Your Itinerary
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(D)
A Brush with GeniusVisit 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 Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon. This evening enjoy live entertainment with a Jazz Band.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON(B,L,D)
The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. ACTIVE Discover Avignon by bike with your Adventure Host, OR: 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 Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region. Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON(B,L,D)
World History in a Charming French Country VillageEnjoy 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 Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a tasting of Local Specialties on board your ship.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNON(B,L,D)
A Rendezvous with Castle Views and VineyardsJoin 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 morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities with its 16th-century castle.DISCOVERY During your sailing to Vienne enjoy jazz entertainment onboard.Jazz FestivalCLASSIC Join a guided walk through this charming French hill town, including the cathedral, Archaeological Gardens of Cybèle, and Roman Temple of Augustus & Livia.This evening after dinner, enjoy free time to attend the well-known Vienne Jazz Festival. Bars and pubs in Vienne all feature music during this festival time.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN VIENNE(B,L,D)
La Vie En Rose in Lyon ACTIVE Discover Lyon's architectural district by bike with your Adventure Host, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, OR: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 Terreaux.Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. This evening, enjoy the strains of Gypsy Jazz, a style of jazz often said to have been started by guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France, it is often called by the French name “Jazz Manouche.”EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS(B,L,D)
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!DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship while sailing to Chalon-sur-Saône.Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE(B,L,D)
CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION)–BEAUNE–BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
Drive to Beaune and transfer to BaselCLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne to discover Burgundy’s rich wine culture through an immersive, interactive experience, and enjoy a wine tasting.This afternoon, travel by motorcoach to Basel to board your Rhine River cruise.EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH(B,D)
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
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: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, 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.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. EVENING CRUISE TO KEHL(B,L,D)
KEHL. EXCURSION TO STRASBOURG, FRANCE
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceACTIVE 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.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. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MAINZ(B,L,D)
MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine BarrelACTIVE 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 towering above the city, and its famed Great Vat, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel,” OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Walk 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.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN 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:CLASSIC 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, OR:DISCOVERY Take a Guided Visit to the historic 18th-century wooden-barrel cellar of Johannisberg Castle and enjoy a delicious 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.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! 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 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.”Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops or you may also choose an Optional Biking Tour to discover the countryside.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM(B,L,D)
AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)