Dlx Nehir Gemisi MS Leonora with Christmas Markets on the Rhine River by THY

Tour details

CHRISTMAS MARKETS ON THE RHINE RIVER WITH THE DLX RIVER SHIP LEONORA

GERMANY – FRANCE

                            Düsseldorf (*Cologne) – Koblenz  - Romantic Rhine Route – Rüdesheim - Worms /Speyer

 (*Heidelberg) – Strasbourg  1 night accommodation(*Colmar)  – Stuttgart

The ship cannot dock at the ports marked with (*). Cities and towns marked with (*) can be reached by private vehicle.

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION

DIRECTION

DATE

FLIGHT CODE

ROUTE

DEPARTURE

ARRIVAL

OUTBOUND

16.12.2026

TK 1523

IST – DUS

08:00

09:20

RETURN

20.12.2026

TK 1706

STR-  IST

18:50

23:55

 

Day 01            ISTANBUL  – DUSSELDORF 
16 December 26 / Wednesday  Meeting at the appointed time in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at Istanbul Airport, International Terminal, followed by check-in and passport procedures, then departure to Düsseldorf with Turkish Airlines flight TK 1523 at 08:00 and arrival at 09:20 local time. Upon our arrival in Düsseldorf, transfer to our ship with the vehicle waiting for us at the airport. Check-in will be after 14:00. For those who wish, an extra tour of Cologne & Düsseldorf, one of Germany’s most popular cities, is available. Afterwards, transfer to our ship and check-in procedures will be completed. Our ship departs from Düsseldorf today at 17:00.

Day 02         KOBLENZ - PASSAGE OF THE ROMANTIC RHINE ROUTE - RUDESHEIM    
17 December 26 / Thursday   At 06:00 in the morning we will dock at Koblenz port. Guests who wish may join the Koblenz and Mountain Cable Car tour, which our guide will arrange as an extra and where you can also see the Moselle River. We take the cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Castle and from there enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Koblenz’s famous German Corner, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Afterwards we take a walking tour in Koblenz and visit the Christmas Market. Our ship will leave Koblenz port at 12:0. The most beautiful part of the Rhine River, the Romantic Rhine Passage, will be sailed. During this cruise, more than 20 medieval castles and magnificent views can be seen. After our ship’s arrival in Rüdesheim at 19:00 in the evening, it will remain in port until 01:30 at night..

Day 03            WORMS -  SPEYER  
18 December 26 / Friday    At 09:00 in the morning we arrive at Worms port. After a short technical break, at 09:30 our ship will set sail for Speyer. Our ship, which will arrive in Speyer at 12:30 noon, will depart from Speyer at 20:00 in the evening. 
With guests who wish, you can join the Heidelberg tour as an extra. We visit the city of Heidelberg, whose population is mostly made up of students. Heidelberg is also famous for the printing press and printing machines that bear the city’s name. Heidelberg Castle, the enormous barrel Grosses Fass displayed in the castle cellars, Carl-Theodor Bridge known among locals as the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), and Heiligegeistkirche (Historical Church) located right in the middle of the Old Town are among the sights to be seen. After the tour, return to our ship waiting for us at Speyer port. 

Day 04            STRASBOURG
19 December 26 / Saturday At 08:00 in the morning we arrive at Strasbourg port. Our ship will remain anchored in Strasbourg tonight.
In the morning we begin our extra Strasbourg and Colmar City tour with our guests. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988, Strasbourg also hosts the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. As the seventh-largest city in France by population, we first visit the European Court of Human Rights. After a photo break in front of the building, we come to the historic city and begin our walking tour. On this tour, historic streets, Notre Dame Cathedral, Rohan Palace, Kammerzehl, shopping streets, and Kleber Square are among the sights to be seen. Afterwards, with guests who wish, we walk to the Petit France (Little France) district. Our tour ends with free time in central Strasbourg. In Colmar, those who wish can tour the city in detail as an extra with a mini train.

Day 05            STRASBOURG – STUTTGART - ISTANBUL 
20 December 26 / Sunday    After breakfast, disembarkation from the ship and, before transfer to the airport for your return flight, an extra panoramic Stuttgart city tour for guests who wish.. From the city center we see the New Palace, the Town Hall, and the shopping street Konning Strasse. After a visit to the Christmas market at Marktplatz, free time and transfer to the airport. After check-in and passport control, we depart for Istanbul Airport with Turkish Airlines flight TK 1706 at 18:50 local time. After our arrival in Istanbul at 23:55 local time, our tour ends. 

CANCELLATION & REFUND TERMS

Based on the reservation date, the following deduction amounts or rates will apply according to the cancellation request date.

