Experience a Special Interest cruise with Avalon Waterways

When packing your polos and pashminas, there's no reason to leave your passions and pursuits behind. Your eye for impressionist brushstrokes - bring it along. Your appreciation for a well-crafted Pilsner - no need to leave it behind. Your insatiable appetite for the world's most fascinating chapters of history - you can pack that too. From food and wine to art, history, and music, our Special Interest Cruises unite you with your pastimes-and other like-minded enthusiasts - both on the ship and off.

Your Avalon Cruise includes

Luxurious suites

All onboard meals

Choice of daily sightseeing

Wine with dinner

Services of a professional Cruise Director & Local Guides

Naturalist talks

Destinations

Active & Discovery

Everyone travels to see new things, but many travel to do new things as well. With our Active & Discovery river cruises, Avalon offers a variety of included excursions ranging from energetic experiences to interactive discoveries. With a broad menu of engaging pursuits, Active & Discovery cruises allow you to tailor your holiday to your personal taste and pace.

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Beer Tasting

Travelling is about seeing and experiencing the world the way you want to. At Avalon Waterways, we know that laidback luxury is about taking a moment to savour some of your favourite things. Let our Beer Tasting Cruises take your taste buds on a cultural adventure, learning about the history and tradition of some of your favourite brews. Sail down the city’s canals and tour the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam; let a local beer expert lead you down the streets of Vienna to relish the best of Austrian beer on your guided Pub Crawl. Savour it all, or taste a little, on your Avalon Waterways Beer Tasting Cruise.

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Culinary

Taste the world with Avalon Waterways on your very own food safari where you can savour delicacies like local French cheese in a vineyard in Normandy. When you’re not sauntering down vine-laced valleys or wandering through historic distilleries, our world-renowned on-board chefs will take your taste buds on an adventure, without leaving the comfort of the ship. Dine on decadent local delicacies in the lounge, or munch on a piping-hot crepe deck-side; with Avalon, you get to choose your own food adventure. For those who dream of tasting laidback luxury, our Culinary Cruises are seriously satisfying.

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Festive

Think river cruising is only for warm months? Think again. See the Europe less-seen as the festive season breathes new life into this old continent. Marvel at the gothic majesty of France’s Strasbourg Cathedral, before following the city’s illuminated streets towards the Christmas Markets, one of the oldest and finest in Europe. Savour a mulled wine on the banks of the Vltava River in Prague, and be blown away by the creativity of Bamberg, which lines its streets with nativity scenes built by locals. And the best part? Snuggling up in your own personal on-board oasis after a day of exploring snow-laden streets. With all the laidback luxury of Avalon Waterways and a dash of added merriment, Christmas is truly a special time aboard our Festive Cruises.

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Garden and Nature

At Avalon Waterways, we know that laidback luxury means having the freedom to go live it your way. Our Garden & Nature Cruises cater to guests with green thumbs and a love of the natural world. Let your inner horticulturalist be blown away by the majesty of some of the most beautiful gardens and parks in the world. Begin your botanical journey near Lisse in the Netherlands, where you’ll wander through the Gardens of Keukenhof, whose seven million flower bulbs burst with colour and energy. Breathe in the fresh air of the Botanic Gardens of Antwerp and discover the secret Gardens of Amsterdam; here, our guests get exclusive access to some of the city’s most luxurious homes and manicured gardens. Let the beauty of Europe’s finest horticulture take your breath away on our Garden & Nature Cruises.

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Habsburg & Royalty

Explore what was once the centre of the Habsburg Empire on this river cruise through Eastern Europe with Avalon Waterways. From the Golden City of Prague to the Pearl of the Danube in Budapest, this is an experience not to be missed! Wander in wonder as you visit many of the castles that were used as places of residency during the Habsburg Dynasty, excite your taste-buds as you sample local cuisines and feel energised as you witness traditional folklore dances. Uncover a world less seen with Avalon Waterways Habsburg & Royalty cruises.

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History

The waterways of Europe weave through chapters of living history, and what better way to experience stories of years gone by than to cruise through them. Go deeper on a History Cruise with European history and politics as our historians help you retrace the allies’ footsteps throughout France on the Western Front. From the Seine to the Danube and beyond, glide down centuries of politics and culture on our Avalon Waterways History Cruises.

