Home > All River Cruises > Europe River Cruises > Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine

Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine

No Reviews No Booking FeesDedicated Cruise Advisor
Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine
Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine
Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine
New Release River Cruise

Overview

Book online and enjoy exclusive savings on Avalon's 15 Day Timeless Rivers of Europe: the Rhine and Seine. Immerse yourself in German and French culture on this fabulous Europe river cruise vacation along the Seine and Rhine Rivers. Revel in the romance and splendor of this magical journey on two of Europe’s most legendary waterways.

Your adventure begins in Breisach, Germany, the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest—an area of unrivaled natural beauty. Strasbourg, France, located on the French-German border, perfectly blends the cultures of both countries. Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, read more the most beautiful view of the Rhine River where ancient castles stand on cliffs 400 feet above the water. Cologne, Germany—a 2,000-year-old city best known for its gothic architecture and famous twin-spired cathedral, comes alive on a guided walk.

Continue to Amsterdam, the modern capital of Holland. Transfer to Paris by high-speed train to start your Seine River cruise. Enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery along the Seine River, and stops in charming and historical parts of France, but your adventure would not be complete without some time in Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! Discover the true heart of Paris on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history or take a tour showing you the iconic sites of the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more.
Our Price From
US$5,686 per person
Price shown based on twin share
Save up to $3,216 per person
Save 36%
Check Availability
Trip Length
Cruise Length

15 Days

Trip Starts
Cruise Starts

Basel

Trip Ends
Cruise Ends

Paris

Trip Departures
Cruise Departures
Jul 2026 to Nov 2027
Countries Visited
Countries Visited:
Countries Visited
Rivers Sailed:
Cruise Line
Cruise Line
Avalon
Cruise Ship
Cruise Ship
Avalon Tapestry II +2
Passengers
Passengers

128

Crew
Crew

37

Ship Launch
Launched

2015

Ship Refurbished
Cruise Code

WZP

Itinerary

Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Zürich or Basel must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.

Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH (D)

German Winemaking and 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 Vogtsbauernohf 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)

A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France.

  • 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.
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)

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 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 in Mainz, 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 Country.

  • Active: 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.

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 (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 Amsterdam.

  • Active: Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR:
  • 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.”
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 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 (B/L/D)

On to Paris.

This morning, board a high - speed train for Paris to embark on your Avalon Suite Ship® and enjoy dinner onboard this evening.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON (B/D)

Monet's Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour.

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

  • Active: Explore Vernon's Chateau des Tourelles by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
  • Classic: Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet's charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces*, OR:
  • Classic: Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy's Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.
  • Discovery: While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.
This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys.

LES ANDELYS: Serenity on the Seine.

  • Active: Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart, OR:
  • Classic: Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France's most picturesque spots on the Seine.

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

*Monet's House is closed in March and November. During this period, this excursion will be replaced with a Guided Tour of La Roche - Guyon and its castle.

Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine.

  • Active: Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR:
  • Classic: Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.
This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur.

  • Discovery: Enjoy an Onboard Lecture about the days before and after the Normandy landing of D - Day.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC (B/L/D)

Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions

  • Classic: Join a Guided Tour of Normandy's WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR:
  • Classic: Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény - sur - Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR:
  • Classic: Join a Guided Tour to get a taste of authentic tradition in the beautiful region of Normandy. Toast the day with a brandy tasting in Calvados.

Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.

EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN (B/L/D)

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and a Heroine for France

  • Active: Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels, OR:
  • Classic: Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—site of Saint Joan of Arc's martyrdom—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

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

The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV

  • Active: Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR:
  • Classic: Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR:
  • Classic: Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison*—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.

Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings.

This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.

AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS (B/L/D)

*Château de Malmaison is closed the 1st Monday of each month. On these dates, this excursion will be replaced by a visit to Château de Chantilly.

Cafés, Cathedrals, and Canvases in the City of Light

Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.

  • Active: Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
  • Classic: Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR:
  • Classic: Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs - Élysées.

Stroll through Paris on your own or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS (B/L/D)

Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Life On Board

Avalon
 (494) Reviews
Total No. of River Cruises 171
One of our favourite sayings that describes Avalon Waterways is ‘the possibilities are as wide open as the views’. From Europe to the Galapagos and Asia, you can cruise in relaxed luxury with Avalon Waterways, with choices as unique as you. Avalon offers you a range of choices from excursions, dining options, activities more that help you tailor your experience.

Just imagine gliding away down the world’s most spectacular rivers, all while enjoying a unique vantage point from your own private oasis. Our floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in our suites blur the line between where the world ends, and your suite begins; allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed. This is river cruising from a unique point of view.
Avalon Tapestry II
Avalon Tapestry II

Float along Europe's most famous waterways in relaxed luxury aboard one of Avalon's award-winning Suite Ships. Read more

Our Vision. Your View.
Our Vision. Your View.

With the only Open-Air Balconies in river cruising, experience Europe with a view like no other in a Panorama Suite. Read more

Exclusive Meets Inclusive
Exclusive Meets Inclusive

Avalon features all the right inclusions which compliment your luxurious river cruise experience. Read more

Avalon Choice
Avalon Choice

Personalise your cruise to make it your own with Avalon Choice. Select whichever included excursions interest you the most. Read more

Active & Discovery
Active & Discovery

Avalon's Active & Discovery river cruises offer activities for travelers with varying interests & for all energy and fitness levels. Read more

From View to Table
From View to Table

Savour regional cuisine and familiar favourites using the freshest local ingredients throughout your river cruise. Read more

Play Youtube Video

Download Brochure

Avalon River Cruises (2025-26) Brochure

Avalon River Cruises (2025-26)

Avalon Waterways has redefined cruising by going against the current and away from the ordinary. One step aboard our modern, luxurious Suite Ships with the grandest views in cruising and it’s easy to see how the tides are changing. Welcome to a new wave in cruising. Welcome aboard Avalon Waterways.

Dates & Pricing USD USD

Welcome Back Credit

Traveled with Avalon before? We'll automatically apply any travel credits to your booking.

GJ Loyalty Discount

Save even more if you're a past client of Global Journeys!

Cabin Layout Options:

Select Cabin Preference:

From $5,686
From $9,332
Sold Out
Tuesday 21 Jul 2026 21 Jul 26 Basel
Tuesday 04 Aug 2026 04 Aug 26 Paris
Details
Avalon Envision
Exclusive Savings
River View
Sold Out
Unavailable
Sold Out
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Avalon. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.

Similar River Cruises

16 Day Britain Sampler with Paris to Normandy (Avalon)

16 Days London Paris

Operated By: Avalon

From 7,482
Save 1,319
16 Day Spectacular Switzerland with Romantic Rhine (Avalon)

16 Days Zurich Amsterdam

Operated By: Avalon

From 7,671
Save 1,841
16 Day Enchanted Europe (Eastbound) (Avalon)

16 Days Basel Budapest

Operated By: Avalon

From 7,162
Save 2,776
21 Day The Danube from Romania to Germany with Bucharest, Transylvania & Prague (Avalon)

21 Days Bucharest Prague

Operated By: Avalon

From 8,667
Save 3,339