Great Rail Journeys
GRJ All Inclusive Rhine Valley & Vulkan Express
7 daysfrom $1,601
Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour
Harz Mountains & Rhine Gorge
Visit two of Germany's most spectacular regions. Our Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge tour includes rail travel, accommodation, many meals and excursions.
Day by day
- Day 1railovernight: Cologne
An overnight stay in Cologne
Meet the Tour Manager and fellow travellers at London St Pancras and join the Eurostar to Brussels in Eurostar Plus, enjoying a light meal at seats. On arrival in Brussels, change trains and travel in First Class to Cologne. Arrive around mid-afternoon with free time to explore the historic city, including the Gothic cathedral and riverside. Dinner together at the central hotel. Note: For departure 26th August, travel is via Bielefeld, staying at the Steigenberger Bielefelder Hof hotel.
Meals: Eurostar Light Meal, Dinner
- Day 2railovernight: Wernigerode
Exploring Goslar on our way to Wernigerode
Early morning transfer to the train station for a First Class rail journey from Cologne to Hanover, then by coach to the Harz Mountains. First stop is Goslar, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site with over 1,000 years of history and 1,500 half-timbered houses. Visit the Imperial Palace and the Rammelsberg mining museum. Continue to Wernigerode, known as 'the colourful town of the Harz Mountains', and check in for four nights. Welcome meeting before dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
- Day 3railovernight: Wernigerode
Selketal Railway and a free afternoon in Quedlinburg
Travel by coach from Wernigerode to Gernrode, then board the Selketal Railway (oldest narrow-gauge railway in the Harz Mountains) for a steam-hauled journey to Alexisbad past mountains, the River Selke, verdant forests and gentle waterfalls. Continue by coach to Quedlinburg, a UNESCO World Heritage city with a Romanesque church and preserved houses. Free afternoon to explore, including Quedlinburg Castle. Return to Wernigerode by coach; dine independently this evening. Note: on September and October departures, the Selketal Railway runs from Alexisbad to Gernrode.
Meals: Breakfast
- Day 4railovernight: Wernigerode
The Brocken Railway
Journey on Germany's highest narrow-gauge railway, the Brocken Railway, deep into the forests of the Harz Mountains. Admire breathtaking views across trees and the national park on the way to the summit on tracks that climb at a gradient of up to 1 in 30. Free time at the top to visit the Brocken House Museum, which covers Cold War espionage history. Return to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
- Day 5railovernight: Wernigerode
A free day to explore Wernigerode
Full day at leisure. Options include visiting Wernigerode Castle via a quaint motorised tourist train, exploring the 16th-century town hall and cobbled main square, riding the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railway (the longest in Germany), or visiting the Museum für Luftfahrt und Technik aviation museum. Dine independently; Restaurant 1835 inside the nearby Hotel Altora is recommended.
Meals: Breakfast
- Day 6railovernight: Assmannshausen
To Assmannshausen in the vineyards of the Rhine Valley
Farewell to the Harz Mountains. Coach transfer to Hildesheim, then First Class rail to Frankfurt, passing rolling hills and dense forests. Continue by local train to Assmannshausen, a picture-postcard village beside the Rhine with terraced vineyards. Check in for three nights at a traditional family-run hotel, originally a 15th-century wine tavern. Dinner at the hotel. Note: August, September and October departures travel by rail to Frankfurt Süd, then by coach to Assmannshausen.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
- Day 7overnight: Assmannshausen
A day at leisure to discover our new surroundings
Full free day to explore Assmannshausen or the surrounding area. Options include taking a cable car to Niederwald for Rhine views, continuing to Rüdesheim to stroll the Drosselgasse or visit Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum, or visiting a nearby wine estate for tastings. Dine independently this evening.
Meals: Breakfast
- Day 8overnight: Assmannshausen
A cruise through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge
Coach to the riverside town of Boppard for free time before a Rhine cruise past medieval villages, fortresses and castles to St Goar, overlooked by the 13th-century Rheinfels Castle. Free time to explore and lunch independently. Return by boat to Assmannshausen through the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, sailing past the mythical Lorelei Rock. Final dinner together at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
- Day 9rail
Homeward Bound
Leave Assmannshausen by coach to Cologne, then First Class train to Brussels. From Brussels, travel in Eurostar Plus back to London St Pancras, enjoying a light meal at seats.
Meals: Breakfast, Eurostar Light Meal
Included
- Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
- 8 nights' 4-star hotel accommodation
- Eurostar Plus travel (outbound and return)
- First Class rail travel throughout
- All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout the tour
- Eurostar light meals (outbound and return)
- Breakfast each day
- 5 dinners
- Group luggage transfers between hotels from Wernigerode to Assmannshausen
- All guided tours and excursions
Not included
- Cancellation & Travel Insurance
