A Culinary Experience on Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Northbound)
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31.03-14.04.26 guaranteed
Itinerary
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 Certified Sommelier on board for the French portion of the itinerary (from Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône) and special culinary highlights throughout the French portion of your cruise (from Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône), you’ll sample regional French specialties with onboard cheese tasting, pastry demonstration, and with a unique dinner featuring a marvelous 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 Amphitheater. 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."
Tour program
Day 1
ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLESMeals:
Dinner
Day 2
ARLES
Get your daily dose of exercise through a Power Walk in Arles with your Adventure Host, OR:Activity discovery:
Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR: Activity 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 Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon. Activity discovery:
Enjoy a crêpes lunch onboard.Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNONMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
AVIGNON
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. Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNONMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
VIVIERS
Walk your way up to Vivier's hilltop Cathedral with your Adventure Host, OR: Activity discovery:
Explore the charms of Viviers on this extraordinary guided walk through the Old Town with an included tasting of the local culinary delights. Overnight:
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TAIN L’HERMITAGE Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
TAIN L'HERMITAGE
Explore Tournon by foot as you follow your Adventure Host for a morning hike in this beautiful town along the Rhone, OR: Activity 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.Activity discovery:
Enjoy a pastry demonstration hosted by a French chef on board your ship.Tonight, your Certified Sommelier will escort you through a French cuisine tasting dinner with wine pairing on board. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYONMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
LYON
Take a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why Lyon is known as the gastronomic capital of France, OR:Activity 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 riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Activity discovery:
This evening, join an onboard unique dinner inspired by legendary chef Paul Bocuse.Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Tournus. Overnight:
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS
Day 7
TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE
Travel into the rolling landscapes of the Mâconnais 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!Activity discovery:
Later, enjoy a delicious cheese tasting onboard while sailing to Chalon-sur-Saône.Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening. Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNEMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8
CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION)–BEAUNE–BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
Visit the Hôtel-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.Overnight:
EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACHMeals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
Enjoy the view on a relaxing bike ride along the Rhine with your Adventure Host, OR:Activity classic:
Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernhof open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration, OR:Activity 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. Overnight:
EVENING CRUISE TO KEHLMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10
KEHL. EXCURSION TO STRASBOURG, FRANCE
Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:Activity 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—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. Overnight:
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MAINZ
Day 11
MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, OR: Activity 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: Activity classic:
Enjoy a Guided City Walk in Mainz including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship after a short sailing to Rüdesheim.Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIMMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12
RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE
Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, OR:Activity classic:
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, OR:Activity discovery:
Take a Guided Visit to the historic 18th-century wooden-barrel cellar of Johannisberg Castle and enjoy a delicious wine tasting.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.Location:
KOBLENZTravel Through 2000 Years of Monumental History Enjoy free time in Koblenz before a relaxing evening on board with dinner and live entertainment. Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN KOBLENZMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13
COLOGNE
Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR:Activity discovery:
Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR: Activity 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! Overnight:
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAMMeals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR:Activity classic:
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:Activity classic:
Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.” 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. Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. Overnight:
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
Day 15
AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Breakfast
Tour Details
Accommodation
Open–Air Balconies® and Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Windows in all Panorama SuitesSM
Comfort Collection BedsSM with choice of mattress firmness
Egyptian super-combed cotton linens
Bathrobes & slippers
Premium L'Occitane® bath products & hairdryer
Large bathroom featuring shower with glass door
Wide selection of free movie channels and English-speaking TV
Individual climate control and in-room safe
Full-size closet and mirror
Additional under-bed storage
Well-stocked mini-bar
Transport
Avalon Poetry II or Avalon View
Additional Services
Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship
Panoramic windows throughout the ship
Elegant, contemporary design & decor
Sky Deck with whirlpool, shade awnings, game area and premium lounges
Covered Observation Lounge
Club Lounge with 24-hour self-serve beverage station with complimentary cappuccinos, lattes, tea, hot chocolate & premium coffees, as well as treats throughout the day
Elevator
Non-smoking interior and staterooms
Avalon Waterways offers a selection of included excursions in every port of call, with something for everyone within their "Classic", "Discovery" and "Active" collections
Additional Services
Other activities and services are not included
Meals
Chef-prepared onboard meals with regional cuisine and familiar favorites
Seasonal cuisine featuring the freshest local ingredients
Avalon Fresh® healthy cuisine options at every meal
Spacious, open-seating Panorama Dining Room
Daily breakfast buffet with full range of classic breakfast items, healthy Avalon Fresh® options and daily a la carte specials
Complimentary room service for Continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Daily lunch buffet featuring regional specialties, classic dishes, healthy Avalon Fresh® options and rotating chef’s features including carving & pasta stations. Alternatively, you may dine al fresco at our Sky Grill on the Sky Deck (weather and itinerary permitting) or enjoy a light lunch in the Panorama Lounge.
Afternoon Tea featuring tea, coffee, and sweet treats
Four-course dinners with choice of appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts or cheese
Linger over several selections from the Panorama Bistro's tasting menu for a less formal "sit-down" atmosphere
Complimentary wine, beer, or soft drinks with lunch and dinner
Avalon FlexDining® flexible dining times with menu & venue options
Vegetarian options at every meal, as well as vegan, low calorie, low fat, high fiber, low cholesterol, high energy and allergy-free selections
Panorama Lounge & Bar with premium spirits, cozy seating, panoramic windows & dance floor
Welcome & farewell cocktails with sparkling wine & canapés
New in 2023 - included Happy Hour every evening featuring house beer, wine, cocktails and a drink of the day
Cocktails with a view on the Sky Deck
Specialty coffees, espresso drinks and beWell Essence flavored and infused water available throughout each day
Guide
Friendly, English-speaking crew & Cruise Director
Good to know
Currency
€
Euro
France
Customer reviews
Operator
Faq Tour
How can I book a tour?
You can order a tour on our website by selecting the desired dates and clicking the “Confirm dates” button. You can also contact our sales department by phone or email.
Which payment options are available?
We accept credit cards, bank transfers and other popular payment methods.
Can I change or cancel my reservation?
Yes, changes or cancellations are possible, however penalties may apply depending on the time before the tour starts.
What documents are required to participate in the tour?
You will need a passport with a valid visa (if required) to visit countries along the tour route.
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