River Cruise Itinerary

Your 10-day river cruise vacation includes stays in Holland, Germany, France, and Switzerland—all beginning with your Avalon Rhine River cruise embarking from Amsterdam. Before sailing down the Rhine River, you’ll enjoy a guided canal cruise through the colorful capital of Holland.Next, you’ll cruise to Cologne, Germany—a 2,000 year-old city known for its Gothic architecture—an exciting stop with its famous twin-spired cathedral and Old Town with many shops, cafés, and taverns. On your way to Rüdesheim, relax on the Sky Deck of your ship as you pass through the spectacular Rhine Gorge —the most beautiful view of the Rhine River where ancient castles stand on cliffs 400 feet above the water. You’ll take a guided tour of Rüdesheim’s outstanding Mechanical Music Museum.Sail into Mainz for city sightseeing, including a visit to the impressive Gutenberg Museum, or choose an excursion to nearby Heidelberg—and cruise to Strasbourg, France. Then, stop in Breisach, Germany, the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest—an area of unrivaled natural beauty—best known for Black Forest ham, cherry cake, and the cuckoo clock.Cruise to Basel, Switzerland, to disembark from your Avalon Suite Ship® and continue your vacation with a visit to Mt. Pilatus and a walking tour in Lucerne. Your Rhine River cruise and vacation in Switzerland are the perfect combination to unlock a guided European vacation of a lifetime.

1. Day 1
   AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION)

   Tue, Jun 10, 2025

   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)AMSTERDAM-CANAL.jpg
2. Day 2
   AMSTERDAM

   Wed, Jun 11, 2025

   Canals of Colorful AmsterdamJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.DISCOVERY 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, OR: 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)AMSTERDAM-CANAL-CRUISE.jpg
3. Day 3
   COLOGNE, GERMANY

   Thu, Jun 12, 2025

   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)COLOGNE-BEER.jpg
4. Day 4
   RHINE GORGE–RÜDESHEIM

   Fri, Jun 13, 2025

   Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine CountryEn 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; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee.Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM(B,L,D)RUDESHEIM-COFFEE.jpg
5. Day 5
   MAINZ. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG

   Sat, Jun 14, 2025

   Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine BarrelACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, 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 KEHL (B,L,D)HEIDELBERG.jpg
6. Day 6
   KEHL. EXCURSION TO STRASBOURG, FRANCE

   Sun, Jun 15, 2025

   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)STRASBOURG-PETIT-FRANCE.jpg
7. Day 7
   BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST

   Mon, Jun 16, 2025

   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: CLASSIC Join A Guided Tour to explore Freiburg’s medieval city center, sheltered by the Black Forest amid vineyards and gardens of the Upper Rhine Valley.You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar, with half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL(B,L,D)BLACK-FOREST-SCENIC.jpg
8. Day 8
   BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION)–SWISS ALPS

   Tue, Jun 17, 2025

   Spectacular Views in SwitzerlandThis morning disembark your Avalon ship and take a motorcoach transfer which will bring you in the heart of Swiss AlpsCLASSIC Enjoy a special highlight excursion to Mount Pilatus (or Mount Stanserhorn per seasonal accessibility) for spectacular views over central Switzerland (in case of bad weather, visit the Swiss Transport Museum instead). LUCERNEA Historic Bridge and Heart of a LionCLASSIC Join a Guided Walking tour to explore beautiful Lucerne, which includes Thorvaldsen’s poignant Lion Monument and the famous Chapel Bridge. (B)MOUNT-PILATUS.jpg
9. Day 9
   LUCERNE

   Wed, Jun 18, 2025

   Lakeshores and Soaring PeaksToday, enjoy a day at leisure in Lucerne. Discover the many squares and churches and how tradition and modernity stand side-by-side or spend your free time to enjoy some shopping in the city center.(B)LUCERNE-CHAPEL-BRIDGE.jpg
10. Day 10
    LUCERNE

    Thu, Jun 19, 2025

    Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)LUCERNE-CITY.jpg

Inclusions

• 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.
• Due to “Sail Amsterdam” departure August 19th will start in Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam with modifications to the itinerary.

Gateway city for departures is Zürich.

Port charges:
$210

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.

Ship Information

Cabins

Life on Board

Questions & Answers