Compare Christmas in the Heart of Germany (WNF) by Avalon Waterways vs Northern Capitals (2024, Classic Group) by Insight Vacations
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Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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Duration | 8 days | 14 days |
Price From | Check price | $ 5,250 |
Price Per Day | Check price | $ 375 |
Highlights |
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Trip Style | River cruise | Group tour |
Lodging Level | Premium | Premium |
Physical Level |
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Travel Themes |
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Countries Visited | ||
Cities and Attractions |
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N/A |
Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
Activities |
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Meals Included |
7 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 5 Dinners |
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Description |
Experience the holiday season on this festive river cruise vacation from Prague to Frankfurt. Your vacation begins in 1,000-year-old Prague with guided sightseeing that shows off the city’s best-known treasures and time to explore the impressive Old Town Christmas market. Also enjoy guided city sightseeing in Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg with a visit to the Bishop’s Residenz, and the charming Bavarian village of Miltenberg. And, of course, there’s free time to visit the Christmas markets. What a fantastic way to start your holiday season. |
Experience the city of Berlin from both sides of the now crumbling wall, as your Local Expert guides you through the history of this once divided city, and the stories behind Berlin icons like the Brandenburg Gate, the Tiergarten and the Reichstag. Across the North Sea in Denmark, explore the enchanting Tivoli Gardens and absorb the opulence contained within Christiansborg Palace—the historic seat of Danish power. Journeying onwards into Finland, the famed and fashionable Helsinki food market is home to an abundance of aromatic stalls, serving up local delicacies, like smoked reindeer and licorice. |
Day 1: Arrive In Prague, Czech Republic
Welcome to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. This fascinating city straddles the Vltava River with domes, cupolas, spires, and pinnacles highlighting its skyline.
Day 2: Prague
Meals: Breakfast
Prague is a 1,200-year-old city preserved in time. See its best-known treasures, such as the Old Town’s Astronomical Clock, built in 1410 and once the envy of all of Europe; HRADCANY CASTLE GROUNDS; St. Vitus Cathedral; and the Charles Bridge, the oldest bridge in Prague. Browse the Christmas markets, where rows of brightly decorated wooden huts sell Christmas tree ornaments, wooden toys, and Czech handicrafts. Get a little inner warmth with a cup of svarene vino (hot mulled wine) and a traditional hot sausage. The beautifully decorated tree in the Old Town is an impressive sight.
Day 3: Prague–Nuremberg, Germany (Embarkation)
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
After lunch, drive to Nuremberg to embark your cruise vessel. Before dinner, meet your crew for a welcome reception.
Day 4: Nuremberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Although 90% of Nuremberg’s Old Town suffered extensive damage during WWII, much of it has been restored to the glory it once knew as the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Choose either a GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR and marvel at this thousand-year-old city’s medieval fortifications, gothic churches, and the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle), or join a more specialized NUREMBERG RALLY GROUNDS tour. The Old Town is illuminated with festive lights and decorations, and the Christmas market is one of the most famous in the world. You’ll find 200 stalls offering traditional wares, including Nuremberg Lebkuchen (spicy gingerbread), baked goods and sweets, Christmas decorations, ornaments, and more.
Day 5: Bamberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
In the early morning hours, arrive in medieval Bamberg, former residence of one of Germany’s most powerful imperial dynasties. Your GUIDED WALKING TOUR takes in its historic center, including the great 13th-century Romanesque cathedral and the fascinating Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall)—built on an island in the middle of the Regnitz River when the bishop refused to give the townspeople land for a town hall! At this time of year, especially interesting are the nativity scenes built by local residents and exhibited throughout the town. Enjoy the Christmas market, where, in addition to candles and decorations, you’ll find many regional delicacies, like gingerbread and nut bread. Rejoin your ship in time for lunch. This afternoon, cruise along the Main River to Würzburg, and attend a fascinating ONBOARD LECTURE to learn more about the European Union.
Day 6: Würzburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Known as the “Pearl of the Romantic Road,” Würzburg is surrounded by sloping hills covered with vineyards. The city makes an immediate impression with imposing Fortress Marienberg perched above town and the 15th-century Alte Mainbrucke (Old Main Bridge). On your included GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR, visit the magnificent baroque BISHOP’S RESIDENZ, home to the largest ceiling fresco ever painted. This afternoon you are free to explore on your own—maybe visit the Christmas markets or join an optional excursion to medieval Rothenburg. Be sure to try a Schneeball (snowball), a local specialty not at all suitable for a diet!
Day 7: Miltenberg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Tucked away behind medieval defensive walls and towered gates, the picturesque Bavarian village of Miltenberg is a cultural gem on the banks of the Main River. This afternoon’s GUIDED WALK will acquaint you with the town’s delightful Marktplatz (market square), which centers around a Renaissance-era fountain and features striking half-timbered buildings, cobblestone lanes, and one of the oldest inns in Germany, Haus zum Riesen (the giant’s house) and the gothic splendor of the Merchant Hall. Depart for Frankfurt before dinner.
Day 8: Frankfurt (Disembarkation)
Meals: Breakfast
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
NOTE: Flights out of Frankfurt should not leave before 8:30 am.
Day 1: Welcome to Berlin
Welcome to the vibrant city of Berlin. In the afternoon, perhaps visit the KaDeWe department store - the shopping center of West Berlin which during 40 years of division, became the shop window of the West. In the evening, join your Travel Director and travel companions for your Welcome Dinner with wine.
