Think about crusing down one among Europe’s iconic rivers as picturesque villages, castles and landscapes go you by, all whereas twinkling lights from close by Christmas markets dance on the water. Whereas this would possibly sound like a fairytale, it may be a actuality on a Christmas market river cruise.
From late November by means of December yearly, most river cruise firms with Europe-based ships take excited passengers to idyllic cities to find out about Christmas traditions, store at native Christmas markets and take a look at tasty seasonal treats.
These river cruises solely run seasonally whereas the markets are open, so they have an inclination to ebook up shortly with passengers starting from older adults to all forms of households searching for a winter vacation full of festive enjoyable.
For cruise information, critiques and ideas, join TPG’s cruise newsletter.
Right here, we listing the eight finest Christmas markets river cruises to soak up 2024, together with tricks to get probably the most out of every crusing and highlights to not miss.
Finest for brief cruises: Riverside Luxurious Cruises’ Christmas on the Danube
For those who’re searching for a brief crusing to tack onto the start or finish of a visit, Riverside Luxurious Cruises presents four-night Danube River sailings that begin in Vienna, Austria, and finish in Passau, Germany. Nearly all of the journey is spent in Austria, with port days in Vienna, Krems, Melk and Linz earlier than a ultimate day in Passau.
In Vienna, you may select to go to one of many metropolis’s 100+ museums or go to the enduring Opera Home earlier than heading to the Christmas marketplace for a glass of mulled wine and purchasing. For these occupied with wine, Krems is a must-see vacation spot recognized for among the finest wines within the nation. Earlier than departing from Passau, you’ll want to discover the Christmas market in addition to St. Stephen’s Cathedral to see the spectacular organ, which is the biggest cathedral organ in the world with virtually 18,000 pipes.
Every ship within the Riverside Luxurious Cruises fleet is all-suite and comes with butler service. Ships supply an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi to make use of earlier than or after your journeys ashore.
Associated: Best river cruises in Europe
Day by day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
Riverside Luxurious Cruises’ Christmas Atmosphere Along the Danube cruises depart in early and mid-December 2024. Fares begin at $1,161 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
All of your meals, one tour per vacation spot, gratuities, Wi-Fi, butler service and transfers are additionally included in your cruise fare. Alcoholic drinks are solely included with the Premium All-Inclusive Package deal, which may be chosen at reserving.
Finest for Francophiles: CroisiEurope’s Christmas within the Seine Valley
France is thought for among the most photogenic Christmas markets in Europe, and you’ve got the possibility to see a few of them on a five-night Christmas within the Seine Valley river cruise with CroisiEurope Cruises. These shorter cruises are nice if you would like to spend a number of days in Paris earlier than stepping onto the cruise ship and crusing to a few different stunning cities.
The river cruise begins in Paris, the place you may spend the day exploring the town, seeing the Christmas markets in Montmartre or Saint Germain or purchasing for high-end items alongside the Champs-Élysées earlier than the 5 p.m. all-aboard time.
Day two will convey you to Rouen, the place you might be invited to affix Christmas Eve dinner and midnight mass. You may additionally get to see extra of Rouen on day 4 and take a guided tour. When you’ve got free time, you’ll want to cease in at La Couronne, the oldest working restaurant in France and the place that impressed Julia Baby to start out cooking.
Spend Christmas Day in Honfleur, one of many cutest cities on the voyage. Be sure you get the city’s specialty, a steaming bowl of moules frites (mussels with fries), for Christmas lunch. After three days of touring smaller cities, you will return to Paris, the place the Eiffel Tower is seen from the banks of the Seine.
CroisiEurope’s Christmas in the Seine Valley cruise departs Dec. 23, 2024. Fares begin at $1,570 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
Included with the price of the cruise are your entire meals and most drinks, free Wi-Fi, all onboard actions and port charges. Headsets are additionally included for excursions should you select to go along with the group for excursions fairly than venturing off by yourself.
