Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2023

8 days
From Basel to Amsterdam
4.6
63 traveler reviews

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:
River Cruise
Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 160
Ages 8+
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Board your Suite Ship in Switzerland
  • Explore the Black Forest's festive spirit
  • Tour Strasbourg's iconic cathedral
  • Visit Heidelberg Castle at Christmas
  • Cruise through the Rhine Gorge

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
  2. Day 2 BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
  3. Day 3 STRASBOURG, FRANCE
  4. Day 4 MAINZ . EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
  5. Day 5 RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE–KOBLENZ
  6. Day 6 COLOGNE
  7. Day 7 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
  8. Day 8 AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Operated by

Avalon Waterways

Number of tours

550

Age Range

8 to 99 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

88%

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

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

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 Panorama
    Avalon Panorama
    A unique Suite Ship®, the Avalon Panorama features unmatched cabin views as the first of its kind in the industry with two full decks… Read more
    Built
    2011
    Guests
    84 - 166
    Crew
    47
    Length
    135 m / 443 ft
    Suites
    66
    Staterooms
    17
    Gross Tonnage
    2775 gt
    Beam
    12 m / 39 ft
    Cruising Speed
    12 kn / 22 kph / 14 mph

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Excellent
    4.6
  • Itinerary
    Excellent
    4.6
  • Guide
    Excellent
    4.6
  • Transport
    Excellent
    4.7
  • Accommodation
    Excellent
    4.7
  • Food
    Excellent
    4.7
  • 4.6
  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
  • Highest First
  • Lowest First
  • KR
    · July 28th, 2024
    ship was excellent, food and drinks were great, adventures perfectly organized,all crew members were extremely friendly and helpful. One person was outstanding and needs to be mentioned: our cruise director GAYLE. She was just outstanding and the best we ever experienced.
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2024
  • LB
    · April 30th, 2024
    Great service, good guides, excellent food
    Show more
    Trip date: April 2024
  • YS
    · April 20th, 2023
    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
    Trip date: April 2023
  • Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2023 reviewer 4
    · April 12th, 2023
    The Wi-Fi didn’t work as expected and it caused quite an inconvenience. The excursion plan is not as clear either. Overall it’s still a good tour but I think my last Danube river with Avalon is better than this rhino river cruise.
    Show more
    Trip date: April 2023
  • AP
    · October 16th, 2022
    Wonderful cruise, very comfortable, food was great and staff very friendly.
    Show more
    Trip date: October 2022
  • GS
    · September 4th, 2022
    Wonderful!! Food and staff were above average par none!!!
    Show more
    Trip date: August 2022
  • WW
    · August 29th, 2022
    The crew was incredible. I felt a bit duped by the lack of transparency re the Rhine’s low levels. The cruise accommodations, food, etc. we’re great. They handled the change of ships the best they could but it changed the expectations of a River cruise. Hotel rooms in a Paris and London were sub par. 5 stars for the crew and Monogram staff. I would never book another adventure in the summer.
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2022
  • LB
    · August 26th, 2022
    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
    Trip date: August 2022
  • T
    · July 22nd, 2022
    A few of the cruise ports were in heavy industrial areas - therefore walking to city centers was not an easy option. When finally arriving those centers, we noticed Viking Cruise ships in more desirable dock positions. Ship was also only at 35% capacity.
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2022
  • MR
    · July 12th, 2022
    We had an excellent experience, the ship was great, service was great, personnel were so attentive, professional, fun. One suggestion : the walking tours were long and exhausting. Perhaps alternative shorter tours for those who prefer less walking.
    Show more
    Trip date: June 2022

Dates & Availability

8 days
Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2023
From Basel to Amsterdam

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Ends on 5 Aug, 2025
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    To Saturday
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  • From Tuesday
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    To Tuesday
    23 Sep, 2025
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    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
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  • From Tuesday
    23 Sep, 2025
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    30 Sep, 2025
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  • From Saturday
    27 Sep, 2025
    To Saturday
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What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • G

    Graham

    Asked on August 17th, 2023

    Do you have family accommodation for 3?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Avalon WaterwaysOperatorWritten August 2023

      Your son is more than welcome on this cruise. The only aspect is that since this is a river cruise and the ships are built differently, they do not have a triple cabin. We would have to book you in 1 x Twin(1 adult + 1 child) and 1x Single Cabin(1 adult).

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.

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 223769

  • Currencies
    Euro
    France, Germany and Netherlands
    Fr.
    Swiss Franc
    Switzerland
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand 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 and 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 November 3rd, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after November 3rd, 2025, a minimum payment of $750 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
  • 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.