Before and After Stays on the Rhine River: Best Things To Do
Rivers connect us, and a Rhine River cruise brings you through some of Europe’s most memorable cities, towns, castles, vineyards, and historic riverfronts. With Before and After Stays, you can extend your river cruise experience in select cities and enjoy more time to explore before or after you sail.
These seamless extensions include Premium and Ultra Premium hotel options, daily breakfast, local-led experiences, transfers, and dedicated support, making it easy to see more of Europe while every detail is handled for you. This guide highlights some of the best things to do along the Rhine, from exploring cities before or after your sailing to discovering iconic ports like Cologne, Basel, Strasbourg, Rotterdam, and Rüdesheim.
Rhine River Cruise Before and After Stays
Tour boats line an Amsterdam canal surrounded by historic buildings under a glowing sunburst.
Destination-driven river cruise explorations of the Rhine just might inspire you to expand your journey beyond sailing. With Celebrity’s Before and After Stays, guests can spend more time discovering Europe with the same attention to detail, local connection, and effortless planning that shape the river cruise experience. From the castle- and vineyard-lined banks of the Rhine to the canals of Amsterdam or the lakefront beauty of Lausanne, a few extra days give you more time to experience the region’s views, flavors, and stories at a more relaxed pace.
Here’s what to expect when you book a Before and After Stay:
- Choose from Premium or Ultra Premium hotel options in the heart of the city, with included breakfast to start each day.
- Enjoy seamless transportation, including airport-to-hotel-to-ship transfers handled for you.
- Take part in daily experiences led by Local Storytellers who know the city by heart.
- Discover curated moments and exclusive Destination Insider℠ experiences designed around local culture.
Some of the activities guests can enjoy include those from Celebrity’s Discovery Collection℠:
- With Storyteller Series℠, Local Storytellers share the memories, rituals, and everyday details that shape the places they call home.
- Skillmaster Series℠ invites you to take part in local traditions through hands-on activities guided by experts.
- Keys to the City Series℠ gives you more freedom to explore independently, with an insider perspective that helps you feel connected to the destination.
Guests may also book optional premium excursions for an additional cost.
Rhine River Destinations for Before and After Stays
The illuminated Mittlere Brücke casts brilliant golden reflections across the dark Rhine River.
The captivating delights of the Rhine River might inspire you to explore more of Europe. Two cities guests can add to their journey include Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Lausanne, Switzerland. These experiences are available on select 2027 and 2028 Rhine itineraries.
Amsterdam Before and After Stays
Canals, museums, markets, and cycling culture come together in Amsterdam, making it an ideal place to explore before or after a Rhine River cruise. Experience the city through a more local lens, from its artistic landmarks and canal-side neighborhoods to flower markets, historic waterways, and quiet corners that are easy to miss on your own.
A Before and After Stay gives you time to slow down and see more than the postcard views. Wander along tree-lined canals, visit world-renowned museums, browse local shops, or settle into a café and watch the city move around you. With Local Storytellers and Destination Insider experiences, Amsterdam feels less like a stop on an itinerary and more like a city you’ve had time to understand.
Lausanne Before and After Stays
This Lake Geneva shoreline extension for select Rhine itineraries is just two hours from Basel, offering a scenic Swiss complement to your river cruise. Explore the Ouchy waterfront, nearby Lavaux vineyards, Chillon Castle, and Gruyères, where local flavors like chocolate, cheese, and wine are part of the experience.
Lausanne blends Swiss elegance, Alpine scenery, and lakeside discovery with the kind of local insight that helps you go deeper. Spend your days wandering hillside streets, taking in views across Lake Geneva, discovering Belle Époque architecture, or following your curiosity through local boutiques, cafés, and cultural sites. It’s a polished, easygoing way to extend your journey and explore what you won’t find in any guidebook.
Exceptional Lodging for Rhine River Cruise Before and After Stays
Yellow umbrellas and a fountain frame the grand facade of Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American.
Before and After Stays include a choice of Premium or Ultra Premium hotel options selected for character, location, and easy access to the city’s restaurants, shopping, cultural sites, and local atmosphere — with breakfast included each morning.
In Amsterdam, featured hotel options include the Clayton Amsterdam, with Ultra Premium options such as the Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam, where historic architecture meets contemporary style. These stays give you a well-placed home base for exploring the city’s canals, museums, cafés, and neighborhoods before or after your Rhine River cruise.
Lausanne is known for its Belle Époque hotels, bridging late French Rococo and early Art Nouveau, with hallmark ornate metalwork and latticework. Some are ideally placed along the bustling hillside city center, others on the quaint Ouchy waterfront looking out onto a backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
Port Perfection on the Rhine River
Cologne Cathedral’s towering twin spires rise majestically behind a massive arched bridge.
