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.
Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Westbound 2017
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Guided visits to most Christmas markets in cities along the Danube in Germany and Austria
- traditional European Christmas dinner
- special performances & holiday events aboard the riverboat
- special Christmas lunches ashore
- walking tours with local guides
Short Description
Germany and Austria celebrate the magic of the season with their traditional Christmas markets... and you're part of it all on Tauck's special December Danube River cruise between Nürnberg and Vienna aboard ms Savor or ms Joy, filled with exclusive Tauck experiences, special yuletide events aboard and ashore, and great holiday cheer!
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Vienna / Embark Riverboat
Vienna - Images of St. Nicholas - with his devilish nemesis, Krampus - Advent wreaths, twinkling lights, roasting chestnuts, sausages and kartoffelpuffer (potato cakes), hot glühwein and fruity punsch... all signs of Christmastime in Vienna! Many Christkindlmarkts big and small grace Austria's capital at yuletide; magic's in the air at the Wiener Christkindlmarkt on the Rathausplatz in front of the city hall, Vienna's oldest and largest Christmas Market... live music, tastefully lit trees, holiday arts and crafts, tempting treats and smiling faces are everywhere. And at opulent Schönbrunn Palace, you'll tour rooms that the Habsburgs once lived in, and browse through lovely hand-blown glass ornaments, red Viennese hearts, Victorian-style sweets and other treasures in the palace's own, equally impressive Christmas Market... guaranteed to warm your heart. Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Vienna, Austria. A transfer is included from Vienna International Airport to ms Savor or ms Joy. Guests enjoying a pre-stay in Vienna will receive a transfer from Tauck's hotel to the riverboat. Welcome to old Vienna... bright with decorations and buzzing with holiday spirit; exploring on your own at the city's largest yuletide market, you may feel like you've stepped into a snow globe as you're surrounded by thousands of twinkling lights! Return to the riverboat for the captain's welcome reception followed by dinner early this evening... then followed by a visit to Vienna's Christmas Markets, illuminated at night.
MEALS : D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Vienna, Austria
Day 2 Vienna for the holidays
"Imperial" Vienna, which you'll explore on a sightseeing tour along the Ringstrasse this morning, seems even grander with Christmas decorations everywhere you look. Get a glimpse of what "happy Habsburg family holidays" might have been like on a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, and take in the palace's own Christmas Market. Enjoy a Christmas lunch at the Palais Pallavicini, a private Baroque palace dating back to the 18th century. Then spend an afternoon at leisure to sample more of Vienna's holiday cheer and Christmas Markets; complimentary shuttles run back and forth between the city and the riverboat. Tonight, your riverboat sets off on its 7-night Danube cruise, bound first for Melk; after dinner, you're invited to help trim the ship's Christmas tree and enjoy some seasonal treats. Cruising to the Christmas Markets along the Danube offers a completely different experience than similar cruises in Spring, Summer and Autumn!
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Vienna, Austria
Day 3 Melk Abbey at Christmastime
Melk - Perched high on a rocky bluff overlooking the Danube and the town of Melk, Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) has shone as a beacon of culture and learning since its founding nearly a millennium ago. Its 18th-century Baroque complex is home to a magnificent church adorned with gold statues and frescoes, a stunning library containing medieval manuscripts, and its own Christmas legend - about a miraculous visit from the Virgin Mary and the Christ child, and a young novice whose juggling so entertained the infant that he clapped for joy. This morning, visit Melk Abbey high atop its bluff overlooking the Danube, where this bastion of culture has stood for nearly a millennium - and its 18th-century Baroque church, monastery and library take on a special quality during the holiday season. Learn about traditional holiday treats like stollen or glühwein as the riverboat continues cruising the Danube from Melk this afternoon, arriving this evening in Linz. After dinner, enjoy an onboard classical music performance by Donau Klang.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Melk, Linz, Austria
Day 4 Tis' the season in Salzburg & Linz
Salzburg / Linz - The angelic voices of choirs singing carols on Cathedral Square... the pealing bells of old Salzburger Dom, overlooking neat rows of lit-up booths fragrant with the aroma of roasted almonds and hot mulled wine... ornate Baroque domes, towers and rooftops tipped with snow in the heart of Old Town... the clatter of horse-drawn carriages over cobblestoned streets... sweet candy apples and marzipan... the warm laughter of families having the time of their lives... and music everywhere, in the city that gave us Mozart. The Christmas Markets of Salzburg, a true feast for the senses... and Linz's Christkindlmarkt, the curving roofs of its stalls symbolizing the waves of the Danube. Wake up in Linz, Austria, for a full-day excursion to Mozart's magical hometown of Salzburg, with its Baroque town center dressed in its holiday best. After exploring the Christkindlmarkt in this charming city, have lunch at Stiftskeller St. Peter, one of Europe's oldest restaurants, located on the premises of historic St. Peter's Abbey. Following some free time, return to Linz for a different Christmas Market experience... and, as you've learned, each town's market has something all its own to offer. Or, if you prefer, spend the entire day in Linz, enjoying its Christmas Market, exploring as you please, or alternatively just relaxing aboard the riverboat in anticipation of a busy day tomorrow at the first German Christmas Markets you'll visit.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Salzburg, Austria
