Avalon Waterways

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Lisbon

   Portugal

   

   Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

2. Day 2

   Lisbon

   Portugal

   

   Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

3. Day 3

   Lisbon

   Portugal

   

   Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

4. Day 4

   At Sea

   

5. Day 4

   Lisbon

   Portugal

   

   Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

6. Day 4

   Lisbon

   Portugal

   

   Lisbon, Portugal's enchanting capital, stands out for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. Must-try experiences include savoring local dishes like bacalhau à brás and pastéis de nata at Mercado da Ribeira. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the city is alive with festivals and events.

7. Day 5

   Porto

   Portugal

   

   Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

8. Day 5

   Lyon

   France

   

   Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

9. Day 6

   Regua

   Portugal

   

   Régua, gateway to Portugal's vertiginous Douro Valley wine country, sits at the point where the river enters its most dramatic gorge — terraced vineyards climbing impossible slopes on every side, their schist walls a testament to generations of viticultural determination. The Wine Museum in Pinhão's art nouveau azulejo station captures the region's soul, while the great quintas — Ramos Pinto, Croft, Niepoort — open their cellars for intimate tastings of vintage port and luminous dry whites. Harvest season in September and October transforms the valley into a festival of colour and ferment.

10. Day 7

    Pocinho

    Portugal

    

    Pocinho marks the easternmost navigable point of the Douro River — the terminus of the valley where port wine's history began and where the landscape reaches its most elemental and dramatic expression: near-vertical schist slopes terraced into vineyard stairways, the river running silver between them in the early morning light. The restored rabelo boats that once carried casks of wine downriver are now a romanticised memory, but the valley's working quintas welcome visitors for tastings of the upper Douro's increasingly celebrated unfortified wines. The Douro International Natural Park, bordering Spain, protects rare Egyptian vulture colonies on the surrounding plateau. September through October, during harvest, is the unmissable season.

11. Day 8

    Barca d’Alva

    Portugal

    

    Barca d'Alva, a remote frontier village at the uppermost navigable point of the Douro River, marks the eastern terminus of Portuguese river cruises where the landscape shifts from terraced port wine vineyards into the austere granite borderlands of Trás-os-Montes. The abandoned azulejo-tiled railway station, the almond orchards cascading to the river's edge, and the silence of the surrounding Côa Valley archaeological park — protecting the world's most important collection of open-air Palaeolithic rock art — make this an unexpectedly rich stopping point. Spring brings almond blossom along every hillside; autumn arrives golden with the vendange harvest. The Spanish city of Salamanca lies an hour's drive east.

12. Day 9

    Lucerne

    Switzerland

    

    Framed by snowcapped Alps and the mirror-bright waters of Lake Lucerne, this medieval Swiss gem centres on the 14th-century Kapellbrücke — one of Europe's oldest covered bridges — and a colourful Altstadt that has changed little in five centuries. Ride the cog railway to cloud-wreathed Mount Pilatus, savour Älplermagronen in a timber-beamed tavern, and explore the nearby wonders of Interlaken and Grindelwald. Late spring through early autumn offers the most spectacular lake reflections and settled mountain weather.

13. Day 9

    Ferradossa

    Portugal

    

    Ferradossa, a charming port on the Douro River, is renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich history dating back to Roman times. Must-do experiences include savoring bacalhau à brás and exploring local markets, while nearby attractions like Vale Da Telha and Évora enrich the journey. The best time to visit is during the spring and early fall, when the weather is mild and the local festivities are in full swing.

14. Day 10

    Porto

    Portugal

    

    Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

15. Day 11

    Porto

    Portugal

    

    Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

Cabin Categories

Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172–180 sq ftMax 2E

Stateroom Features: Elegant, contemporary design Fixed window Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Full-length mirror Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Direct-dial telephone Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Bathrobes & slippers Full shower with glass door Large mirror in bathroom Lighted makeup mirror Premium Hairdryer Writing desk and chair Complimentary Wi-Fi USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+8

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Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172–180 sq ftMax 2D

Stateroom Features: Elegant, contemporary design Fixed window Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Full-length mirror Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Direct-dial telephone Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Bathrobes & slippers Full shower with glass door Large mirror in bathroom Lighted makeup mirror Premium Hairdryer Writing desk and chair Complimentary Wi-Fi USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+8

View Details ›

Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2P

Stateroom Features: Elegant, contemporary design Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Full-length mirror Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Direct-dial telephone Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Bathrobes & slippers Full shower with glass door Lighted makeup mirror Marble countertops in bathroom Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products 6-person sitting area Writing desk and chair Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+10

View Details ›

Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2A

Stateroom Features: Elegant, contemporary design Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Full-length mirror Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Direct-dial telephone Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Bathrobes & slippers Full shower with glass door Lighted makeup mirror Marble countertops in bathroom Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products 6-person sitting area Writing desk and chair Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+10

View Details ›

Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2B

Stateroom Features: Elegant, contemporary design Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Full-length mirror Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Direct-dial telephone Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Bathrobes & slippers Full shower with glass door Lighted makeup mirror Marble countertops in bathroom Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products 6-person sitting area Writing desk and chair Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+10

View Details ›