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Avalon Waterways Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Nice (Northbound) (WLAQ)

17 Day River Cruise Nice to Amsterdam 
Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhône, Saône, and Rhine Rivers. Begin with two overnights in captivating Nice on the French Riviera, and relax along the remarkably blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. Embark on the Rhône River in Arles, France—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh and the site of its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater. Take a guided walk in Tournon, a medieval treasure beautifully nestled among vineyards. Lyon is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. Disembark and travel to Beaune, visit the Hôtel Dieu charity hospital before proceeding to Basel, Switzerland, to board your Rhine River cruise vessel. Your first stop is Breisach, the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest, well known for Black Forest ham, cherry cake, and cuckoo clocks. In Strasbourg, France, stroll through the picturesque La Petite France district. 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. A stay in Holland’s popular, modern capital of Amsterdam is the perfect way to end this sensational European river cruise. The best way to see the treas-ures of this 700-year-old city is on a canal cruise along the elegant Grachten lined with homes dating back to the city’s “Golden Age.”

Ships: Poetry II & Expression - Poetry II & View

Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing

Day 1 Nice: Welcome to France

Day 2 Nice: Guided tour

Day 3 Nice-Arles (Embarkation): Transfer to the ship; onboard welcome reception

Day 4 Arles: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre, or painting workshop, or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 5 Avignon: Guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes

Day 6 Viviers: Guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 7 Tournon-Vienne: Choice of guided walk in Tournon or bike with your Adventure Host; choice of guided walk in Vienne or hike with your Adventure Host

Day 8 Lyon: Guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill

Day 9 Tournus–Chalon-sur-Saône: Cheese tasting on board

Day 10 Chalon-sur-Saône (Disembarkation)-Beaune-Basel (Embarkation): Visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; transfer to Basel; onboard welcome reception

Day 11 Breisach: Choice of excursion to Black Forest, or visit to a local winery in Breisach or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 12 Strasbourg: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit La Petite France district and the gothic cathedral or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 13 Mainz: Choice of guided tour of Heidelberg Castle, see the Great Vat, or hike up Philosophers' Way; visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz

Day 14 Rüdesheim-Rhine Gorge-Koblenz: Visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim; cruise through the scenic Rhine Gorge with breathtaking views of ancient castles, towering cliffs, and the leg-endary Rock of the Lorelei; free time in Koblenz

Day 15 Cologne: Choice of “Cologne Highlights” walking tour, or Jewish Heritage walking tour or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 16 Amsterdam: Choice of canal cruise or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 17 Amsterdam (Disembarkation): Your vacation ends this morning

Special Interest Departures

07/06/2025 - Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Nice for Jazz Lovers (Northbound)
10/12/2025 - Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Nice for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
10/26/2025 - Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Nice for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
11/09/2025 - Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 2 Nights in Nice for Wine Lovers (Northbound)

Itinerary (2024)

Day 1NICE, FRANCE
 Welcome to France.

Enjoy free time to discover the beauty of the spectacular French Riviera, which stretches along France’s Mediterranean coast from Toulon to the border of Italy.
Day 2NICE
 The “Queen of the French Riviera”

CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Sightseeing in Nice. Discover the narrow, winding streets and baroque churches of Vieux Nice, the old city—an area which has changed little since the 1700s.

(B)
Day 3NICE–ARLES (EMBARKATION)
 Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.

Join a motorcoach transfer to board your Avalon Suite Ship.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES

(B,D)
Day 4ARLES
 Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights

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

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 Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON

(B,L,D)
Day 5AVIGNON
 The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence

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.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON

(B,L,D)
Day 6VIVIERS
 World History in a Charming French Country Village

Enjoy a leisurely morning sail to Viviers.

ACTIVE Walk your way up to Vivier's hilltop Cathedral with your Adventure Host, OR:

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.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNON

(B,L,D)
Day 7TOURNON
 A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Bike along the Rhone river with your Adventure Host, OR:

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.

In the late morning cruise to Vienne

VIENNE

Roman and Middle Age History

ACTIVE See Vienne from atop, hike up to a viewpoint with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour of Vienne and discover this charming little town surrounded by steep hills.

Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Lyon.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON

(B,L,D)
Day 8LYON
 Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of France

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.

Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS

(B,L,D)
Day 9TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE
 Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône

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.

Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE

(B,L,D)
Day 10CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION)–BEAUNE–BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
 Drive to Beaune and transfer to Basel

CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights.

This afternoon, travel by motorcoach to Basel to board your Rhine river cruise.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH

(B,D)
Day 11BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
 German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

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

ACTIVE Enjoy the view on a relaxing bike ride along the Rhine with your Adventure Host, OR:

DISCOVERY Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernhof open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration, OR:

DISCOVERY Visit to a local winery in Breisach, where you will learn about German winemaking 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 CRUISE TO STRASBOURG

(B,L,D)
Day 12STRASBOURG, FRANCE
 A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France

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 defensive 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 MAINZ

(B,L,D)
Day 13MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
 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 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,” OR:

CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.

Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN MAINZ

(B,L,D)
Day 14RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE
 Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

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.

En route to Koblenz, 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.

KOBLENZ

Travel Through 2000 Years of Monumental History

Enjoy free time in Koblenz before a relaxing evening on board with dinner and live entertainment.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN KOBLENZ

(B,L,D)
Day 15COLOGNE
 Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral, OR:

DISCOVERY Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites.

Spend free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years!

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM

(B,L,D)
Day 16AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
 Canals of Colorful Amsterdam

ACTIVE Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR:

CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

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. You may also choose an Optional Biking Tour to discover the countryside.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM

(B,L,D)
Day 17AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
 Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)

Avalon Pricing Details

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 price. 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

Click Quote for an Avalon Waterways Tour Date for our low price tour quote


Avalon Tour Dates

Tour Land StartAvalon RetailRequest Quote
*05/26/2024 $9,047.00
*06/09/2024 $9,157.00
*09/29/2024 $9,357.00
*10/13/2024 $8,777.00
*04/13/2025 $8,177.00
*05/11/2025 $8,947.00
*06/22/2025 $9,057.00
*07/06/2025 $8,957.00
*08/03/2025 $8,957.00
*08/17/2025 $9,157.00
*09/14/2025 $9,557.00
*09/28/2025 $9,357.00
*10/12/2025 $8,677.00
*10/26/2025 $8,177.00
*11/09/2025 $7,957.00
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