Day 5 Passau's seasonal pleasures
Passau - Navigating the narrow lanes and archways of this Bavarian town on the Danube, Ilz and Inn rivers is a pleasure any time of year - but never more so than now, when one of the finest Germany Christmas Markets transforms Passau's historic Baroque center into a wonderland brimming with bratwurst, lebkuchen, glühwein and good cheer. At the center of it all is St. Stephan's Cathedral, whose massive pipe organ - the largest in Europe - stars in concerts throughout the season. The holiday celebrations of Passau, Germany are spotlighted today on a walking tour of this riverside Bavarian town known for its plentiful churches, exquisite stained glass, famous cathedral organ and well-preserved Baroque architecture... plus time exploring its Christmas Markets, of course! Baking gingerbread... it's one of the best aromas of Christmas! Four generations of the Simon family have perfected the art of making gingerbread, and show you how it's done during a demonstration at Passau's Café Simon. After touring Passau's Weihnachtsmarkt, the afternoon is yours to explore as you please. Join us for a discovery briefing before dinner aboard ship this evening.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Passau, Germany
Day 6 Unique markets and more in Regensburg
Regensburg - Sausages and song are big in Regensburg, as your visit to its centuries-old Christkindlmarkt on the Neupfarrplatz will attest. Market goers feast on the city's famed sausages, along with steamed dampfnudel dumplings, gingerbread, roast chestnuts and, naturally, glühwein from Bavarian claret, as they admire the work of glassblowers, chandlers and potters. The Thurn und Taxis family's Palace of St. Emmeram is the setting for your tour and visit to its private Christmas Market. During the season, Germany's Christmas Markets glow with holiday cheer as each town celebrates the season - this Christmas Market in Regensburg is one of the most unique. You'll understand why Regensburg calls itself "Europe's best-preserved medieval city" on a walking tour of its Christmas Market, set among centuries-old buildings, and time to explore as you please. A visit to the Thurn und Taxis family's Palace of St. Emmeram invites you to tour the palace, browse its fine private Christmas Market, and interact with artisans displaying their wares; rumor has it that Her Highness Princess Gloria and family often wander through!
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Regensburg, Germany
Day 7 History & holiday cheer in Nürnberg
Nürnberg - On Nürnberg's main market square opposite the Church of Our Lady sits the most famous Christmas Market in Germany, with its iconic, golden-haired Christmas Angel and charming Zwetchgenmannle ("Plum People") - unique to Bavaria and made from dried plums and other fruits. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, this "Little Town from Wood and Cloth" will have welcomed two million folks from around the globe - including you - delighting them with its authentic ornaments, Bavarian crafts, Christmas candles, lebkuchen and other kinds of cookies, tasty fruit loaves, tangy gingerbread, handmade toys and glühwein! After your riverboat docks, take a shore excursion to historic Nürnberg, where sightseeing choices include medieval Nürnberg with its centuries-old ramparts and defensive walls, the old city and marketplace, and a museum in the home of 16th-century painter Albrecht Dürer dedicated to his work - as well as city sites associated with World War II and its aftermath, including the Zeppelinfeld rally grounds, and the Documentation Center museum. Spend time enjoying Nürnberg's famous Weihnachtsmarkt as you please, then join us back aboard the riverboat in Nürnberg to cap your extraordinary Christmas Market cruise with the Captain's farewell reception followed by dinner tonight.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Aboard your 443-ft. riverboat
PORTOFCALL : Nürnberg, Germany
Day 8 Journey home
Cruise ends in Nürnberg. Fly home anytime. Transfers are provided from ms Savor or ms Joy to Nürnberg Airport; those guests enjoying a post-stay at in Nürnberg will receive a transfer from Tauck's hotel to the airport. Please allow at least three hours for airport check-in formalities.
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Nürnberg, Germany
Availability
25 Tauck Travel Reviews & Ratings
Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Westbound 2017
Company Reviews
Nine Tours and Done
5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds.
She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers.
Skip this cruise - not worth it
For dinner every night because the entrees were terrible. You could be the first person at breakfast and everything on the buffet was cold, nothing was hot. there warming trays had tea light candles underneath them.
Wine served at dinner was low quality whicj says something since it was French wine. Tours were poorly
Planned, guides were ok at best. There is no time to shop or eat on land 9 times out 10. We were in Sicily but never got a chance to eat Sicilian food. So disappointed in this ver expensive cruise. The land portions in Malta and Marseiile were better but the tours in Malta were short, limited and subpar. This was our 8th Tauck trip and we have since cancelled our next three. We are not paying Tauck prices for mediocre experiences.
Tauck/Aon terrible travel insurance
Nice trip but not if you are a loyal Tauck Customer like myself
Great if you like 5-star hotels and lots of food
Pay for a 4 star trip and get 2 star food
Details
Ship Name
MS JOY, MS SAVOR
Ship Description
MS JOY
Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Joy cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Danube River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open
MS SAVOR
Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Savor cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Danube River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open -
Deck & Cabin Plans
MS JOY
MS SAVOR
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Trip ID#:
tauck-RNY2017
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