From

US $5,998 per person

Christmastime on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2026

8 days

•

From Basel to Amsterdam

4.6

63 traveler reviews

View all

From

US $5,998 per person

+ $231 Taxes

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Operator: Avalon Waterways
River Cruise: Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Group Tour: Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Fully Guided: An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity: Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 160
Ages 8+

Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Switzerland
Meals
Dinner
Optional Activities
- Free time to explore before cruise departure
Day 2
Black Forest
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour to Black Forest with local Christmas traditions
- Guided Tour of Freiburg's medieval city center, Black Forest, vineyards and Upper Rhine Valley gardens
Optional Activities
- Guided Optional Excursion to Colmar village with medieval and early renaissance half-timbered buildings
Landmarks
Black Forest
Freiburg
Colmar
Upper Rhine Valley
Day 3
Strasbourg
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- City Sightseeing Tour including Strasbourg's Gothic cathedral with stained-glass windows, ancient murals and astronomical clock
- City Sightseeing Tour including La Petite France District
Optional Activities
- Free time to wander French winter markets of Strasbourg
- Guided Optional Excursion to Alsace wine country
Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
La Petite France District
Alsace Wine Region
Day 4
Rüdesheim
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle with views of renaissance ruins and the Great Vat (World's Largest Wine Barrel)
- Guided City Walk in Mainz with visit to Gutenberg Museum
Optional Activities
- Free time to visit local Christmas market in Mainz or Heidelberg
Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Great Vat
Gutenberg Museum
Day 5
Koblenz
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour of Mechanical Music Museum with authentic Rüdesheimer coffee tasting
- Sailing through Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage site with views of castles and Rock of the Lorelei
Optional Activities
- Free time to enjoy Rüdesheim's Christmas markets
- Free time to explore Koblenz Christmas markets
Landmarks
Mechanical Music Museum
Rhine Gorge
Rock of the Lorelei
Day 6
Cologne
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided City Walk of Cologne with twin-steepled gothic cathedral
- Onboard lecture on European Christmas traditions
Optional Activities
- Free time to enjoy Cologne's Christmas markets
Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral
Day 7
Amsterdam
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Canal Cruise past Golden Age homes
Landmarks
Amsterdam Canals
Day 8
Departure from Amsterdam
Meals
Breakfast

Landmarks
Black Forest
Freiburg
Colmar
Upper Rhine Valley

Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
La Petite France District
Alsace Wine Region

Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Great Vat
Gutenberg Museum

Landmarks
Mechanical Music Museum
Rhine Gorge
Rock of the Lorelei

Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral

Landmarks
Amsterdam Canals

What's Included

Expand All

Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Additional Services
Transport

What's Not Included

Flights
Insurance
Optional
Additional Services

Operated by

Avalon Waterways

4.6

(234 reviews)

Number of tours

571

Age Range

8 to 99 years old

Response time

within 1 day

Response rate

86%

Introduced in 2003, Avalon Waterways sets the standard in river and...

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Other

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Avalon Waterways Ship

Avalon View
The Avalon View is the newest addition to the 2020 Avalon Suite Ship fleet. With the youngest fleet of ships on Europe's waterways, Avalon W… Read more
Capacity
Built
2019
Guests
166
Crew
47
Length
443 ft / 135 m
Width
12m / 39 ft
Suites
67
Staterooms
16
Registry
Gross Tonnage
2775 gt
Electricity
Beam
Cruising Speed
12 kn / 22 kph / 14 mph
Generators
Engines
Draft
Staterooms / Suites Deck Plans Dining

Traveler Reviews

4.6

Overall rating based on 63 Reviews

Itinerary
4.6
Transport
4.7
Guide
4.6
Accommodation
4.7
Food
4.7
Tour Operator
4.6

