for travellers who like to be ashore every day, whether exploring independently or sightseeing with excellent guides. It's for those who enjoy watching the world go leisurely by, or tasting the local food and wine. It's all about the destination, giving you an intimate feel for an area and its history.
River Cruise
Find a cruise
Our top picks
AmaWaterways
Gems of Southeast Europe
From Budapest to Giurgiu
20 Jul - 27 Jul 2026 (7 Nights)
From £5,740 per guest
AmaWaterways
Melodies of the Danube
From Budapest to Vilshofen
20 Jul - 27 Jul 2026 (7 Nights)
From £5,565 per guest
Scenic River Cruises
Unforgettable Douro
From Porto to Porto
20 Jul - 30 Jul 2026 (10 Nights)
Call us for a price
Scenic River Cruises
Jewels of Europe with Eastern Europe Explorer
From Prague to Amsterdam
20 Jul - 12 Aug 2026 (23 Nights)
From £8,730 per guest
Scenic River Cruises
Gems of the Danube
From Nuremberg to Budapest
20 Jul - 27 Jul 2026 (7 Nights)
From £2,595 per guest
Scenic River Cruises
Unforgettable Douro with Porto
From Porto to Porto
20 Jul - 1 Aug 2026 (12 Nights)
Call us for a price
Scenic River Cruises
Normandy & Gems of the Seine & Unforgettable Douro
From Porto to Paris
20 Jul - 9 Aug 2026 (20 Nights)
Call us for a price
AmaWaterways
Enticing Douro
From Porto to Porto
21 Jul - 28 Jul 2026 (7 Nights)
From £5,618 per guest
Our Insight
River Cruise
There is nothing quite like watching the world glide by at walking pace from the top of your river cruise vessel. Tying up right in the centre of iconic cities or tiny villages, your home from home delivers you to the heart of the places you want to explore, enabling you to set forth from your floating hotel to sightsee on foot, by bicycle or by bus. And if you are travelling off the beaten track, you have the comfort of taking your new home with you.
A great choice for culture lovers and fans of city breaks, a river cruise is like the most relaxed of Grand Tours, with no need to constantly pack and unpack, nor to worry about how expensive everything is, or search out a good place to eat. Everything is taken care of, but you can be as independent as you like.
And nowadays there are so many rivers across the world which are served by excellent river cruises; whether you are exploring Europe, or travelling further afield to Cambodia, Burma, India, Africa, or maybe along the Nile, river cruising can turn any great holiday into a Grand Tour.
cruise lines
Our favourite river cruise lines
Tauck River Cruising
Whilst Tauck operate a worldwide programme of tours and trips for people of all tastes and ages, both ashore and afloat, our focus at Mundy is on their very special European river programme, which offers luxury river cruise holidays for discerning passengers.
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways is a favourite among river cruise regulars for good reason. The ships are spacious, the crews know how to read the room and you get plenty included without being over-managed. If you want luxury river cruises that prioritise time ashore, this is a super dependable choice. You step off in the middle of the places you came to see, join the included excursion if you want it and still have time to wander off on your own.
Uniworld River Cruises
These award-winning and intimate vessels - with an average capacity of just 130 guests - are beautifully appointed in an English country house style, unsurprising given that Uniworld is a sister company to Red Carnation Hotels. They provide a truly luxurious European river cruise experience and offer a number of itineraries further afield, including India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Egypt.
Scenic River Cruises
Scenic River Cruises offer some of the most luxurious accommodation in the river cruise market, with a fleet of chic and contemporary 'Space-Ships' accommodating between 44 and 169 guests. A comprehensive selection of itineraries includes all the major European rivers, as well as cruises on the Mekong.
Riverside Luxury Cruises
This is a first foray into river cruising from the owners of the Seaside Collection, who launched Riverside Luxury Cruises as an extension of their luxury hotel operation on land and who acquired the luxury river vessels previously owned by Crystal Cruises. The double width Riverside Mozart launched the brand in April 2023, later joined by Riverside Ravel and Riverside Debussy.