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Jewish Heritage

Celebrate the richness of Jewish culture on our Avalon waterways Jewish Heritage Cruises. Voyage across time and space along the Danube Central and Eastern Europe, visiting sites of significant cultural and religious significance for the Jewish people. Expand your worldview as you discover Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, full of quaint cafes and ruin bars, and marvel at the beauty of the Great Synagogue of Dohany Street, the second-largest in the world. Explore the streets of Prague and discover architectural and cultural contributions of the Jewish community made to this beautiful city. Uncover the world less seen with Avalon Waterways on our Jewish Heritage Cruises.

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Oberammergau

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Photography

Join us on this cruise for photography enthusiasts, and meet a professional photographer who will sail with you throughout the cruise. Learn from him all the suggestions to capture the best lights and the best moments for a perfect photo. You and your fellow travelling companions will be invited to choose the best photo taken during the cruise, the once in a lifetime picture representing all your memories and feelings of this amazing experience.

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Storyteller Series

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Wine Appreciation

At Avalon Waterways, when we think laidback luxury, we think good wine and a relaxed atmosphere. Our speciality Wine Cruises will take your palate on a tasty adventure throughout Europe. In France, delight in walking through lush fruit orchards in Normandy and savour the local drop in Burgundy. On-board, enjoy the luxury of cheese and wine tastings during the day and expert-planned food-and-wine pairings at night. Learn how to distinguish between bouquets and develop your own wine preferences as you learn room master winemakers and sommeliers as you visit wine villages, vineyards and famed cellars throughout the continent.

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Active & Discovery

Beer Tasting

Culinary

Festive

Garden and Nature

Habsburg & Royalty

History

Jewish Heritage

Oberammergau

Photography

Storyteller Series

Wine Appreciation

Popular Special Interest Cruises

DANUBE DREAMS (HABSBURG & ROYALTY)

BUDAPEST VILSHOFEN

Tour: WBDH

DANUBE DREAMS (HABSBURG & ROYALTY)

This peaceful Danube River cruise through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany –explores some of Central Europe’s most splendid capitals and charming towns. Delve deeper into this historic era on a...

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ROMANTIC RHINE (AMENDED ITINERARY)

BASEL AMSTERDAM

Tour: WZAA

ROMANTIC RHINE (AMENDED ITINERARY)

One of Europe’s most legendary rivers awaits you on this exciting journey along the Rhine River, which begins in France and visits Germany, and Holland! Board your Avalon Suite Ship in Breisach, at...

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BURGUNDY & PROVENCE (WINE APPRECIATION)

ARLES CHALON

Tour: WLJW

BURGUNDY & PROVENCE (WINE APPRECIATION)

Take a wondrous journey through beautiful views of France along the Rhône and Saône Rivers with guided sightseeing in the well-known French treasures and some hidden gems too! A Master of Wine will...

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Exotics offers

Save up to $2,000* per couple

Single Travellers Offer

Single Supplement Waiver

Europe offers

Save up to $4,000* per couple

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THE POSSIBILITIES ARE AS WIDE OPEN AS THE VIEWS

Cruise the world's most magnificent rivers in relaxed luxury with Avalon Waterways. Our wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows blur the line between the outside and in, allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed.

Pair panoramic scenes with the widest-ranging excursion choices in river cruising for an experience as wide open as the view.

Rooms with a View

The window of opportunity to see and experience the world just got a whole lot wider. Our beds actually face the view with the widest-opening, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in river cruising. Think of it as a room with a view!

Relaxed Luxury

Delight in the difference and comfort. Leaving the rules behind, but not the luxury. From free time to optional excursions, enjoy your cruise at your pace, your way.

Taste the World

Great food feeds your soul, fuels your passion, and shapes your memories. Taste decadent local delicacies, fresh regional wine and produce. On an Avalon cruise, dining is part of the journey.

Unpack Once

We've mastered the art of blending luxury with comfort. Unpack once and its smooth sailing as we share our welcoming spirit throughout the ship.

Special Interest River Cruises

Destinations

Active & Discovery

Beer Tasting

Culinary

Festive

Garden and Nature

Habsburg & Royalty

History

Jewish Heritage

Oberammergau

Photography

Storyteller Series

Wine Appreciation

Popular Special Interest Cruises

Deals

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE AS WIDE OPEN AS THE VIEWS