KD Rhine River boats cruise from Düsseldorf on sightseeing, dinner, and party excursions during the Christmas market period and on New Year’s Eve. More departures are possible from nearby Cologne.
Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) offers sightseeing pleasure cruises on the Rhine River from Düsseldorf during the Christmas market Advent period. These cruises, often with live music, last from two to three hours, with food usually optional. On New Year’s Eve, special Silvester party boats allow revelers to welcome in the New Year on the Rhine. Advance booking is advisable for the popular afternoon cruises. Many more Rhine cruises are available from nearby Cologne.
In 2026, KD Rhine River boats cruise from Düsseldorf on most days during the Advent and Christmas market period, except Mondays, and at least three party boats will cruise on New Year’s Eve.
Christmas Market Rhine River Boat Cruises from Düsseldorf
Sightseeing pleasure boat cruises on the Rhine River are possible during the Christmas market period in Düsseldorf. However, fewer boats depart from Düsseldorf than from nearby Cologne.
KD’s Christmas market riverboat pleasure cruises from Düsseldorf are usually available Tuesday to Sunday from late November until the final Advent Sunday before Christmas.
In 2026, the KD Christmas cruise season is from 20 November to 20 December 2026.
The main pleasure boat cruises available in Düsseldorf during the Advent and Christmas market season are:
- Two-hour cruises in the late afternoon (Nachmittagsfahrt) with St.Nicholas and live music, every day from Tuesday to Sunday. The cruise time is usually 15:30 to 17:30, so the arrival is after dark. (Around €28 / €10 for children – food & drink optional.)
- Romantic all-inclusive evening dinner cruises (Abendfahrten) from Tuesday to Saturday nights departing at 20:00 and returning around 22:30, with the event ending at 23:30. (Around €94 on weeknights / €104 on Fridays and Saturdays; all-inclusive, with buffet and drinks.)
- Christmas-Advent brunch (Weihnachtlicher Adventsbrunch) cruises on Sunday mornings (22 and 29 November; 6, 13, and 20 December). (Around €52 / children €29 – brunch buffet, coffee and tea, and a glass of Sekt included.)
Children’s fares on KD are for ages 6 to 13. Discounts on some cruises are offered to students and seniors (65+).
New Year’s Eve Party Rhine Boat Cruises from Düsseldorf
Special Silvester (New Year’s Eve) party boats cruise on the Rhine from Düsseldorf to welcome the New Year in style. At midnight, sailing on the Rhine offers excellent views of the New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Düsseldorf skyline.
These Silvester party boats offer mostly live music and all-inclusive buffets, or disco with beer, wine, Sekt (sparkling wine), and soft drinks. Boats leave Düsseldorf around 7 or 8 pm on New Year’s Eve and return to port around 1 or 2 am on New Year’s Day.
Prices for New Year’s Eve cruises from the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke in Düsseldorf are around €259 for the all-inclusive MS RheinGalaxie cruise, including a festive buffet, drinks, midnight snack, and live music. A dinner alternative aboard the MS RheinDiamond, departing from the Scylla 2 landing stage in Düsseldorf, costs around €239 and includes a festive menu, two glasses of champagne, and entertainment; other drinks are charged separately.
A cheaper alternative is the Silvester party boat MS Asbach with a disco that includes beer, wine, and soft drinks for around €159 (€143 for early reservations). Further snacks and drinks are available. The disco party boat leaves around 8 pm and returns around 1 am to Düsseldorf Burgplatz.
KD also has New Year’s Eve party boats departing from Cologne (Köln), Koblenz, Mainz, and Frankfurt am Main.
More frequent Christmas market and other winter sightseeing pleasure cruises on the Rhine River are available from nearby Cologne, as well as from Rüdesheim and St Goar / St Goarshausen in the Middle Rhine (Loreley) region.
More on the Rhine River in Germany
Day-Trip Excursions and Pleasure Cruises on the Rhine River:
- Middle Rhine (Loreley Valley) — UNESCO World Cultural Heritage-listed Area and the best part of the Rhine River for short and all-day boat cruises:
- cruise from Rüdesheim (cruise lines), Koblenz (cruise lines), winter & Christmas
- from Frankfurt — fast trains to the Rhine, or slow boat to the Rhine
- from Mainz and Wiesbaden
- Savings Tips, Best Cruise Lines
- Lower Rhine — Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn to Linz
- Special events: Cruises to Rhine in Flames Fireworks, Christmas and New Year’s Cruises in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Rüdesheim
- Moselle River Cruises (Cochem, Bernkastel-Kues, Trier, Koblenz, Burg Eltz)
- Cruises on the Main River in Frankfurt (or better By Train from Frankfurt to the Best Rhine Cruises)
- Cruises from Worms, Mannheim, Heidelberg (on the Neckar River)
- Cruises from Speyer
- Rhinefalls (Rhine Waterfalls, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Kreuzlingen) in Switzerland
Tips and Savings on Day-Trip Rhine Cruises
- The best part of the Rhine for day-trip excursion cruises in the Middle Rhine between Rüdesheim / Bingen and Koblenz. See Savings Tips and the Best Cruise Lines cruising in the Loreley Valley.
- Check train times for Germany (and most of Europe) at German Railways.