Tour Description

Immerse yourself in German and French culture on this fabulous Europe river cruise holiday 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, 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. You’ll sail from Paris to Vernon with your choice of two included excursions—a guided visit to master impressionist Claude Monet’s home and gardens at Giverny, or a guided tour of the remarkable Bizy Castle, known as “Normandy’s Versailles.” You’ll sail through the picturesque and historic landscapes of Normandy, with the choice to visit the historic sites of the famed WWII landing beaches, and moving monuments to Allied forces, or you may explore the farming region for a “Taste of Normandy.”

In Rouen, site of Saint Joan of Arc’s martyrdom, take a guided walk through the medieval quarter and visit the Gothic Rouen Cathedral—once the tallest building in the world. From Conflans, join in an excursion to the quaint and inspiring town of Auvers-Sur-Oise—inspired setting for several famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh—or visit Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison. Your Seine River cruise returns to Paris with more time to explore the romantic city. Discover the true heart of Paris on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour to see its iconic landmarks, including the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more, or take a tour focused on WWII and visit the museum of Les Invalides.

Please note: Itinerary is based on 2025, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in 2025.

Priced From:

$ 15396pp ^*

Start Location: Basel, Switzerland

End Location: Paris, Netherlands

Major Destinations: Freiburg ,Strasbourg,Rhine Gorge,Heidelberg,Paris

Breakfast Meals Included: 14

Lunch Meals Included: 12

Dinner Meals Included: 14

Tour Advisors

Tiffany McCrea-Lennon

Managing Director

Chris McKinnel

Travel Specialist

Gaylyn Murdoch

Administration Manager

Russell Mein

Travel Specialist

Holly Skene

Travel Co-ordinator

Kim Thomas

Broker

Itinerary

Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Zurich 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 Centre 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: 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: 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 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 centre. 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 Rudesheim. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RUDESHEIM (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 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. 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 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 Kolsch pale lager-locally brewed for over 100 years! AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)

Canals of Colourful Amsterdam ACTIVE Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR: DISCOVERY 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 colourful 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 Crepes du Jour Visit the Adventure Centre 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 crepes, followed by an onboard history presentation. 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 Chateau 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)

Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR: DISCOVERY Join a guided excursion to a V-1 flying bomb launch site, 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 Onboard lecture about WWII hosted by your history expert. 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 centre, and the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Join "A Taste of Normandy" Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region. See the famous Bayeux Tapestry, visit the beautiful village of Beuvron en Auge and taste Calvados at a local distillery. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship. EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN (B,L,D)

The Cathedral of Our Lady 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: DISCOVERY Join a Guide Tour to visit Dieppe, where Operation Jubilee (Dieppe Raid) took place during WWII, 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. DISCOVERY Onboard history lecture hosted by your history expert. 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 Chateau de Malmaison*-home of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine. Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles-home to a succession of French kings. EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS (B,L,D) * Chateau de Malmaison is closed the 1st Monday of each month. On these dates, this excursion will be replaced by a visit to Chateau de Chantilly

Cafes, 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: DISCOVERY Take a WWII tour of Paris which will include a visit to the museum of Les Invalides, dedicated to the Ordre de la Liberation which was created in 1940 by General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, OR: CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Ile de la Cite, 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, Opera Garnier, and the famous Champs-Elysees. Stroll through Paris on your own or linger over wine in a literary cafe on the Left Bank. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS (B,L,D)

Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Dates & prices

Dates

Prices

Status

Departure Date :

2026-05-26

Return Date :

2026-06-09

Single : 23187 NZD

Twin : 15396 NZD

Open

Timeless Rivers Of Europe: The Rhine And Seine (wwii History)

Tour Advisors

Itinerary

Dates & prices