Compare Christmas markets on the Danube by AMA Waterways vs Explore Central Europe by G Adventures
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| Trip |
3.5 | Average
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 3,319 | $ 2,749 |
| Price Per Day | $ 415 | $ 283 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | River cruise | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Basic | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 5 Dinners |
8 breakfasts |
| Description |
Celebrate the magic of the holiday season, starting with two nights in Prague. Embark upon your cruise in Nuremberg, stopping to visit some of the charming towns where many beloved Christmas traditions originated. Wander the stalls of Europe’s most traditional and enchanting Christmas Markets, shopping for handcrafted toys and gifts, sipping hot mulled wine and inhaling the fragrance of gingerbread and roasted chestnuts. Experience colorful local traditions in such picturesque locales as Regensburg, Salzburg and Vienna before concluding your cruise in Budapest, which offers its own festive take on the holiday. |
Delve into the cultural wonders of Central Europe on a survey of its most celebrated landmarks, from Germany’s iconic Brandenburg Gate to Czechia’s centuries-old Charles Bridge. Step into the past in Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and the Bohemian countryside, exploring ancient castles and historic districts alongside local historians. Taste culinary specialties, discover contemporary art, and experience the ever-evolving vibrancy of these storied places. |
Day 1: Arrive In Prague, Czech Republic
Arrive in Prague and check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore this beautiful and historic city.
Day 2: Prague
Meals: Breakfast
Your morning sightseeing tour reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive cities, with a historic city center that is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will see Rudolfinum, the National Museum, Wenceslas Square and the Hundertwasser Dancing House. Next, visit the 1,000 year-old Prague Castle and St. Vitus before walking over the romantic Charles Bridge to the Old Market Square, where you will find the capital’s famous Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church and the statue of Jan Husek. You will then have free time to shop at Prague’s renowned Christmas Market with its tempting assortment of handicrafts, toys and local delicacies.
Day 3: Prague – Nuremberg, Germany – Embarkation
Meals: Breakfast
Depart Prague after breakfast and drive through the pastoral countryside to Nuremberg. Visit the world’s largest Christmas Market, with over 100 red and white canvas-topped stalls offering unique crafts, toys, dollhouses, carved angels, freshly baked gingerbread, mulled wine and other seasonal delights. Tonight, gather on board your ship for a Welcome Dinner. The ship moors in Nuremberg overnight.
Day 4: Nuremberg – Continental Divide
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy a guided morning tour of this historic city with its fabulous Gothic churches, 900-year-old city ramparts, the house of artist Albrecht Dürer, Imperial Castle, and the Justice Palace courtroom where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. Following your tour, you will have free time to visit the city’s fabled Christmas Market and enjoy some hot mulled Glühwein – the souvenir mug is yours to keep!
Day 5: Regensburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Arrive in Regensburg after breakfast and enjoy a guided walking tour of this exquisitely preserved medieval city. Marvel at the beautiful churches, the homes of wealthy families, and one of Germany’s oldest bridges across the Danube. Your tour ends with a visit to a Christmas Market, with its festive stalls adorned with fir branches. This evening, you will enjoy a visit to the exclusive “royal” markets at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, a very traditional handicraft Christmas Market where you can watch craftsmen at work.
Day 6: Passau
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, you have three choices for how to spend the day. The first is a walking tour of picturesque Passau, a fairytale city founded more than 2,000 years ago, known for its fortifications and town squares like Rathaus, Domplatz, Residenzplatz, as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, home to Europe’s largest pipe organ. Afterwards, take some time to explore the town’s Christmas Market. Guests looking for a more active morning may instead join a guided bike tour from Passau to Erlau. Your third option is a full-day excursion to Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for “The Sound of Music.” You will have time to visit Salzburg’s beautiful Christmas Market, renowned for local handicrafts and one-of-a-kind holiday presents, as well as a stop at the Christmas Market in Linz on the way back to the ship.
Day 7: Melk, Austria – Vienna
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today’s guided walking tour takes you to Melk’s magnificent 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest Baroque monasteries. You will see the famous library that inspired novelist Umberto Eco to write The Name of the Rose. You may also opt for a guided bike tour along the scenic Danube instead. During lunch, the ship cruises through the romantic Wachau Valley en route to Vienna, the “City of Music,” arriving this evening. You will have the chance to visit both the Maria Theresienplatz and Rathaus Christkindlmarkt markets tonight. The ship moors overnight in Vienna.
Day 8: Vienna
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, you will have a chance to savor the Baroque elegance of Romantic Vienna through your choice of one of two different excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour of Vienna that guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall and Vienna University. Afterwards, you will visit Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Graben and the world famous Spanish Riding School. The second option is a walking tour of Vienna’s hidden treasures that takes you to secret places and sights like Ankeruhr, a whimsical Art Nouveau clock. Afterwards, spend some time enjoying the Christmas Market and holiday festivities at the Town Hall. Later, you can visit the Schönbrunn and Karlsplatz Christmas Markets, or join a guided bike ride to Klosterneuburg Monastery. The ship departs late this evening for Hungary.
