This mesmerizing journey begins with a river cruise along the Rhine River, and you’ll continue river cruising along the Saône and Rhône Rivers. Enjoy a canal cruise in splendid Amsterdam, as well as guided sightseeing in Cologne, Koblenz, and Strasbourg. Delight in excursions to Germany’s Black Forest and to Heidelberg—Germany’s oldest university town with its imposing castle. Also sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, see the legendary Lorelei rock, and visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz. A motorcoach transfer takes you into France’s Burgundy region to fascinating Beaune for a visit to Hôtel-Dieu. Next, board your ship in quaint St. Jean de Losne and set sail for Macon, France’s gastronomic capital of Lyon, as well as medieval Tournon, charming Viviers, Avignon, and Arles. Before disembarking your ship in Arles, sail into the peaceful Camargue area (daylight permitting).

Transfer to Aix en Provence for two nights and the start of your Monograms extension. Enjoy guided sightseeing with an expert Local Guide, walk along the 17th-century Cours Mirabeau, a lively area with fountains, elegant homes, and famous cafés, and visit the Cathedral of the Holy Savior, known for its mishmash of architectural styles. This was Cézanne’s hometown, so in your free time, you may want to take a tour following in his footsteps. Perhaps take an excursion to Cassis with an included cruise, soak in Aix-en-Provence’s healing thermal baths, or shop for lavender and other local specialties.

Finally for the conclusion of this fabulous river cruise and land vacation, we’ll whisk you via high-speed train to Nice for your last two nights in France. Here, guided sightseeing includes a walk through the Old Town and the Promenade des Anglais, Nice’s most famous boulevard. In your free time, you may want to take an excursion to Monaco, to St. Tropez, or to Cannes, known for its famous film festival. In both cities, we provide the services of Local Hosts®—a “friend in the city” to answer questions, share inside information, help arrange your activities and excursions, and provide you with suggestions for the best places to sample the local specialties. Transfers to and from your hotels and the train stations, as well as hotel reservations with daily breakfasts, are included.

For specific details on this special interest river cruise, please view the day-by-day itinerary.

City Highlights

Day 1-2 Amsterdam (Embarkation): welcome reception; canal cruise on Day 2Day 3 Cologne: choice of guided city walk or Jewish Heritage walkDay 4 Koblenz–Rhine Gorge–Rüdesheim: guided sightseeing in Koblenz; cruise through the Rhine Gorge; visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim; special treatDay 5 Mainz. Excursion to Heidelberg: guided walk, visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz; excursion to Heidelberg, guided visit of the castle, see the Great VatDay 6 Strasbourg: guided sightseeing, visit the La Petite France district and the gothic cathedral; onboard woodcarving demonstrationDay 7 Breisach. Excursion to the Black Forest: visit a local woodcarver’s workshop or visit a Black Forest open-air museumDay 8 Basel (Disembarkation)–Beaune–St. Jean de Losne (Embarkation)–Seurre: transfer to Beaune, visit Hôtel-Dieu or wine tasting; onboard welcome receptionDay 9 Seurre–Mâcon: leisurely cruising; free time in MâconDay 10 Lyon: on board cheese and wine tasting; guided sightseeing in Lyon, picture stop on Fourvière HillDay 11 Lyon: a morning to explore this fascinating city at leisure: excursion to Beaujolais; on board food and wine pairing dinnerDay 12 Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage–Viviers: guided walk in Tournon; on board chocolate and wine tasting; guided walk in Viviers, visit the Old Town and the cathedralDay 13 Avignon: guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes and a winery in Châteauneuf du PapeDay 14 Arles: cruise into the Camargue region (daylight permitting); guided sightseeing in Arles, visit the Roman AmphitheaterDay 15 Arles (Disembarkation)–Aix-en-Provence: transfer to Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence & Nice: 4 nights hotel accommodation with buffet breakfast (B); Monograms Local Host Service & Destination Guides with city maps; guided sightseeing, inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE; high-speed TGV train (first class) from Aix-en-Provence to Nice; transfers from ship to Aix-en-Provence hotel and to/from train stations.

Notes

In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program.Special Features and day of operation are subject to change.

PRODUCT_LINE: AVALON-WAL1-T1-2018