Captivating Rhine Smithsonian Journeys River Cruise

Several excursions on this itinerary are exclusive to Smithsonian Journeys guests, meaning they’re arranged specifically for passengers on this cruise and aren’t available to the general public in the same format. These include the Rijksmuseum guided tour in Amsterdam, the Roman ruins and Belgian House tour in Cologne, the Speyer Technik Museum tour, the EU Parliament visit in Strasbourg, the Bartholdi Museum tour in Colmar and the Neuf-Brisach Citadel tour. The Smithsonian expert on board also provides context and commentary throughout the cruise that frames each destination beyond what a standard tour guide would cover.

Experts change by departure. The June 2026 sailing features Erik Grimmer-Solem, a prize-winning history professor at Wesleyan University specialising in 19th and 20th-century German history, and Martha Easton, an Associate Professor of Art History and Museum Studies at Saint Joseph’s University who has studied medieval manuscripts and art extensively across Europe. The July 2026 sailing features David Scott Silverberg, a published author and fellow of the Explorers Club with degrees from MIT and Harvard who specialises in Alpine geology and conservation biology, and Tiffany Nicole Florvil, an associate professor of modern European history and human rights at the University of New Mexico. The September 2026 sailing features Thomas Bremer, a published author and political consultant who previously taught at the University of Munster and specialises in German and European history.

Neuf-Brisach is a fortified town in Alsace built between 1698 and 1703 by Vauban, the military engineer of Louis XIV, after France was forced to cede the strategically important town of Breisach to the Holy Roman Empire. It’s considered Vauban’s masterpiece and his only example of a third-system fortification, with a distinctive octagonal star shape, a double town wall, and a checkerboard street grid of 48 blocks organised around a central parade ground. It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Fortifications of Vauban’ in 2008. The AmaWaterways excursion on day seven is a Smithsonian exclusive tour.

Strasbourg is one of only two official seats of the European Parliament, the other being Brussels. The Smithsonian exclusive excursion on day six is a visit to the Parliament building, offered as an alternative to the La Petite France walking tour and the bike tour. Access at this level is not typically available to independent visitors and is arranged specifically for guests on this itinerary. The source itinerary lists it as a Smithsonian Journeys exclusive.

The standard Captivating Rhine Taste of Christmas is a festive December itinerary focused on Christmas markets, mulled wine and seasonal atmosphere. This Smithsonian Journeys version runs in summer and autumn and replaces the festive framing with academic depth. The Smithsonian exclusive excursions, including the Rijksmuseum tour, the Roman ruins and Belgian House in Cologne, the EU Parliament, the Technik Museum in Speyer, the Bartholdi Museum and the Neuf-Brisach Citadel tour, are unique to this itinerary and don’t appear on the Christmas version. If you’re choosing between the two, the Christmas cruise suits those who want a festive atmosphere; this one suits those who want to go deeper into the history and culture of the places they’re visiting.