Hotel NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin.
Dinner with Wine
Day 2: The Spirit of Berlin Relaxed Start
In the morning, sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the Unter den Linden, past the Humboldt University and Opera House. Stop a while on Museum Island before passing Brandenberg Gate, a symbol of the reunification. See Norman Foster’s glass dome which crowns the Reichstag building before embarking on a journey through the Tiergarten. Spend the afternoon exploring at your leisure or relaxing at your hotel.
Hotel NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin.
Breakfast
Day 3: Across the Sea to Copenhagen
Depart Berlin and continue through northern Germany to Rostock for the sea crossing to Denmark. A peaceful journey through the Danish countryside brings you to the capital, Copenhagen. In the evening, delight in the enchanting atmosphere of the famous Tivoli Gardens.
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Copenhagen.
Breakfast
Day 4: Wonderful Copenhagen
Explore Copenhagen with a Local Expert, taking in the sights of Denmark's capital, the Christiansborg Palace seat of the Danish Government, Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg Palace, home of the royal family. Visit the waterfront to admire Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid gazing across the harbor. Stroll through the old town and admire the colored houses with pretty squares and Copenhagen's 18th century cathedral designed by Christian Frederik Hansen. This is where King Frederik X of Denmark married Queen Mary and known for its neoclassical architecture. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Copenhagen.
Breakfast
Day 5: To Stockholm, City of Islands
Enjoy a view of Kronborg Castle, reputedly the Elsinore home of Hamlet, during the short ferry crossing to Sweden. Your journey then continues through fertile farmlands, dotted with neat farmhouses and barns. Travel along the shores of peaceful Lake Vättern to Stockholm, beautifully situated on an island studded bay.
Clarion Hotel Amaranten
Breakfast
Day 6: Stockholm and a Baltic Cruise
With a Local Expert, visit the imposing City Hall with its impressive Gyllene salen, the Golden Hall, covered with 18 million gilded mosaic tiles and the Blå hallen, the Blue Hall, is the venue for the Nobel Prize banquets. Cross the harbor to Gamla Stan, the medieval heart of the city to see the cathedral and the Royal Palace. In the afternoon, board your cruise ship for the overnight voyage to Finland. Enjoy dinner onboard and then take in the breathtakingly beautiful scenery from the comfort of your A-Class, sea-view cabin, while the northern sun hangs over the horizon, showing almost no sign of setting in mid-summer.
Serenade/Symphony—Tallink & Silja Line Ships.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 7: Fashionable Helsinki Relaxed Start
Disembark your Baltic cruise and explore Helsinki, the trendsetting city of top fashion and design, alongside a Local Expert. Wander through the aromatic stalls of a traditional food market and sample local produce like liquorice or smoked reindeer.
Klaus K Hotel, Helsinki.
Breakfast
Day 8: Finnish Countryside
Venture into the lush Finnish countryside and join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Bosgård Organic Farm. Learn about their sustainable practices and try some authentic produce from the farm. Later, visit the picturesque town of Porvoo, one of the most photographed places in Finland. Spend the evening at leisure back in Helsinki.
Klaus K Hotel, Helsinki.
Breakfast
Day 9: Surrender to the Magic of Tallinn
This morning cross the sea to Estonia. Choose between a stroll with your Local Expert through the cobbled streets of the Old Town, a scene straight out of a fairy-tale and hear about Estonian arts and crafts. Or join your Local Expert to walk up Toompea Hill for panoramic views of the city and afterwards visit the market square with its old German weighing house, pharmacy and Town Hall. Enjoy free time this afternoon to browse Tallinn’s shops, famous for fine amber and silver jewelery.
Swissotel Tallinn.
Breakfast
Day 10: On to Riga Relaxed Start
Today you make your way to the Latvian capital of Riga. Explore Riga's Old Town with your Local Expert, including a visit to the old aircraft hangars that now house the Riga Central Market, one of the largest in Eastern Europe. Enjoy the vibrant colors and flavors when sampling some of the local delicacies as you wander through the maze of stalls.
Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel, Riga.
Breakfast
Day 11: Explore Vilnius
Cross into Lithuania and visit the Hill of Crosses before arriving in the capital city of Vilnius.Walk along the streets of bohemian Užupis, a Vilnius neighborhood that proclaimed itself a republic in 2002. A member of the government introduces you to its quirky history and artistic flair.Choose from a hand-picked selection of local restaurants for your Dine-Around Evening.
Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Vilnius.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 12: Rejuvenated Warsaw
Pass lakeside Augustow during a scenic journey through Masuria, a region blessed with a plethora of lakes and forests. Your destination will be the Polish capital, faithfully rebuilt after the devastation of World War II.
The Westin Warsaw.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 13: Exploring Warsaw Relaxed Start
Join a Local Expert for an exploration of the city. Pass the tiered Palace of Culture and stroll through Łazienki Park to the Chopin Memorial. Take a moment to reflect at the Monument to Ghetto Heroes, before walking to the Market Square in the Old Town. In the evening, join your newfound friends and Travel Director for a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy a fine selection of local dishes, with wine.
The Westin Warsaw.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 14: Depart Warsaw
Time to say goodbye to your new friends as your journey through Poland comes to an end.
Breakfast