Duration: 8 Days
One of Europe’s most legendary rivers takes you across Germany and touches in Holland, France, and Switzerland! A Master of Wine will travel with you on your cruise to host lectures, tastings, and tips on food-and-wine pairing.
This magnificent Rhine River cruise begins in the ever popular, modern city of Amsterdam, Holland. Cruise on its famous canals along the elegant grachten-the best way to see the treasures of this 700-year-old city dating back to the “Golden Age.” Visit Cologne, Germany—a 2,000 year-old city known for its Gothic-style architecture—and see its famous twin-spired cathedral and Old Town with many shops, cafés, and taverns. Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge—offering the most beautiful view of the Rhine River where ancient castles stand on cliffs 400 feet above the water. Cruise to the charming wine town of Rüdesheim and visit the unique Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Continue your Rhine River cruise to Speyer for a guided walk and visit to the Wine Museum, or take an excursion to Heidelberg to visit the ruins of its red-walled castle. In Strasbourg, France, marvel at the red-sandstone Gothic-style cathedral with ancient murals and fascinating astronomical clock. Also, stroll through the lovely La Petite France district with its quaint shops, delightful bistros, and peaceful waterfront promenade. Stop in Breisach, Germany, and enjoy an excursion to Germany’s Black Forest or take an excursion to the charming village of Colmar, followed by a visit to a chateau wine cellar.
About Masters of Wine
Seldom do travellers get the chance to learn about wines from a master! Avalon invites you to sail in the company of a Master of Wine (MW) who shares elite experience, unsurpassed knowledge, and personal passion for wines on board your ship. With only 450 Masters of Wine in the world, Avalon Waterways is honoured to welcome a Master of Wine on board our Wine-Lovers cruises to share their rigorous training and prestigious expertise recognized globally across the wine industry. A truly exclusive experience for wine lovers!
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.
You might join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (D)
Canals of Colourful 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 colourful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE (B,L,D)
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 Kolsch pale lager-locally brewed for over 100 years!
DISCOVERY Join an onboard lecture hosted by your Master of Wine.
Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RUDESHEIM (B,L,D)
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country
En route to Rudesheim, 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.
DISCOVERY Enjoy an onboard wine tasting hosted by your Master of Wine.
ACTIVE Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rudesheim, OR:
DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to experience the beauty and simplicity of 13th-century Eberbach Monastery-a former abbey for Cistercian monks that today is known for its wine production and as the film location for the blockbuster movie, "The Name of the Rose". Also enjoy a wine tasting, OR:
DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; enjoy a wine tasting. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RUDESHEIM (B,L,D)
The World's Biggest Wine Barrel
DISCOVERY Enjoy a Guided City Tour, including a visit to the Wine Museum to learn about the history of viticulture and wine production, 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)
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite 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.
DISCOVERY Join an enchanting Guided Tour along the famed Alsace Wine Route to discover the heart of France's wine country and sample several local wines.
DISCOVERY Onboard food and wine pairing dinner hosted by your Master of Wine.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH (B,L,D)
Winemaking 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 Take a full-day Guided Tour to the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings, followed by a visit to a countryside chateau wine cellar, OR:
CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to explore Freiburg's medieval city centre, sheltered by the Black Forest amid vineyards and gardens of the Upper Rhine Valley.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B,L,D)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
Flights should not leave Zurich airport before 10 am or Basel airport before 8 am. (B)
