Your Itinerary
BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Zürich or Basel must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board.EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH (D)
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
Winemaking and the Beautiful Black ForestDISCOVERY 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 center, sheltered by the Black Forest amid vineyards and gardens of the Upper Rhine Valley.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG(B,L,D)
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceAsk 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.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO SPEYER(B,L,D)
SPEYER. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
The World’s Biggest Wine BarrelCLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour through the vibrant streets of Speyer and learn about its fascinating history and traditions. Also enjoy a wine tasting, 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 RÜDESHEIM(B,L,D)
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine CountryACTIVE Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, 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.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.DISCOVERY Enjoy an onboard wine and cheese tasting hosted by your Master of Wine.Travel Through 2000 Years of Monumental History Enjoy free time in Koblenz before a relaxing evening on board with dinner and live entertainment. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN KOBLENZ(B,L,D)
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 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! DISCOVERY Enjoy a wine and chocolate tasting hosted by your Master of Wine.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM(B,L,D)
Canals of Colorful AmsterdamACTIVE 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.” Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops or join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM(B,L,D)
AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)-PARIS, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
This morning, board a high-speed train for Paris to embark on your Avalon Suite Ship® and enjoy dinner onboard this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS(B,D)
Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of Light Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées.Stroll through Paris on your own or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS(B,L,D)
The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV This morning, enjoy a leisurely sailing to Conflans.ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.EVENING CRUISE TO LES ANDELYS(B,L,D)
Serenity on the SeineACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France’s most picturesque spots on the Seine.Enjoy a relaxing cruise to the picturesque town of Rouen.The Cathedral of Our Lady and a Heroine for France ACTIVE Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—site of Saint Joan of Arc’s martyrdom—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC(B,L,D)
Ancient Abbeys Along the SeineACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC(B,L,D)
CAUDEBEC. EXCURSION TO NORMANDY
Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to get a taste of authentic tradition in the beautiful region of Normandy. Toast the day with a brandy tasting in Calvados.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LA ROCHE-GUYON(B,L,D)
Castle Courtyards and Crêpes du JourVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.CLASSIC Explore the lovely village of La Roche-Guyon with a guided tour of its remarkable 12th-century castle, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy’s Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.DISCOVERY While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS(B,L,D)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)