Rhine & Rhone Revealed

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. Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure.

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.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (D)

Canals of Colourful Amsterdam

Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.

• 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 or take some free time to explore Amsterdam's colourful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE (B/L/D)

Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland

• 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 Kolsch pale lager - locally brewed for over 100 years!

Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RUDESHEIM (B/L/D)

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

En route to Rudesheim, 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.

• Active: Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rudesheim, OR:
• Discovery: Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rudesheimer coffee.

Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RUDESHEIM (B/L/D)

Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World's Biggest Wine Barrel

• Active: Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, OR:
• Classic: Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing, 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 STRASBOURG (B/L/D)

A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France

Ask 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.

Choose 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 centre.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH (B/L/D)

German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

• Discovery: 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: Visit to a local winery in Breisach, where you will learn about German winemaking and enjoy a wine tasting, OR:
• Classic: Join a Guided Tour to explore Freiburg's medieval city centre, 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/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B/L/D)

Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune.

• Classic: Visit the Hotel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden's painting of the Last Judgement.

This afternoon, travel to Chalon-sur-Saone to board your Suite Ship.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TOURNUS (B/D)

Pearl of Southern Burgundy

Visit the Adventure Centre for today's activities with your Adventure Host.

• Classic: Tucked away in the southeast corner of Burgundy, Tournus is one of the oldest and most important monastic centres in the region, Our Local Guide will show the highlights of this delightful town.

Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar or to the Castle of Cormatin.

• Discovery: Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TREVOUX (B/L/D)

La Vie En Rose in Lyon

Sail for lovely Lyon this morning.

• Active: Discover Lyon's architectural district by bike with your Adventure Host, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhone and Saone rivers meet, OR:
• Classic: Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourviere Hill with its numerous churches. You'll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafes, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.
• Discovery: Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship.

Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON (B/L/D)

Adventures in Food and Wine

• Classic: Join a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why it is known as the gastronomic capital of France.

The rest of your day is free to explore, relax, or shop in France's third largest city. Take a bike from the ship and explore local produce markets and parks, or take a leisurely tour of the city's more than 100 murals.

EVENING CRUISE TO TOURNON (B/L/D)

A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards

• Classic: Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon - one of France's oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhone River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.

Enjoy a leisurely sail to Viviers after lunch.

VIVIERS: World History in a Charming French Country Village

• Classic: Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late 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.

Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON (B/L/D)

The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence

Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.

• 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 Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhone 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-Benezet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment.

EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES (B/L/D)

Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights

• 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 Amphitheatre in this visually stunning city.

Take free time to stop in Cafe Van Gogh for a glass of wine.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES (B/L/D)

Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am. (B)