How to Pick the Right River Cruise for You—A Sailing for Every Style of Traveler

From swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon to exploring ancient ruins in Egypt and Asia, traversing Europe’s finest wine and culinary regions solo to castle-hopping the continent with friends or family, there’s much more to river cruising than many travelers realize. And the fast-growing river cruise sector truly has options for every style of traveler.

After a brief pandemic slowdown, river lines are back in growth mode. Case in point: Ocean cruise line Celebrity Cruises—owned by one of the world’s largest cruise companies, Royal Caribbean Group—recently announced that it is breaking into the river cruise game with an order of 10 river ships that will sail in Europe beginning in 2027.

Celebrity will join a large collection of companies already plying the world’s inland waterways, including AmaWaterways, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon Waterways, Pandaw, Riverside, Tauck, Uniworld, and Viking.

With so many choices, and variables such as weather and seasonal water levels to consider (drought conditions can impede river cruises, while high water levels can make it impossible for vessels to pass under bridges), we recommend finding a travel advisor who specializes in rivers to find the perfect cruise for you. Still, as a travel writer who’s been covering river cruises for years, I can offer my top recommendations for sailings for families, foodies, solo travelers, wellness seekers, history lovers, and more.

Photo by Selios Kazazis/Unsplash

For your first river cruise

To book: Viking River Cruises

For anyone looking to take their first river cruise across the pond, classic Rhine and Danube itineraries through the heart of Europe are favorites for a reason. One option is catching tulip season along the canals of Amsterdam and Belgium. Or you can opt for an itinerary that travels through the famous castle-lined Upper Middle Rhine Valley. On the Danube, many cruises include the famous bathhouses in Budapest, where you will cruise past the ornate Hungarian Parliament building at night, as well as the music and imperial architecture in Vienna. Nobody has more sailings to choose from than Viking, which has some 80 longships plying the continent.

For food and wine lovers

To book: Tauck, Uniworld, Riverside

Just about every European river cruise traverses at least one famous wine-making region. But if you want to take a deep dive into the local food and wine scene, your best bet is to book with a luxury river cruise line with a strong culinary focus. As for where to go, the obvious answer is France. From Paris’s Seine River to the Rhône River Valley and the Garonne in Bordeaux, France is not only one of the hottest countries for river cruising but also a feast for the senses. One of my all-time favorite cruises was with Tauck on the Rhône in Provence, where we took cooking classes, scoured bakeries and markets in Lyon and Avignon, and visited wineries in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region. Looking for some serious fine dining on board, accompanied by an impressive wine selection? Two favorites are Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Riverside Luxury Cruises.

For families

To book: Adventures by Disney, AmaWaterways

While most river cruise lines—with the notable exception of the adults-only Viking—allow kids ages eight and up, you won’t encounter a lot of children on the rivers. The main reason is there isn’t a lot for them to do aboard the ship. River cruise ships are a fraction of the size of ocean liners (holding fewer than 200—and, in some cases, 100—passengers) so there isn’t room for kids clubs and the extravagant pools, slides, and toys you find on ocean liners. That said, many river cruise lines do offer specific sailings targeted to families and multigenerational travelers, typically during school breaks over the summer and during winter holidays. On these sailings, the lines will add kid-friendly activities and outings to their normal schedule to keep the younger travelers engaged. Think ice-cream stops, pizza-making classes, and fun, educational workshops, which—besides entertaining the kids—gives adults the opportunity to spend a little time apart from the wee ones. Probably one of the most family-friendly river cruise companies is Adventures by Disney, Disney’s tour operating arm, which sails on AmaWaterways ships featuring some of the only connecting cabins on the rivers.

Photo by Maria Ivanova/Unsplash

For history lovers

To book: Abercrombie & Kent, Oberoi

If you want to really dig into ancient history, nothing beats a journey down Egypt’s Nile. Wander through the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and other famous landmarks. For a truly exceptional experience, try one of the small boats operated by luxury lines Abercrombie & Kent Sanctuary or Oberoi Hotels Group. A&K Sanctuary has a fleet of four river boats that range in size from 6 to 38 cabins, and each has its own unique design. But they all have the same benefits provided by A&K’s exacting standards and crew, including expert onboard Egyptologists. Oberoi, one of the world’s finest hotel operators, consistently wins awards for bringing its luxury standards to the Nile on its two boats, the 27-cabin Oberoi Zahra and the 22-cabin Oberoi Philae.

For an active and wellness-focused cruise

To book: AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways

AmaWaterways has long been considered one of the pioneers of more active river cruising, having been the first to bring bikes on board its European ships. Today, bicycles, yoga classes, and more active excursion options have become a norm on most lines, but Avalon Waterways has taken the concept a step further with special “active and discovery” itineraries on the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, and Seine Rivers that guarantee an active excursion option every day like hiking, biking, kayaking, and even spelunking. AmaWaterways is launching wellness-focused river cruises later this year that will feature healthy meals, extended hikes, and daily wellness classes.

Photo courtesy of Uniworld

For adventure seekers

To book: Delfin, Jungle Experiences, Aqua Expeditions, Abercrombie & Kent

If you’d rather swim with pink dolphins, fish for piranha, and look for sloths, monkeys, and anacondas than visit churches and museums, then head to the Peruvian Amazon. A handful of operators offer small luxury cruises that take you well off the grid to explore this wild and remote river. And you don’t have to worry about tourist crowds here. You may meet with a shaman to learn about traditional medicine or meet up for a meal with a local family, but for the most part, you and your fellow travelers will be in relative solitude along the river. Uniworld, Avalon, and a few independent operators such as Delfin, Jungle Experiences, and Aqua Expeditions sail this part of the Amazon. Luxury operator Abercrombie & Kent enters the market this year with a brand new boat, Pure Amazon.

For solo travelers

To book: Riviera River Cruises, Uniworld

The dreaded single supplement (an added charge for occupying a double-occupancy stateroom alone) has long made river cruising more daunting for solo travelers. But most lines have select (read: a few small, lower-deck) cabins available on each sailing without an upcharge for single travelers. Riviera, however, has entire sailings dedicated to solo guests, meaning every cabin on the ship is available without a single supplement. These sailings are great for solo travelers or people who want their privacy while traveling with friends. There are plenty of cruises to choose from, but you won’t go wrong with a scenic cruise along Portugal’s Douro River, with stops in sweet-wine haven Porto and Salamanca, Spain, with its UNESCO-classified historic center. Uniworld this year is launching its first women-only cruise, a sailing through Burgundy and Provence hosted by award-winning comedic actor Rachel Dratch (who will perform a comedy set during the sailing). No matter the sailing, there are few easier ways to make new traveling friends than a river cruise thanks to their intimate size and small-group excursions and activities.

For exploring Asia

To book: Pandaw

Many river cruise lines with sailings in Europe also operate on Southeast Asia’s Mekong River, offering new ways for travelers to explore Vietnam and Cambodia. But if you want to have unique and more in-depth explorations in Asia, check out Pandaw, which sails 17 ships across six countries there, including India. Sail either the mighty Ganges or the Brahmaputra, or combine the two on an epic 21-night cruise. Ride on rickshaws, witness terra-cotta temples, visit villages, and dine alongside Gangetic dolphins. Pandaw brings the real India to life through its cuisine and excursions.