Associated: Best river cruise lines around the world
Finest for households: Adventures by Disney’s Rhine River Christmas Markets Cruise
Households trying to discover Christmas markets by means of Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands will get pleasure from Adventures by Disney’s Rhine River Cruise: Christmas Markets crusing. The eight-day cruise permits youngsters as younger as 5 to affix, although Disney’s advised age is 8 or older.
What actually makes Adventures by Disney stand out is the Journey Guides, Disney-trained leaders who’re specialists in every vacation spot. Every Journey Information travels with the group all through the cruise so your loved ones actually will get to know them, and so they get to know you. This permits them to make personalised suggestions about actions and meals. As you stroll by means of every city they share the historical past, tradition and legends of the vacation spot.
The weeklong journey begins in Basel, Switzerland. The subsequent two days make Strasbourg, France the house port from which you’ll be able to select to go to Europa Park in Rust, Germany, or head to Colmar, France, which is legendary for its Christmas Markets and Cheese Museum. You may have a lot of the second day to get pleasure from Strasbourg.
Day 4 brings the group to Mannheim, Germany, the place you may get pleasure from a funicular trip to Heidelberg Fortress or tour the city of Baden-Baden the place the Christmas market is to not be missed.
In Rüdesheim, you may select to participate in a espresso and scorching chocolate tasting, marvel at one of many largest mechanical music field collections on the planet, get pleasure from a wine tasting or discover the town by yourself. The night is spent crusing by means of the Rhine Gorge as you go 30 castles alongside the shore.
The final day in Germany is spent in Cologne, the place you may go to the attractive Christmas markets that dot the town panorama, in addition to lace up some skates to glide round an open-air ice rink. The cruise ends in Amsterdam, the place you may select to go to the Rijksmuseum, the Rembrandt Home Museum or the Van Gogh Museum, together with taking a scenic canal cruise by means of the town.
Adventures by Disney’s Rhine River Cruise: Christmas Markets cruise departs Dec. 19, 2024. Fares begin at $6,599 per grownup and $5,899 per baby below 11, primarily based on double occupancy.
Fares for the once-a-year cruise embody most meals, drinks at lunch and dinner (plus a nightly cocktail hour the place a variety of blended drinks are complimentary), excursions in every port of name, porter service, transportation in port, Wi-Fi, gratuities for onboard employees and Journey Guides, and onboard leisure.
Associated: Are river cruises right for kids?
Finest for {couples}: Viking’s Danube Christmas Delights
{Couples} trying to get away for the vacations ought to contemplate Viking‘s Danube Christmas Delights river cruise. The seven-night cruise takes passengers to 4 nations: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany. The journey combines alternatives to discover the ports of name with lectures and cultural performances onboard the ship.
In Budapest, you will spend two days exploring the town at locations like Fortress Hill and the Grand Market Corridor earlier than purchasing and eating on the Christmas market in entrance of St. Stephen’s Basilica. Then in Bratislava, Slovakia, the group will attend an organ live performance and purchasing on the Previous City Christmas market.
In Vienna, Austria, the entire metropolis comes alive with lights and a festive spirit. One factor to not miss right here is the extra-charge tour to a neighborhood vineyard, the place you’ll rejoice the 12 months’s harvest and classic.
One other spotlight of the cruise is Krems, the place the group will go to Göttweig Abbey and get unique entry to the chapel within the interior courtyard to see the nativity scene. (The chapel is normally closed to guests.) Lastly, in Passau, you may watch an Introduction wreath demonstration or take a flight to see the landmark Neuschwanstein Fortress, which impressed Walt Disney’s Sleeping Magnificence Fortress at Disneyland Park.
Viking presents Danube Christmas Delights river cruises from late November by means of mid-December in 2024 and 2025. Fares begin at $2,799 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
Fares embody shore excursions in each port; free Wi-Fi; all meals; beer, wine and comfortable drinks with lunch and dinner; port taxes and costs; and visits to UNESCO World Heritage Websites. In choose ports, passengers can join non-obligatory excursions which might be an added value. These could possibly be definitely worth the upcharge, relying on the kind of expertise you need to have.
