Your Itinerary
Day 1 - AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (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. The day is yours to relax and discover this delightful 700-year-old city with its elegant and classic architecture, cafés, restaurants and lively marketplace.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. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE(B,L,D)
Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland This morning, enjoy leisurely sailing.ACTIVE Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC 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, OR DISCOVERY 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)
Day 5 - TRIER. EXCURSION TO LUXEMBOURG
Ancient Worlds and Old-World CharmJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through a 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. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KOBLENZ(B,L,D)
Day 7 - KOBLENZ—RHINE GORGE
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. 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)
Day 8 - LUDWIGSHAFEN. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
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: CLASSIC Discover Schwetzingen Palace—the heart of a stunning site consisting of the palace, palace gardens, and historic palace square, 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 Tun, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel."EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG(B,L,D)
Day 9 - STRASBOURG, FRANCE
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceACTIVE Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, 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)
Day 10 - BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest ACTIVE Take a Guided E-bike Tour to experience the magical Black Forest from a unique point of view, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour through storybook Colmar, along the charming canals of the “Little Venice” of France and past countless historic buildings and monuments, OR: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. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B,L,D)
Day 11 - 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 AlpsCLASSIC 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). Lovely LucerneCLASSIC Join a Guided Walking tour to explore beautiful Lucerne, which includes the famous Chapel Bridge. (B)
Day 12 - LUCERNE–LAKE COMO, ITALY
History in Grand ViewCLASSIC En route to Lake Como, enjoy a stop in Lugano and a guided sightseeing of this charming Swiss city.(B)
Legendary Lake HousesCLASSIC Step into the storybook streets of Como on a guided walk through its historic heart. Then wander lakeside gardens and craft your own masterpiece at Museo Voltiano.CLASSIC Experience a Boat Ride on Lake Como for panoramas of stunning mountain scenery and luxury lakeside villas. Disembark at picturesque Bellagio for exploration on your own, returning by boat to Como. (B)
Italian Beauty on the Banks Enjoy a free day to explore Como and its surroundings at your own pace. There is no shortage of ways to explore Lake Como with free time. Choose a boat trip on the lake, a relaxing walk on the riverbanks or do some shopping in the city centre. And be sure to taste authentic Italian specialties in a local restaurant!(B)
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)