For travelers looking for the most included shore excursions in river cruising, our travel agency recommends Avalon Waterways. While our river cruise specialists handle all the logistics of your journey — from flights and transfers to pre- and post-cruise extensions — Avalon takes care of showing you the very best of Europe while you’re cruising on boutique-hotel-inspired ships featuring view-popping Panorama SuitesSM.
Avalon Choice Excursions
With Avalon Choice® excursions, you step off the ship and right into extraordinary experiences crafted to inspire. From graffiti walks and wine tastings to chocolate workshops and the sweetest discoveries on foot, bicycle or canoe, these excursions — included in the price of your cruise — present the most up-close and in-depth ways to devour the Danube, seize the Seine and rule the Rhine and Rhône.
Avalon Choice Highlights:
- Up to28 excursions are included per cruise, more than any other river cruise line.
- Excursions are divided into three categories: Classic (history/culture), Discovery (interactive experiences) and Active (energetic activities).
- Active & Discovery cruises include a wide array of interactive excursions including hiking and biking tours and painting and culinary classes.
- Free bicycles, yoga mats and Nordic walking sticks are available from the Adventure Center.
According to our river cruise specialists, “When you dock in a new city, many cruise passengers must choose between exploring on their own and only seeing a little bit of the destination or paying for a shore excursion that shows them more. Avalon makes this choice easy. By offering a wide selection of included shore excursions at each port, you get to explore exactly as you wish.”
Active & Discovery River Cruises: A Better Way to Experience Europe
Traditional travel is often a fixed path. You arrive, follow the guide and return to the ship. Avalon Waterways’ Active & Discovery river cruises are designed around freedom, curiosity and personal choice. Find out how each day becomes an opportunity to decide how deeply you want to engage with a destination.
Act Now for this Limited-Time Offer
Now is the best time to lock in your river cruise vacation with Avalon Waterways. Book your journey through our travel agency today and enjoy free air or savings of $1,500 per person on select 2026 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruises*, plus receive prepaid gratuities on select 2026 Active & Discovery river cruises**.
Contact us for details and options.
Featured Sailings:
Antwerp, Belgium
8-Day Active & Discovery in Holland & Belgium
Avalon Expression, Avalon Impression, Avalon Illumination
Departing May - September 2026
Roundtrip Amsterdam, Netherlands
Highlighted excursion: Visit a century-old oyster town in Middleburg and savor the catch of the day
From $4,630 per person
Rouen, France
9-Day Active & Discovery on the Seine Northbound
Avalon Tapestry II
Departing May – September 2026
Roundtrip Paris, France
Highlighted excursion: Paddle a kayak past the timbered houses, 12th-century castles and gothic church of charming Vernon
From $5,319 per person
Rheinstein Castle, Germany
8-Day Active & Discovery on the Rhine Southbound
Avalon Vista, Avalon Panorama
Departing May - October 2026
Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland
Highlighted excursion: Explore the lava caverns on a one-of-a-kind volcano encounter below the town of Mendig
From $4,330 per person
Avignon, France
8-Day Active & Discovery on the Rhône Northbound
Avalon Poetry II
Departing June - September 2026
Arles, France to Lyon, France
Highlighted excursion: Mimic the brushstrokes of Van Gogh in a painting workshop in Arles where the artist created some of his most famous works
From $5,030 per person
Budapest, Hungary
8-Day Active & Discovery on the Danube Westbound
Avalon Expression, Avalon Visionary, Avalon Illumination
Departing June - October 2026
Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany
Highlighted excursion: Sink your teeth into Count Dracula’s Visegrád prison tower on a hike to new heights
From $4,830 per person