Finest for old-world appeal: Uniworld’s Belgian Vacation Markets
Vacationers trying to discover all the Previous World historic appeal of Belgium will need to ebook Uniworld’s Belgian Vacation Markets cruise. The seven-night cruise visits Belgium and the Netherlands, with port days in iconic cities like Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp.
The cruise is a closed loop, beginning and ending in Brussels. On day one, take time to discover the town by yourself after dropping your baggage off on the ship. Then on day two within the metropolis, get pleasure from all of the chocolate you may with a tour and chocolate tasting, plus a go to to the Christmas market. On day three, you will have to resolve whether or not to go to Ghent or Bruges, each of which have stunning structure and a Christmas market and supply alternatives to strive native meals.
The cruise continues into the Netherlands at Maastricht, the place you may discover the town and its Christmas market, or head to Aachen, Germany, for festive enjoyable. Alternatively, you may go to Valkenburg’s underground Christmas market, positioned inside a cave. The final cease of the cruise is Antwerp, Belgium, the place you may get pleasure from a live performance, a beer tasting and time to benefit from the metropolis at your leisure.
Uniworld presents its Belgian Holiday Markets cruise on 4 departure dates from late November by means of mid-December 2024 (and three December dates in 2025). Fares begin from $3,799 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
The cruise fare consists of premium spirits and wine, entry to bikes and strolling sticks, health courses, Wi-Fi, enrichment lectures, and shore excursions in every port. Onboard gratuities and group transfers to and from the airport are additionally included.
Associated: River cruise packing list: What to pack when traveling by riverboat
Finest for solo vacationers: Tauck’s Yuletide Spirit
Solo vacationers trying to get pleasure from a river cruise with out the effort of a single complement ought to try Tauck’s Christmas market itineraries. On all European river cruises, together with the seven-night Yuletide Spirit: Amsterdam to Brussels cruise, the road waives the single supplement on Class 1 riverview cabins.
In case your cruise begins in Amsterdam, you do not have to be on the ship till 4 p.m. so use the morning to stroll round city or get tickets to tour the Anne Frank Home. In your second day in Amsterdam, go to the Rijksmuseum and take a night canal cruise with the group. Foodies will find it irresistible when the cruise heads to Gouda to discover the historical past of the town plus get a tasting of stroopwafels, that are cookie sandwiches invented within the metropolis.
The midpoint of the cruise will convey you to the choice to go to both Ghent, which is without doubt one of the oldest cities in Belgium, or Bruges, recognized for its medieval structure and exquisite canals. The cruise additionally visits Antwerp, the place you may discover the assorted Christmas markets which might be unfold all through the town. Your journey ends in Brussels, with a complete day to discover the lovable squares and charming markets and take a look at native fare.
Tauck presents 4 December departures of its Yuletide Spirit: Amsterdam to Brussels cruise in 2024 and 2025, that means the final cruise units sail after Christmas. Fares begin at $3,690 for solo vacationers in a Class 1 room, however ebook quickly as the only rooms are already promoting out.
Solo vacationers ought to know that these cabins do not have a balcony and are the smallest on the riverboat at 150 sq. toes, however you seemingly will not be spending a lot time in your room on this crusing. The cruise fare consists of all gratuities, personal shore excursions, meals, limitless drinks together with premium spirits, and fundamental Wi-Fi, plus airport and prepare transfers.
Finest for an prolonged cruise: Avalon Waterways’ Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine
Vacationers searching for an extended cruise that sails deep into the southern a part of Europe will need to contemplate the Avalon Waterways’ Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine river cruise, which incorporates one evening in Lucerne and three nights in Lake Como. There are additionally Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine itineraries that do not embody the land-based post-cruise days if you’d like a shorter journey.
