APT Guided Tours and River Cruises
River Cruising
APT is an Australian company through and through, and that matters — they understand what Australian travellers expect and they deliver a genuinely all-inclusive product where tips, drinks, excursions, and even airport transfers are covered. The Signature Experiences are the real differentiator: private palace dinners, exclusive concerts, things you simply cannot arrange on your own. Their European river ships are five-star, the Chef's Table dining is superb, and the guided touring component before or after the cruise is seamlessly integrated.
APT — Australian Pacific Touring — has been crafting travel experiences since 1927, making it one of the longest-established tour operators in the world. From its origins as a Melbourne coach company, the APT Travel Group has evolved into a sophisticated operation spanning luxury river cruises, guided land tours, and combination itineraries across Europe, Asia, and beyond. The river cruise division operates a fleet of 11 purpose-built vessels, with the newest ships APT Ostara and APT Solara joining in 2025.
What defines APT’s luxury river product is the depth of the all-inclusive promise. Unlike lines where “all-inclusive” comes with asterisks, APT covers flights and overseas transfers from Australia, all gratuities, an extensive drinks package, daily guided excursions, Wi-Fi, and port charges. The Signature Experiences — exclusive events such as private palace dinners, after-hours museum visits, and bespoke cultural performances — are highlights that genuinely cannot be replicated independently. These are not ticketed tourist events; they are private moments arranged through relationships APT has cultivated over decades.
Onboard, the five-star ships reflect a polished Australian sensibility. Dining is a centrepiece, with the exclusive Chef’s Table restaurant, Verde Fine Dining, and casual River Bistro offering variety and quality recognised by APT’s membership of the Chaine des Rotisseurs — one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organisations. Wellness hosts lead morning fitness classes, and the ships carry a curated library and enrichment programme featuring local guest speakers. The atmosphere is refined without being rigid, and the predominantly Australian and New Zealand guest mix creates an easy social dynamic.
APT’s integration of guided touring with river cruising is another distinguishing strength. Many itineraries include land-based extensions — a few days in Prague before a Danube cruise, or a guided tour of Angkor Wat following a Mekong sailing — with the logistics handled end-to-end. For Australian travellers especially, this seamlessness is a major draw: APT removes the complexity of long-haul travel and lets guests focus entirely on the experience.
Tell us your travel dates and our APT Guided Tours and River Cruises specialists will create a tailored proposal.