Cruise itinerary
15-Night Europe Cruise from Basel
15 nights · Europe · 18 ports of call
15-night Europe cruise aboard Avalon Imagery II, departing Basel and calling at Breisach, Strasbourg, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Germany, Boppard and Frankfurt and 11 more.
- Free advisor
- No booking fees
- 10,000+ sailings
At a glance
- Cruise line
- Avalon Waterways
- Duration
- 15 nights
- Region
- Europe · Western Europe · Danube · Main · Rhine
- Departs
- Basel
- Returns
- Budapest
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 Imagery II sailing, typically within 24 hours.
Where this voyage takes you
- History & Culture
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
Strasbourg
The capital of France's Alsace, set on the Rhine close to the German border. Its Grande Île old town centres on a soaring pink-sandstone cathedral and the canal-laced lanes of Petite France, while the modern European Parliament sits across the city.
- Strasbourg Cathedral
- Petite France
- European Parliament
- Day4
Rüdesheim
A small wine town on the Rhine, set where the river enters its dramatic gorge. River ships call here for the half-timbered lanes of the Drosselgasse, the vineyards of the Rheingau and the cable car up to the Niederwald monument above.
- Drosselgasse
- Rheingau vineyards
- Niederwald monument
Rhine Gorge, Germany
A scenic stretch of the Rhine in western Germany, where the river cuts a steep gorge between vine-clad slopes. Castle after castle crowns the heights above the water, including the legendary Lorelei rock on a sharp bend.
- Clifftop castles
- Lorelei rock
- Riverside vineyards
Boppard
- Day5
Frankfurt
Germany's financial capital on the river Main, a skyline of glass towers that locals nickname Mainhattan. River cruises along the Main and Rhine often begin here, with the reconstructed half-timbered Römer square and a cluster of riverside museums close to the old centre.
- Römer square
- Museumsufer
- Main riverfront
- Day6
Wertheim
A timber-framed town in Baden-Württemberg where the Tauber River joins the Main, a frequent river-cruise stop. Wertheim is known for its half-timbered old town, the ruined hilltop castle above the rivers, and its long glassmaking heritage.
- Hilltop castle
- Half-timbered old town
- Glass museum
- 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
- Day10
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
- Day11
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
- Day12
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
Linz
An Austrian city on the Danube between Salzburg and Vienna, with a large baroque main square at its heart. A pair of funiculars and a tram climb the Pöstlingberg hill above town, and it serves as a river gateway toward the Salzkammergut lakes.
- Main Square
- Pöstlingberg hill
- Danube promenade
- Day13
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
Wachau Valley Austria
A stretch of the Danube in Lower Austria between Melk and Krems, a UNESCO cultural landscape. The Wachau Valley is known for its terraced vineyards, riverside villages, hilltop abbeys, and apricot orchards along a famously scenic reach of the river.
- Terraced vineyards
- Dürnstein village
- Apricot orchards
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
- Day14
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
- Day15
Budapest
Hungary's grand capital, split by the Danube into hilly Buda and flat Pest. River ships moor in the centre, within reach of the neo-Gothic Parliament, the thermal baths at Széchenyi and the panoramic ramparts of Fisherman's Bastion.
- Parliament Building
- Széchenyi Baths
- Fisherman's Bastion
- Day16
Budapest
Hungary's grand capital, split by the Danube into hilly Buda and flat Pest. River ships moor in the centre, within reach of the neo-Gothic Parliament, the thermal baths at Széchenyi and the panoramic ramparts of Fisherman's Bastion.
- Parliament Building
- Széchenyi Baths
- Fisherman's Bastion
Upcoming departures
- 11 May 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
15-Night Europe Cruise from Basel FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 15-night Europe cruise calls at Basel, Breisach, Strasbourg, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Germany, Boppard, Frankfurt, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Wachau Valley Austria, Vienna and Budapest.
How many days are spent at sea?
This is a port-intensive itinerary with no full days at sea.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It departs from Basel and ends in Budapest.
How long is this cruise?
15 nights aboard Avalon Imagery II.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 11 May 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.