Celebrate Europe's long-standing holiday traditions at storied historical sites and major metropolises along the Danube. Explore the perfectly preserved medieval cities of Nuremberg and Regensburg; witness the breathtaking UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley from your festively decorated river cruise ship; and keep your eye out for the many Christmas Markets scattered throughout Europe’s grandest cities. Get ahead of the holiday rush with seasonally exclusive events free from the crowds, knowing that you are experiencing Europe's culture, cuisine, and holiday festivities just as the locals do.
Note: Select Christmas Markets will be open during select departures and may vary. For full details and dates, visit the tourism website for each city.
Celebrate Europe's long-standing holiday traditions at storied historical sites and major metropolises along the Danube. Begin your journey in fairytale Prague, the "City of a Hundred Spires," renowned for its romantic architecture and wintertime celebrations. Explore the perfectly preserved medieval cities of Nuremberg and Regensburg; witness the breathtaking UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley from your festively decorated river cruise ship; and keep your eye out for the many Christmas Markets scattered throughout Europe’s grandest cities. Get ahead of the holiday rush with seasonally exclusive events free from the crowds, knowing that you are experiencing Europe's culture, cuisine, and holiday festivities just as the locals do.
Note: Select Christmas Markets will be open during select departures and may vary. For full details and dates, visit the tourism website for each city.
Legendary Danube (Festive Delights)
At A Glance
On our river 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.
Day 1 | Nuremberg | EMBARKATION |
|
Embark your ship in Nuremberg. Tonight, meet your fellow passengers at the Welcome Dinner. The ship will moor overnight in Nuremberg. (D)
Day 2 | Nuremberg | Medieval city tour |
|
You have three choices of excursions
while in Nuremberg. Enjoy a guided tour through
Nuremberg’s beautiful medieval city, showcasing the
Imperial Castle, famous town wall and the legendary
fountain of the Market Square. Or turn back the pages of a
darker history with a guided tour of the city’s most important
WWII sites, including the enormous Documentation
Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. You’ll also visit the
Nuremberg Trials Memoriam, and Courtroom 600, if the
courtroom is not in session. Alternatively, savor traditional
Franconian specialties by sampling famously delicious
Nuremburger Bratwurst, Rot bier (red beer) and lebkuchen
(gingerbread). En route to Regensburg, you’ll cruise through
the man-made marvel, the Main-Danube Canal. (B,L,D)
Day 3 | Regensburg | UNESCO city walking tour |
|
Explore one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities Regensburg on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. Alternatively, sample some Bavarian specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels, and for those who wish to be more active, join a bike tour to Walhalla where you will see the Neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. (B,L,D)
Day 4 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour |
|
Enjoy a walking tour along Passau's cobblestone streets admiring the Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For guests looking for a more active morning, you can choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube River, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress for panoramic views overlooking three rivers. Later in the day, set sail for Linz. (B,L,D)
Day 5 | Melk | Benedictine Abbey tour |
|
| | OR Dürnstein walking tour |
|
| Wachau Valley | UNESCO scenic cruising |
|
Cruise to Melk, known for its magnificent Benedictine Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s largest and most revered monasteries. Alternatively, you can join a guided bike tour that takes you through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley; or go on a walking tour along Dürnstein's cobblestone streets to the Baroque Stiftskirche, famed church tower. Later in the day, set sail through the vineyard-rich Wachau Valley. (B,L,D)
Day 6 | Vienna | “Imperial Vienna” tour |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and on your city tour, you’ll see many of them, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude your tour in Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then afterwards, visit the grand St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, discover Vienna on a guided bike tour. During the afternoon, visit the UNESCO-designated Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens, the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Built in the 18th century as an imperial summer residence, this magnificent 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria. Or, spend leisure time exploring this iconic city at your own pace. (B,L,D)
Day 7 | Budapest | Buda city tour |
|
Today you have the opportunity to visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. Start on the Buda side, following your guide through the city’s Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof. For a more active tour, hike to Budapest’s Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the treasures of Pest, admiring the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes’ Square and the moving “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. (B,L,D)
Day 8 | Budapest | DISEMBARKATION |
|
Bid farewell to Budapest as you prepare for your flight home. (B)
Day 1 | Prague | Hotel check-in |
|
Arrive in Prague and transfer to your hotel.
Day 2 | Prague | “Golden City of a Hundred Spires” tour |
|
Discover fairytale Prague via a city tour
or a hike. Both will reveal why Prague is considered one
of Europe’s most attractive and vibrant cities, with a
historic city center that’s recognized as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. See all the key highlights, including the
National Museum, Wenceslas Square, the 1,000-year-old
Prague Castle and Old Market Square, home to the
Astronomical Clock. (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 4 | Prague | Transfer to Pilzen |
|
Depart from Prague via motorcoach and enjoy a stop in Pilzen. After a local highlights tour, drive to Nuremberg where you will board your ship. (B,D)
Day 5 | Nuremberg | Medieval city tour |
|
You have three choices of excursions
while in Nuremberg. Enjoy a guided tour through
Nuremberg’s beautiful medieval city, showcasing the
Imperial Castle, famous town wall and the legendary
fountain of the Market Square. Or turn back the pages of a
darker history with a guided tour of the city’s most important
WWII sites, including the enormous Documentation
Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. You’ll also visit the
Nuremberg Trials Memoriam, and Courtroom 600, if the
courtroom is not in session. Alternatively, savor traditional
Franconian specialties by sampling famously delicious
Nuremburger Bratwurst, Rot bier (red beer) and lebkuchen
(gingerbread). En route to Regensburg, you’ll cruise through
the man-made marvel, the Main-Danube Canal. (B,L,D)
Day 6 | Regensburg | UNESCO city walking tour |
|
Explore one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities Regensburg on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. Alternatively, sample some Bavarian specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels, and for those who wish to be more active, join a bike tour to Walhalla where you will see the Neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. (B,L,D)
Day 7 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour |
|
Enjoy a walking tour along Passau's cobblestone streets admiring the Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For guests looking for a more active morning, you can choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube River, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress for panoramic views overlooking three rivers. Later in the day, set sail for Linz. (B,L,D)
Day 8 | Melk | Benedictine Abbey tour |
|
| | OR Dürnstein walking tour |
|
| Wachau Valley | UNESCO scenic cruising |
|
Cruise to Melk, known for its magnificent Benedictine Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s largest and most revered monasteries. Alternatively, you can join a guided bike tour that takes you through the UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley; or go on a walking tour along Dürnstein's cobblestone streets to the Baroque Stiftskirche, famed church tower. Later in the day, set sail through the vineyard-rich Wachau Valley. (B,L,D)
Day 9 | Vienna | “Imperial Vienna” tour |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and on your city tour, you’ll see many of them, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude your tour in Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then afterwards, visit the grand St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, discover Vienna on a guided bike tour. During the afternoon, visit the UNESCO-designated Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens, the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Built in the 18th century as an imperial summer residence, this magnificent 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria. Or, spend leisure time exploring this iconic city at your own pace. (B,L,D)
Day 10 | Budapest | Buda city tour |
|
Today you have the opportunity to visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. Start on the Buda side, following your guide through the city’s Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof. For a more active tour, hike to Budapest’s Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the treasures of Pest, admiring the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes’ Square and the moving “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. (B,L,D)
Day 11 | Budapest | DISEMBARKATION |
|
Bid farewell to Budapest as you prepare for your flight home. (B)