The Middle Rhine region in Germany is renowned for its scenic scenery, charming small towns, and majestic castles on the hills overlooking the Rhine River. One of the best ways to experience the beauty of this region is by taking a boat cruise. In this post, I’d like to share a sample itinerary for a scenic Middle Rhine cruise between Bingen and Boppard, Germany.
The largest boat tour operator on the Rhine, KD Rhine, offers regular river cruises between Mainz and Cologne (and back). One of the best features of the KD Rhine cruise is its hop-on/hop-off flexibility. The boat stops at several locations, allowing you to disembark to explore charming towns and impressive castles, then hop back on the next available boat on the same day.
Middle Rhine cruise options and travel times
When planning our trip to the Middle Rhine region, we spent considerable time researching the various Rhine cruises, ticket options, cruise durations, and the sights and towns along the river.
While you could opt for a full-day boat cruise from Mainz to Cologne, it’s worth noting that not all sections of the Middle Rhine are equally picturesque. Spending the entire day on the boat might become monotonous. A better option would be to enjoy a few hours on the cruise, hop off at one or two charming towns along the way, and consider taking a train to either the starting or ending point of the cruise for a quicker journey.
Keep in mind the duration of the cruise when planning your trip. We opted for the route from Mainz to Cologne rather than the reverse, as traveling downstream on the Rhine results in faster travel times (boats move more quickly downstream than upstream). If you choose to go in the opposite direction, expect longer travel times. To give you an idea of trip durations:
- A boat from Mainz to Koblenz will take about 6 hours,
- A boat from Koblenz to Mainz will take about 8.5 hours.
Another important point to consider is that if you choose to travel all the way from Mainz to Cologne, you’ll need to change boats along the way. Most boats don’t cover the entire route, so you’ll typically need to transfer at a midpoint, such as in Koblenz, to continue to Cologne.
The Rhine Gorge, a section of the Rhine River, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stretching between Bingen and Koblenz, it is home to over 40 medieval castles, offering a remarkable glimpse into history amidst stunning natural scenery.
The Rhine Gorge portion of the river, often referred to as the Romantic Rhine, is renowned for its breathtaking beauty. With majestic castles perched on hills, lush green valleys, charming small towns, and numerous wineries scattered along the way, this section of the Middle Rhine is ideal for a romantic boat cruise.
After all our research, we decided to begin our boat trip in Bingen, spend a few hours cruising down the river, disembark at Boppard, and then take a train to Koblenz—all within a single day.
This journey was actually part of a longer trip from Frankfurt to Cologne. We spent a few days in Frankfurt (check out our post on Perfect weekend in Frankfurt), took a train to Bingen, cruised down to Boppard, hopped on a train to Koblenz, and finally traveled by train to Cologne (read our post on A Day in Cologne: Top Sights to Explore). However, this adventure deserves its own dedicated post. For now, let’s dive back into the Scenic Middle Rhine cruise from Bingen to Boppard!
Check the departure times and purchase tickets online through the KD Rhine website:
- Cruise schedule: https://www.kdrhine.com/rhineschedule.htm
- Tickets from Mainz (with boarding at any KD departure points): https://www.kdrhine.com/kdrhineMainz.htm
Bingen
We traveled to Bingen from Frankfurt by train. The journey takes approximately two hours. Tickets can be purchased at the station, either from a ticket machine or at the ticket office. We took the 9:08 AM train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and arrived in Bingen at 11:10 AM. From the train station, it’s about a 15-minute walk to the KD Rhine Terminal, where you board the boat.
We boarded the cruise ship at around 11:30 AM. Be sure to have your ticket ready to present upon boarding. You can also bring your luggage on board, as they offer storage for it during the cruise.
Middle Rhine cruise – Bingen to Boppard
Once on board, you can sit back, relax, and take in the stunning views. KD Rhine cruise ships typically feature two decks—the lower deck is enclosed, while the upper deck is open-air. Both decks have bars offering snacks and drinks, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout the journey.
As mentioned earlier, this section of the Rhine Valley has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the cruise, you can admire the stunning castles, charming small towns, and the lush green hills and valleys that pass by. You also have the option to disembark at one of the towns to explore it further or visit one of the well-preserved medieval castles.
Here’s the full list of stops where you can disembark between Mainz and Koblenz during the cruise:
Wiesbaden, Eltville, Rüdesheim, Bingen, Assmannshausen, Lorch, Bacharach, Kaub, Oberwesel, St. Goar, St. Goarshausen, Bad Salzig, Kamp, Boppard, Braubach, Rhens, Oberlahnstein.
We spent two hours on the cruise and disembarked at Boppard around 2 PM. As you approach Boppard, you’ll spot the distinctive 13th-century Church of St. Severus, easily recognizable by its striking tall twin towers.
Boppard
Boppard is a small, charming town where you can easily spend a full day or at least a few hours. We chose it as our stop not only for its appeal but also because it features a chairlift to the top of the town, offering stunning views of the Rhine River and the town of Filsen on the opposite bank.
After disembarking the boat at Boppard, start your exploration by strolling towards the green area along Rheinallee Street. Turn right onto Michael-Bach-Straße and wander through the charming town center, making your way to the ruins of Römerkastell (Kastell Bodobrica). From there, continue to the Market Square. The town center is compact, and you can easily explore it on foot in about 30 minutes.
Please note that there is no baggage storage available at the Boppard train station. We went there hoping to leave our suitcase but were disappointed to find no storage facilities.
From the town center, we walked to the chairlift, Sesselbahn. The chairlift takes you to the Vierseenblick viewpoint, where you can admire stunning views of the Rhine River as it makes a dramatic loop. The ride takes approximately 20 minutes each way.
Tickets for the chairlift can be purchased directly at the Sesselbahn station. Conveniently, they also offer free luggage storage while you enjoy the ride up and down!
At the top, after disembarking from the chairlift, take a short five-minute walk to the panoramic terrace. From there, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Rhine loop, the town of Boppard, and the picturesque settlement on the opposite side of the river.
At the top, there’s a restaurant with a spacious outdoor area and even a playground for children. Even if you’re not planning to have a meal, it’s a great spot to relax with a drink, recharge, and soak in the stunning views for a little while longer before heading back down to Boppard.
After enjoying the viewpoint, we descended via the chairlift and made our way to Boppard train station to catch the train to Koblenz.
Koblenz
Trains depart from Boppard every hour, and the journey to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof takes just 15 minutes.
If you’re not planning to stay in Koblenz, you can simply change trains here and continue on to Cologne or Frankfurt the same day. However, if you have a few hours to spare, take a leisurely walk along the Rhine for some beautiful views. Be sure to stop by Koblenz Castle and visit Deutsches Eck, the point where the Rhine meets the Moselle River.
Take cable car across the Rhine and up to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Even if you don’t have time to visit the fortress itself, from the cable car you will get a great view to the Deutsches Eck.
We spent the night in Koblenz and departed the following morning to Cologne.
Read our dedicated post on Koblenz here: Visiting Koblenz – a picturesque city on the Rhine and Moselle rivers
Other options to explore Middle Rhine
There are many different options to explore Germany’s Middle Rhine region.
You can take a day trip from Frankfurt, a guided boat tour or perhaps a package combining boat tour with wine testing. The choice is yours!
We travelled to Middle Rhine region in May and the weather was perfect! Cruising on a boat was a great option for us travelling with kids. A combination of train and boat gave a nice overview of the region and allowed spending some time at the towns along the way.
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For more travel ideas in Germany read next – One week road trip itinerary in Bavaria
Very nice info about cruising the Rhine. We have often thought about a Germany river cruise but haven’t seen this much detail about what to expect.
I would definitely recommend a Middle Rhine cruise – a nice way to get an overview of the region.
Beautiful views along the Rhine! I love the tip of booking a cruise upriver so you can enjoy it longer. I lived near Frankfurt as a teenager for 4 months and remember doing this and liked it a lot. Next time I’d like to go up to Boppard for a different viewpoint!
These views from the boat all look gorgeous. Up until recently when I booked an Alaska cruise, I had always said the only cruise I would ever do would be one like this through Europe. I still hope to do that one day!
A great way to explore somewhere and what fantastic views the Rhine is certainly a place I would love to visit. I see you said about adding wine tasting that seems like a perfect combination
What a beautiful cruise! I haven’t explored this part of Germany before but it is so pretty. The towns you visited are so charming and the views! We have similar castles in Italy, I love seeing them!
Such a beautiful trip! I think a Rhine River cruise would be a brilliant way to see so much of the incredible views that Germany has to offer!