Iconic Christmas Markets with AmaWaterways
7 night Christmas Market cruise with shore excursions in Budapest, Europe’s most regal city; Vienna, The “City of Waltzes”; Passau, the “City of Three Rivers”; and medieval Regensburg and Nuremberg
Overview
| Style | Independent PackageThese un-escorted packages have no set schedule or guides, so you have the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own from your centrally-located hotel. More of these packages
Freedom to explore at your own pace; unescorted |
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| Departures | November 2024 – December 2025 | ||
| Themes | Grand Tours, Bucket List, River Cruises | ||
| Activity Level | Easy | ||
| What to Expect | This moderately-paced, escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. Travel safely and confidently with our new health & safety protocols. | ||
| Already booked? | Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more. | ||
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Embark on a scenic cruise aboard the 5-star AmaWaterways ship, stopping to travel back in time as you wander along cobblestone streets through grand cities and historic towns adorned with twinkling Christmas trees and lined with wooden vendor stalls filled with handcrafted treasures. Experience the magic of roaming through these iconic Christmas markets that are plentiful and on full display for your pleasure. Discover Budapest’s Vörösmarty Square, where unique items sold in the market are traditionally handmade; Vienna, with its impressive Christmas markets that magically appear around every corner; Regensburg’s Christmas market at Thurn and Taxis Castle, considered one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic; and Nuremberg’s festive Christkindlesmarkt, the largest and oldest Christmas market in Germany. Twinkling lights, the harmonic sounds of children dressed as angels singing festive carols, enticing aromas of hot-mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, sausages, and sweet treats of every kind, and timeless wonders and treasures await you on this enchanting journey through Europe.
Package includes
- Flights
- Cruise
- Coach
- Transfers
- Hotel
- Meals
- Guides
- Round-trip flights from New York (JFK) or Newark (EWR) on scheduled carriers, including taxes & fees
- Airport transfers
- 7 nights aboard 5-star AmaWaterways in an outside stateroom
- 20 Meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- Wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner; sparkling wine and juices at breakfast
- Welcome Cocktail, Welcome Dinner, Captain’s Cocktail and Gala Dinner
- Sandwiches, snacks and refreshments served daily in the Main Lounge
- Sip & Sail Cocktail Hour
- Choice of daily shore excursions with personal headsets
- Entertainment on board
Optional add-ons
- Flights from other cities are available. Request pricing when making your reservation
- 2 nights Budapest pre-cruise, 3 nights Prague post-cruise – please call for details
Why you'll love it
- Enjoy 7 nights aboard 5-star AmaWaterways cruise ship
- Explore Budapest's Christmas Markets as well as Fisherman’s Bastion, Royal Palace, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and Heroes Square.
- Discover Vienna, the “City of Waltzes”, on a guided tour including the Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs, and Vienna's Christmas Markets.
- Visit one of Europe’s most revered Baroque monasteries, the Melk Abbey.
- Journey through the 2,000-year-old city of Passau, including the Bavarian-style Christmas Market.
- Have the opportunity to travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart.
- Wander one of Austria's most beautiful Christmas Markets in Salzburg.
- Tour the highlights of Regensburg, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Witness artisans create unique crafts as Thurn and Taxis, one Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic Christmas markets.
- Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal to Nuremberg.
- Have the chance to taste your way through Nuremberg with a Franconian specialties tour.
- For a more active exploration, embark on numerous bike tours around the cities.
Itinerary at a Glance
Videos
Dates & Prices
Detailed Itinerary
Some sailings are in reverse order. Please call for details.
Day 1 Depart USA
- Your journey begins this evening as you depart from the USA
Day 2 Budapest, Hungary
- Arrive in Budapest, Hungary
- Embark on your river cruise and set sail
Full Day ItineraryUpon arrival in Budapest, following customs and immigration formalities, you will be met and transferred to your ship for embarkation for your Iconic Christmas Markets cruise.
Later this evening, enjoy a Welcome Cocktail followed by Welcome Dinner with your fellow travelers.
Day 3 Budapest
- “Queen of the Danube” tour and Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market
Full Day ItineraryBudapest 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. Your tour through this sprawling World Heritage city offers splendid views from the historic Buda Castle of the twin cities on both banks of the river. You’ll also visit Fisherman’s Bastion and see the marvelous Royal Palace, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Heroes Square, and much more. Later, explore this beautiful city’s Christmas Markets. As an alternative, you can hike to Castle Hill, walk along Fishermen’s Bastion, and take in all the iconic sites of Budapest with an active exploration.
