Your Itinerary
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION)
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. Join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM(D)
Colorful Canals of AmsterdamVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.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: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. Alternatively spend some free time this afternoon visiting one of Amsterdam’s many fascinating museums or galleries. DISCOVERY Onboard lecture and wine tasting hosted by your Certified Sommelier. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE(B,L,D)
Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland DISCOVERY Onboard wine and chocolate tasting hosted by your Certified Sommelier.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 Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years! Local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment.OVERNIGHT SAILING TO COCHEM(B,L,D)
The Charm of the Moselle ValleyThis morning, select a Guided Optional Excursion to Eltz Castle.ACTIVE Bike along the Moselle River with your Adventure Host, ORDISCOVERY Visit the former bunker of Germany's Central Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank) and immerse yourself in the underground vault where millions of German Mark were kept during the Cold War, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Walk of Cochem to see the charming town’s half-timbered houses and winding streets. Visit Cochem’s hilltop Reichsburg Castle with a bird’s-eye-view of the Moselle Valley and river bend.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TRIER(B,L,D)
TRIER. EXCURSION TO LUXEMBOURG
Ancient Worlds and Old-World CharmJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.DISCOVERY On board wine lecture hosted by your Certified Sommelier.ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through a Power Walk in Trier with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing tour of Trier—Germany’s oldest city with ancient remnants dating from 144-152 AD. Starting from Porta Nigra, walk through the city center, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Luxembourg City—with its dramatic views, ancient ruins, and modern architecture along the deep gorge terrain.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BERNKASTEL (B,L,D)
Hillside Vines and German WinesACTIVE Join your Adventure Host for a hike in this beautiful area, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of the charming wine village of Bernkastel—with its medieval marketplace and 17th-century gabled timber-framed houses.This afternoon, select a Guided Optional Excursion to a local winery for a wine tasting. DISCOVERY On board food and wine pairing dinner hosted by your Certified Sommelier. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KOBLENZ(B,L,D)
Fortress Walls and Manor Halls ACTIVE Explore Koblenz's Mosel side by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk amid ancient fortresses walls, towers, squares, and monuments, OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Visit to the Sayn Manor House and its Butterfly Gardens. Enjoy the breathtaking views as you cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge on your way to Rüdesheim.DISCOVERY Enjoy an onboard wine and cheese tasting hosted by your Certified Sommelier.Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine CountryAfter dinner, enjoy free time to explore this picturesque village or enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LUDWIGSHAFEN(B,L,D)
LUDWIGSHAFEN. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG–SPEYER
Philosophers’ Views and the World’s Biggest Wine BarrelAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, OR: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."DISCOVERY Enjoy an onboard wine tasting hosted by your Certified Sommelier.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG(B,L,D)
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceACTIVE Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR: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, OR:CLASSIC Take a City Sightseeing Tour, including the city’s Gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.This afternoon, choose among the Guided Optional Excursions available.Alternatively, take some free time in Strasbourg to visit a museum or stroll across the city center. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH(B,L,D)
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour to the charming village of Colmar, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings, followed by a visit to a countryside chateau wine cellar, OR:CLASSIC 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: 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.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B,L,D)
BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION)–SWISS ALPS
Spectacular views in SwitzerlandThis morning disembark your Avalon ship and take a motorcoach transfer which will bring you in the heart of Swiss Alps. CLASSIC Enjoy a special highlight excursion to Mount Pilatus (or Mount Stanserhorn per seasonal accessibility) for spectacular views over central Switzerland (in case of bad weather, visit the Swiss Transport Museum instead). Historic Houses and a Wooden BridgeCLASSIC Join a guided walking tour to explore beautiful Lucerne, which includes Thorvaldsen's poignant Lion Monument and the famous Chapel Bridge. (B)
At Leisure in Lovely LucerneToday, enjoy a day at leisure in Lucerne. Discover the many squares and churches and how tradition and modernity stand side-by-side or spend your free time enjoying some shopping in the city center. (B)
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)