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
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 3 COLOGNE, GERMANY
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
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; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee.
Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM
(B,L,D)
Day 5 MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION
Active
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 STRASBOURG
(B,L,D)
Day 6 STRASBOURG, 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 7 BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO 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 a local winery in Breisach, where you will learn about German winemaking and enjoy a wine tasting, 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 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–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 9 TOURNUS
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 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
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 12 TOURNON
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
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
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
Active
Get your daily dose of exercise through a Power Walk 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 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.
Take free time to stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES
(B,L,D)
Day 15 ARLES (DISEMBARKATION)–NICE
After breakfast this morning, you’ll drive to Nice on the spectacular French Riviera, which stretches along France’s Mediterranean coast from Toulon to the border of Italy.
(B)
Day 16 NICE
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 17 NICE
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
(B)