UNTIL THE DEPARTURE DATE BASED ON THE RESERVATION DATE

APPLIED DEDUCTION RATE

180 days before

%10

179 – 159 days before

%15

158 – 120 days before

%25

119 – 90 days before

%30

89 – 60 days before

%50

59 – 45 days before

%60

44 – 30 days before

%75

29 – 10 days before

%90

9 days or fewer before

%100

 

MS LEONORA SHIP FEATURES

The ship, which began operating in 2008 under the name Avalon Scenery, was later renamed Ms Leonora. It was completely renovated in 2025, and the renovation work has been completed. The ship is 110 m long, 11.40 m wide, 5.85 m high, and has a total of 3 decks; it has 67 cabins and a passenger capacity of 138. French Balcony cabins are 16 m² in size. All cabins include air conditioning, TV, telephone, minibar, safe, hair dryer, clothes hanger, towels, shampoo, and similar amenities. On the ship, where approximately 40 friendly staff will serve you, you can also fully enjoy the river from the Sun Deck, the ship’s top deck, which has free sun loungers, tables, and seating areas. In the Restaurant section on the lowest deck of the ship, you can have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table assigned to you on the ship. In the Club Lounge Bar section prepared for you at the rear of the ship, you can have a pleasant time with games such as card games, backgammon, and okey. In the Lounge section at the entrance of the ship, you can follow local shows, presentations about rivers, organizations such as the “Welcome” and “Farewell cocktail,” and activities such as “Tea & Coffee hour refreshments.” In addition, thanks to the Turkish program sent to your cabins every night, you can easily follow the next day’s program

What's included
Economy class airline ticket on Turkish Airlines for the round-trip route Istanbul (IST) – Düsseldorf (DUS) / Stuttgart (STR) - Istanbul (IST)
Airport taxes & Port taxes 
4-night full-board accommodation on a Deluxe River ship, built in 2008 and completely renovated in 2025 (Within full board, service begins with dinner on the embarkation day and ends with breakfast on the disembarkation day)
Airport transfers (on embarkation day and disembarkation day)
Live music and activities on board
Coffee & tea station available all day on board and afternoon tea service
Free internet on board
Welcome cocktail
Captain’s Gala Cocktail, Gala Special Menu  
Luggage handling service on the first and last day of the ship
Professional Turkish-speaking guiding and assistant services 
Tourist city taxes (50 Euro)
TURSAB mandatory professional liability insurance
Not included

Visa fee and service charge
Domestic connecting flight ticket
Ship Crew Service Fee (calculated at 15 Euros per person per night, totaling 60 Euros per person, will be added to your cabin account)
All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on board
All kinds of personal expenses 
Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites not specified in the program
Travel & Health Insurance and Surcharge premium (for guests aged 65 and over)
Tips for the driver and guide
International خروج tax fee

Need to Know

Important information regarding your flight;
* The airport meeting time is generally 2 hours 30 minutes before the flight, and the details will also be communicated 2 days before the tour departure. Due to security checks at European airports, you will be transferred to the airport 3 hours before the flight on the return journey.
* Departure and arrival times are local times and are determined by the airlines..
* There is limited availability for domestic flight connections; availability must be checked during the final reservation and the booking must then be processed accordingly.
* Cities offering connections other than Ankara and Izmir must also be confirmed.
* Confirmed domestic flight connections are valid for the most suitable domestic flight available within 24 hours. 
* Domestic connection prices may not be valid for groups. Please ask about our special prices.
* The Operator Agency is an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol of 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and special flights, or flight times may change before the existing tour and flight. The Operator Agency is obliged to notify you of these changes as soon as possible. Our passengers purchased the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change.

What you need to know about OUR RIVER TOURS;

 

  • There is no minimum participation requirement for our tour. It is definitely operated in December and is conducted with a Turkish-speaking guide.
  • Guests holding an ordinary (Bordeaux) passport need a visa. Multiple-Entry / Multiple Schengen)    
  • Guests holding a Green Passport  and Service Passport do not need a visa.
  • You must have a passport valid for 6 months from the end date of the trip and not older than 10 years.
  • Obtaining foreign currency in Euros before your trip will make cash payments easier when shopping.
  • For purchases of 100 Euros or more, you may request a tax refund form. You can have your tax refund processed at the last point where you leave the European Union, after customs and similar procedures.
  • There are no doctors or medical personnel on river ships. In emergencies, reception will call medical teams from the nearest healthcare facility to the ship within a very short time. However, for all health-related needs, our ship stops at the nearest point to medical facilities and assists in the immediate transfer of ill guests to hospitals or similar institutions. We also recommend that you bring the medications you regularly use along with your prescription and obtain comprehensive travel health insurance.

Medical services provided on the ship and at healthcare facilities are chargeable.