Day 4 Vienna, Austria
- “Imperial Vienna” tour with Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Market OR Vienna City Tour by Bike
- Schönbrunn and illuminated Christmas Markets
- OR Evening Town Hall (Rathaus Markets) by Night
Full Day ItineraryThe “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems waiting for discovery. 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. Afterward, you’ll visit the Christmas Markets. If you prefer a more active adventure, join a guided bike along the Danube River. During the afternoon, visit the Schönbrunn Palace with a giant sparkling Christmas tree. This market presents a glittering and stellar Christmas experience. Or cap the day off with “Vienna by Night” Christmas Markets at the beautifully decorated Town Hall (Rathaus), Vienna’s largest Christmas Market.
Day 5 Melk & Scenic Cruising
- Benedictine Abbey visit OR Melk bike tour
- Cruising the Strudengau
Full Day ItineraryHigh 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. During the evening, enjoy a scenic cruise through the Strudengau Valley.
Day 6 Passau, Germany
- “City of Three Rivers” walking tour and Christmas Market OR River Inn Bike Tour OR Full-day Salzburg excursion and Christmas market
Full Day ItineraryJoin 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. Or, for the active adventurer, join a guided bike tour along the Danube. Alternatively, you can travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, the 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. These markets include the Hellbrunn Palace, where its inner courtyard turns into a romantic backdrop for one of Austria's most beautiful Christmas Markets.
Day 7 Regensburg
- UNESCO City tour and Christmas Market OR Tastes of Bavaria OR Walhalla bike tour
- Thurn & Taxis Christmas Markets
Full Day ItineraryRegensburg is one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before visiting the Old Town Christmas market, join a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. Sample some of Bavaria’s specialties—beer, sausage, and pretzels as an alternate option. Or bike to the base of Walhalla, where the Parthenon inspires a neoclassical white marble temple in Athens. Later in the day, treat yourself 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.
Day 8 Nuremberg
- Cruise crosses the Continental Divide
- Nuremberg city tour of WWII highlights OR Franconian specialties tour
- Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world’s largest and most famous Christmas markets
Full Day ItineraryEnjoy 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, introducing 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.
Day 9 Nuremberg/USA
- Today you'll be escorted to the airport and bid farewell to Nuremberg as you board your flight back home
- Your exciting journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today
Breakfast
Cruise Ships
Designed with vibrant pops of color that emulate Europe's autumn harvest, the AmaLea is a sleek river ship created with luxury yachts in mind. A host of comforts and conveniences fill her decks, including a hair salon, gift shop, and specialty coffee station. With fewer guests on board, you can enjoy the luxury of space to unwind, relax and reconnect with your loved ones. Whether it's traditional Bavarian music, a local quartet, or modern piano favorites, there is an eclectic schedule of entertainment onboard to make every moment at leisure a treat. Rejuvenate in the heated pool, which boasts a swim-up bar, or enjoy pampering with a soothing massage. And, with a walking track on the Sun Deck, a fitness room, and a fleet of onboard bicycles, you'll have everything needed to stay active and healthy while sailing Europe's great rivers.
Introduced in 2014, the award-winning AmaSonata sings her melodious tune down Europe's great rivers. A host of comforts and conveniences fill her decks, including a gift shop and library. With fewer guests on board, you can enjoy the luxury of space to unwind, relax and reconnect with your loved ones. Whether it's traditional Bavarian music, a local quartet, or modern piano favorites, there is an eclectic schedule of entertainment onboard to make every moment at leisure a treat. Rejuvenate in the heated pool, which boasts a swim-up bar, or enjoy pampering with a soothing massage. And, with a walking track on the Sun Deck, a fitness room, and a fleet of onboard bicycles, you'll have everything needed to stay active and healthy while sailing Europe's great rivers.
The newly reimagined AmaVerde is a twin-balcony river ship full of light, love, and bold artwork. The dashing ship was redesigned in 2021 and sails her imagined love story on the romantic Danube River. With fewer guests on board, you can enjoy the luxury of space to unwind, relax and reconnect with your loved ones. The public areas, including lounges and restaurants, are never overcrowded. Soak up some rays or dip in the refreshing pool with a swim-up bar as you pass by centuries-old castles, charming villages, and other breathtaking scenery. After a day of immersive shore excursions, return to the ship and treat yourself to a bit of pampering with a soothing massage. Additional amenities include a specialty coffee station, gift shop, sun-deck walking track, putting green, fitness room, and a fleet of bikes.
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