River Cruise + Land Combinations
A week on the river plus a great city, the mountains or a safari: the pairings that work best.
Get Free Quotes on an ItineraryMany of the best river trips are not just cruises. A week on the water pairs naturally with a few days in a great city, the mountains or a game reserve. Some lines package the whole thing; others let you add hotel nights yourself. Here are the combinations that work best.
| River | Natural land pairing | How it is usually sold |
|---|---|---|
| Danube | Prague before or after; sometimes Salzburg or Munich | Optional pre- or post-cruise packages from most lines |
| Rhine | Amsterdam, plus Lucerne, Zermatt or the Swiss Alps after Basel | Optional extensions; some lines sell Rhine-and-Switzerland packages |
| Seine | Paris stay before or after; sometimes London by train | Often a Paris hotel package with the cruise |
| Douro | Lisbon, and sometimes Madrid or Salamanca | Pre- or post-cruise hotel packages |
| Nile | Cairo, Giza and the Egyptian Museum | Usually included as one cruisetour |
| Mekong | Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, often Hanoi and Ha Long Bay | Usually one cruisetour with internal flights |
| Ganges | Delhi, Agra (the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur | One cruisetour, for example Uniworld’s Golden Triangle & Ganges program |
| Chobe | Victoria Falls and land safaris in Botswana or South Africa | One package, for example AmaWaterways’ Africa programs on the Zambezi Queen |
| Amazon (Peru) | Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu | Often sold together by expedition lines and tour operators |
| Mississippi | New Orleans before; Memphis or St. Louis | Pre-cruise hotel nights are often offered as part of the package |
Packaged Cruisetour or Do It Yourself?
Packaged by the line
Transfers, hotel, guides and luggage handled for you, and the line takes responsibility if a flight or ship schedule changes. It is the norm on the Nile, Mekong, Ganges and Chobe, and the simplest choice anywhere you don’t speak the language.
Arranged separately
More freedom to choose your hotel and pace, and sometimes better value in cities you know. Best in Europe’s easy capitals. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can book the hotel nights and transfers to fit the cruise.
How Much Land Is the Right Amount?
- One night before: the minimum for any international river cruise, as a buffer against delays.
- Two or three nights: enough to see the embarkation city properly — Prague, Paris, Lisbon or Amsterdam.
- A week or more: typical for Asia, Africa and Egypt, where the cruise is one part of a bigger journey.
Count the nights on the water before you book. Some Asian and African programs sold as river cruises spend fewer nights on the river than on land. That is fine if you expect it — and a surprise if you don’t.
Combine a River Cruise With Land
Tell us the river and the places you want to add. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will price packaged and tailor-made options and send free quotes.
Price a River + Land Trip