Travelling through Europe at any time of the year is an incredible experience. But, the end of the year brings something special - the Christmas markets!

As November draws to a close, a series of stalls pop up in town squares across France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and other parts of Europe. Each Christmas market is uniquely flavoured by local traditions. You can’t visit just one! Since they’re spread across Europe, a river cruise is the best way to check them out.

Christmas Market River Cruises - What to Expect
Christmas market cruises are a great way to explore a new port city every day!

Each port of call will have at least one Christmas market along with other points of interest. Cities like Vienna have about 6-8 Christmas markets within walking distance from each other. You can shop for homemade gifts, enjoy live performances and savour hot mulled wine, chimney cakes, cured meats, pretzels, gingerbread and other treats

The weather is undoubtedly cold, so make sure you pack your warmest clothes. That said, do like the Europeans do and dress in layers. This lets you move comfortably between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Picking a Christmas Market River Cruise
The Danube, Rhine, Main and Seine rivers are the most popular waterways for Christmas market cruises. Selecting a cruise depends primarily on which Christmas markets you want to visit. Let’s take a closer look at your top choices for Christmas market cruises.

The Uniworld 8-Day Nuremberg to Frankfurt River Cruise: This cruise sails along the Main River in Germany. It starts at Nuremberg, the Gingerbread Capital of the World and ends in Frankfurt with stops at Bamberg, Kitzingen (Rothenburg), Würzburg and Wertheim.

Each stop along the way is breathtaking. Apart from the four Christmas markets in Bamberg, the city itself is a delight to visit given that it stands virtually unscathed despite being targeted by numerous WWII bombs. While Nuremberg has the largest Christmas market, you’ll see some of the oldest German Christmas markets in Würzburg. And, when you stop at Wertheim, make sure you visit the glassblowers and try their mulled wine.

The Avalon Waterways 8-Day Basel to Amsterdam River Cruise:
You can visit Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands on this sailing holiday from Basel to Amsterdam. Along the way, the cruise stops at Breisach, Strasbourg, Mainz, Koblenz and Cologne.

The local Christmas markets are not the only thing to make each stop special. If the Black Forest and cherry cake are the highlights of the stop in Breisach, you can look forward to Strasbourg’s Gothic, stained-glass cathedral and the magical La Petite France District. There's also a guided tour to the Heidelberg Castle, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz and Cologne’s twin-steepled gothic cathedral. Don’t forget to savour the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee in Koblenz.

The Viking River Cruises 8-Day Christmas on the Danube The Viking River Cruise takes you through Hungary, Austria, and Germany as it sails along the Blue Danube from Budapest to Regensburg or vice versa. There are three stops along the way - Vienna, Krems and Passau - and plenty to do at each stop.

On one hand, stand Budapest’s stunning art nouveau buildings and stalwart castles while on the other, there’s Vienna’s famed Ringstrasse. The terraced vineyards in Krems and Passau’s pipe organ which happens to be the largest in Europe are other highlights. If you’re lucky, you might also catch a concert at St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

8-Day Colors of Provence Cruise by Ama Waterways:
If it’s France, that’s calling you, this is the cruise to take. Ama Waterways takes you on a delightful cruise from Lyon to Arles with stops at Vienne, Tournon, Viviers and Avignon.

Start your holiday discovering the traboules of Lyon and indulging in Les Halles Market’s rich cheeses and charcuterie. Vienne lets you travel back in time to its Roman past while Tournon and Viviers lets you taste Provence’s traditional 13 desserts of Christmas. At Avignon, you could visit a truffle farm or learn why it's also known as the City of Popes. And finally, at Arles, after you’ve visited the Christmas markets, make time to visit the sights that inspired Van Gogh’s masterpieces.

Let’s Book a Christmas Market River Cruise
In addition to the 4 cruises listed here, there are several other Yuletide itineraries you can consider. Our team of cruise consultants will assist you in finding the right cruise as per your travel plans. Our team will also assist you with the Schengen visa process, the flight bookings and your pre and post cruise hotel stays and tours. Reach out to us today!