6 Stunning Rivers to See by Boat
A wealth of intriguing historic and natural sights
line the world's most famous waterways
By Elizabeth Armstrong
Cruise West
Riverboats typically dock in the middle of cities and towns, so you can disembark and start exploring right away. Below, we've highlighted some of the top sights featured on six river cruise itineraries.
For more information on sailings along these rivers, call the river cruise department of Vacations To Go, (800) 510-4002, or visit the Web sites linked below.
Yangtze River
The mighty Yangtze flows for nearly 4,000 miles, from the mountains of western China to the East China Sea. Along its route are mist-shrouded gorges, ancient villages and one massive testament to man's desire to harness nature's power: the Three Gorges Dam. Spanning nearly a mile and a half and standing 600 feet tall, the multibillion-dollar project is a much-touted attraction on Yangtze River sailings.
Cruises of the river are offered as part of escorted tours that also include hotel stays in Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, guided sightseeing excursions take in Tiananmen Square and the 15th-century Forbidden City. This labyrinth of nearly 10,000 rooms and halls was the imperial home of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In Shanghai, on the southern bank of the Yangtze, you can stroll the waterfront Bund district, snap photos in serene Yuyuan Garden and marvel at the city's sci-fi skyline.
Passengers also travel to Badaling to see the best-preserved section of the Great Wall. In Xian, view the army of life-size terra-cotta warriors created to protect the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. He commissioned these clay soldiers at age 13, and each one bears a unique facial expression and uniform.
Click here to learn more about Yangtze River cruises from top tour and river cruise operators.
Danube River
Painters, poets and composers have been inspired by the Danube, which springs from the Black Forest and travels to the Black Sea. The river delivers cruisers to some of Central Europe's most stately and elegant cities. It splits the Hungarian capital, Budapest -- the part known as Buda occupies the hilly west bank, while Pest lies on the flatter east bank. In Old World Vienna, river cruise guests see the opera house, the Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral and the cobblestoned courtyards of Hofburg Palace, the city residence of Austria's ruling Habsburg family until 1918. Some sightseeing excursions travel to Schonbrunn Palace, another royal residence that dates to the 17th century.
Beyond the glittering cities, pastoral scenes await. One of the most picturesque parts of the Danube is the Wachau Valley, lined with vineyards and villages like Durnstein, Austria, recognized by the blue-and-white bell tower of its abbey. The baroque abbey at Melk, also in Austria, tops a hill overlooking the Danube. Many riverboats dock here so that guests can tour its immense library, which holds some 16,000 books, and take in the views from its terrace.
Look here for more information on Danube River sailings.
Rhine River
Enter a world of fairy-tale landscapes on a cruise of the Rhine River. Most of the itinerary is spent in Germany, where the Middle Rhine is thought to be the most spectacular stretch, dotted with 21 castles set amid the high bluffs. They include Stolzenfels Castle, once occupied by Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, and Rheinstein Castle, near Rudesheim. Boats usually stop at Rudesheim, a wine-producing town where visitors can stroll the pedestrian-only Drosselgasse, lined with shops and taverns. Just to the north lies pretty Bacharach, one of the picturesque medieval towns along the route.
The Rhine River begins in Switzerland and meanders through Germany and the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea. Another port of call on the Rhine is the Alsatian town of Strasbourg, France, near the German border. Black-and-white, timber-framed structures front the streets and canals of its charming Petite France district. Itineraries often travel between Basel, Switzerland, which boasts nearly 40 museums, and the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where top sites include Anne Frank's home, a Van Gogh museum and tall, gabled homes.
Learn more about cruising the Rhine here.
Nile River
For more than 5,000 years, the Nile has been a driving force in the development of Egypt's civilizations. It's the world's longest river, stretching more than 4,000 miles from northeast Africa to the Mediterranean Sea at Egypt's coast. Even today, the river plays a major role in the lives of those who live along its shores. You may see children swimming in the cool waters, women on the banks washing their families' clothes, or even enterprising salesmen in rowboats who will approach your vessel with their wares.
Nile River cruises are incorporated into longer land-based itineraries that include visits to some of Egypt's most prized archaeological sites. These include massive Luxor Temple, built some 3,000 years ago and eerily beautiful when illuminated at night, and the Philae Temple. The latter had to be dismantled at its original location and rebuilt on a nearby island during the construction of the Aswan Dam, in order to save it from rising water.
Guests also visit the most iconic symbols of Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza, built to house the mummified remains of pharaohs. Other long-gone leaders are interred in the necropolis known as the Valley of the Dead.
Look here to view Nile River cruise vacations.
Amazon River
The Amazon River carves a path through the thick rain forests of Brazil. It is wide enough and deep enough to accommodate oceangoing cruise ships, which sail the river as part of South American and Caribbean itineraries. Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises are among the companies that send ships here.
The Amazon is home to a brilliant parade of exotic flora and fauna. Jaguars, squirrel monkeys, capybaras and tapirs dwell here, along with brightly plumed birds like the scarlet macaw. Piranhas, bull sharks and pink dolphins swim the waters, and orchids, bromeliads and ferns carpet the forest floor. In Manaus, you can join an excursion to Lake January for views of the enormous Victoria Regia water lilies, which measure up to 3 feet across.
Set deep in Brazil's interior, Manaus is the chief port of the Amazon River and was dubbed the "Paris of the Jungle" in the late 19th century. The pink-and-white opera house, Teatro Amazonas, is a favorite photo op here. Another important port, Belem, at the mouth of the river, offers neighborhoods of colorful colonial architecture.
Learn more about Amazon River cruises here.
Columbia River
Follow the journey of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a cruise of this rugged Pacific Northwest waterway. Vessels navigate the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, then veer north to take in a portion of the Snake River. The small, casual ships of Cruise West sail here, staffed by onboard guides who can offer a wealth of information on the area's history, culture, geography and wildlife.
A star attraction is the stunning Columbia River Gorge, which cuts an 80-mile path through the Cascade Range. There are dozens of waterfalls in the gorge, but the most striking of them is Multnomah Falls on the Oregon side, the state's longest at 620 feet.
Along the route you can witness the mechanics of sailing through locks like the one at Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. Adventure awaits at Hells Canyon, where guests board covered jet boats for a heart-pumping ride. In Pendleton, OR, see the underground tunnels that once housed illicit businesses like bordellos and gambling saloons.
For more information on Cruise West vacations on the Columbia River, visit Vacations To Go.
The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in September/October 2009.
