Swiss Splendors by Train with Romantic Rhine Cruise

Your Small Group Discovery Begins!

At 6 pm, meet your Globus Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Incredible Feats

An orientation walk includes a visit to the Olympic Museum.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Since opening in 1993, the Olympic Museum has celebrated the ideals of the Olympic Movement, highlighting how the Olympic Games foster unity among nations through sport. It is also recognized as the world's leading center for information, heritage, and culture related to the Olympic Games.

ENHANCED FREE TIME - Take advantage of your small group optional experience and enjoy two unforgettable adventures in one: explore the legendary halls of Chillon Castle with an expert guide, then enjoy a tasting of local Swiss wines. A perfect blend of history, discovery, and authentic regional flavors.

All Aboard for Zermatt!

Board the train for your journey from Lausanne to Zermatt. An included excursion takes you to the famous Gornergrat.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Travel on board Europe's highest rack railway to marvel at the views of the Matterhorn from its summit. Spectacular!

Alpine Adventure

Take a relaxing train ride from Zermatt to the welcoming heart of Interlaken, the gateway to the majestic Bernese Oberland.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Interlaken lies between the crystal - clear lakes of Thun and Brienz affording spectacular surrounding views of the alpine peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

The Top of Europe

Take advantage of your small group and to ascend to the summit of the Jungfrau Massif on board the Eiger Express Cable Car.

LOCAL FAVORITE - Take advantage of your small group size with a thrilling experience aboard the Eiger Express Cable Car. Be treated to breathtaking views of the surrounding Alps before continuing your alpine ascent by cogwheel train to ascend to the “Top of Europe” - the Jungfraujoch. Disembark at Europe's highest railway station and take in the 360-degree panoramic views from the summit of Jungfrau Massif.

Natural Highs

Sit back and relax for a boat ride on the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz. Enjoy wonderful views of the Bernese Oberland with its impressive mountains, historic castles, and romantic lakeside villages. After disembarking, continue your journey to Lucerne aboard the Lucerne Interlaken Express train.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - Be immersed in the beautiful natural landscapes during your trip. Mighty mountainsides, dense forests, crystal - clear streams, and waterfalls surround you with picture - perfect scenery. The refreshing lake breeze is both invigorating and relaxing as waves ripple, merge, and heighten as your ship approaches the shore. Enjoy the expansiveness of the lake while pondering the depth of the water that has flowed through the Alps for thousands of years.

ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME - Relax at a rustic table at a typical Old Town restaurant where colorful banners, wooden walls, and quaint balconies add to the atmosphere. Feel your spirits rise with merry accordion tunes and traditional dances as you indulge in a hearty feast of Swiss specialties such as classic cheese fondue.

Lion Hearts

Join your Tour Director for an orientation walk of Lucerne including the Lion monument, the Old Town, and the Chapel Bridge. This evening, a farewell dinner at a local restaurant awaits.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - See the symbol of Lucerne at the famous Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Originally built in 1365, the bridge includes the Wasserturm (water tower) that once served as a prison. Today, this world-famous timber bridge is Lucerne's most photographed landmark.

ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME - Climb soaring Mount Pilatus on a thrilling ascent on the world's steepest cogwheel railway with an incline of 48 degrees, this silent aerial tramway and panoramic gondola reveal a panorama of unmatched beauty. The rugged cliffs above Lucerne have been shrouded in mystery and legend since the Middle Ages with countless tales of mythical encounters with a dragon inhabiting the surrounding caves. As you ride higher, it's easy to imagine the dragon soaring back and forth between the 10,000 - foot (3,048 - meter) Bernese Alps (Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau) and sparkling Lake Lucerne. The trip back down is just as inspiring with irresistible photo opportunities!

Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.

Transfer to Basel to embark your Avalon Suite Ship® and meet your Avalon Cruise Director.

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

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH

German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

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

• Active: Take a Guided E-bike Tour to experience the magical Black Forest from a unique point of view, 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/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KEHL

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.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LUDWIGSHAFEN

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: Join a Guided Visit to Schwetzingen Palace—the heart of a stunning site consisting of the palace, palace gardens, and historic palace square.

This afternoon through the evening, enjoy leisurely sailing to Rüdesheim.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country.

• Active: Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee, 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.

This evening enjoy live entertainment onboard.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE

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:
• Classic: 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

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. 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

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.