K
Klaus
July 28th, 2024
5.0
ship was excellent, food and drinks were great, adventures perfectly organized,all crew members were extremely...
Show more
Traveled in July 2024
L
Lindsay
April 30th, 2024
4.0
Great service, good guides, excellent food
Traveled in April 2024
Y
Yungchen
April 20th, 2023
2.0
1. The WIFI solution is really poor. Most of time on ship has no connection. 2. It seemed to be lack of staff. The...
1. The WIFI solution is really poor. Most of time on ship has no connection. 2. It seemed to be lack of staff. The food was delivered slowly. We are waiting "way much longer" in between appetizer/soup and main courses. 3. Many dishes were not cleaned properly. "Cleaned" mugs have coffee print and "cleaned" soup bowls were oily, Overall, this ship didn't have the same quality I took for Danube River cruise before pandemic.Show more
Traveled in April 2023
Roxana
April 12th, 2023
4.0
The Wi-Fi didn’t work as expected and it caused quite an inconvenience. The excursion plan is not as clear either....
Show more
Traveled in April 2023
Julie
October 16th, 2022
5.0
Wonderful cruise, very comfortable, food was great and staff very friendly.
Traveled in October 2022
G
George
September 4th, 2022
5.0
Wonderful!! Food and staff were above average par none!!!
Traveled in August 2022
W
Walter
August 28th, 2022
4.0
The crew was incredible. I felt a bit duped by the lack of transparency re the Rhine’s low levels. The cruise...
Show more
Traveled in July 2022
L
Larry
August 26th, 2022
5.0
Overall, our trip was excellent. There was a disruption during the river cruise because water levels were too low...
Overall, our trip was excellent. There was a disruption during the river cruise because water levels were too low for our ship to continue. The Avalon Vista crew did a great job of overcoming this obstacle by providing transportation, meals, and a hotel room until we could be accommodated on the Avalon Panorama. The ships were clean. Food and service was great on both ships was great. Many of the tour guides on our excursions were knowledgeable and brought life to the history we viewed, especially in Amsterdam and London. It was also comforting to know there was always someone there who spoke the local language and could help us do transfers onto trains and other transportation. Not a complaint, but just as suggestion, I would have preferred to have one less night in Lake Como and and an additional night in Lucerne. We were told that Avalon was going to credit our account for the inconvenience experienced due to the cruise disruption. I checked my credit card statement and there has been no credit received. I will consider traveling again on Avalon and/or using Tour Radar.Show more
Traveled in August 2022
T
Tom
July 22nd, 2022
3.0
A few of the cruise ports were in heavy industrial areas - therefore walking to city centers was not an easy option....
Show more
Traveled in July 2022
M
Max
July 12th, 2022
4.0
We had an excellent experience, the ship was great, service was great, personnel were so attentive, professional,...
Show more
Traveled in June 2022

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Upcoming departures

Hurry, deals only available for a limited time!

Ends on 22 Apr, 2026

From Tuesday
24 Nov, 2026
To Tuesday
1 Dec, 2026
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon Envision
From:
US $5,998 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$231
From Tuesday
15 Dec, 2026
To Tuesday
22 Dec, 2026
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon View
From:
US $6,098 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$231

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Can’t find the answer to your question?

Reach out to the experts at Avalon Waterways with your enquiry, they usually respond within 1 day.

From

US $5,998 per person

+ $231 Taxes

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 288136

Currencies
€
Euro
France, Germany and Netherlands
Fr.
Swiss Franc
Switzerland
Plugs & Adapters
As a traveler from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for type J.
Type J
Switzerland
Vaccines
- These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
- Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Germany.Switzerland. Ideally 6 months before travel.
Visa
- Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
- Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
Payment information
- For any tour departing before July 19th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after July 19th, 2026, a minimum payment of $250 is required to confirm your booking with Avalon Waterways. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 95 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
- The following cards are accepted for "Avalon Waterways" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
Cancellation Policy
- TourRadar can request Avalon Waterways to hold spaces for you for up to 48 hours without any credit card details.
- TourRadar is an authorized Agent of Avalon Waterways. Please familiarize yourself with the Avalon Waterways payment, cancellation and refund conditions.
Accessibility
Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Christmastime on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2026

Itinerary

Arrival in Switzerland

Optional Activities

Black Forest

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Strasbourg

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Rüdesheim

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Koblenz

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Cologne

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Amsterdam

Included Activities

Departure from Amsterdam

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What's Included