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Avalon Waterways River Cruises

Embark on a river cruise aboard our Suite Ships, boasting the most spacious staterooms, panoramic views and contemporary comforts. Expect relaxed luxury whether you choose Europe river cruising or extend your horizons to uncover the secrets of the Mekong river, cruise the Nile or discover the Galapagos Islands. Search our popular Rhine river cruises, Danube river cruises or try one of our Christmas cruises. Uncover the best river cruise deals with Avalon Waterways.

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  • Select 2026 Flight-Inclusive River Cruises from £1,999pp

    • booking window: March 19, 2025 through July 1, 2025

    • travel window: January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

  • Select 2025 Flight-Inclusive River Cruises from £1,999pp

    • booking window: July 15, 2024 through July 1, 2025

    • travel window: January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025

Our flight inclusive packages from £1,999pp make our river cruises even better value than ever with included round-trip economy flights from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Departures from Newcastle, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow are available at a supplement. Look out for the "FLY FROM £299" tag in the dates and prices section of your selected itinerary.


Better By Design

    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.

WE'RE GETTING
WAVE REVIEWS!

Avalon Awards

As part of the Globus family of brands, Avalon Waterways is honored to be consistently named No. 1 and Best in Class by the industry’s most trusted authorities and travel lovers. But it's the miles of smiles on the faces of our guests that bring the best rewards—from the first throw of the bowlines to the last drop of the anchor.
That’s Cruising Elevated!

Feel the Energy

At Avalon, we’re committed to enhancing your cruising experience while reducing our own impact on the world. Taking sustainability to greater depths, we are conserving energy, saving water and limiting waste production across operations, dining and housekeeping on each and every ship. Devoted to reducing, recycling and repurposing at every turn, our list of green practices is longer than the blue Danube.

Home suite home

We have our 3:1 guest-to-crew ratio down to a science. But knowing the right amount of anticipation, the right amount of attention and the right amount of space to give each guest is an art. Our crew is devoted without being daunting, focused but not fussy and supportive minus the smother. Our guests cherish the warmth of our crew members. And the feeling is mutual.

Welcome aboard your new home “suite” home!

The Adventure is Up to You

We travel to see new things, do new things, and break away from life as we know it. Active & Discovery cruises are packed with excursions and activities not found on ordinary river cruises. Whether you have an explorer’s heart or you’re a lover of art, Avalon invites you to join us for extraordinary experiences on the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Moselle and Seine Rivers as well as the waterways of Holland & Belgium.

No two travellers are alike and one sight does not fit all. On an Active & Discovery sailing, you can enjoy dozens of included exploration choices on every itinerary, personalized to pique your passions and customized to cure your curiosities. Discover local culture, cuisine, and everything in-between. Explore by boat, bike, or hike. Warm-up on a kayak or chill over a glass of wine. With us, you’re invited to enjoy the Old World in new ways.

So, go ahead, pick up a paintbrush, a paddle, or the perfect vintage. The possibilities are as wide open as the views.

Exploration in Motion

On an Avalon cruise, every day is an adventure and every adventure is up to you. If you prefer to dive into destinations, grab an oar or a pair of handle bars to kayak, canoe or bike through vineyard-clad valleys. Drink-in the scenery after a hike to Count Dracula’s medieval prison or breathe-in the beauty of flora and fauna in a forest. You can even turn viewing into doing by customizing your activities with help from your Avalon Adventure Host. The world is yours to discover your way and at your pace.

Engaging Experiences

Explore with hands-on discoveries of local cultures, cuisine, and customs by rolling up your sleeves in a French cooking class in Lyon, or a Dutch painting class in Amsterdam. Explore the chocolate museum in Cologne, and visit the fragrant lavender fields of Provence. Take a walking tour of Budapest while learning Hungarian phrases, meet an Austrian count in his castle, and mimic the strokes of Van Gogh in a workshop in Arles. Your interests, your passions, your way!

Wide open wonder.

Avalon River Cruise Ship at Night

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.

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See What People Are Saying

Voted Best Cabins in River Cruising by Cruise Critic Logo

There are cruise ships that sail various destinations and then there are cruise ships built specifically for destinations.

-Gina Kramer, Cruise Critic Editor


The piece de resistance in the cabin, however, is the lack of a balcony. Not having an actual carved out balcony is just one of the things that Avalon does marvelously. Suites all boast an 11-foot floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door/window that opens 7-feet wide, which essentially makes your entire room a balcony. Pop a chair in front of the railing or lay in bed (which faces the water) for the view of your life and fresh air on your skin.

-Elizabeth, Porthole Magazine

...Taking a cruise on the Danube at Christmas time (all the Christmas markets are magical) was truly the trip of a lifetime. It was life changing and saved me. The smile on my face won't go away and neither will all the wonderful memories I take with me and the newfound friends I have. I'll cherish this trip forever.

-Mimi, Avalon Waterways Passenger