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Avalon Waterways Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 1 Night in Amsterdam (Southbound) (WALQ)

16 days from Amsterdam to Arles 
Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous Europe vacation along the Rhine, Saône, and Rhône Rivers. The views will be spectacular so be sure to pack your camera so you can capture the romance and splendor of this magical journey. Begin your Rhine & Rhône Revealed vacation your way with a one-night stay in Amsterdam! Join us for a off-the-beaten-path guided walking tour through its cobblestone streets. Next day, continue to explore Holland’s popular, modern capital of Amsterdam. The best way to see the treasures of this 700-year-old city is on a canal cruise along the elegant Grachten. Cologne, Germany—a 2,000-year-old city best known for its gothic architecture and famous twin-spired cathedral, comes alive on a guided walk. Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, the most beautiful view of the Rhine River where ancient castles stand on cliffs 400 feet above the water. Strasbourg, France, located on the French-German border, perfectly blends the cultures of both countries. Stop in Breisach, Germany, the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest—an area of unrivaled natural beauty. Lyon is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. Explore the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its maze of medieval alleyways. Continue to the city of Tournon beautifully nestled among vineyards. Here, you’ll go on a guided walk of this medieval treasure with Roman ruins and a fascinating 16th-century castle. In Avignon, visit the Palace of the Popes and take pictures of the bridge in the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon.” This remarkable river cruise will take you to Arles, the capital of the Provence region and famous for its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater. Your European river cruise on three beautiful rivers—the Rhine, Saône, and Rhône Rivers—will carry on in your favourite travel memories for a long time to come.

Ships: Expression & Poetry II - Tranquility II & Poetry II

Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing

Day 1 Amsterdam : Welcome to Amsterdam

Day 2 Amsterdam (Embarkation): Off the beaten path walking tour; onboard welcome reception

Day 3 Amsterdam: Canal cruise

Day 4 Cologne: Choice of Cologne highlights walking tour, or Jewish Heritage walking tour or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 5 Rhine Gorge-Rüdesheim: Cruise through the scenic Rhine Gorge with breathtaking views of ancient castles, towering cliffs, and the legendary Rock of the Lorelei; visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim or hike in the vineyards with your Adventure Host

Day 6 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 7 Strasbourg: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the La Petite France district and the Gothic cathedral or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 8 Breisach: Choice of excursion to Black Forest, or visit to Badischer Winzerkeller

Day 9 Basel (Disembarkation)-Beaune-Chalon-sur-Saône (Embarkation): Transfer to Beaune, visit Hôtel-Dieu; onboard welcome reception

Day 10 Tournus: Guided walk in Tournus; on board cheese tasting

Day 11 Lyon: Choice of guided sightseeing with picture stop on Fourvière Hill or bike with your Adventure Host; on board lecture

Day 12 Lyon: Culinary tour

Day 13 Tournon-Viviers: Guided walk in Tournon; guided walk in Viviers, visit the Old Town and the cathedral

Day 14 Avignon: Guided sightseeing, visit to the Palace of the Popes

Day 15 Arles: Choice of guided sightseeing in Arles, visit the Roman Amphitheater, or painting workshop or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 16 Arles (Disembarkation): Your cruise ends this morning

Special Interest Departures

10/28/2024 - Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 1 Night in Amsterdam for Wine Lovers (Southbound)

Itinerary (2024)

Day 1AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
 Welcome to Holland.

Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure.
Day 2AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION)
 Amsterdam Off the Beaten Path. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.

CLASSIC Discover the true beauty of Amsterdam with an off-the-beaten-path Guided Walking Tour through its cobblestone streets for a captivating look at this legendary city.

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, consider joining a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM

(B,D)
Day 3AMSTERDAM
 Canals of Colorful Amsterdam

Join 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 4COLOGNE, 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 5RÜDESHEIM
 Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

En route to Rüdesheim, sail through the Rhine Gorge (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Take in the breathtaking views of ancient castles perched on cliffs 400 feet above the water, and pass the legendary Rock of the Lorelei—where the mythological siren’s songs lured 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 6MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION
 Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine Barrel

ACTIVE 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 7STRASBOURG, FRANCE
 A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France

Ask 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 8BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
 German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

DISCOVERY 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 9BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (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 Chalon-sur-Saône to board your Suite Ship®.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TOURNUS

(B,D)
Day 10TOURNUS
 Pearl of Southern Burgundy

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

CLASSIC Tucked away in the southeast corner of Burgundy, Tournus is one of the oldest and most important monastic centers in the region, Our Local Guide will show the highlights of this delightful town.

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 11LYON
 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 12LYON
 Adventures in Food and Wine

CLASSIC 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 13TOURNON
 A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards

CLASSIC 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.

VIVIERS

World 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 14AVIGNON
 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 15ARLES
 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.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES

(B,L,D)
Day 16ARLES (DISEMBARKATION)
 Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am.

(B)

Avalon Pricing Details

Gateway city for departures is Marseille.

Port charges:
$420

Gratuities 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.

Avalon Waterways Fleet

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Avalon Tour Dates

Tour Land StartAvalon RetailRequest Quote
*06/10/2024 $8,657.00
*07/08/2024 $8,457.00
*10/28/2024 $7,857.00
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