Avalon Waterways Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Aix-en-Provence & 2 Nights in Nice (Southbound) (WAL1)
19 Day River Cruise Amsterdam to Nice
Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhine, Saône, and Rhône Rivers. Enjoy a canal cruise in splendid Amsterdam, as well as guided sightseeing in Cologne, Koblenz, and Strasbourg. Delight in excursions to Germany’s Black Forest and to Heidelberg. Also, sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, see the legendary Lorelei rock, and visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz. A motorcoach transfer takes you into France’s Burgundy region to fascinating Beaune for a visit to Hôtel-Dieu. Next, board your ship in quaint St. Jean de Losne and set sail for Macon. Visit France’s gastronomic capital of Lyon, as well as medieval Tournon, charming Viviers, Avignon, and Arles. After disembarking your ship in Port-Saint-Louis, transfer to Aix-en-Provence for the start of your Monograms vacation. Enjoy guided sightseeing with an expert Local Guide, and visit the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour, known for its mix of architectural styles. Walk in the footsteps of Cézanne with free time or on a tour of the artist’s hometown. Travel to Nice for your final two nights in France. Walk through the Old Town and the Promenade des Anglais, Nice’s most famous boulevard. In your free time, perhaps take an excursion to Monaco or Cannes—known for its famous film festival. At your service is an expert Monograms Local Host® who is available to assist you throughout your stay in Aix-en-Provence and Nice. Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing Day 1 Amsterdam (Embarkation): Onboard welcome reception Day 2 Amsterdam: Canal cruise Day 3 Cologne: Choice of Cologne highlights walking tour, or Jewish Heritage walking tour or bike with your Adventure Host Day 4 Koblenz-Rhine Gorge-Rüdesheim: Scenic cruise through the Rhine Gorge; visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim or hike in the vineyards with your Adventure Host Day 5 Mainz. Excursion to Heidelberg: Choice of guided walk in Mainz with a visit to the Gutenberg Museum, or a guided tour of Heidelberg Castle, see the Great Vat, or a hike up Philosophers' Way Day 6 Strasbourg: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the La Petite France district and the Gothic cathedral or bike with your Adventure Host Day 7 Breisach: Choice of excursion to Black Forest, or visit to Badischer Winzerkeller Day 8 Basel (Disembarkation)-Beaune-St. Jean de Losne (Embarkation): Transfer to Beaune, visit Hôtel-Dieu; onboard welcome reception Day 9 Mâcon: Leisurely cruising; on board cheese tasting Day 10 Lyon: Choice of guided sightseeing with picture stop on Fourvière Hill or bike with our Adventure Host; on board lecture Day 11 Lyon: Culinary tour Day 12 Tournon-Viviers: Guided walk in Tournon; guided walk in Viviers, visit the Old Town and the cathedral Day 13 Avignon: Guided sightseeing, visit to the Palace of the Popes Day 14 Arles: Choice of guided sightseeing in Arles, visit the Roman Amphitheater, or painting workshop or walk with your Adventure Host Day 15 Port-Saint-Louis (Disembarkation)-Aix-en-Provence: Transfer to Aix-en-Provence; guided walking tour, visit Cathedral of the Holy Saviour Day 16 Aix-en-Provence: Day at leisure Day 17 Aix-en-Provence-Nice: Travel to Nice; guided walking tour with Promenade des Anglais and the Old Town Day 18 Nice: Day at leisure Day 19 Nice: Your vacation ends this morning
Related Avalon Tours WAL - Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Southbound) WAL1 - With 2 Nights in Aix-en-Provence & 2 Nights in Nice WAL2 - With 2 Nights in Nice & 3 Nights in Barcelona WAL3 - With 1 Night in Amsterdam, 2 Nights in Aix-en-Provence & 2 Nights in Nice WAL4 - With 1 Night in Amsterdam, 2 Nights in Nice & 3 Nights in Barcelona WALE - With 2 Nights in the Nice WALQ - With 1 Night in Amsterdam WALY - With 1 Night in Amsterdam & 2 Nights in Nice WLA - Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Northbound)
Itinerary (2023)| Day 1 | AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION) | | | Welcome to Holland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Amsterdam must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure.During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM(D) | | Day 2 | AMSTERDAM | | | Canals of Colorful AmsterdamJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.” This afternoon choose among the Guided Optional Excursions available or take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE(B,L,D) | | Day 3 | COLOGNE, GERMANY | | | Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland ACTIVE Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR:DISCOVERY Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral.Spend free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years! Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RÜDESHEIM(B,L,D) | | Day 4 | RÜDESHEIM | | | Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country Sail through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim and past the legendary rock of the Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.ACTIVE Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, OR:DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM(B,L,D) | | Day 5 | MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION | | | Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine BarrelACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below, OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing, OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure towering above the city, and its famed Great Vat, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel.” EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG(B,L,D) | | Day 6 | STRASBOURG, FRANCE | | | A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.ACTIVE Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s Gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.Choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line—the pre-WWII fortifications designed to protect the eastern border of France, or visit Alsace’s wine country today.Alternatively, take some free time in Strasbourg to visit a museum, or stroll across the city center. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH(B,L,D) | | Day 7 | BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST | | | German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black ForestDISCOVERY Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernohf open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration, OR: DISCOVERY Visit to Badischer Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Learn about German winemaking in the vineyards of Baden, and enjoy a wine tasting.You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL(B,L,D) | | Day 8 | BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION) | | | Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune.CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgement. This afternoon, travel to St. Jean de Losne to board your Suite Ship®. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MÂCON(B,D) | | Day 9 | MÂCON | | | Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.Enjoy leisurely cruising en route to Mâcon along the majestic Saône River. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar or to the Castle of Cormatin. DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TRÉVOUX(B,L,D) | | Day 10 | LYON | | | La Vie En Rose in Lyon Sail for lovely Lyon this morning.ACTIVE Discover Lyon's architectural district by bike with your Adventure Host, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.DISCOVERY Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship.Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON(B,L,D) | | Day 11 | LYON | | | Adventures in Food and WineCLASSIC Join a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why it is known as the gastronomic capital of France.The rest of your day is free to explore, relax, or shop in France’s third largest city. Take a bike from the ship and explore local produce markets and parks, or take a leisurely tour of the city’s more than 100 murals. EVENING CRUISE TO TOURNON(B,L,D) | | Day 12 | TOURNON | | | A Rendezvous with Castle Views and VineyardsCLASSIC Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.Enjoy a leisurely sail to Viviers after lunch.VIVIERSWorld History in a Charming French Country Village CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON(B,L,D) | | Day 13 | AVIGNON | | | The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes.Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region. Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES(B,L,D) | | Day 14 | ARLES | | | Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through nordic walking in Arles with your Adventure Host, OR:DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer. Take free time to stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine. EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS(B,L,D) | | Day 15 | PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION)–AIX-EN-PROVENCE | | | Leave your Avalon vacation upon disembarkation in Port-Saint-Louis, and take the included transfer to Aix-en-Provence to join your Monograms package. Your Guided Walking tour includes a visit to the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour, known for its interesting combination of architectural styles and The Burning Bush triptych art masterpiece by Nicolas Froment.(B) | | Day 16 | AIX-EN-PROVENCE | | | Enjoy a full day at leisure in Cézanne’s hometown. Your Local Host will help you get the most out of your stay. (B) | | Day 17 | AIX-EN-PROVENCE–NICE | | | Travel to Nice. Your Guided Sightseeing features the Promenade des Anglais, originally built in the second half of the 18th century and the most famous boulevard in Nice, and a walk through the charming Old Town.(B) | | Day 18 | NICE | | | Your Local Host has recommendations for your full day at leisure on the beautiful Côte d’Azur. (B) | | Day 19 | NICE | | | Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.(B) |
Avalon Pricing Details Port charges:$392Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included on Avalon portion only.Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).Please call for single accommodation details and prices. Triples not available.
Avalon Notes - In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
- Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
- Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
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