How much does it cost?

From £3,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,402 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. Eurostar Plus First Class, the Glacier Express in Panoramic class, the Gornergrat Mountain Railway, and the Drachenfelsbahn cog railway are all included. A Swiss Half Fare Card is also included, permitting 50% discount on rail, boat, and most mountain railway journeys on free days.

Is this escorted or independent?

This is an escorted tour led throughout by an experienced Tour Manager and Cruise Director team.

What accommodation is provided?

Seven nights onboard MS Amadeus Amara river cruise ship and three nights in four-star hotels: two nights in Zermatt and one night in Chur.

What meals are included?

Breakfast every day. On the cruise: lunch and dinner daily, plus a gala dinner, with drinks included at dinner. On the Glacier Express: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day 9 dinner in Zermatt is independent.

When does this tour run?

Great Rail Journeys offers departures in May, June, and July 2027.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted Tour & River Cruise

Glacier Express & the Romantic Rhine

Rhine river cruise and Glacier Express train through four countries in 11 days

Great Rail Journeys operates an 11-day escorted holiday combining a seven-night river cruise on the Amadeus Amara with the celebrated Glacier Express train. The tour departs London St Pancras on Eurostar and sails the Rhine from Amsterdam through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, stopping in Cologne, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, and Strasbourg, before continuing by rail into Switzerland. You stay two nights in Zermatt, a four-star alpine resort, and one night in Chur, Switzerland's oldest town. Day 9 includes a ride on the Gornergrat Mountain Railway, Switzerland's original electric rack railway, climbing to over 10,000 feet with views across 29 mountaintops including the Matterhorn. The following day you board the Glacier Express in Panoramic class for an eight-hour journey through snow-capped mountains, dense forests, and the nine-mile Furka Base Tunnel. Meals are included throughout, with a drinks package on the cruise and a Swiss Half Fare Card providing 50 percent discount on free days. This tour suits repeat rail travellers seeking named famous trains, couples seeking an escorted cruise and alpine experience, and those interested in history, wine, and German and Swiss culture.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £800 since 4 Jul, to £3,999.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

50 to a solo traveller's cost.
Day 9 in Zermatt includes dinner independently; Great Rail Journeys does not provide that meal.
Optional excursions in Amsterdam (Volendam and Edam), Strasbourg (Black Forest), and Rüdesheim (wine tasting or Siegfried's Cabinet) are not included and must be booked and paid separately.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Amsterdam (onboard)
Boarding our luxury ship in Amsterdam
We meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar to Amsterdam, where we're welcomed aboard our ship with a cocktail, followed by our first dinner and a Dutch sea shanty choir performance.
Day 2overnight: Onboard, sailing
Amsterdam canal boat cruise and optional trip to Volendam
We choose between a sightseeing canal boat cruise of Amsterdam or an excursion to Volendam and Edam, before sailing through the Lower Rhine.
Day 3overnight: Cologne (onboard)
Exploring the historic city of Cologne
Arriving in Cologne, a guided tour introduces its squares, Romanesque townhouses and UNESCO-listed cathedral, before we moor overnight.
Day 4railovernight: Onboard, sailing
Riding the scenic Drachenfelsbahn
Sailing south past Bonn, we dock in Königswinter for the Drachenfels Cog Railway past Drachenburg Castle, then set sail towards Koblenz.
Day 5overnight: Rüdesheim (onboard)
Through the magical Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim
Free time in Koblenz is followed by sailing through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, hearing the legend of the Lorelei Rock, before docking in Rüdesheim for a wine tasting or Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet.
Day 6overnight: Onboard, sailing upstream
Along the Upper Rhine to Heidelberg and Speyer
We travel by coach to Heidelberg for a guided tour of its ruined castle, then continue by ship to Speyer to explore its 11th-century UNESCO-listed cathedral at leisure.
Day 7overnight: Onboard, sailing towards Switzerland
Reaching Strasbourg and optional Black Forest excursion
We choose between an excursion into the Black Forest or a city tour of Strasbourg's cathedral and La Petite France district, before our final cruise towards Switzerland.
Day 8railovernight: Zermatt
Arrival in Zermatt
After a final breakfast onboard, we disembark in Basel and continue by rail to the car-free alpine village of Zermatt, checking in for a two-night stay.
Day 9railovernight: Zermatt
Beautiful views on the Gornergrat Mountain Railway
We take the heritage Gornergrat Mountain Railway to an altitude of more than 10,000ft for views of 29 mountaintops including the Matterhorn, before touring Zermatt.
Day 10railovernight: Chur
The iconic Glacier Express to Chur
We board the Glacier Express, travelling through the Furka Base Tunnel and the 'Swiss Grand Canyon' with lunch onboard, arriving in Chur to explore its Altstadt before dinner.
Day 11rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast we bid farewell to Chur, making our way to the railway station and heading towards Paris to catch the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Eurostar from London St Pancras to Amsterdam in Plus First Class, followed by welcome cocktail and Dutch sea shanty choir performance onboard the ship.
Day 4Ride the Drachenfels Cog Railway from Königswinter past Drachenburg Castle to panoramic summit views over the Rhine-Westphalia region.
Day 5Drift through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge past vineyards, hilltop castles, and the legendary Lorelei Rock, docking in Rüdesheim for exploration of Drosselgasse.
Day 9Climb Switzerland's original electric rack railway, the Gornergrat Mountain Railway, to over 10,000 feet with spectacular views of 29 mountaintops including the Matterhorn.
Day 10Board the Glacier Express in panoramic class for a journey through snow-capped mountains, dense forests, and the nine-mile Furka Base Tunnel, descending towards the Swiss Grand Canyon to Chur.

Included

Escorted throughout your tour by our experienced Tour Manager/Cruise Director team
3 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
7-night cruise onboard MS Amadeus Amara
Five-star service onboard
Complimentary on-board Wi-Fi
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 7 lunches, 8 dinners including a spectacular gala dinner
Drinks package with dinner every night of your cruise
Complimentary luggage service from your home to the ship and back (one case per cabin)
Swiss Half Fare Card, permitting 50% discounted fares on free days for rail, boat and most mountain railway journeys
Superb excursions included

Not included

Tips/gratuities are not included in the price of the cruise
Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £3,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,402 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. Eurostar Plus First Class, the Glacier Express in Panoramic class, the Gornergrat Mountain Railway, and the Drachenfelsbahn cog railway are all included. A Swiss Half Fare Card is also included, permitting 50% discount on rail, boat, and most mountain railway journeys on free days.
Is this escorted or independent?: This is an escorted tour led throughout by an experienced Tour Manager and Cruise Director team.
What accommodation is provided?: Seven nights onboard MS Amadeus Amara river cruise ship and three nights in four-star hotels: two nights in Zermatt and one night in Chur.
What meals are included?: Breakfast every day. On the cruise: lunch and dinner daily, plus a gala dinner, with drinks included at dinner. On the Glacier Express: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day 9 dinner in Zermatt is independent.
When does this tour run?: Great Rail Journeys offers departures in May, June, and July 2027.