Duration: 15 Days
Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhône and Rhine Rivers. Take in the beautiful countryside, quaint villages, and towns, as you sail through the most captivating views of France. Indulge in the legendary cuisine of France on this culinary focused cruise through Burgundy and Provence. With a Master of Wine on board for the French portion of the itinerary and special culinary highlights throughout the French portion of your cruise, you’ll sample regional French specialties with onboard cheese tasting, pastry demonstration, and with a unique dinner featuring a marvellous menu created just for you in the tradition of famous Chef Paul Bocuse. Your river cruise vacation begins in Arles—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh and its 1st-century Roman Amphitheatre. The city of Tournon is beautifully nestled among vineyards and you’ll go on a guided walk of this medieval treasure with plenty of Roman ruins and a fascinating 16th-century castle. Lyon is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. You’ll stop in 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. Visit the ruins of Heidelberg’s castle or stop in Mainz for a guided walk and a visit to the captivating Gutenberg Museum. 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. Your last stop in Germany is Cologne, where a guided walk shows you the highlights of this 2,000-year-old city. A stay in Holland’s popular, modern capital of Amsterdam is the perfect way to conclude this sensational European river cruise. And the best way to see the treasures 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."
Day
1
ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding
Flights into Marseille must arrive by 3 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES (D)
Day
2
ARLES
Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights
Visit the Adventure centre 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 Carrieres de Lumieres (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 Cafe Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon.
DISCOVERY - Enjoy a crepes lunch onboard
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON (B,L,D)
Day
3
AVIGNON
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 Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhone 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-Benezet.
Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON (B,L,D)
Day
4
VIVIERS
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:
DISCOVERY - Explore the charms of Viviers on this extraordinary guided walk through the Old Town with an included tasting of the local culinary delights.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TAIN L'HERMITAGE (B,L,D)
Day
5
TOURNON
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 with its 16th-century castle.
In the early afternoon cruise to Lyon.
DISCOVERY Enjoy a pastry demonstration hosted by a French chef on board your ship.
Tonight, your Master of Wine will escort you through a French cuisine tasting dinner with wine pairing on board.
Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Lyon.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON (B,L,D)
Day
6
LYON
Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of France
DISCOVERY - Take a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why Lyon is known as the gastronomic capital of France, OR
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourviere Hill with its numerous churches. You'll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafes, 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 Rhone and Saone rivers meet.
DISCOVERY - This evening, join an onboard unique dinner inspired by legendary chef Paul Bocuse.
Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Tournus.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS (B,L,D)
Day
7
TOURNUS-CHALON-SUR-SAONE
Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saone
DISCOVERY- Travel into the rolling landscapes of the Maconnais region to learn about its world-famous Chardonnay vineyards, the wines produced here, and to attend a wine-tasting in the cellars of a real medieval castle!
DISCOVERY - Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.
Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAONE (B,L,D)
Day
8
CHALON-SUR-SAONE (DISEMBARKATION)- BEAUNE- BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
Drive to Beaune and transfer to Basel
CLASSIC - Visit the Hotel-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
9
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest
Visit the Adventure centre 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 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.
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
10
STRASBOURG, FRANCE
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France
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, OR:
ACTIVE - Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host.
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 centre.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MAINZ (B,L,D)
Day
11
MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
Castle Walls and the World's Biggest Wine Barrel
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, 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
12
RUDESHEIM-RHINE GORGE
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country
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, OR:
ACTIVE - Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rudesheim.
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
13
COLOGNE
Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland
Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.
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, OR:
ACTIVE - Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host.
Spend free time over a glass of Kolsch pale lager-locally brewed for over 100 years!
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)
Day
14
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
Canals of Colourful Amsterdam
CLASSIC - Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam's "Golden Age," OR:
ACTIVE - Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam.
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
15
AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Departure Date:
2024-04-02
Return Date:
2024-04-16
Single :
17747NZD
Twin :
11805NZD
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