Cruise itinerary
14-Night Rhine Cruise from Basel
14 nights · Rhine · 13 ports of call
14-night Rhine cruise aboard Avalon Expression, departing Basel and calling at Breisach, Kehl, Speyer, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Miltenberg and Würzburg and 6 more.
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At a glance
- Cruise line
- Avalon Waterways
- Duration
- 14 nights
- Region
- Rhine · Danube · Europe
- Departs
- Basel
- Returns
- Vienna
How NestCruise works:we're advisor-led, not a booking engine. No fares are listed and there are no booking fees — tell an advisor your dates and party and they price your exact Avalon Expression sailing, typically within 24 hours.
Where this voyage takes you
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day1
Basel
A Swiss city on the Rhine where Switzerland, France and Germany meet, and a common starting point for Rhine cruises. Its old town climbs from the river to a red sandstone cathedral and a medieval market square ringed by guild houses.
- Basel Münster
- Old town
- Rhine starting point
- Day2
Breisach
A small town on the Rhine at the edge of Germany's Kaiserstuhl wine country, just across the river from France's Alsace. It is crowned by the St. Stephan minster on its hilltop and serves as the river gateway to Freiburg and the southern Black Forest.
- St. Stephan minster
- Kaiserstuhl vineyards
- Black Forest gateway
- Day3
Kehl
A German town on the right bank of the Rhine, directly across the river from Strasbourg in France. A bridge and garden link the two banks, and the riverside park makes it a crossing point for cruises between Germany and Alsace.
- Two Banks Garden
- Rhine bridge
- Strasbourg nearby
- Day4
Speyer
A cathedral city on the upper Rhine in southwestern Germany, one of the oldest in the country. Its great Romanesque imperial cathedral is a UNESCO site, with a medieval Jewish heritage, a technical museum of vintage aircraft and the river quays nearby.
- Speyer Cathedral
- Technik Museum
- Jewish heritage site
- Day5
Rüdesheim am Rhein
A wine town on the Rhine in Germany's Rheingau, set among steep Riesling vineyards. Its narrow Drosselgasse lane is lined with taverns, and a cable car rises to the Niederwald monument overlooking the river gorge.
- Drosselgasse lane
- Niederwald monument
- Rheingau vineyards
- Day6
Miltenberg
A small medieval town on a bend of the Main River in Bavaria's Franconia region. Half-timbered houses line the marketplace below a hilltop castle, and the surrounding hills are planted with vineyards and forest.
- Market square
- Half-timbered houses
- Mildenburg castle
- Day7
Würzburg
A Bavarian city on the river Main, at the start of Germany's Romantic Road. The hillside Marienberg fortress overlooks the old town and the vineyards along the river, while the baroque Residenz palace anchors the centre with its grand frescoed staircase.
- Marienberg Fortress
- Würzburg Residenz
- Old Main Bridge
- Day8
Bamberg
A Bavarian town built across seven hills above the river Regnitz, its medieval and baroque core preserved as a whole. A painted town hall stands on an island mid-river, and the town is known for its smoked Rauchbier and many small breweries.
- Old Town Hall
- Bamberg Cathedral
- Smoked beer
- Day9
Nuremberg
A Bavarian city on the Pegnitz with a walled medieval core and an imperial castle above it. River ships call here along the Main–Danube corridor, within reach of the old town's half-timbered houses and the famous grilled Nürnberger sausages.
- Imperial Castle
- Old town walls
- Nürnberger sausages
- Day10At sea
- Day11At sea
- Day12
Regensburg
A Bavarian city on the Danube with one of Germany's best-preserved medieval centres. River ships call within walking distance of the 12th-century Stone Bridge, the Gothic cathedral and a tangle of lanes lined with patrician towers.
- Stone Bridge
- Regensburg Cathedral
- Medieval old town
- Day13
Passau
A Bavarian city where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet, near the Austrian border. Long a starting point for Danube cruises, its baroque old town centres on St. Stephen's Cathedral, home to one of the largest church organs in the world.
- Three rivers
- St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Baroque old town
- Day14
Melk
A small town on the Danube at the western edge of Austria's Wachau Valley, dominated by a vast Baroque abbey on a rocky ridge. Melk Abbey's gilded library and church draw river-cruise passengers passing through the wine region.
- Melk Abbey
- Abbey library
- Wachau Valley
- Day15
Vienna
Austria's imperial capital on the Danube, long the seat of the Habsburgs. River ships call within reach of Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg and St. Stephen's Cathedral, in a city famed for coffee houses, classical music and grand ringstrasse architecture.
- Schönbrunn Palace
- St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Coffee houses
Upcoming departures
- 25 Nov 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
14-Night Rhine Cruise from Basel FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 14-night Rhine cruise calls at Basel, Breisach, Kehl, Speyer, Rüdesheim am Rhein, Miltenberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Melk and Vienna.
How many days are spent at sea?
2 days are spent at sea; the rest are in port.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It departs from Basel and ends in Vienna.
How long is this cruise?
14 nights aboard Avalon Expression.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 25 Nov 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.