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To cruise legendary rivers requires legendary itineraries and this is no exception. Covering five captivating countries, you’ll enjoy time exploring Europe’s major cities before slowing down to cruise the romantic Rhine for 8 days of stunning scenery, medieval castles, and quaint cobblestone villages.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- International flights & transfers
- 3 nights in London, 3 nights in Paris and 4 nights in Amsterdam with superior hotel accommodation, guided sightseeing and select meals
- 8-day Avalon Waterways Romantic Rhine cruise with luxurious stateroom accommodation, all meals on board including regional beer and wine, and your choice of daily Classic, Active & Discovery excursions
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN LONDON, ENGLAND
Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts will be waiting to welcome you at the hotel between 3pm and 5pm. Free time this afternoon.
Today’s I-Time Tips
Indulge in an optional Taste of London experience, with dinner in a traditional London pub followed by a guided illumination cruise on the Thames River. Spend free time hopping on a double decker bus to see London like a local. Your GlobusGO mobile app has all the information you need!
DAY 2: LONDON
A morning guided sightseeing-drive past London’s famous landmarks includes the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were married; Whitehall’s mounted horse guards; the Prime Minister’s Downing Street; Piccadilly Circus; and Buckingham Palace. Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral to see Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. (B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
The curtain is going up on the West End with world-class theatrical productions on one of its more than 35 stages. Join us for an optional evening out at the theatre with dinner included. Spend free time shopping for bits and bobs on Piccadilly Circus. You’ll find the best shops, sips, and sups on your GlobusGO mobile app.
DAY 3: LONDON
The day is yours to explore as you please. (B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
Unlock the secrets of Stonehenge on this optional excursion and marvel at the remarkable and mysterious feat of ancient engineering and design that perplex archaeologists and scientists to this day. Take the ultimate selfie at London’s famous landmarks, including Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. Need directions? Just tap the GlobusGO mobile app and you’re there!
DAY 4: LONDON - PARIS, FRANCE
Travel to Paris by high-speed Eurostar train. A Globus Local Host will be waiting to welcome you. Free time this afternoon. (B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
To truly experience Paris, take a seat in any of its thousands of cafes. Whether you linger at a sidewalk table in the shade of a boulevard or a dimly lit bar, you’ll soak in true Parisian life with each sip of café au lait or French wine. Your GlobusGO mobile app has all the dining tips you need.
DAY 5: PARIS
Admire the heart of the city from a different perspective on a Seine River cruise. Spend a relaxing hour gliding by many of the city’s important landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower; Notre Dame Cathedral, Hotel de Ville and famous Louvre Palace and museum. (B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
Skip the long lines on this optional small-group adventure through the incomparable Louvre Museum. Led by an expert guide you’ll easily navigate one of the world’s largest Museum to see its most iconic pieces including the Venus de Milo, Cupid & Psyche, and the enigmatic Mona Lisa. Strike a pose in front of the Eiffel Tower or along the Seine River for the ultimate travel selfie! Your GlobusGO mobile app has the maps and more freetime tips you’ll love.
DAY 6: PARIS
The day is yours to explore as you please. (B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
Pack your passion for wine with an optional Tour de France of Wine excursion. Our expert sommelier will cover a variety of themes and topics to enhance your wine knowledge with a tasting included! Find the perfect café au lait and croissants along the avenues of Montmartre. Maybe have your portrait sketched by a local street artist! Tap into your GlobusGO mobile app for more free-time tips, maps, and more.
DAY 7: PARIS - AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Travel to Amsterdam by high-speed train. A Globus Local Host will be waiting to welcome you. Free time this afternoon. (B)
DAY 8: AMSTERDAM
Get onboard a canal cruise and take the best views of houses built during Holland’s Golden Age. Glide by traditional gable-roofed homes, fascinating houseboats and the Westerkerk (Western Church). Take photos of the Anne Frank House, the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) and Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge). (B)
DAY 9: AMSTERDAM
Your Independence by Globus portion ends with breakfast this morning. The rest of your day is at leisure. (B)
DAY 10: AMSTERDAM
Day at leisure. (B)
DAY 11: AMSTERDAM (EMBARKATION)
Your Avalon Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. 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 (B,D)
DAY 12: AMSTERDAM CANALS OF COLOURFUL 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 colourful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE (B,L,D)
DAY 13: COLOGNE, GERMANY PROST! CELEBRATE IN THE RHINELAND
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! Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RÜDESHEIM (B,L,D)
DAY 14: RÜDESHEIM EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY IN WINE COUNTRY
En route to Rüdesheim, sail through the Rhine Gorge (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Take in the breath taking 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. ACTIVE Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, 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 Rüdesheimer coffee. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM (B,L,D)
DAY 15: MAINZ. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG PRINTING HALLS, 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 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.” EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG (B,L,D)
DAY 16: STRASBOURG, FRANCE A GRAND CATHEDRAL AND LA PETITE FRANCE
Ask about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. ACTIVE Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s Gothic, stainedglass 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 preWWII 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 BREISACH (B,L,D)
DAY 17: 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 a local winery in Breisach, where you will learn about German winemaking and enjoy a wine tasting, 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 half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B,L,D)
DAY 18: BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning, before flying back to New Zealand.(B)
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| 18 Days | fr $13,712* | Enquire |