  • We do not believe that you will encounter any health-threatening problems with the meals served during your river cruise. Nevertheless, when you are not on the ship, we recommend that you be careful about food and drink, consume only bottled water, avoid ice, milk and dairy products, consume meat and fish products that you are sure have been thoroughly cooked, and choose fruits such as bananas and pineapples that can be peeled.
  • Since you may enter more than one country during your journey, the local time applicable to each port visited by the ship will be stated. As your disembarkation and boarding will be according to the time of the port where you are located, please arrange your schedule accordingly.
  • During navigation on river ships, especially when crossing borders, your mobile phone line can be used if it is enabled for international calls (roaming). Sometimes, your mobile phone may lose signal because there are no base stations in wooded areas.
  • For the captain's Welcome & Farewell Cocktail evenings during your journey, we recommend that our male guests bring a suit and our female guests bring an evening dress. If travelling during the summer season, we recommend bringing t-shirts, short- and long-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers, shorts, comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket for the evenings and a thin sweater that can be easily put on and taken off. In addition, you may bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs against possible noise, a camera, a video camera, their chargers and spare memory cards. In winter, we recommend clothing that allows you to move comfortably and keeps you warm. The open areas of the ship can be cool in every season during navigation.
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Main Dining Restaurant on the ship. In addition, afternoon tea and light snacks at night are served in the lounge area upstairs.
  • The electrical outlets in the cabins are the same as those in Türkiye.
  • Accommodation in hotels before or after the river cruise program may not be at the same standard as our river ship. They should not be expected to provide the same services. During fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments and similar periods, hotels may be used at distances exceeding the stated number of km’s. Triple rooms may be provided subject to hotel availability, and the bed offered to the 3rd person in such rooms may be smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed and 1 extra bed. Since extra beds consist of beds referred to as folding beds and coach beds, participants are deemed to have declared that they accept any congestion and bed type that may occur in rooms for reservations involving a 3rd person and/or child. Child discounts are valid for one (1) child staying with 2 adults and belonging to the age group specified in the pricing section.
  • If hotel accommodation is included in the tour program in addition to our ship, the included breakfasts are served according to the breakfast culture of the country visited and generally consist of a limited menu of butter, jam, bread, tea or coffee, commonly known as a continental breakfast, and may be served in a separate room allocated to the group

 

 

 

SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RIVER TOURS;

 

  • The times stated in the program have been obtained from Turkish Airlines‘ and Scylla Cruise. Otto Cruise is not responsible for any changes that may occur to the times. Therefore, in the event of any change in schedule, Otto Cruise may make changes to the days without altering the content of the program or the services included.
  • The durations, places to be visited and sequence of tours at the ports are determined by the operator company and may be changed or completely cancelled when necessary.
  • Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for natural disasters such as rises or decreases in river water levels, or force majeure situations such as strikes occurring in lock chambers / canals or the inability to dock at the planned port.
  • Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for out-of-program situations that may occur in such cases, such as changes of port or changes in the arrival and departure times at the port.
  • During air travel, each passenger is entitled to take one piece of luggage into the cabin measuring 36 cm (height) x 23 cm (width) x 56 cm (length). In addition, each passenger is entitled to take one suitcase weighing a maximum of between 20 and 23 kilos, provided that it is checked into the aircraft's baggage hold.
  • One of the dinners you will have during the cruise is a formal dinner, and our guests are expected to bring formal attire for this evening.
  • During check-in on the ship, each guest will hand over their passport and receive their cabin key. Passports may be collected in some cases for the ship's manifest and local procedures. Passports will be returned within the same day.
  • Guests who will make their onboard expenses by credit card must register their credit cards at reception within 5 days after the journey begins. No charge will be made to your credit card and no specific amount will be blocked during the registration process.
  • *The ship's departure times must be strictly observed. At ports, you must board the ship no later than 45 minutes before our ship's departure time. Otherwise, you may not be allowed to board the ship. Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for such a situation. Transportation costs required for passengers who miss the plane or ship to rejoin the tour shall be borne by the passengers themselves.
  • It is strictly prohibited to bring alcoholic beverages, irons, hair dryers, water heaters, bottle warmers, electric blankets and similar items onto the ship. A hair dryer is available in every cabin, and a water heater is available in many cabins.
  • At the beginning of our cruise, luggage tags in specific colors will be assigned for your luggage. Filling out these tags completely is extremely important to ensure that your luggage is delivered correctly to your cabins.
  • Your luggage may not arrive at your cabin immediately on the first day of the ship's departure. Therefore, it is advisable to put your essential items in a small hand bag and carry it with you on the first day you board the ship.
  • On the first day of your journey, a safety drill and presentation will be held so that you can familiarize yourself with the evacuation procedures in an emergency. Participation is extremely important. Your guides and the ship employee responsible for your room will direct you to the meeting point for the drill.
  • Every evening on the ship, a detailed program for the following day will be left in your cabin. This program contains complete information about all activities on the ship, entertainment events and important notes.
  • We kindly ask you to take care of all your personal belongings throughout the tour. There is a safe in all cabins on the ship where you can store your valuables. Our agency assumes no responsibility for the loss or theft of money and valuable personal belongings left in the cabin or luggage. Support will be provided for sending your found belongings to you by collect-on-delivery cargo service from the country where they were found.

At the end of your cruise, the tags to be left in your cabins the night before must be attached. You must place your luggage outside your cabin doors early in the morning; it will then be collected and lined up in front of the buses that will provide the transfer. Passengers will collect it here.