Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
Magnificent Europe (Christmas Cruise)
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Visit Medieval Gothic Cathedral at Cologne
- Explore Regensburg
- Discover Nuremberg
- Explore Würzburg
- Visit the Residenz Palace and gardens
- Visit multiple Christmas Markets on the scenic river route from Budapest to Amsterdam
Short Description
A “Magnificent” European journey through five fascinating countries! Begin in Budapest and travel through the Main-Danube Canal as you traverse Europe's Continental Divide. Discover the culture and traditions of grand capitals, the perfectly preserved medieval towns and Europe's loveliest countryside. Your cruise ends among the legendary canals and colorful surroundings of Amsterdam.
Activities & Interests
Culture Festivals & Special Events Historic sightseeing Nature River cruise WinetastingItinerary
Day 1: Arrive In Budapest, Hungary – Embarkation
Meals: Dinner
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your luxurious river cruise ship, moored near the city center. Start exploring Budapest’s unique Christmas markets on your own before meeting your fellow travelers at the Welcome Dinner. Tonight, the ship sails a special “Illuminations Cruise” along Budapest’s illuminated riverfront, then returns to moor overnight.
Day 2: Budapest
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, enjoy a brief panoramic tour of the city. You will see Buda Castle, the Fisherman's Bastion, the Royal Palace and St. Stephen's Basilica. Rejoin the ship in Esztergom and depart for Vienna.
Day 3: Vienna, Austria
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Start your day with a driving tour of Vienna that includes the Vienna Opera House, the Ringstrasse, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, followed by a walking tour of the historic city center. Afterwards, spend some time enjoying the festive Christmas Markets located around the Town Hall. The ship heads towards Melk late tonight.
Day 4: Melk – Passau, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, cruise through the narrow Strudengau en route to the incredibly scenic Wachau Valley. Your guided tour today takes you to Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest baroque monasteries, with a medieval library that inspired Umberto Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose. Rejoin the ship around lunchtime and continue cruising towards Passau.
Day 5: Passau, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, arrive in picturesque Passau. You will have a choice of a walking tour of Passau’s Old Town, past the old city fortifications, Rathaus, Domplatz and Residenzplatz town squares, as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, or more active guests may join a guided bike tour from Passau to Erlau or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus fortress overlooking Passau.
Day 6: Regensburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Arrive in Regensbur 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 the Old Kornmarkt Christmas Market, with its festive stalls adorned with fir branches. If you’d like to explore on your own in lieu of our city tour, perhaps you will enjoy visiting the “royal” markets at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, a very traditional handicraft Christmas Market, where you can watch craftsmen at work.
Day 7: Nuremberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning your ship enters the Main-Danube Canal, a marvel of modern engineering that traverses the Franconian Alps via 16 locks. In the afternoon enjoy a tour of historic Nuremberg with its fabulous Gothic churches, elegant patrician houses, the Imperial Castle, and 900-year-old city ramparts. After your tour, visit the world’s largest Christmas Market, with over 100 red and white canvas-topped booths offering an assortment of unique toys, tinsel angels, dolls, gingerbread and other treats, and an endless variety of other seasonal goodies. The ship overnights in Nuremberg.
Day 8: Nuremberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today, you will travel by train from Nuremberg to Munich, the capital of Bavaria and one of Germany's largest cities. Your guide will offer suggestions on what to see during your free time in town and will take you to lunch in a local restaurant. Back on board the ship tonight, you will meet newly arrived travelers embarking from Prague.
Day 9: Nuremberg – Bamberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy breakfast as we cruise through the engineering marvel known as the Main-Danube Canal, which traverses the Alps via 16 locks. Arrive in Bamberg and enjoy a walking tour of this medieval gem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is free time to sample some of Bamberg’s famous smoked beer before you return to the ship. The ship departs this evening and cruises overnight.
Day 10: Kitzingen – Würzburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After arriving in Kitzingen, your walking tour includes the city’s famous 13th-century Leaning Tower, the Old Main Bridge, Kitzingen Church, and the Renaissance-style Town Hall. Later, the Aulic Council and Wine Queen will welcome you to Germany’s oldest wine cellar for a tasting of several different wines and an overview of wine production in the region. In the afternoon, you will have a choice of three different excursions. Take a guided tour of Würzburg showing you all of the major sights or visit the Residenz Palace and gardens, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s best examples of Baroque architecture. Rejoin the ship in Würzburg and cruise overnight.
Day 11: Wertheim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, you will have a walking tour of Wertheim, a town that has retained much of its medieval charm and character. The ship will depart for Miltenberg during lunch, arriving early evening for a brief walking tour along cobblestone streets lined with steeply gabled, half-timbered houses. Later, the ship leaves Bavaria and the Main River behind.
Day 12: Rüdesheim – Koblenz
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Early this morning, you will cruise through the Rhine Gorge, the most beautiful stretch of the river, passing castle after castle. Don't miss the legendary Lorelei Rock, where legend says sweet songs of local beauties once lured enchanted sailors to their doom. In Rüdesheim, you will board a miniature train that will take you to Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Explore the Drosselgasse, a narrow alley lined with wine taverns and restaurants during your free time. Arrive in Koblenz in the evening and enjoy a walking tour through this charming town, lead by your Cruise Manager.
Day 13: Koblenz – Cologne
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We cruise from Koblenz to Cologne today, arriving this afternoon. After lunch on board, enjoy a walking tour of Cologne and visit the spectacular 13th-century Medieval Gothic cathedral. We depart late tonight for Amsterdam.
Day 14: Amsterdam, Holland
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy your last morning leisurely cruising to Amsterdam, arriving after lunch. You’ll have a guided canal cruise, a city tour with a photo stop at the Rembrandt Windmill, and free time to explore on your own.
Day 15: Amsterdam – Disembarkation
Meals: Breakfast
Bid farewell to Amsterdam and prepare for your homebound flight.
Availability
- Deposit Price: $ 400
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39 AMA Waterways Travel Reviews & Ratings
Magnificent Europe (Christmas Cruise)
Company Reviews
I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times
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Details
Ship Name
AmaSonata
Ship Stats
Built: 2014
Built in: Netherlands
Length: 443 ft.
Width: 38 ft.
Crew: 51
Staterooms: 82
Suites: 3
Registry: Switzerland
Home port: Basel
Ship Description
The AmaSonata is a sister ship to the AmaCerto and features the most advanced design of any river cruise vessel currently in operation. Our exclusive Twin Balconies are available in most staterooms, which measure a spacious 210-235 sq. feet, with four suites measuring 300 sq. feet. Passengers will enjoy gourmet dining with free-flowing fine wines at multiple onboard dining venues; a heated sun deck swimming pool with a ‘swim-up’ bar; fitness center and spa; complimentary ship-wide Wi-Fi and in-room Internet and entertainment on demand; and a fleet of bicycles carried onboard for passengers to enjoy on their own or on guided bike tours.
Deck & Cabin Plans
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:
More than 121 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: $200 (Europe & Asia) $1,200 (Africa)
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
120-90 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: $400 (Europe & Asia) $2,400 (Africa)
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
89-60 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 35% 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): 35% of all charges
59-30 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 50% 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): 50% of all charges
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
6-0 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 100% 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): 100% of all charges
Trip ID#:
MagEurAma
What's excluded
- International Flights
- Passport and Visa Charges
- Personal Expenses
Meals Included
14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches and 14 Dinners
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