The Best Trips For Exploring The World's Most Famous Rivers

From the Danube to the Nile, the Mekong and even the Amazon, these are the ultimate Culture Trip itineraries to book if you’re drawn to the biggest, most iconic rivers on the planet. Let’s start with the world’s longest river, the Nile, which winds its way through most of the major countries in northeast Africa. The river was a vital element in the development of Ancient Egypt and, naturally, should therefore play a big part in any visit to the country. It certainly does on our nine-day Egypt trip, which aims to offer the definitive tour of this famous land. Starting with a locally-guided exploration of Cairo and Giza, we’ll jump on the sleeper train south to Luxor, much of which tracks the Nile itself. Here we’ll spend a night at a hotel with glorious views over the river, before spending the next four nights on an incredible luxury Nile cruise. Gently floating upstream offers an incredible insight into the countryside and urban landscapes of this unique nation, as well as offering easy passage between Luxor, Aswan and the countless archeological wonders between them. On our last full day you’ll even swap the ship to navigate the river via kayak, stopping off at some of the beautiful islands of Aswan before tucking into an authentic Nubian farewell dinner. The Danube is Europe’s second longest river but arguably its most significant, flowing from Germany’s Black Forest all the way across Central Europe to the Black Sea, on Europe’s border with Asia. En route it passes through some of the continent’s most beautiful medieval cities, which is no coincidence, of course. Our Berlin to Budapest Rail Trip winds through the charming European countryside in a similar fashion, starting a little further north in the German capital. We’ll make a beeline south to Prague and later Vienna, the first of four capital cities that lie on the Danube. You’ll explore three of them on this trip, after gorging on schnitzel and sachertorte in Vienna you’ll explore the gorgeous old town of Bratislava and both sides of the river in Budapest. We’ll also take a little detour to the Wachau Valley, a gorgeous green landscape that carves through the rolling hills and world-class vineyards alongside the Danube. We’ll embark on a scenic bike ride from the old medieval town of Krems, following the river’s beautiful path, before rounding off our detour with a well-deserved wine-tasting with a riverfront view. The Mekong is the third longest river in Asia, passing through southwest China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, almost as if it’s a teenage traveller taking a year off from its studies. You can explore three of those countries on our Southeast Asian odyssey. You won’t come into direct contact with the river until our final border crossing. Having explored Bangkok, Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh, we’ll cross into Vietnam in the coolest way imaginable, whizzing down the Mekong to a gorgeous riverside hotel in Chau Doc. The next day we’ll go for a slightly gentler ride on a Mekong River Cruise, set on a beautiful old wooden riverboat made using the materials once used for traditional rice barges. You’ll go on a guided excursion to rural villages and orchards before spending sunset on the top deck and dozing off onboard. The following day we’ll go even more authentic as we hop onboard traditional sampan rowing boats to explore some of the Mekong’s many canals and islets, meeting locals, learning about local music and cycling along the canals before heading to our final destination, Ho Chi Minh City. Staking a controversial claim to be the world’s real longest river – sorry, Nile – the Amazon is arguably the world’s most famous. It originates in Peru, passing countries like Colombia en route to its final destination, Brazil. Many people forget that one of the Amazonian nations is the incredible Ecuador, home to far more natural beauty than its relatively small area. Our eight-day exploration of the country heads towards the Amazon basin, starting in the capital, Quito. After visiting Quilotoa Lake and the Banos Waterfall Route (the water from these falls eventually end up in the Amazon) we’ll wind our way down to the city of Tena, AKA the gateway to the Amazon rainforest. We’ll spend two nights at a beautiful Amazon tropical lodge, heading out to go white-water rafting down Jatunyacu – one of the Amazon’s main tributaries – and two jungle treks – one to stop animals, the other to discover the Amazon’s abundance of natural essential oils. Ok, admittedly, we’re breaking the rules on this one. The Bosphorus might look like a giant river that separates the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, but in reality it’s an ocean strait that connects the Black Sea to what eventually becomes the Mediterranean. We’re willing to make an exception since this famous old metropolis feels like a classic river port city, you just have to ignore the waves, the salty waters and the endless seagulls. Our comprehensive 12-day Turkey tour kicks off with a deep-dive of Istanbul, which includes multiple ferry cruises down the Bosphorus, hopping between the European and Asian sides of the strait (not a river) to tuck into baklava and discover some of the city’s coolest neighbourhoods.

The Best Trips for Exploring the World's Most Famous Rivers

From the Danube to the Nile, the Mekong and even the Amazon, these are the ultimate Culture Trip itineraries to book if you’re drawn to the biggest, most iconic rivers on the planet.

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From the Danube to the Nile, the Mekong and even the Amazon, these are the ultimate Culture Trip itineraries to book if you’re drawn to the biggest, most iconic rivers on the planet.

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