AVALON WATERWAYS
10 Days | Romantic Rhine with Lucerne
Southbound (WAZ2)

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AMSTERDAM TO LUCERNE

Day 1 | Amsterdam, Holland. Embark. Welcome to Amsterdam. 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. (D)

Day 2 | Amsterdam. Canals of Colorful Amsterdam. Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. (B,L,D)

Classic — Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

Day 3 | Cologne, Germany. Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland’s Capital City. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy 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. (B,L,D)

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.

Day 4 | Koblenz. Rhine Gorge. Rudesheim. Travel Through 2,000 Years of Monumental History. Relax on the Sky Deck for an afternoon cruise through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim. Sail past the legendary rock of The Lorelei—where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening.(B,L,D)

Rudesheim. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country

Discovery — Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience. 

Day 5 | Mainz. Excursion to Heidelberg. Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Barrel of Wine. 

Classic — Enjoy a Guided City Walk, including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.
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 an afternoon Hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below. (B,L,D)

Day 6 | Strasbourg, France. Gothic Giants, Military Marvels, and Varietal Vintages.

You may also choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line — an impressive installation of pre-WWII defensive 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. (B,L,D) 

Classic — Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s s gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.

Day 7 | Breisach, Germany. Excursion to the Black Forest. History, Artistry, and the Beautiful Black Forest. 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. Follow your visit to Colmar with a free afternoon in Breisach. Take a bike from the ship, or walk among the pastel-painted houses above the Rhine. (B,L,D)

Discovery — Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernhof open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional Bavarian butter-making demonstration — OR — Visit to Badische Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here, and enjoy a wine tasting.

Day 8 | Basel, Switerland. Disembark. Mount Pilatus. Lucerne. Disembark your Avalon ship and join the Monograms portion of your vacation. Enjoy a special highlight excursion to Mount Pilatus. Journey almost 7,000 ft. (2,132 m) up for spectacular views over central Switzerland (in case of bad weather, visit the Swiss Transport Museum instead). Later join a guided walking tour to explore beautiful Lucerne which includes Thorwaldsen’s poignant Lion Monument and the famous Chapel Bridge. (B)

Day 9 | Lucerne. Today, enjoy a day at leisure in Lucerne. Your Local Host can help you plan your day. (B)

Day 10 | Lucerne. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

NOTE: Itinerary is subject to change without notice. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the itinerary schedule you receive with your final documents. In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary. Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time. Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler. Due to “Sail Amsterdam” departures August 8 & August 11 will start in Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam with modifications to the itinerary.

ROMANTIC RHINE WITH LUCERNE SOUTHBOUND ITINERARY (WAZ2) 10 DAYS | AMSTERDAM TO LUCERNE Click HERE to view 10-day NORTHBOUND (WZA3) itinerary.