Cruise itinerary
21-Night Europe Cruise from Basel
21 nights · Europe · 21 ports of call
21-night Europe cruise aboard Avalon View, departing Basel and calling at Breisach, Kehl, Mainz, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Germany and Koblenz and 14 more.
- Free advisor
- No booking fees
- 10,000+ sailings
At a glance
- Ship
- Avalon View
- Cruise line
- Avalon Waterways
- Duration
- 21 nights
- Region
- Europe · Western Europe · Rhine · Garonne
- Departs
- Basel
- Returns
- Bordeaux
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 View 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
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
Mainz
A city on the Rhine in western Germany, where the river meets the Main. It is the birthplace of Gutenberg and movable-type printing, with a Romanesque red sandstone cathedral and a market square at the heart of the old town.
- Mainz Cathedral
- Gutenberg Museum
- Old town market
- Day5
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
Koblenz
A German city at the meeting of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, the point known as the Deutsches Eck or 'German Corner'. A cable car climbs from the headland to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress, and the town marks the northern end of the Rhine Gorge.
- Deutsches Eck
- Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
- Rhine cable car
- Day6
Cologne
A Rhineland city dominated by its twin-spired Gothic cathedral, the tallest in Germany when built. River cruises call beside the old town, where the cathedral, riverside promenade and 12 Romanesque churches sit within easy walking distance.
- Cologne Cathedral
- Old town
- Rhine promenade
- Day7
Amsterdam
The Dutch capital, laced with concentric canals and gabled merchant houses from its 17th-century golden age. Most river sailings depart from here, leaving time for the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House or a stroll through the Jordaan before lines cast off.
- Rijksmuseum
- Anne Frank House
- Jordaan canals
- Day8
Amsterdam
The Dutch capital, laced with concentric canals and gabled merchant houses from its 17th-century golden age. Most river sailings depart from here, leaving time for the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House or a stroll through the Jordaan before lines cast off.
- Rijksmuseum
- Anne Frank House
- Jordaan canals
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
- Day9
Vernon
A town on the Seine in Normandy, France, best known as the home of the painter Claude Monet. His house and the famous water-lily gardens at nearby Giverny draw most visitors, set in the gentle river country between Paris and Rouen.
- Monet's Giverny garden
- Monet's house
- Seine valley
Les Andelys
A small town on a loop of the Seine in Normandy, France, overlooked by the ruined Château Gaillard. Richard the Lionheart's clifftop fortress dominates the river bend, and the surrounding valley of chalk cliffs and orchards is classic Norman countryside.
- Château Gaillard
- Seine valley
- Norman countryside
- Day10
Caudebec-en-Caux
A riverside town on the Seine in Normandy, set on a wide bend of the valley between Rouen and the coast. River ships moor here for the orchards, abbeys and white-cliffed meanders of the surrounding countryside in northern France.
- Seine valley
- Normandy orchards
- Riverside abbeys
- Day11
Caudebec-en-Caux
A riverside town on the Seine in Normandy, set on a wide bend of the valley between Rouen and the coast. River ships moor here for the orchards, abbeys and white-cliffed meanders of the surrounding countryside in northern France.
- Seine valley
- Normandy orchards
- Riverside abbeys
- Day12
Rouen
A historic city on the Seine in Normandy, where river ships moor within walking distance of the centre. Its medieval old town keeps half-timbered houses and a soaring Gothic cathedral, and it is the place where Joan of Arc was put to death in 1431.
- Rouen Cathedral
- Old town
- Joan of Arc
- Day13
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
A riverside town where the Oise joins the Seine northwest of Paris, in France's Île-de-France region. A historic bargemen's town and centre of French river navigation, it sits among the wooded loops of the Seine valley within reach of the capital.
- Seine-Oise confluence
- river navigation heritage
- Île-de-France
- Day14
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
- Day15
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day16
Cadillac
A historic small town on the Garonne in the Bordeaux wine region of southwest France. It is known for sweet white wines from the surrounding vineyards and for the 17th-century Château de Cadillac that overlooks the river.
- Château de Cadillac
- Bordeaux vineyards
- Garonne river
- Day17
Cussac-Fort-Médoc
A village on the Gironde estuary in France's Médoc, guarded by a star-shaped fortress built by the engineer Vauban. It lies among the gravel vineyards of the great red-wine châteaux, with Bordeaux a short drive upriver.
- Fort Médoc
- Médoc châteaux
- Gironde estuary
- Day18
Blaye
Bourg
A small riverside town in France's Gironde estuary, surrounded by the Côtes de Bourg vineyards. Its limestone old quarter overlooks the water, and the wine villages and cellars of the right bank spread across the slopes inland.
- Côtes de Bourg wine
- Riverside old town
- Estuary views
- Day19
Libourne
A riverside town in France's Bordeaux wine country, set where the Isle meets the Dordogne. It serves the prestigious Saint-Émilion vineyards nearby, with their medieval village, underground monolithic church and limestone wine cellars.
- Saint-Émilion
- Bordeaux vineyards
- Monolithic church
- Day20
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day21
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day22
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
Upcoming departures
- 16 Jun 2026
- 30 Jun 2026
- 14 Jul 2026
- 28 Jul 2026
- 11 Aug 2026
- 25 Aug 2026
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
21-Night Europe Cruise from Basel FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 21-night Europe cruise calls at Basel, Breisach, Kehl, Mainz, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Germany, Koblenz, Cologne, Amsterdam, Paris, Vernon, Les Andelys, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Bordeaux, Cadillac, Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Blaye, Bourg and Libourne.
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 Bordeaux.
How long is this cruise?
21 nights aboard Avalon View.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 16 Jun 2026, 30 Jun 2026, 14 Jul 2026 and 28 Jul 2026. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.