European river cruise itineraries may bring you to a wide range of memorable ports, each with its own history, architecture, local flavor, and riverfront charm. From Gothic cathedrals and medieval castles to modern markets and wine taverns, these destinations show why the Rhine is one of Europe’s most rewarding regions to explore by river.
- Cologne: Cologne Cathedral is a twin-spire masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Couples may also enjoy visiting the Hohenzollern Bridge, known for its many “love locks,” in this lively riverfront city.
- Nuremberg: The Imperial Castle of Nuremberg is one of the most important medieval palaces of the Holy Roman Empire. Many visitors also explore the Palace of Justice Nuremberg Trials Memorial, which offers a powerful look at the city’s 20th-century history.
- Basel: This artistic Swiss city is home to more than 40 museums, along with Basel Minster, an iconic red sandstone cathedral overlooking the Rhine. Its mix of art, architecture, and riverfront scenery makes it a memorable start or end point for select itineraries.
- Strasbourg: The Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame is known for its famous 16th-century astronomical clock. Nearby, Petite France draws visitors with half-timbered houses, canals, and medieval bridges that make the city especially photogenic.
- Rotterdam: Rotterdam brings a more modern energy to the Rhine region, with striking architecture like Piet Blom’s Cube Houses and the horseshoe-shaped Markthal. For sweeping city views, Euromast’s observation deck offers a 360-degree perspective.
- Rüdesheim: Rüdesheim is known for wine taverns, vineyard views, and the lively Drosselgasse. Guests may also take a cable car to the Niederwald Monument or visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, home to hundreds of self-playing instruments.
- Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf blends refined shopping, nightlife, and historic character. Königsallee is known for high-end shopping, while the Old Town is famous for its pubs, breweries, and long-standing beer culture.
Rhine River Cruises to Christmas Villages and Markets
A giant glowing star illuminates festive market stalls in Basel under a twilight sky.
The best Christmas Villages in the world lie along the Rhine River region. Even the grinchiest among us would find the twinkle lights, fresh-baked gingerbread, and warm roasted chestnuts wafting through the air, wooden market stalls filled with trinkets and handcrafted artisan gifts, live holiday music, and kettles of hot mulled glühwein compelling. Many feel a visit during the holidays focused on the markets is one of the best things to do on a Rhine River cruise.
Each city carves out room for several celebrations with different themes, and many of the oldest and largest can be enjoyed on a single cruise.
- Cologne Cathedral Market.
- Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt.
- Basel Barfüsserplatz & Münsterplatz.
- Strasbourg Christkindelsmärik.
- Winter Wonderland Rotterdam.
- Rüdesheimer Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen.
- Düsseldorfer Handwerker-Markt.
If your Rhine River cruise didn’t fill your holiday stocking fever, a Before and After Stay in Amsterdam and Lausanne offers extra days and nights to explore even further.
Amsterdam Christmas Markets
Amsterdam’s festive season runs throughout December with ice skating events extending into February. Explore 45 wooden chalets of crafts and Dutch treats at Ice Village at Museumplein, with the backdrop of the Rijksmuseum or Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs, an indoor/outdoor winter wonderland of rides, live music from top Dutch artists, skating, and snowy play areas.
Lausanne Christmas Markets
Lausanne brings a festive, lakeside feel to the season, with Bô Noël transforming the city from late November through December. The celebration unfolds across several themed villages, each offering a different way to experience the city’s holiday traditions, local flavors, and views of Lake Geneva.
In the Old Town, Esplanade de la Cathédrale pairs traditional wooden chalets with sweeping lake views and handmade gifts from local artisans. Place Pépinet focuses on creators and sustainable local design, from fashion and jewelry to one-of-a-kind crafts. Guests can also sample regional wines and classic Swiss fondue at Igloo du Terroir Vaudois or enjoy fondue beneath the lights at Terrasse des Amis in Bel-Air.
Book Elevated, Effortless Before and After Stays
Like the cascading currents of the Rhine, Before and After Stays carry you deep into the culture of this breathtaking region. You’ve been given the keys to the city with a Destination Insider to reveal the rare and remarkable like a trusted friend in the know.
Let Local Storytellers weave a tale learned over generations who walked the cobblestoned streets of Old Town or bent over bubbling rich stews flavored with the neighboring farmers’ best. Accept this invitation to extend the inspiration for the experience of a lifetime.
Explore Before and After Stays on Rhine River cruises, or add one to your existing booking today.