For the longer 12-night cruise and land-based journey, company will embark the cruise ship in Amsterdam, the place they will get pleasure from a day of free exploration earlier than boarding the riverboat, adopted by an Amsterdam canal cruise on day two. The cruise then departs for Germany, the place it is possible for you to to discover the Christmas markets in Cologne and Rüdensheim on days three and 4. Day 5 is when vacationers can get pleasure from Mainz and see the Gutenberg Museum or journey additional on a bus to Heidelberg to discover Heidelberg Fortress.
Day six brings the cruise to Strasbourg, France, the place you may tour the La Petite France District and wander by means of the nice and cozy glow of the Christmas market. The cruise then heads again to Germany to go to the Black Forest, the place you may find out about native traditions and German winemaking.
The ultimate cease on the cruise is Basel, Switzerland, the place you’ll disembark the ship to take a motor coach tour that begins in Mount Pilates, the place you’ll trip 7,000 toes up the mountain in a gondola for unimaginable views. Your journey continues with a land-based post-cruise bus tour to Italy’s Lake Como on days 9 by means of 12. You possibly can take a ship trip across the lake, discover the town by yourself and marvel on the Duomo.
Avalon Waterways supply its Festive Time on the Romantic Rhine cruise on Dec. 8, 2024. Costs begin at $4,822 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
Fares embody meals, drinks throughout meals and pleased hour, Wi-Fi, a library, excursions, bike leases and a health heart. Gratuity is just not included for resort stays and meals throughout the land portion of your journey.
Finest for distinctive locations: AmaWaterways’ Gems of Southeast Europe
Whereas many river cruises traverse the waters round France, Germany and Austria, AmaWaterways‘ Gems of Southeast Europe itinerary takes company to Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Romania. The seven-night cruise sails between Budapest and Giurgiu alongside the Danube River.
In case your crusing begins in Budapest, you will have to arrive a day early should you plan to discover the town; the cruise doesn’t supply excursions right here. Your first cease might be Mohacs, the place you may benefit from the close by Christmas Markets in Pecs or enterprise to Szekszárd for a wine tasting. Day three is cut up between Vukovar and Novi Unhappy, the place you may discover the historic cities and benefit from the vacation cheer with dwell music, artisan crafts and pleasant bites of meals.
The cruise continues to Belgrade, the place you may wander across the metropolis by yourself, take a hike to Belgrade Fortress or placed on a helmet and take a motorbike trip round city. Day 5 is thrilling for nature fanatics as you sail by means of The Iron Gates, which is a collection of gorges that mark the border between Serbia and Romania.
The cruise ends in Rousse, the place you may enterprise additional into Romania to Bucharest, which is named the “Little Paris of the East” for a metropolis tour and Christmas Market.
AmaWaterways’ Gems of Southeast Europe departs on a number of dates between late November and late December in 2024 (2025 dates run mid-November to mid-December). Fares begin at $2,880 per particular person, primarily based on double occupancy.
Fares embody Wi-Fi, wellness actions, day by day leisure and cultural performances, all meals, drinks at lunch and dinner plus a day by day cocktail hour, excursions in every vacation spot and entry to educated guides.
Backside line
For those who’ve ever thought-about a Christmas market river cruise, 2024 is the 12 months to lastly cross the expertise off your bucket listing. Most of the finest river cruise manufacturers and tour firms supply Christmas markets river cruises all through Europe, whether or not you are searching for a family-friendly possibility, solo journey sans single complement or a cruise with distinctive locations.
It is most necessary to decide on a cruise primarily based on which locations you want to go to and which journey dates and itinerary lengths work along with your schedule. However do not forget to contemplate the cruise line.
The inclusions on a lot of the river cruises are comparable however can fluctuate in scope, comparable to which drinks are included or value additional, and what number of complimentary shore excursions you may select from. You may additionally need to take into consideration the general vibe of your journey and what your expectations are, whether or not you are searching for a luxurious journey with extra upscale ships and better service ranges or a extra reasonably priced possibility that emphasizes exploring and discovering your personal adventures.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
