River Cruises

River cruises may not have the glamorous image of ocean cruises but they do have key advantages.

  • There is always picturesque and interesting scenery drifting by.
  • River boats are more intimate, rarely carrying more than 300 passengers, whereas ocean-going ships can hold up to 4,000.
  • River cruises tend to be more informal than the traditional cruise.

Click on our river cruises links below for full itineraries and prices.

River Cruise Ships

If you already know the river cruise ship you would like to holiday aboard, click here to view our cruise holidays by ship name.

Click to view all cruise ships

River Cruise Ship

River Cruise Operator

If you already know the river cruise operator you would like to holiday with, click here to view our cruises by the operator name.

Click to view all cruise operators

This is a selection of River Cruise Lines available

Danube River Cruises

Rising in Germany's Black Forest, this glorious, historic river (the second longest in Europe) meanders through a kaleidoscope of gorgeous scenery in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. A Danube river cruise holiday is perfect for peaceful valleys topped with vast fortresses, great capital cities, quaint villages, vineyards, medieval monasteries and imperious castles.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Danube River Cruises

Rhine River Cruises

Cruising the Rhine and Moselle is one of the world's most romantic river journeys. The 865-mile long Rhine originates in the Swiss Alps and flows through Germany to Holland's North Sea. On a Rhine river cruise, you'll drift gently through the Rhine Valley, named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its stunning vineyard-coated countryside, storybook castles and charming medieval towns.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Rhine River Cruises

Rhone River Cruises

The River Rhone is 800km and flows through France into the Mediterranean.Take a serene journey through glorious French countryside visiting the beautiful medieval towns and natural wonders of Provence and its surrounds. Visit France's second city of Lyon, cruise past wonderful Provencal landscapes on the way to Avignon, a stunning medieval town. Then it’s onto Viviers and the elegant Roman town of Tain L'Hermitage.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Rhone River Cruises

Douro River Cruises

Flowing westward from Spain through northern Portugal to the Atlantic at Oporto, this peaceful, sensuous river is one of Europe's lesser known but all the more picturesque for it. A Douro river cruise twists through spectacular wine-growing regions with steeply terraced riverbank vineyards, whitewashed estates, scented citrus & almond groves, timeless villages, wonderful towns and historic cities.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Douro River Cruises

Andalucia & The Algarve River Cruise

Cruise along Andalucia's Guadalquivir and Guadiana rivers past whitewashed villages and sun-blushed fields, visiting beautiful Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba on your way. Cruise past picturesque rice and cotton fields untouched by time and the beautiful marshlands of the Donana National Reserve. You’ll also visit Gibraltar and Córdoba and navigate the Gulf of Cadiz and River Guadiana.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Andalucia & The Algarve River Cruise

Venice & the River Po Cruise

Take in the enchanting sights and atmosphere of Europe's most romantic city on this leisurely cruise through the Venice Lagoon and along the River Po. It flows 652 km eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. Highlights include Venice, Taglio di Po, Polesella and Chioggia.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Venice & the River Po Cruise

Holland and Belgium River Cruise

Savour springtime in Holland and Belgium as you glide past bright tulip fields, visit dazzling gardens and enjoy historic Amsterdam, Ghent and Antwerp on this leisurely river cruise. Highlights include Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam, Antwerp and much more.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Holland and Belgium River Cruise

Russia River Cruises

Evocative and intensely beautiful, the Russian rivers of the Volga, Neva and Svir and their connecting waterways link the great cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Following the Volga north from Moscow, a Russian river cruise takes you deep into Russia's unique culture, passing hidden villages, wooden churches, fortified monasteries, spectacular rural landscapes and ancient towns finally flowing into vast lakes edged by undiscovered stone villages.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Russia Waterways Cruises

Nile River Cruises

The Nile extends 4,100 miles, making it the world's longest river. Along its Egyptian banks lie rocky, empty deserts, captivating cities like Luxor and Aswan, palm-studded oasis towns unchanged in centuries, and some of the world's oldest and most magnificent archaeological sites. Visit the Valley of the Kings with its incredible tombs of the pharaohs; towering ancient monuments and mighty temples including the 3,000-year old Abu Simbel and vast, columned Karnak.

Click for full itineraries & prices

Nile River Cruises

Yangtze River Cruises

China's largest river, the mighty Yangtze flows 4,000 miles from snowy Tibet to the East China Sea north of Shanghai. It snakes through endlessly changing, breathtaking scenery, revealing deep gorges, mountains set with fairytale pagodas and mist-cloaked paddy fields, as well as serene villages and farms untouched by modernity. See the magnificent Three Gorges and Three Gorges Dam project. 

Click for full itineraries & prices

Yangtze River Cruises

Archers Direct Holidays

We offer year round holiday travel so we have hundreds of holiday ideas for summer holidays, winter holidays, Christmas holidays & Xmas holidays, New Year holidays, half term holidays, Easter holidays, school holidays and bank holidays (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November & December).

We fly direct from the following UK airports: London airports - Heathrow airport, Gatwick airport, Luton airport & Stansted airport as well as Birmingham airport, Bristol airport, East Midlands airport, Edinburgh airport, Glasgow airport, Manchester airport, Newcastle airport & Belfast airport.

Booking direct holidays with Archers Direct means you don’t pay travel agent's commission, which is great news if you’re searching for cheap holidays, bargain holidays, last minute holidays, holiday deals, discount holidays, package holidays & budget holidays. We offer great deals on trips for single travellers and groups and we are we are members of ABTA & ATOL.

Archers Direct River Cruises - Danube Rhone Douro Elbe Rhine Russia Volga Yangtze Nile Po 2008

We are constantly updating our range of Special Offers. Click here for our latest deals.
If you're looking to travel in the next 6 weeks click here for our great offers.