From the Rockies
to the Rhine.
European and Asian river cruises, planned start to finish by a Colorado advisor you can actually call. Nonstop flights from Denver, every detail handled — you just pack.
Complimentary planning · You never pay us a fee — the cruise lines do · AmaWaterways perks when you book
The unhurried way to see Europe
River cruising was made for travelers who want the good parts of Europe without the logistics, the crowds, or the repacking.
Unpack once
Your stateroom travels with you. Five countries, one closet, zero hotel changes and airport transfers in between.
160 guests, not 5,000
River ships feel like boutique hotels. No lines, no buffet stampede, and the crew knows your name by day two.
Dock in the heart of town
Step off the gangway and you're in Vienna, not a container port an hour away. Walk to the cathedral, stroll back for dinner.
Rivers worth crossing an ocean for
We plan rivers exceptionally well — from Europe’s classic waterways to the rivers and coasts of Asia. These are the sailings our Colorado travelers ask for most.
Christmas Markets on the Danube
Mulled wine, carolers, and Europe's oldest Christmas markets — with your ship docked steps from the stalls. Late November through December.
Castles of the Rhine
Forty castles in a single afternoon of sailing through the Rhine Gorge, plus Alsatian wine villages and half-timbered towns.
Tulip Time in Holland & Belgium
Seven million bulbs in bloom, windmills turning, and Belgian chocolate that never survives the trip home. April only.
Cherry Blossoms of Japan
Sail Japan's coast as the sakura peak — temple gardens, tea houses, and bullet-train day trips, all unpacked once. Late March into April.
The Mekong: Vietnam & Cambodia
Floating markets, silk villages, and the temples of Angkor Wat, with the river carrying you between Vietnam and Cambodia in unhurried comfort.
The Yangtze & Imperial China
Glide through the dramatic Three Gorges, then step ashore for the Terracotta Army and the Bund — old and new China on one sailing.
Sample fares for illustration, per person, double occupancy. Current fares and promotions quoted during your planning call.
Planned from the high country, door to dock
- ✓Nonstop from Denver. We build your trip around DEN's nonstop Europe flights — no O'Hare sprints, no missed connections.
- ✓Everything handled. Flights, transfers, travel insurance, pre-cruise hotel nights, dinner reservations in Vienna — one call, one plan.
- ✓A real person, in your time zone. You'll have your advisor's direct line. If a flight cancels, we're awake and already fixing it.
- ✓River cruises only. We're not generalists. We know which stateroom category is worth it and which sailing to avoid in low water season.
Your gateway: Denver International
Frankfurt and Munich are the gateways for Rhine and Danube sailings. We confirm current schedules for your travel dates before booking.
Three steps to the gangway
A call, for as long as it takes
Tell us who is traveling, when, and what a perfect trip looks like. No fee, no time limit, no obligation — just a conversation, and as many of them as you need.
We design & book it all
You'll get a complete proposal — sailing, stateroom, flights, transfers, insurance. Approve it and we book everything at the same price as booking direct, often with extra perks.
You cruise, we watch
We monitor fares, flights, and weather until you're home. Price drops get rebooked. Problems get solved before you hear about them.
No clock, no fee, and AmaWaterways perks on top
Our consultation has never carried a price tag, and it does not carry a time limit either. Take one call or half a dozen — we are paid by the cruise line, not by you. And when you book your sailing through us, the current AmaWaterways offer is applied to your booking.
The consultation
- As many conversations as it takes. We keep going until the plan is right, not until a timer runs out.
- Ships, rivers and departure dates compared side by side, so you can see which stateroom category is worth the upgrade and which is not.
- Mobility, pacing, dietary and traveling-companion needs built into the itinerary before anything is held.
- The expensive traps flagged early: low-water season, single supplements, deposit and final-payment deadlines, and insurance windows.
- A written plan you keep — sailing, stateroom, flights, transfers, insurance options and a costed budget.
You never pay us a fee — the cruise lines do. However long the planning takes, the number at the bottom of your quote does not change.
Start the conversationAmaWaterways booking perks
- Choose your perk: a complimentary pre- or post-cruise land package, or the Triple Savings bundle.
- Triple Savings: $1,000 off per stateroom, a complimentary stateroom upgrade, and $50 per person in onboard credit.
- Add AmaWaterways AirPlus airfare from $999 in economy on 2026 Europe sailings — combinable with the offer above.
- Select departures go further, with up to $2,500 per stateroom in savings.
- Applies to our AmaWaterways Europe sailings: Christmas Markets on the Danube, Castles of the Rhine, and Tulip Time in Holland & Belgium. The Mekong sails with AmaWaterways too — ask which perks are live there.
Perks are set by AmaWaterways, apply to new bookings on select departures, and can change without notice. We confirm exactly what is live for your sailing before you book.
Plan your sailing — (720) 773-1242
Meet us
Tasha is a Colorado-based travel advisor, independently affiliated with Fora Travel, who planned enough custom trips to learn one thing: nothing makes her clients happier than a European river cruise done right.
We are both Colorado natives, and Matt is a Colorado veteran — he served in the United States Marine Corps and the Colorado Air National Guard. Between us we have lived all over the world, and that is where the real education happened: what makes a trip work, what quietly ruins one, and how to tell the difference before you have paid for it. We would rather hand those lessons to our neighbors here at home than let anyone learn them the hard way.
"My job is simple — you should spend your energy deciding between the Rhine and the Danube, not comparing 40 stateroom categories at midnight."Call us — (720) 773-1242
River cruise questions, answered
What Colorado travelers ask us most, before they ever choose a river.
What does High Country Cruises do?
We are a Colorado-owned travel advisory that plans European and Asian river cruises exclusively — nothing else. We handle the sailing, the flights and every detail in between, from the first phone call until you are home.
How much does your planning cost?
Nothing. The consultation is free, with no time limit and no obligation, and you never pay us a fee. We are paid by the cruise line, so your sailing costs the same as booking direct, often with added perks.
Which rivers and destinations do you plan?
Europe's Danube and Rhine and the waterways of Holland and Belgium, plus Asia: the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia, the Yangtze and the Three Gorges, and the coast of Japan during cherry blossom season.
Do you only work with travelers in Colorado?
We are Colorado owned and operated and we know Denver departures best, but we plan for travelers across the United States. Your advisor is in your time zone with a direct line you can actually call.
Which airport do you plan flights from?
Denver International (DEN). We build itineraries around DEN's nonstop service to Frankfurt and Munich, one-stop routings to Zurich and seasonal service to Amsterdam, so there are no tight domestic connections.
What is included when you book my trip?
The sailing and stateroom, flights, airport transfers, travel insurance, pre-cruise hotel nights and dinner reservations. After booking we monitor fares, flights and weather until you are home, and rebook price drops.
What does a river cruise cost?
Our sample 2027 fares run from $2,999 per person for seven nights in Holland and Belgium to $5,690 per person for nine nights in Japan, double occupancy, with air additional. Current fares are quoted on your planning call.
What AmaWaterways perks do you offer?
The current offer is $1,000 off per stateroom with a complimentary stateroom upgrade and $50 per person in onboard credit, or a complimentary pre- or post-cruise land package. AirPlus airfare starts at $999 in economy on 2026 Europe sailings, and select departures save up to $2,500 per stateroom.
How do I get started?
Call (720) 773-1242 Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm, email hello@highcountrycruises.com, or book a free consultation online. Bring your dates, who is traveling with you, and the rivers you are curious about.
Sample fares are for illustration, per person, double occupancy. AmaWaterways perks are set by the cruise line, apply to new bookings on select departures, and can change without notice.