Romantic Rhine River Cruise Northbound Itinerary
DAY 1 – Basel , Switzerland
DAY 2- Breisach, Germany – Excursion to Black Forest
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
Enjoy the view on a relaxing bike ride along the Rhine with your Adventure Host, OR:
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:
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.
DAY 3- Kehl – Excursion to Strasbourg
Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
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.
DAY 4- Mainz, Germany – Excursion to Heidelberg
Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers’ way, OR:
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:
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 .
DAY 5 – Rüdesheim – Rhine Gorge – Koblenz
Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, OR:
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.
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.
DAY 6 – Cologne, Germany
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR:
Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR:
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!
DAY 7 – Amsterdam, Holland
Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR:
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:
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.
DAY 8 – Amsterdam (Disembarkation)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
