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Overview

Begin your European vacation with a visit to gorgeous Lucerne, Switzerland. With services provided by Monograms®, your expert Local Host® is on hand to arrange your sightseeing, free-time recommendations, and any other assistance you need during your 2-night stay in Lucerne. Enjoy a guided walking tour including the Lion Monument, Old Town, Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower, Jesuit Church, and a special highlight excursion to Mount Pilatus.

Your dramatic river cruise on the Rhine will commence in Basel, Switzerland, with stops in France, Germany, and Holland. Sail to Breisach, your starting point for an excursion to Black Forest. Then venture on to Strasbourg, France, to see its Gothic cathedral with stunning murals and stained glass.

Sail to Ludwigshafen for an excursion to Heidelberg Castle, or join your Avalon Adventure Host® for a hike up Philosophers’ Way. You can alternatively visit the Gutenberg Museum for amazing history of the early pioneers of printing. Sail to Rüdesheim and through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, visit Koblenz and Cologne, and arrive in Amsterdam for a guided canal cruise through the colorful city.

Your scenic river cruise on the Rhine River, with a Monograms vacation package in Switzerland are the perfect combination to unlock a guided European vacation of a lifetime.

Book your cruise with or without flights

Cruise prices are shown without flights included in case you wish to book them separately, or aren't ready to return home when you disembark! Or we can book your flights for you from most UK airports, with overseas transfers and ATOL protection included. The choice is yours!

Book your cruise with or without flights

Itinerary

Avalon has designed included activities with a choice of experiences. We invite you to select the tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. There are three types of included shore excursion on every Europe cruise:

Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Classic

<p>Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.</p>

Active

Embark on energetic excursions to keep you in motion and on the go - from a guided jogging tour of Amsterdam, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Discovery

We’ve found inspiring and interactive activities to speak to your interests - from cooking classes, to painting workshops - to immerse yourself in each culture you explore.

Day 1 LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND

Welcome to Switzerland! The remainder of the day is free to start exploring this delightful town on the Reuss River. Your Monograms Local Host will help you get the most out of your two nights in Lucerne.

Day 2 LUCERNE

Meals included:
Breakfast

Your guided walking tour includes the poignant Lion Monument, Old Town, Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower, and Jesuit Church.

Day 3 LUCERNE–MOUNT PILATUS–BASEL (EMBARKATION)

Meals included:
Breakfast
Dinner

This morning enjoy a special highlight excursion to Mount Pilatus. Journey almost 7,000 ft. (2,132 m) up for spectacular views over central Switzerland (in case of bad weather, visit the Swiss Transport Museum instead).
Transfer to Basel to board your Suite Ship®.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH

Day 4 BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

History, Artistry, and the Beautiful Black Forest
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure host.

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: Visit to Badischer Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, and enjoy a wine tasting.

You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings.

EVENING CRUISE TO STRASBOURG

Day 5 STRASBOURG, FRANCE

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Gothic Giants, Petite France, and Varietal Vintages

Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s 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—an impressive installation of pre-WWII defensive 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 LUDWIGSHAFEN

Day 6 LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine

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:

Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below.

Alternatively enjoy a brief cruise to Mainz this afternoon and join our included tour.

MAINZ

Turning the Pages of History

Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.

Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN MAINZ

Day 7 RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat, OR:

Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim.

Relax on the Sky Deck for an afternoon cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge to Koblenz. Sail past the legendary rock of The Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.

KOBLENZ

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

Day 8 COLOGNE

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral, OR:

Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites.

Don’t miss the chance to enjoy free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years!

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM

Day 9 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Canals of Colorful Amsterdam

Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. You may also choose an Optional City Biking Tour to discover the countryside.
Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM

Day 10 AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)

Meals included:
Breakfast

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Questions? Our travel specialists can help with any queries, quotes or special requirements. Request a callback or email us.

Notes

In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.