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- Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Southbound) 2021
Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Southbound) 2021
16 DAYS FROM ONLY $4,848
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France, Germany, Holland (Netherlands)
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Login to your Account 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.
| Day | Activity |
| Day 1 | Depart USA |
| Day 2 | AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION) |
| Day 3 | AMSTERDAM Canals of Colorful AmsterdamJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. |
| Day 4 | COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland |
| Day 5 | RÜDESHEIM |
| Day 6 | MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine |
| Day 7 | STRASBOURG, FRANCE Gothic Giants, Military Marvels & Varietal VintagesAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. |
| Day 8 | BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST |
| Day 9 | BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION) Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune. |
| Day 10 | MÂCON |
| Day 11 | LYON Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of FranceSail for lovely Lyon this morning. |
| Day 12 | LYON French Food and Wine—La Vie En Rose in Lyon |
| Day 13 | TOURNON A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards |
| Day 14 | AVIGNON The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. |
| Day 15 | ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. |
| Day 16 | PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION) |
| Day | Activity |
| Day 1 | Depart USA |
| Day 2 | AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION) |
| Day 3 | AMSTERDAM Canals of Colorful AmsterdamJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. |
| Day 4 | COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland |
| Day 5 | RÜDESHEIM |
| Day 6 | MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine |
| Day 7 | STRASBOURG, FRANCE Gothic Giants, Military Marvels & Varietal VintagesAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. |
| Day 8 | BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST |
| Day 9 | BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION) Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune. |
| Day 10 | MÂCON |
| Day 11 | LYON Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of FranceSail for lovely Lyon this morning. |
| Day 12 | LYON French Food and Wine—La Vie En Rose in Lyon |
| Day 13 | TOURNON A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards |
| Day 14 | AVIGNON The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. |
| Day 15 | ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. |
| Day 16 | PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION) |
| Day | Activity / Description |
| Day 1 | Depart USA Depart the US on your overnight flight. |
| Day 2 | 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 Meals: Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 3 | 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 many Guided Optional Excursions available. Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 4 | COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland 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.Don’t miss the chance to enjoy 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 5 | RÜDESHEIM Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country Sail through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim and sail past the legendary rock of the Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 6 | MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine 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,” OR: ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 7 | STRASBOURG, FRANCE Gothic Giants, Military Marvels & Varietal VintagesAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. 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.You may also choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line—an impressive installation of pre-WWII defensive 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 centerEVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 8 | BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST History, Artistry, 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. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 9 | 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 10 | 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.Enjoy live entertainment while sailing for Trévoux this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TRÉVOUX Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 11 | LYON Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of FranceSail for lovely Lyon this morning. 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 biking through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. DISCOVERY Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship.Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 12 | LYON French Food and Wine—La Vie En Rose in Lyon 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 13 | TOURNON 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.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 on board.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 14 | 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 15 | ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. 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, OR:DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn the style and techniques of Vincent van Gogh. You’ll create your own painting in the style of the classic master who took inspiration from the Provence light and landscape in Arles.Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) to immerse yourself in a truly unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer. Take advantage of any free time remaining with a stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, to relax and watch the world go by.EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 16 | PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION) Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
| Day | Activity / Description |
| Day 1 | Depart USA Depart the US on your overnight flight. |
| Day 2 | 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 Meals: Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 3 | 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 many Guided Optional Excursions available. Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 4 | COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland 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.Don’t miss the chance to enjoy 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 5 | RÜDESHEIM Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country Sail through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim and sail past the legendary rock of the Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 6 | MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine 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,” OR: ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 7 | STRASBOURG, FRANCE Gothic Giants, Military Marvels & Varietal VintagesAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. 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.You may also choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line—an impressive installation of pre-WWII defensive 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 centerEVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 8 | BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST History, Artistry, 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. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 9 | 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 10 | 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.Enjoy live entertainment while sailing for Trévoux this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TRÉVOUX Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 11 | LYON Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of FranceSail for lovely Lyon this morning. 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 biking through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. DISCOVERY Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship.Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 12 | LYON French Food and Wine—La Vie En Rose in Lyon 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 13 | TOURNON 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.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 on board.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 14 | 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 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 15 | ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. 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, OR:DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn the style and techniques of Vincent van Gogh. You’ll create your own painting in the style of the classic master who took inspiration from the Provence light and landscape in Arles.Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) to immerse yourself in a truly unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer. Take advantage of any free time remaining with a stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, to relax and watch the world go by.EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 16 | PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION) Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
Part of Avalon's cutting-edge fleet of Suite Ships®, the Avalon Expression came onto the European river cruising scene with a bang. This gorgeous ship features two full decks of Panorama SuitesSM with Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Windows that transform the living space into a unique Open-Air BalconySM. Awake in your Comfort Collection window-facing bed each morning with seamless river views that become part of your living space. With 200 square feet, Panorama SuitesSM are more than 30% larger than the industry standard, delivering incomparable views of Europe¿s most stunning landscapes. Onboard amenities include an alternative light dining option in the Panorama Bistro, an expanded fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi access, and a spacious Sky Deck with premium lounge chairs, whirlpool, and light al fresco lunches at the Sky Bistro on the Sky Deck.