Rhine & Rhône Revealed with 1 Night in Marseille (Southbound) 2021

Immerse yourself in French and German culture on this fabulous European river cruise vacation along the Rhine, Saône, and Rhône Rivers. Enjoy spectacular views and romantic splendor of this magical journey ending with a night in Marseilles. It all begins in Holland’s popular, modern capital of Amsterdam. The best way to see the treasures of this 700-year-old city is on a canal cruise along the elegant Grachten. 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.

Sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine River dotted every mile with ancient castles. Strasbourg, France, located on the French-German border, perfectly blends the cultures of both countries. Breisach, Germany, is the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest—an area of unrivaled natural beauty. Lyon is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. Explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways. Continue to the city of Tournon, beautifully nestled among vineyards. Here, you’ll take a guided walk in this medieval treasure with Roman ruins and a fascinating 16th-century castle. In Avignon, visit the Palace of the Popes and take pictures of the bridge in the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon.” Enjoy your last night in France in captivating Marseille. Relax along the remarkably blue water of the Mediterranean Sea—a perfect ending to this once-in-a-lifetime European river cruise through Germany and France!

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SIMILAR VACATIONS

Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Northbound)
Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Northbound)
With 2 Nights in Aix-en-Provence & 2 Nights in NiceWAL2
With 2 Nights in Aix-en-Provence & 2 Nights in NiceWAL2
Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Southbound)WALE
Rhine & Rhône Revealed (Southbound)WALE

ITINERARY

Day 1

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION) 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

Day 2

AMSTERDAM Canals of Colorful 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 colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 3

COLOGNE, GERMANY Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral, OR: DISCOVERY Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites. Spend free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years! Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RÜDESHEIM
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 4

RÜDESHEIM Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country Sail through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim past the legendary rock of the Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors. DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 5

MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine Barrel 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,” OR: ACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 6

STRASBOURG, FRANCE A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France Ask about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. 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 center. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 7

BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST 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 Badischer Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Learn about German winemaking in the vineyards of Baden, and enjoy a wine tasting. 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
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 8

BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION) Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune. CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-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 St. Jean de Losne to board your Suite Ship®. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MÂCON

Day 9

MÂCON Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host. Enjoy leisurely cruising en route to Mâcon along the majestic Saône River. 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 TRÉVOUX
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 10

LYON La Vie En Rose in Lyon Sail for lovely Lyon this morning. CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux. Spend free time biking through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. DISCOVERY Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship. Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 11

LYON 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
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 12

TOURNON 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 Rhône 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 on board. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 13

AVIGNON 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 Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône 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-Bénézet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 14

ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city, OR: DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of legendary artist. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images)a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer. Take free time to stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine. EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 15

PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION)–MARSEILLE Spectacular Seascapes of the Mediterranean Coast Disembark your ship and join a motorcoach transfer to Marseille. CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Sightseeing in Marseille—France’s second-largest city

Day 16

MARSEILLE Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning
Breakfast

Accommodations