Travel back through centuries as you walk along cobblestone streets through grand cities and historic towns bedecked with twinkling Christmas trees and lined with wooden huts gleaming with handcrafted treasures. Iconic Christmas Markets are plentiful and are on full display for your pleasure. Budapest’s Vörösmarty Square, where all products sold in the market are guaranteed as traditionally handmade; Vienna with its impressive Christmas Markets that seem to majestically appear around every corner; Nuremberg’s festive Christkindlesmarkt, the largest and oldest Christmas Market in Germany; Regensburg’s Christmas Market at Thurn and Taxis Castle, considered one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic; and Prague with its renowned Christmas Markets in the Old Town square; —along with many others throughout your journey—are yours to explore. Sparkling lights; the festive sounds of children dressed as angels singing carols; enticing smells of hot-mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, sausages and sweet treats of every kind; and timeless wonders are a feast for all your senses.
Travel back through centuries as you walk along cobblestone streets through grand cities and historic towns bedecked with twinkling Christmas trees and lined with wooden huts gleaming with handcrafted treasures. Iconic Christmas Markets are plentiful and are on full display for your pleasure. Budapest’s Vörösmarty Square, where all products sold in the market are guaranteed as traditionally handmade; Vienna with its impressive Christmas Markets that seem to majestically appear around every corner; Nuremberg’s festive Christkindlesmarkt, the largest and oldest Christmas Market in Germany; Regensburg’s Christmas Market at Thurn and Taxis Castle, considered one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic; and Prague with its renowned Christmas Markets in the Old Town square; —along with many others throughout your journey—are yours to explore. Sparkling lights; the festive sounds of children dressed as angels singing carols; enticing smells of hot-mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, sausages and sweet treats of every kind; and timeless wonders are a feast for all your senses.
COUNTRIES:
Austria, Germany, HungaryAustria, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic
RIVERS:
Danube
Iconic Christmas Markets
At A Glance
On our cruises, you will enjoy an extensive lineup of included tours. In many cases, you will have a choice of excursions, such as standard tours, bike tours, hikes and Special Interest Tours. We always include a large variety of activities so that you can choose how you want to explore. No matter your preference, your days will be full of discovery and wonder.
Board the ship in Budapest for your Iconic Christmas Markets cruise. (D)
| Day 2 | Budapest | “Queen of the Danube” tour and Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market |
|
Home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Buda Castle quarter in Castle
Hill and Heroes’ Square, Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture and tradition. Your city tour begins
with a visit to the vibrant Great Market Hall. The remainder of this tour takes you to both the Buda (hilly) and the Pest (flat) sides of the river. Afterwards, you’ll visit Vörösmarty Square, the oldest and the most spectacular of all the Christmas Markets in Budapest. (B,L,D)
| Day 3 | Vienna | “Imperial Vienna” tour with Town Hall Christmas Market |
|
| | Schönbrunn and illuminated Christmas Markets |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems just waiting to be discovered.
Join a tour showcasing its regal splendors, such as the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of
the Habsburgs before concluding in Vienna’s historic city center. Afterwards, you’ll visit the Rathaus (Town Hall)
Christmas market. If you prefer a more active adventure, then join a guided bike ride through Vienna. During the afternoon, visit the Schönbrunn Palace with a giant sparkling Christmas tree. This market presents a glittering and stellar Christmas experience. Cap the day off with “Vienna by Night” Christmas markets at the beautifully decorated Maria Theresaplatz Christmas market, set amongst the world-renowned sights of Vienna’s majestic Ringstrasse, and at the illuminated Rathaus, Vienna’s largest Christmas market. (B,L,D)
| Day 4 | Melk | Benedictine Abbey visit |
|
High on a rocky outcrop lies the Melk Abbey, one of Europe’s most revered Baroque monasteries.
Visit this magnificent Benedictine Abbey, which now houses a museum chronicling its history and a famous library
with countless medieval manuscripts. Alternatively, go on a guided bike ride around Melk. (B,L,D)
| Day 5 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour and Christmas Market |
|
| | OR Salzburg excursion including Hellbrunn Palace Christmas Market |
|
Join a walking tour of this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian
Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s. Go in search of Bavarian-style crafts at the Christmas Market. Alternatively,
you can travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart. Your full-day excursion in
Salzburg includes a walking tour of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, its magnificent cathedral and its Christmas
Markets, including the Hellbrunn Palace, where its inner courtyard is turned into a romantic backdrop for one of the
most beautiful Christmas Markets in Austria. For the active adventurer, join a guided bike tour along the Danube.
(B,L,D)
| Day 6 | Regensburg | UNESCO city tour, Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market |
|
Regensburg is one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, as well as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Join a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old
Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, before visiting the Old Town Christmas Market. As an alternate option, sample
some of Bavaria’s specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels. Or bike to the base of Walhalla where there is a
neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Later in the day, you’ll be treated to one of
Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic Christmas Markets at Thurn and Taxis, where you can watch artisans
make their unique arts and crafts. (B,L,D)
| Day 7 | Nuremberg | Cruise Main-Danube Canal |
|
| | Nuremberg Christmas Market |
|
Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-
Danube Canal to Nuremberg. Join a city tour of WWII highlights and then walk through Nuremberg’s cobblestone
streets to the Imperial Castle and 900-year-old city ramparts. Alternatively, you can taste your way through the city
with a Franconian specialties tour, which introduces you to bratwurst, rotbier (red beer) and lebkuchen
(gingerbread). Later, you can visit Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world’s largest and most famous
Christmas Markets. (B,L,D)
| Day 8 | Nuremberg | DISEMBARKATION |
|
Disembark the ship and bid farewell to Nuremberg as you
prepare for your flight home. (B)
| Day 1 | Budapest | Hotel check-in |
|
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel.
