The best river cruises for 2022 travel, from Europe to the Amazon

From New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, to Memphis and its rock 'n' roll pilgrimage sites, a river cruise on the Mississippi has also got rhythm. Photo / Getty Images

Do ocean cruises' big crowds and potential big waves leave you cold? Consider river cruising. Smaller boats glide on calm waters, pausing often for the shore's many cultural and natural wonders. Dip your toe in – or dive in again – on the world's best river-cruise routes in 2022 and beyond.

Budapest-Amsterdam, Europe

The brightest star in Europe's galaxy of river-cruise options, the route along the Danube, Main and Rhine (pictured) is a picturesque parade of heritage sites. Photo / Getty Images

The brightest star in the Continent's galaxy of river-cruise options, this route along the Danube, Main and Rhine is a picturesque parade of heritage sites – including several recognised by Unesco. Itineraries also offer a mix of languages, cuisines and other intangible culture at stops in Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and, in some cases, Slovakia.

Enjoy a taste of elegant, historic Vienna, perhaps including Saint Stephen's Cathedral and Schonbrunn Palace. Immerse yourself in the Baroque majesty of Melk Abbey and Wurzburg's palatial bishop's residence, and the medieval architecture and rambling layout of Bavarian towns such as Bamberg and Regensburg. See castles overlooking a once strategically important section of the Rhine, and Kinderdijk's windmills. Even without optional excursions, this is a feast for culture vultures.

When: Departures March-December, but consider avoiding July-August when ports are packed with tourists.
Operators include: Avalon, Emerald, Scenic, Uniworld, Viking

Memphis-New Orleans, United States

From New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, to Memphis and its rock 'n' roll pilgrimage sites, a river cruise on the Mississippi has also got rhythm. Photo / Getty Images

At least 150 years before the 21st century river-cruise boom, the Mississippi's steamboats showed tourists a good time. They mainly paddled the 3770km river's usually languid southern stretch, between Memphis and New Orleans, which remains the favourite route. It's a week-long journey through the American South's varied landscape, including farms and wetlands, as well as its history.

Itineraries explore Vicksburg's Civil War battlefield, the heritage cities of Baton Rouge and Natchez, and plantation estates whose gracious gardens and mansions were only possible because of slavery. From New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, to Memphis and its rock 'n' roll pilgrimage sites, this route also has rhythm.

When: Think twice about summer departures. It can be uncomfortably sticky in the South then, especially by the water.
Operators: American Cruise Lines, American Queen Voyages, Viking

Luxor-Aswan, Egypt

With a film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel Death on the Nile out in February, now is the time to beat book the always-popular cruises between Luxor and Aswan. Photo / Supplied

Also ahead of the modern river-cruise curve were early 20th-century tourists, including Agatha Christie, who sought leisurely adventure on the Nile. With a new film adaptation of her novel Death on the Nile out in February, now is the time to beat a likely surge in bookings for always-popular cruises between Luxor and Aswan. Usually part of package tours with air links to Cairo, this relatively short section of the 6650km river is explored over three to seven days.

The longer the cruise, the more time at Egypt's ancient sites. Essentials include the Valley of the Kings' subterranean royal tombs, and towering stone columns, statues and obelisks at the temples of Karnak and Luxor. In between, cruise through timeless scenes of white-sailed feluccas, locals with donkeys and camels on the Nile's green banks, and the desert beyond.

When: Avoid the extreme heat of June-August.
Operators include: Avalon, Movenpick, Scenic, Uniworld, Viking

St Petersburg-Moscow, Russia

A river cruise between St Petersburg and Moscow is bookended by Russian essentials, from palaces and museums to the Kremlin and Saint Basil's Cathedral. Photo / Supplied

Even at a leisurely pace, this route along the Volga and Svir rivers takes less than a week, but itineraries generally double that by lingering in port for three to four days at start and end. Depending on the operator, your bases in St Petersburg and Moscow will be the cruise ship or hotels, so if you have a preference find out before booking.

The journey is bookended by Russian essentials, from imperial palaces and the Hermitage Museum's vast art collection to the Kremlin and Saint Basil's Cathedral in the capital. In between, discover Orthodox churches' colourful icons and frescoes, centuries-old wooden buildings at Kizhi Island's Unesco-listed Open Air Museum of Architecture, and Mandrogi's vodka museum.

When: Only departing May-September due to otherwise icy conditions.
Operators include: APT, Cruise Russia, Emerald, Scenic, Viking

Kampong Cham-My Tho, Southeast Asia

These ports may not ring a bell, but the river they overlook has been like a big gong lately, calling cruisers to the 4350km Mekong's lush lower reaches. The route between Kampong Cham in Cambodia and My Tho in Vietnam (or nearby Ho Chi Minh City itself for some operators) takes about a week. It's most easily experienced as part of package tours also visiting must-see Angkor Wat by road.

A highlight of this journey is Phnom Penh's riverside Royal Palace, the many traditional, ornate buildings of which include the Silver Pagoda. Itineraries also take in French-colonial buildings, sites related to the Vietnam War and Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime, and scenes of everyday life, from floating markets to traditional craft workshops.

When: Some operators don't sail when water levels are low April-July.
Operators include: Aqua Expeditions, APT, Avalon, G Adventures, Viking

Iquitos and beyond, Peru

The 6992km Amazon is so huge that ocean cruisers explore its lower reaches in Brazil, but most true river-cruising options are in Peru. That's right, there's more to Peru than Lima and Machu Picchu. Indeed two-thirds of this country is Amazon jungle. Itineraries vary, and may include Peru's other highlights as part of a package, but journeys along this riverscape usually begin in Iquitos.

From here, for a few days or a week, cruise the Amazon and its tributaries, particularly in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. This wild, green world buzzes with life, including monkeys, sloths, piranhas, vividly coloured birds and perhaps rare pink river dolphins.

When: The May-November dry season is preferable for its accessible jungle paths and fewer mosquitoes.
Operators include: AdventureSmith Explorations, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon, G Adventures, National Geographic Expeditions