Day 9: Budapest, Hungary
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Your morning excursion includes sightseeing in the cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river. You will see famed Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and spectacular views of the Danube. Afterwards, take some time to explore the twinkling Christmas Market in the main square. After dinner, the ship will sail a special Illuminations Cruise past the city’s glittering riverfront. The ship moors overnight in Budapest.
Day 10: Budapest – Disembarkation
Meals: Breakfast
Your cruise comes to an end as you prepare for your homeward flight.
Day 1 Berlin
Arrive at any time.
Please make your own way to the joining hotel. We recommend arriving a day or two early to fully explore this world-renowned city.
Check-in time at hotel is approximately 3:00pm.
Day 2 Berlin
Set out on an orientation walk with your CEO to get your bearings. Then discover sections of the Berlin Wall with a local historian, delving deeper into the political and social history of the so-called Iron Curtain from its rise to its fall. During free time this afternoon, opt to join a river tour, people-watch at the historic Brandenburg Gate, or glimpse the city’s flourishing art scene at local galleries and museums.
Berlin is an amazing city with tangible historical importance and is a melting pot of different cultures and flavours.
Day 3 Berlin/Prague
Travel by private vehicle to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. Enjoy a guided tour of the historic centre, which dates largely to the 14th century and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. As you walk along the cobbled streets, chart the city’s development through the centuries according to architectural style, from the Middle Ages to present day. This evening, opt to watch the sunset from a lively beer garden on the banks of the Vltava River.
A great way to spend the evening is watching the sunset from the heights of the Letna Beer Garden, where you can sample Czech beer, world-famous for its superb quality and low cost.
Day 4 Prague
Enjoy a free day to explore the “city of a hundred spires.” Wind your way past baroque domes and Gothic spires, sprawling plazas and spectacular cathedrals. Cross the iconic Charles Bridge, amble through the historic Jewish Quarter, marvel at the medieval astronomical clock, and delve into modern history at Wenceslas Square, where citizens rallied for an end to communism during the Velvet Revolution. Opt to climb more than 200 steps up to the palaces and courtyards of the monumental Prague Castle, the world’s largest ancient castle complex. Check out a local restaurant and try traditional Czech cuisine, such as goulash and dumplings.
Charles Bridge by day is packed with vendors and street musicians. At night, it is less crowded, and it's much easier to appreciate the scenery as well as the ever-so-slightly sinister quality of the statues looming overhead. Cross the bridge and you'll find yourself in Mala Strana, a far less crowded district that offers the perfect atmosphere for some introspective wandering. If you're in the area and want to experience traditional Czech pubs which are guaranteed to be loud, lively, and packed with locals on any night of the week, this is the place for it. You'll find restaurants serving traditional Czech cuisine like fried pork cutlets, goulash, and dumplings.
Day 5 Prague/Český Krumlov
Take a scenic drive through the Bohemian countryside to the fairytale town of Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Opt to visit the Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau, and get lost in the Gothic castle’s hidden passageways, Baroque theatre, and hedge maze as you explore these epic grounds built between the 14th and 19th centuries.
The inclusion of Ceský Krumlov on UNESCO's List of Natural and Cultural Heritage was undoubtedly a turning point in the modern history of the town. It sent a clear signal to the rest of the cultural world that South Bohemia has something unique to offer.
Day 6 Český Krumlov/Vienna
Cross the border into Austria, and go on orientation walk around Vienna. Stop by a local café to pair a cup of rich Viennese coffee with a slice of the famed Sacher torte—a decadent chocolate and nougat confection historically linked to the city’s distinguished coffee houses. Enjoy free time this evening to see Vienna’s world-renowned opera house or simply enjoy a walk around the elegant capital.
Day 7 Vienna
This morning, join a local chef at the famed Naschmarkt, established in the 16th century as a marketplace for wooden milk bottles, sampling some of Vienna's finest delicacies as you explore the stalls and lanes. Enjoy time this afternoon to discover the city on your own. Take in some of Europe's most distinguished art galleries, visit the stunning Lipizzaner horses of the renowned Spanish Riding School, experience mass with the Vienna Boys Choir, or settle into a café.
Day 8 Vienna/Budapest
Catch a train to the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Head out for an orientation walk, then pay a visit to a G Adventures–supported café where proceeds support Hungarians living with a disability as well as rural Roma communities. During free time, opt to “take the waters” at a thermal bathhouse or explore the stunning Baroque castle, the historic resident of the Hungarian kings.
You might like to have an optional dinner at a local restaurant on Váci Utca, which is the bustling main street of Budapest. To gain deeper insight on local history, opt to pre-book the "Budapest History Walking Tour" on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
Day 9 Budapest
Depart at any time.
We recommend staying a few extra days to experience all this city has to offer.
