Join us as we get a taste of Christmas markets on the Danube in 2025!

 

My husband and I love river cruising. He has always wanted to visit Germany at Christmas and 2025 is a milestone birthday for him (he's totally 21 forever). With Thanksgiving being so late in 2025, we realized we could combine our travel goals and a celebration AND take the family with us.

 

This itinerary is known at the "Blue Danube Discover with a Taste of Christmas." Keep scrolling to view the itinerary. With a "Taste of Christmas" itinerary, you get to be there when the markets first start to open. Our arrival in Nuremburg will coincide with the first week of Advent, which has the Christmas markets in Germany in full swing.

 

This is not an Adventures by Disney itinerary but it is on a line that allows children 5 & up to join. There will not be child-specific activities on this itinerary but there are at least seven children ages 10-13 already confirmed. With enough people, it will be similar to a week-long stay at a boutique hotel (albeit one that moves). If you are traveling with more than three people in a room, please book multiple staterooms. Availability of rooms that accommodate three people are limited.

 

 

What's not included:

1. Air and ground transportation to the cruise (if bought separately)
2. Pre- and/or post-cruise hotels and activities
3. Travel insurance
4. Food and beverage outside of the cruise itinerary
5. Gratuities

Itinerary:

• Day 1 (Budapest): Board the ship for your Blue Danube Discovery cruise. (D)

• Day 2 (Bratislava, Slovakia): Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as you’ll discover during your walking tour. Or join a special “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city. (B,L,D)

• Day 3 (Vienna, Austria): The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and your city tour showcases its regal splendors, 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 visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, take a guided bike ride. During the afternoon, enjoy leisure time exploring this iconic city even more. (B,L,D)

• Day 4 (Durnstein - Melk): After reaching the Wachau Valley in the morning, you’ll have a choice of three excursions in Dürnstein. Partake in a walking tour along cobblestone streets to the luminous blue façade of the Baroque Stiftskirche, with its famed church tower, before enjoying a wine tasting in a local cellar. Visit a local boutique, where you’ll be treated to the region’s finest apricot products. Alternatively, for a beautiful view of the Wachau Valley, hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held. After your morning excursions, you have the choice to cruise through the Wachau Valley to Melk or join a bike tour along the Danube. Upon reaching Melk, take a tour of the UNESCO-designated Melk Abbey. (B,L,D)

• Day 5 (Linz, Austria - Passau, Germany): For those who love The Sound of Music, disembark in Linz and set off on a full-day excursion to Salzburg and tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. En route to Salzburg, stop at Mondsee, home of the Basilica St. Michael, where the famous wedding scene in the movie was filmed. Those who remain on board will enjoy a scenic morning sailing to the medieval city of Passau. Join a walking tour through this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Guests looking for a more active morning can choose between a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress overlooking Passau or a guided bike tour along the Inn River. (B,L,D)
  
  *Passau tours not available with full-day Salzburg

• Day 6 (Regensburg): Explore Regensburg, one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 A.D. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria’s specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels; or bike to Walhalla where you’ll see the neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. (B,L,D)

• Day 7 (Nuremberg): Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal to Nuremberg. Explore the medieval city center with a tour that showcases the Imperial Castle and the famous town wall, as well as Albrecht Dürer’s home and Market Square with its legendary fountain. Or you can take a guided tour of the city’s WWII history, including a visit to the infamous Zeppelin Field, a museum built on the site of former Nazi rallies and the site of the Nuremberg Trials when not in session. Alternatively, savor traditional Franconian specialties by sampling famously delicious Nuremburger Bratwurst, Rot bier (red beer) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread). (B,L,D)

• Day 8 (Nuremberg): Bid farewell to Nuremberg and prepare for your flight home. (B)

Cancellation policy: