Pre- & Post-River Cruise Extensions

With most river cruises lasting an average of 7 nights, your travel investment in time and money may be best served by extending your trip beyond just the cruise – before you embark, after you disembark, or both. There are countless cruise vacation extension ideas. How about a city stay in your embarkation or disembarkation locations? Or a city nearby – with expertly planned transfers and hotels? Perhaps an adventure after your river cruise with a fully customized, self-drive or rail tour of some amazing off-river destinations? Whatever your interests, your River Cruise Artist is happy to create your very own, fully customized, river cruise extension experience!
European river cruising is a customer favorite

River Cruise Extension Inspirations

Here are some great river cruise extension ideas for our most popular rivers. Your Vacation Artist is eager to plan your fully customized and personalized extension to your river cruise. Just let us know where you want to go and what you want to see and we will get to work for you!

Danube River Extension Ideas

  • City Stay Ideas – Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Bucharest, Munich
  • German, Austrian & Swiss Alps Scenic Tour
  • Quaint towns of Bavaria and the Black Forest
  • Sound of Music Tour of Salzburg area
  • Lake district of Slovenia & the Croatian Coast
  • Northern Italy & Venice
  • Rail tours around Western and Central Europe
Enjoy the amazing Alps of Switzerland on a river cruise your way extension

Rhine River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Amsterdam, Zurich, Basel, Munich, Brussels, Paris, Brugges
  • Brugges & Brussels Belgium tour
  • Swiss Alps, Zermatt & the Matterhorn
  • Geneva, Grenoble and the French Alps
  • Olympics – Olympic Museum & Game Sites
  • The Black Forest, Bavaria & Munich
  • Eastern France – Strasbourg, Champagne, Reims
Explore the Black Forest of Germany on your Rhine River Cruise

Seine River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Paris, Bordeaux, London, Brussels, Nice, Amsterdam
  • Loire Valley Winery & Chateaux tour
  • Champagne Region & Reims
  • French Riviera – Marseilles, Monaco & Cannes
  • Avignon & Provence
  • Bordeaux & Dordogne River Valley
  • Lille, Antwerp, Brugges and Brussels
Explore the chateau and vineyards of the Loire River valley

Rhone & Saone River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Monaco, Paris, Geneva, Barcelona
  • French Alps – Grenoble, Albertville & Annecy
  • Strasbourg & the Black Forest of Germany
  • The Lakes Region of Italy
  • Paris & London – Eurostar Tour
  • Andorra – Bordeaux to Barcelona
  • Paris & the Loire Valley Chateaux
See the Italian Lakes region on a customized river cruise extension

Douro River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, Seville, Santiago Compestela, Barcelona
  • Northwest Spain – Santiago de Compestela
  • The Algarve – Southern Coast of Portugal
  • Andalusia – Seville, Malaga, Cordoba & Grenada
  • Amazing Morocco & Gibraltar
  • French Riviera – Nice, Monaco & Cannes
  • The Guggenheim in Bilbao & Pamplona
Visit the Markets of Morocco after your Douro River Cruise

Nile River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Cairo, Tel Aviv, Athens, Rome, Istanbul, Dubai
  • Islands of Greece & Athens
  • Tour of Sicily – Palermo, Taormina & Syracuse
  • Israel & Jordan – The Holy Land & Petra
  • Cruise the Mediterranean
  • Explore the Croatian Coast & Montenegro
  • Venice and the Italian Lakes Region
Visit Jerusalem Israel on a Nile River Cruise extension

Dutch Waterways Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Brugges, Brussels
  • Capital Tour – Brussels, Paris & London
  • Paris & The Loire River Valley
  • Royal London and the Cotswolds
  • Mont St Michel & Normandy
  • Castles of the Rhine River Valley
  • WWII History Brussels to Paris
Visit London England on a river cruise extension

Mekong River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bangkok, Hong Kong
  • Beaches of Thailand – Phuket & area islands
  • Northern Thailand – Chiang Rai & Chiang Mai
  • Vientiane & the Mysteries of Laos
  • The Mountains & Beaches of Bali
  • A Yangtze River Cruise & highlights of China
  • Olympic Beijing & the Great Wall of China
Visit Angkor Wat on a Mekong River Cruise

Ganges River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – New Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Kathmandu, Bangkok
  • Nepal Tour – Kathmandu & Mt. Everest
  • Scenic & Mysterious Bhutan
  • Bhutan, Nepal & Lhasa Tibet
  • New Delhi, Agra & the Taj Mahal
  • Cambodia Treasures Angkor Wat & Phnom Penh
  • The Beaches of Goa
Visit the famed Taj Mahal on a Ganges river cruise extension

Amazon River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Lima, Quito, Guayaquil, Panama City, Cuzco, La Paz
  • Machu Pichu & Cuzco Peru
  • Highlands Bolivia – La Paz & Lake Titicaca
  • Cruise the Galapagos Islands
  • Cartegena, Medellin & Bogota Colombia
  • Rain Forests and Beaches of Costa Rica
  • Patagonia & the Chilean Fjords
Visit Machu Picchu on an Amazon River cruise extension

Elbe River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Nuremberg, Vienna
  • Visit Poland – Krakow to Warsaw
  • Karlovy Vary & Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
  • Nuremberg, Regensburg & Munich Germany
  • Mountains & Castles of Bavaria
  • Amsterdam & The Netherlands
  • The Romantic Road of Germany
Visit historic Nuremberg on your Rhine, Main & Danube river cruise vacations

Mississippi River Extension Ideas

  • City Stays – New Orleans, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houtson
  • Visit the UP – Journey to Upper Peninsula of Michigan
  • Enjoy some Country Music in Nashville
  • Get some sun on the Gulf Coast Beaches
  • Visit the Wisconsin Dells
  • Grab a game in Chicago, Green Bay or St. Louis
Visit New Orleans on your Mississippi River Cruise