Style : River cruise
Melk Archetecture -Linz-Austria-415077-P

Christmas markets on the Danube

AMA Waterways Preferred
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
3.7 . Great
69%
Travel Style: Array Relaxed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. Easy
Lodging Level: You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping. Basic (2*)
8 days
From: $ 3,319 $ 415 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Enjoy Christmas on Danube Crusing
  • Explore Linz, the second largest city in Austria.
  • Visit Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest
  • Enjoy 2 nights in Prague, then visit multiple Christmas Markets on the scenic river route from Nuremberg to Budapest

Short Description

Celebrate the magic of the holiday season, starting with two nights in Prague. Embark upon your cruise in Nuremberg, stopping to visit some of the charming towns where many beloved Christmas traditions originated. Wander the stalls of Europe’s most traditional and enchanting Christmas Markets, shopping for handcrafted toys and gifts, sipping hot mulled wine and inhaling the fragrance of gingerbread and roasted chestnuts. Experience colorful local traditions in such picturesque locales as Regensburg, Salzburg and Vienna before concluding your cruise in Budapest, which offers its own festive take on the holiday.

Style River cruise
Off the beaten track trips will stretch your comfort zone. They don't always feature tourist highlights, but dive deeper into local life and culture.
Itinerary Focus Off the Beaten Path
You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping.
Lodging Level Basic (2*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Prague
End City Budapest

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive In Prague, Czech Republic

Arrive in Prague and check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore this beautiful and historic city.

Day 2: Prague

Meals: Breakfast

Your morning sightseeing tour reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive cities, with a historic city center that is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will see Rudolfinum, the National Museum, Wenceslas Square and the Hundertwasser Dancing House. Next, visit the 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 shop at Prague’s renowned Christmas Market with its tempting assortment of handicrafts, toys and local delicacies.

Day 3: Prague – Nuremberg, Germany – Embarkation

Meals: Breakfast

Depart Prague after breakfast and drive through the pastoral countryside to Nuremberg. Visit the world’s largest Christmas Market, with over 100 red and white canvas-topped stalls offering unique crafts, toys, dollhouses, carved angels, freshly baked gingerbread, mulled wine and other seasonal delights. Tonight, gather on board your ship for a Welcome Dinner. The ship moors in Nuremberg overnight.

Day 4: Nuremberg – Continental Divide

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy a guided morning tour of this historic city with its fabulous Gothic churches, 900-year-old city ramparts, the house of artist Albrecht Dürer, Imperial Castle, and the Justice Palace courtroom where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. Following your tour, you will have free time to visit the city’s fabled Christmas Market and enjoy some hot mulled Glühwein – the souvenir mug is yours to keep!

Day 5: Regensburg

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Arrive in Regensburg after breakfast and enjoy a guided walking tour of this exquisitely preserved medieval city. Marvel at the beautiful churches, the homes of wealthy families, and one of Germany’s oldest bridges across the Danube. Your tour ends with a visit to a Christmas Market, with its festive stalls adorned with fir branches. This evening, you will enjoy a visit to the exclusive “royal” markets at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, a very traditional handicraft Christmas Market where you can watch craftsmen at work.

Day 6: Passau

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, you have three choices for how to spend the day. The first is a walking tour of picturesque Passau, a fairytale city founded more than 2,000 years ago, known for its fortifications and town squares like Rathaus, Domplatz, Residenzplatz, as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, home to Europe’s largest pipe organ. Afterwards, take some time to explore the town’s Christmas Market. Guests looking for a more active morning may instead join a guided bike tour from Passau to Erlau. Your third option is a full-day excursion to Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for “The Sound of Music.” You will have time to visit Salzburg’s beautiful Christmas Market, renowned for local handicrafts and one-of-a-kind holiday presents, as well as a stop at the Christmas Market in Linz on the way back to the ship.

Day 7: Melk, Austria – Vienna

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today’s guided walking tour takes you to Melk’s magnificent 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest Baroque monasteries. You will see the famous library that inspired novelist Umberto Eco to write The Name of the Rose. You may also opt for a guided bike tour along the scenic Danube instead. During lunch, the ship cruises through the romantic Wachau Valley en route to Vienna, the “City of Music,” arriving this evening. You will have the chance to visit both the Maria Theresienplatz and Rathaus Christkindlmarkt markets tonight. The ship moors overnight in Vienna.

Day 8: Vienna

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, you will have a chance to savor the Baroque elegance of Romantic Vienna through your choice of one of two different excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour of Vienna that guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall and Vienna University. Afterwards, you will visit Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Graben and the world famous Spanish Riding School. The second option is a walking tour of Vienna’s hidden treasures that takes you to secret places and sights like Ankeruhr, a whimsical Art Nouveau clock. Afterwards, spend some time enjoying the Christmas Market and holiday festivities at the Town Hall. Later, you can visit the Schönbrunn and Karlsplatz Christmas Markets, or join a guided bike ride to Klosterneuburg Monastery. The ship departs late this evening for Hungary.

Day 9: Budapest, Hungary

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Your morning excursion includes sightseeing in the cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river. You will see famed Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and spectacular views of the Danube. Afterwards, take some time to explore the twinkling Christmas Market in the main square. After dinner, the ship will sail a special Illuminations Cruise past the city’s glittering riverfront. The ship moors overnight in Budapest.

Day 10: Budapest – Disembarkation

Meals: Breakfast

Your cruise comes to an end as you prepare for your homeward flight.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 3,319
Price Per Day: $ 415 per day
Checking price
  • Single Supplement: $ 320

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with AMA Waterways.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

39 AMA Waterways Travel Reviews & Ratings

69%
3.7 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 26
Great 1
Average 0
Disappointing 0
Terrible 12
Value
3.7
Guide
3.7
Activities
3.7
Lodging
3.7
Transportation
3.7
Meals
3.7

Christmas markets on the Danube

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Company Reviews

I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best! You become family. I can’t wait to sail with them again!

Cancel for any reason

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
AMA’s “Cancel for any reason” insurance is bogus. It should be called rebook for any reason.

Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise. You canceled through 11/17 and our trip was the following week. You know darn well that trip will not happen. You’re trying to recoup lost revenue by keeping our deposit. Shame on you. I will never recommend this company.
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There is no better society

5.0
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Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Er is geen betere maatschappij!!!!!

highly recommend this company

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
We have done two trips with AmaWaterways so far, and had booked third trip for this July, but now rescheduled to Sept. 2021. Our experience so far has been above and beyond our expectations. We would highly recommend this company.
Read more

Everything!

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Everything! This must be on your bucket list!

Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Standard Group - 25 + people

Cancellation policy

In the unfortunate event a participant must cancel travel, notice to AmaWaterways must be via email to Res@AmaWaterways.com, which must include a return receipt and read notation, or other writing stating clearly and correctly each guest’s name, ship name, start and end date of the cruise and a brief statement of the reason for cancellation. Other forms of notice are not sufficient. The effective date of the cancellation is the date we receive the written cancellation notice. Name changes, a substitution of a participant or a reduction in the number of guests in a stateroom are treated as a cancellation in that all applicable cancellation charges apply. Cancellation charges for bookings within charter and part-charter agreements are as per the charter contract. All other cancellation charges are per-person, based on the cancellation date, as follows:

29-7 days prior to departure

Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 80% of cruise and land price

Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty

Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty

Other Charges (except insurance): 80% of all charges

Trip ID#:

ChrDanAma

Meals Included

5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 5 Dinners

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