This mesmerizing river cruise and land vacation begins on the Rhine River and then continues on 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. Daylight permitting, sail into the peaceful Camargue area. Disembark your river cruise ship and arrive in the French Riviera, the splendid Côte d’Azur, for a final night in France.

Transfer to the Nice airport for the start of your Monograms extension. We’ve arranged your flight to Barcelona, Spain, along with hotel reservations, daily breakfasts, sightseeing with a local expert, transfers to and from your hotel and airport, and more. Plus, we know you may not be familiar with the city, so we’ve arranged the services of a friendly and knowledgeable Local Host® to answer questions, share inside information, help arrange your activities and excursions, and make you feel right at home. The next morning, after an included breakfast, we’ll pick you up for guided sightseeing with an expert Local Guide that features a drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia, and visits of Gaudi’s extraordinary Casa Batlló and Sagrada Familia Basilica. In your free time, you could explore the Picasso Museum, catch some rays on the beach, or have fun at Tibidabo Amusement Park. Your Local Host can help you make the most of this fantastic city!

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)–Côte d’Azur: evening in Côte d’AzurDay 16 Côte d’Azur–Barcelona, Spain: flight Nice to BarcelonaBarcelona: 3 nights hotel accommodation with buffet breakfast (B);Monograms Local Host Service & Destination Guide with city map; guided sightseeing, inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE; flight Nice-Barcelona with transfers.

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-WAL2-T1-2018