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8-DAY ROMANTIC RHINE (NORTHBOUND) – BASEL TO AMSTERDAM
River cruise holiday from:
- Price on application*
Travel dates: Selected departures throughout 2027
Your Avalon Waterways cruise includes:
- 8-day river cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 7 nights aboard an award-winning Avalon Suite Ship®
- Spacious Panorama Suites with Open-Air Balcony® design
- Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner onboard
- Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship
- Services of an expert Cruise Director and local guides
- Choice of Active, Classic and Discovery excursions in selected ports
- Scenic cruising through the legendary Rhine River region
Itinerary highlights:
- Embark in Basel, Switzerland
- Explore Germany's famous Black Forest region from Breisach
- Visit Freiburg and traditional Black Forest villages
- Tour Strasbourg, France, including the Gothic Cathedral and La Petite France district
- Discover Heidelberg and its magnificent castle
- Visit the wine town of Rüdesheim
- Cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge lined with medieval castles
- Explore historic Cologne and its famous cathedral
- Enjoy an included canal cruise in Amsterdam
Countries visited:
- Switzerland
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
Why you'll love this cruise:
- Experience one of Europe's most iconic river cruise routes
- Cruise through the breathtaking Rhine Gorge
- Discover charming wine villages and medieval towns
- Explore the beautiful Black Forest region
- Enjoy Amsterdam's famous canals and historic architecture
- Travel in comfort aboard Avalon Waterways' spacious Suite Ships®
- Choose from a range of included Active and Classic sightseeing experiences
Bonus experiences:
- Black Forest excursions including traditional villages and cultural demonstrations
- Bike tours and guided walks with Avalon Adventure Hosts
- Canal cruise through Amsterdam's historic waterways
- Wine-country experiences in Rüdesheim and the Rhine Valley
*Cruise operates on selected departures throughout the 2027 season. Pricing varies by departure date, suite category and availability. Itinerary, inclusions and schedules are subject to change without notice. Seasonal surcharges may apply.
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Itineraries
Day 1
BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Switzerland.
Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Zürich must arrive by 3 pm. Flights into Basel must arrive by 4 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
Dinner
Day 2
BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Take a Guided E-bike Tour to experience the magical Black Forest from a unique
point of view, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
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 EXCURSION
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
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 3
KEHL. EXCURSION TO STRASBOURG, FRANCE
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
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
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 4
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine Barrel
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the
Philosophers' way, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
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 EXCURSION
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
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 5
RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE - KOBLENZ
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards
of Rüdesheim; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-akind instrumental experience; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee,
OR:
DISCOVERY EXCURSION
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 CRUISE TO COLOGNE
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 6
COLOGNE
Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR;
CLASSIC EXCURSION
Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
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
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 7
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Canals of Colorful Amsterdam
ACTIVE EXCURSION
Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in
Amsterdam, OR:
CLASSIC EXCURSION
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 EXCURSION
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
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 8
AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
Breakfast
- 8-day river cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 7 nights aboard an award-winning Avalon Suite Ship®
- Spacious Panorama Suites with Open-Air Balcony® design
- Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner onboard
- Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship
- Services of an expert Cruise Director and local guides
- Choice of Active, Classic and Discovery excursions in selected ports
- Scenic cruising through the legendary Rhine River region
Itinerary highlights:
- Embark in Basel, Switzerland
- Explore Germany's famous Black Forest region from Breisach
- Visit Freiburg and traditional Black Forest villages
- Tour Strasbourg, France, including the Gothic Cathedral and La Petite France district
- Discover Heidelberg and its magnificent castle
- Visit the wine town of Rüdesheim
- Cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge lined with medieval castles
- Explore historic Cologne and its famous cathedral
- Enjoy an included canal cruise in Amsterdam
Countries visited:
- Switzerland
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
Why you'll love this cruise:
- Experience one of Europe's most iconic river cruise routes
- Cruise through the breathtaking Rhine Gorge
- Discover charming wine villages and medieval towns
- Explore the beautiful Black Forest region
- Enjoy Amsterdam's famous canals and historic architecture
- Travel in comfort aboard Avalon Waterways' spacious Suite Ships®
- Choose from a range of included Active and Classic sightseeing experiences
Bonus experiences:
- Black Forest excursions including traditional villages and cultural demonstrations
- Bike tours and guided walks with Avalon Adventure Hosts
- Canal cruise through Amsterdam's historic waterways
- Wine-country experiences in Rüdesheim and the Rhine Valley
- Travel Insurance – your North Travel consultant can provide you with a quote. Get a quote now.
- Tourism visa or transit visa if required
- Upgrades to Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class available and to be quote at the time of booking.
- Itinerary deviations (e.g. extensions or specific airline requests). This will be quoted by a North Travel consultant at the time of booking.
- Professional service fee's (if any)
Advertised prices are not guaranteed until confirmed at booking. Prices are dynamic and may be affected by foreign exchange, airline, cruise, tour and supplier changes beyond North Travel’s control.
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While it's not strictly mandatory for all bookings, North Travel highly recommends and, in many cases, requires you to have adequate travel insurance for international travel, and strongly advises it for domestic trips. It's a non-negotiable for your peace of mind and protection.
On some itineraries and tours you may be required to have comprehensive travel insurance by the travel supplier. One of our consultants can guide you on this.
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