From

US $4,599 per person

Christmastime on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2027

8 days

•

From Basel to Frankfurt-am-Main

4.6

234 traveler reviews

View all
View all

From

US $4,599 per person

+ $252 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:

Gold 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
Basel
Meals
Dinner
Optional Activities
- Stroll through Basel city center
- Enjoy Christmas illumination and festive displays
- Sample Christmas delicacies including waffles, gingerbread, sweets, and Swiss raclette
Day 2
Breisach - Black Forest/Colmar
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour through Colmar with charming canals and historic buildings (OR Guided Tour to Black Forest experiencing local traditions and Christmas mood)
Optional Activities
- Guided Optional Excursion to Freiburg's medieval city center
- Explore Breisach's Christmas Markets
Landmarks
Colmar
Black Forest
Freiburg
Day 3
Kehl to Strasbourg
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- City Sightseeing of Strasbourg including gothic cathedral with stained-glass windows, ancient murals, astronomical clock, and La Petite France District
Optional Activities
- Wandering the French winter markets of Strasbourg
Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
La Petite France District
Day 4
Ludwigshafen - Heidelberg/Speyer
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour including Heidelberg Castle and the Great Vat with local German Christmas markets (OR Guided Tour of Speyer with imperial Cathedral and Christmas markets)
- Christmas carols with live entertainment on board
Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Speyer Cathedral
Day 5
Rüdesheim - Rhine Gorge
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) viewing ancient castles and Rock of the Lorelei
Optional Activities
- Explore tantalizing treats and seasonal handiwork in Rüdesheim's winter markets
- Christmas concert at Engers Castle (Villa Musica Rhineland-Palatinate)
Landmarks
Mechanical Music Museum
Rhine Gorge
Rock of the Lorelei
Engers Castle
Day 6
Cologne
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided Tour and Tasting at Cologne's Chocolate Museum (OR Guided City Walk of Cologne with twin-steepled gothic cathedral)
- Onboard workshop to learn about European Christmas decorations
Optional Activities
- Explore Cologne's Christmas markets
- Christmas concert at Engers Castle (Villa Musica Rhineland-Palatinate)
Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral
Chocolate Museum Cologne
Day 7
Mainz
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Onboard workshop to learn about European Christmas decorations
- Guided City Walk including Gutenberg Museum exploring history of printing
Optional Activities
- Browse Mainz's Christmas Markets
Landmarks
Gutenberg Museum
Day 8
Frankfurt
Meals
Breakfast

Landmarks
Colmar
Black Forest
Freiburg

Landmarks
Strasbourg Cathedral
La Petite France District

Landmarks
Heidelberg Castle
Speyer Cathedral

Landmarks
Mechanical Music Museum
Rhine Gorge
Rock of the Lorelei
Engers Castle

Landmarks
Cologne Cathedral
Chocolate Museum Cologne

Landmarks
Gutenberg Museum

What's Included

Expand All

Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Additional Services
Transport

What's Not Included

Flights
Insurance
Optional
Additional Services

Operated by

Avalon Waterways

Gold Operator

Rating: 4.6(234 reviews)
Response time: within 2 days
Response rate: 81%
Cancellation policy

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

Reviews from other tours by Avalon Waterways

Tour Operator
4.6

Charles
September 8th, 2025
We would like to thank our Statesman Attendee that took care of all our needs in our room 107. He was friendly and...
We would like to thank our Statesman Attendee that took care of all our needs in our room 107. He was friendly and did an amazing job, Marisio our waiter served us with the highest respect and friendliness. Over all Avalon have very good staff and always a smile- nothing too much trouble. The ship was so clean, food was spectacular. We had a surprise group of singers Gwen and Charles who brought great entertainment. The other entertainer was amazing. Loved the top deck BBQ. We met lots of new friends aboard. Thank you Avalon for a trip well executed.Show more
Julie
August 7th, 2025
Unforgettable, stress-free trip.
Klaus
July 28th, 2024
ship was excellent, food and drinks were great, adventures perfectly organized,all crew members were extremely...
Show more

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Upcoming departures

From Tuesday
23 Nov, 2027
To Tuesday
30 Nov, 2027
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon View
From:
US $4,599 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$252
From Tuesday
30 Nov, 2027
To Tuesday
7 Dec, 2027
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon Envision
From:
US $4,699 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$252
From Tuesday
7 Dec, 2027
To Tuesday
14 Dec, 2027
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon View
From:
US $4,699 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$252
From Tuesday
14 Dec, 2027
To Tuesday
21 Dec, 2027
English
This departure date is available and will 100% depart
Guaranteed departure
Avalon Envision
From:
US $4,699 per person
Multiple Room Types
Taxes
$252

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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 2 days.

From

US $4,599 per person

+ $252 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: 338420

Currencies
€
Euro
France and Germany
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 August 23rd, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after August 23rd, 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) 2027

Itinerary

Basel

Optional Activities

Breisach - Black Forest/Colmar

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Kehl to Strasbourg

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Ludwigshafen - Heidelberg/Speyer

Included Activities

Rüdesheim - Rhine Gorge

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Cologne

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Mainz

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Frankfurt

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Avalon Waterways Ship

Reviews from other tours by Avalon Waterways

Dates & Availability

Want to read it later?

Why book with TourRadar?

Good to Know

Keep Exploring Europe

Christmastime on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2027

Itinerary

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Avalon Waterways Ship

Reviews from other tours by Avalon Waterways

Dates & Availability

Want to read it later?

Why book with TourRadar?

Earn while you share

Good to Know

Keep Exploring Europe

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