Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Northbound)

15 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
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River Cruise
Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhône and Rhine Rivers. The views will be spectacular so be sure to pack your camera so you can capture the romance and splendor of this magical journey. Your river cruise vacation begins in Arles—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh and its 1st-c...
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$9,717
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Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Onboard welcome reception
    • Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheater, or painting workshop, or walk with your Adventure Host
    • Guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes
    • Guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral or walk with your Adventure Host
    • Choice of guided walk in Tournon or hike with your Adventure Host
    • Guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill
    • Chardonnay excursion with tasting; Cheese tasting on board
    • Visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; transfer to Basel; onboard welcome reception
    • Choice of excursion to Black Forest, or Freiburg sightseeing, or bike with your Adventure Host
    • Choice of guided sightseeing, visit La Petite France district and the gothic cathedral or bike with your Adventure Host

What's this trip about?

    Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhône and Rhine Rivers. The views will be spectacular so be sure to pack your camera so you can capture the romance and splendor of this magical journey. 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."

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age range6 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
End CityAMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • France
  • Netherlands

Attractions

  • Amsterdam
  • Arles
  • Avignon
  • Basel
  • Burgundy
  • Heidelberg
  • Heidelberg Castle
  • Koblenz
  • Lyon
  • Rudesheim
  • Strasbourg
  • Vienne

Activities

  • Culture
  • River cruise

View Similar Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

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

(Dinner)

ARLES-WINDOW-DETAIL.jpg

Day 2: ARLES

A Brush with Genius

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

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...

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 R...

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: CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on an afternoon Gu...

Day 5: TAIN L'HERMITAGE

A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Explore Tournon by foot as you follow your Adventure Host for a morning hike in this beautiful town along the Rhone, OR: CLASSIC Take a mornin...

Day 6: LYON

La Vie En Rose in Lyon 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 ...

Day 7: TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE

Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône

DISCOVERY 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! DIS...

Day 8: CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION)–BEAUNE–BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)

Drive to Beaune and transfer to Basel CLASSIC 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.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH

(Breakfast,Dinner)

BEAUNE-HOTEL-DIEU.jpg

Day 9: BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST

German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

Visit the Adventure Center 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 To...

Day 10: STRASBOURG, FRANCE

A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France

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,...

Day 11: MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG

Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine Barrel ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure...

Day 12: RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country 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; enj...

Day 13: COLOGNE

Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

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 si...

Day 14: AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

Canals of Colorful Amsterdam

ACTIVE Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR: CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

Dur...

Day 15: AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)

Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.

(Breakfast)

AMSTERDAM-SUNRISE.jpg

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Dates & Availability

Price From $7,498
Price per day$500
Last Updated: 7/3/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
15 Apr 2025
29 Apr 2025
$7,898
13 May 2025
27 May 2025
$8,498
27 May 2025
10 Jun 2025
$8,498
24 Jun 2025
08 Jul 2025
$8,498
08 Jul 2025
22 Jul 2025
$8,398
05 Aug 2025
19 Aug 2025
$8,398
19 Aug 2025
02 Sep 2025
$8,698
16 Sep 2025
30 Sep 2025
$8,998
30 Sep 2025
14 Oct 2025
$8,898
14 Oct 2025
28 Oct 2025
$8,498

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Avalon Waterways.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Avalon Waterways

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CRUISING ELEVATED.
Innovative, transformative, original. Avalon Waterways has redefined cruising by going against the current and
away from the ordinary. Delivering unparalleled experiences and boundless exploration, Avalon puts you in the captain’s seat to navigate your journey, fuel your passions and steer clear of the unexpected as you cruise down the world’s most memorable and mesmerizing waterways. One step aboard our modern, luxurious Suite Ships with the grandest views in cruising and you’ll see how the tides they are a-changin’. 

Welcome to a new wave in cruising. Welcome aboard Avalon Waterways.

IT DOESN’T GET ANY SUITER.
Enjoy the perfect blend of elegance and ease – where little touches are bold, gestures are grand and the views even grander. There’s a reason our ships are the critics’ darlings and favorites among our most discerning guests. Our boutique-hotel-inspired Panorama Suites feature the industry’s only Open-Air Balconies with the widest-opening windows in cruising and decadent Comfort Collection beds that face the ever-changing scenery.

PACK YOUR PASSIONS.
As you set sail down the world’s most legendary waters, we’ve curated a collection of the most intriguing experiences to immerse yourself in – both on board and off.

SEE MORE THAN THE SEA/
On a typical cruise, you see waves, water and more water. On an Avalon cruise, legendary landmarks and postcard-perfect landscapes are always in view. Dock to discovery takes mere minutes. 

LET’S DISH.
While we naturally present the signature delicacies of the regions you visit, we enrich the gastronomic journey by offering multiple dining venues, bringing unexpected culinary experiences to the table.

What they’re known for
River cruises to classic and exotic destinations with a luxury flair and personalization options.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Westcord Jakarta

A unique sustainable hotel in Amsterdam, where two worlds connect. At the former location where ships left for Jakarta, lies a green oasis in the centre of the city. Hotel offers 200 luxurious rooms with a Indonesian influenced style. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at Café Jakarta or get a drink at the Malabar. Be pampered in luxury and relax in our wellness and swimming pool with views towards the river IJ.

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Javakade 766

Movenpick Amsterdam City

A stylish 408-room hotel in the perfect location, this waterfront property offers Free Wi-Fi internet access throughout. The chic restaurant serves creative international cuisine and there is a fabulous bar serving drinks and light snacks which is also a great spot for a nightcap. For relaxation there is a Lifestyle Studio featuring a gym, Finnish sauna, bio sauna & ice fountain.

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Piet Heinkade 11

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Visa requirements
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Age Requirements
6 years and up
Additional Information
Trip ID
AVALON-WLA

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