| Day 2 | Budapest | “Hidden Budapest” tour |
|
Budapest is one of Europe’s most regal and storied cities—and many of its most iconic sights
can be seen right off the banks of the Danube. Today’s tour takes you to another side of Budapest to the Jewish
Quarter, where there are some real treasures. The Great Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe and the
second largest in the world, located on Dohány Street, represents the beating heart of this quarter. Other prominent attractions include the Holocaust Memorial, a weeping willow tree with the names of Hungarian victims during the Holocaust inscribed on each leaf; and the Shoes on the Danube, a memorial to the Budapest Jewish community. (B)
Check out of your hotel to board your ship. During the evening, be treated to an illuminations cruise around Budapest’s famed Parliament building as the city virtually glitters at night. (B,D)
| Day 4 | Budapest | “Queen of the Danube” tour and Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market |
|
Home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Buda Castle quarter in Castle
Hill and Heroes’ Square, Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture and tradition. Your city tour begins
with a visit to the vibrant Great Market Hall. The remainder of this tour takes you to both the Buda (hilly) and the Pest (flat) sides of the river. Afterwards, you’ll visit Vörösmarty Square, the oldest and the most spectacular of all the Christmas Markets in Budapest. (B,L,D)
| Day 5 | Vienna | “Imperial Vienna” tour with Town Hall Christmas Market |
|
| | Schönbrunn and illuminated Christmas Markets |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems just waiting to be discovered.
Join a tour showcasing its regal splendors, such as the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of
the Habsburgs before concluding in Vienna’s historic city center. Afterwards, you’ll visit the Rathaus (Town Hall)
Christmas market. If you prefer a more active adventure, then join a guided bike ride through Vienna. During the afternoon, visit the Schönbrunn Palace with a giant sparkling Christmas tree. This market presents a glittering and stellar Christmas experience. Cap the day off with “Vienna by Night” Christmas markets at the beautifully decorated Maria Theresaplatz Christmas market, set amongst the world-renowned sights of Vienna’s majestic Ringstrasse, and at the illuminated Rathaus, Vienna’s largest Christmas market. (B,L,D)
| Day 6 | Melk | Benedictine Abbey visit |
|
High on a rocky outcrop lies the Melk Abbey, one of Europe’s most revered Baroque monasteries.
Visit this magnificent Benedictine Abbey, which now houses a museum chronicling its history and a famous library
with countless medieval manuscripts. Alternatively, go on a guided bike ride around Melk. (B,L,D)
| Day 7 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour and Christmas Market |
|
| | OR Salzburg excursion including Hellbrunn Palace Christmas Market |
|
Join a walking tour of this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian
Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s. Go in search of Bavarian-style crafts at the Christmas Market. Alternatively,
you can travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart. Your full-day excursion in
Salzburg includes a walking tour of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, its magnificent cathedral and its Christmas
Markets, including the Hellbrunn Palace, where its inner courtyard is turned into a romantic backdrop for one of the
most beautiful Christmas Markets in Austria. For the active adventurer, join a guided bike tour along the Danube.
(B,L,D)
| Day 8 | Regensburg | UNESCO city tour, Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market |
|
Regensburg is one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, as well as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Join a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old
Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, before visiting the Old Town Christmas Market. As an alternate option, sample
some of Bavaria’s specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels. Or bike to the base of Walhalla where there is a
neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Later in the day, you’ll be treated to one of
Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic Christmas Markets at Thurn and Taxis, where you can watch artisans
make their unique arts and crafts. (B,L,D)
| Day 9 | Nuremberg | Cruise Main-Danube Canal |
|
| | Nuremberg Christmas Market |
|
Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-
Danube Canal to Nuremberg. Join a city tour of WWII highlights and then walk through Nuremberg’s cobblestone
streets to the Imperial Castle and 900-year-old city ramparts. Alternatively, you can taste your way through the city
with a Franconian specialties tour, which introduces you to bratwurst, rotbier (red beer) and lebkuchen
(gingerbread). Later, you can visit Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world’s largest and most famous
Christmas Markets. (B,L,D)
| Day 10 | Nuremberg | DISEMBARKATION |
|
| Pilzen | Nuremberg Christmas Market |
|
Disembark the ship and board a motorcoach to Prague. En route, you’ll enjoy some more time exploring another one of Nuremberg’s colorful Christmas Markets. Later you will take a scenic drive through the Bohemian countryside as you transfer to Prague, and check into your hotel. (B)
| Day 11 | Prague | “Golden City of a Hundred Spires” tour |
|
The fairytale city of Prague always enchants, but it really sparkles even more during the
holiday season. Prague offers a collection of Art Nouveau, Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic architecture, which
you’ll get to see on your tour. You will see Rudolfinum, the National Museum and Wenceslas Square, as well as
visit 1,000-year-old Prague Castle and St. Vitus before walking over the romantic Charles Bridge to the Old
Market Square, where you will find the capital’s famous Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church and the statue of Jan
Husek. You will then have free time to explore Prague’s renowned Christmas Markets in the Old Town Square. (B)
Enjoy uninterrupted time to explore Prague and its many museums and landmarks at your leisure. Visit such sites as St. Vitus Cathedral, the Gothic resting place of numerous saints, or the Franz Kafka Museum, which houses first editions of several of the prolific author’s works. You may also see the historic fort Vyšehrad, explore the natural science and history collections at the Národní Museum or travel back through Jewish history at the Holocaust memorial in the former ghetto at Josefov. (B)
| Day 13 | Prague | Return flight home |
|
Bid farewell to Prague and you prepare for your flight home. (B)