Danube Christmas Markets

December 8 - 15, 2027

Itinerary       Pricing

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December 8: Embark in Passau

Step aboard the Trafalgar Reverie, your floating home for your Danube Christmas river cruise, and settle in for the night. This evening, get to know your fellow travellers over dinner hosted by your Experience Director. 

December 9: Discover Passau

Join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through Passau’s medieval lanes and baroque squares before browsing the city’s Christmas markets, where merry stalls line the cobbled streets. Alternatively, choose a guided hike along the Ilz River and enjoy a more active perspective on this scenic region. Later, you can opt to join a Bavarian beer experience, complete with traditional folk music and freshly baked pretzels. Raise a stein with locals and take in the warm, welcoming spirit that makes Bavaria so memorable during the season. 

Included Experience

Passau Walking Tour with Christmas Market - Walk through Passau’s historic streets with a Local Specialist, where medieval lanes lead to grand baroque buildings and colourful facades. Enjoy the city’s unique character before browsing the Christmas markets. End your visit at the scenic point where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet.

Optional Experience

Get a Taste of Bavaria - Enjoy an authentic taste of Bavaria with local brews, warm pretzels and lively folk music. You’ll mingle with locals, learn about Bavarian traditions and experience the region’s famous hospitality. (from €69.00pp)

December 10: See Historic Linz

Spend the day in Linz, Austria’s third-largest city, known for its elegant main square and riverside charm. Join a Local Specialist for a guided walk through the old town and enjoy time to browse the Christmas markets, where handcrafted gifts and seasonal treats bring the square to life. Alternatively, choose an Optional Experience to Salzburg and step into the story of The Sound of Music. Visit Maria’s church in Mondsee and explore Salzburg’s baroque streets. Along the way, discover the city’s musical heritage and enjoy one of Austria’s most enchanting Christmas markets.

Included Experience

Visit Historic Linz with Christmas Market - Discover Linz with a Local Specialist and explore the historic heart of Austria’s third-largest city. Stroll through its elegant main square, see the baroque facades and riverside views, then enjoy time at the Christmas markets. Here, seasonal stalls offer everything from hand-carved gifts to Linzer torte and mulled punch in a cheerful setting.

Optional Experience

Salzburg with Christmas Markets - Follow in the footsteps of The Sound of Music on a guided tour through Salzburg. See Maria’s church in Mondsee, stroll through filming locations and explore the city’s baroque streets. Along the way, discover Salzburg’s musical roots and drink in the seasonal atmosphere at one of Austria’s most enchanting Christmas markets. (from €119.00pp)

December 11: Cruise the Wachau Valley

Cruise through Austria’s Wachau Valley, a UNESCO-listed landscape of terraced vineyards, hilltop castles and riverside villages. Arrive in the historic town of Krems an der Donau and join a Local Specialist to visit the Kremser Adventzauber, where the old town glows with seasonal lights and stalls showcase regional crafts and Christmas specialities.

Included Experience

Explore Krems an der Donau - Discover Linz with a Local Specialist and explore the historic heart of Austria’s third-largest city. Stroll through its elegant main square, see the baroque facades and riverside views, then enjoy time at the Christmas markets. Here, seasonal stalls offer everything from hand-carved gifts to Linzer torte and mulled punch in a cheerful setting.

December 12: Culture and Architecture in Vienna

Welcome to Vienna, the former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Get to know this buzzing city with a drive along the Ringstraße before exploring the old town’s Baroque architecture on foot with a Local Specialist. Pass imperial landmarks, admire festive displays in shopfronts and visit Vienna’s Christmas markets, where wooden stalls, mulled wine and hand-blown ornaments fill the historic streets. There’s free time to explore the Christkindlmarkt in front of the town hall, one of Europe’s most iconic settings. Choose to visit Schönbrunn Palace for an Optional Experience, where the courtyard transforms into a picture-perfect Christmas village. After a day of discovery, why not end the evening with an optional classical concert featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart?

Included Experience

Taste of Christmas Vienna Walking Tour - Discover Vienna’s historic heart with your Local Specialist. Drive along the Ringstraße, passing landmarks like the State Opera House and Parliament, before walking through the old town and its holiday markets. End at the Christkindlmarkt in front of the Rathaus, where you’ll have time to shop, explore and enjoy seasonal specialities beneath the glowing lights.

Optional Experiences

Stroll Around Schönbrunn Palace with Christmas Markets - Follow in the footsteps of The Sound of Music on a guided tour through Salzburg. See Maria’s church in Mondsee, stroll through filming locations and explore the city’s baroque streets. Along the way, discover Salzburg’s musical roots and drink in the seasonal atmosphere at one of Austria’s most enchanting Christmas markets. (from €89.00pp)

Experience the Music of Strauss and Mozart - Spend an evening with the music of Vienna’s most famous composers. In a historic concert hall, talented musicians and singers bring the works of Strauss and Mozart to life. Sit back, enjoy the music and experience the city’s musical heritage in the way it was meant to be heard. (from €89.00pp)

December 13: Onto Bratislava

Arrive in Bratislava and choose between two included options to explore the city. You can join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through the old town, passing through Michael’s Gate to see the Town Hall and St. Martin’s Cathedral. You’ll wander among wooden chalets as you explore Bratislava’s Christmas markets, filled with handmade gifts and local delicacies. Or choose a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to hear powerful stories from the communist era and Velvet Revolution. For your Be My Guest experience, visit one of the city’s most celebrated microbreweries, you’ll meet a head brewer. Taste traditional lagers, dark beers and local ales before sitting down to lunch.

Included Experiences

Bratislava Walking Tour with Christmas Markets - Explore Bratislava’s Old Town with your Local Specialist. Wander its historic streets, see the Old Town Hall, pass through Michael’s Gate and admire St. Martin’s Cathedral. Along the way, soak up the atmosphere of the Old Town’s Christmas markets.

Life Beyond the Iron Curtain - Discover Bratislava’s Cold War history as you discover key Communist-era sites with a Local Specialist, hearing stories of life under Soviet rule. You’ll meet a representative of Post Bellum, a non-profit preserving first-hand accounts of life under totalitarian regimes, ensuring these stories continue to inspire conversations about democracy and freedom today. Your visit directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Beer and bites at Bratislava’s DOCK7 - Join a head brewer at DOCK7 in Bratislava for a tasting of traditional Czech-style lagers, dark beers and local ales. Over lunch, learn how their passion for craft brewing blends innovation with Slovak tradition in one of the city’s most celebrated microbreweries.

December 14: Cruise the Danube Bend (Budapest)

Discover both sides of Hungary’s capital today with your Local Specialist on a city tour. In historic Buda, head up Castle Hill and admire the Gothic spires, of Matthias Church before stepping onto Fisherman’s Bastion for sweeping views across the Danube. Cross into Pest to see Heroes’ Square, a tribute to Hungary’s national identity. Later, join your Experience Director and Experience Manager to explore Budapest’s Christmas markets at your own pace, where you could find local pastries, roasted nuts and mulled wine. Or choose an Optional Experience to explore the Jewish district, including a visit to the Dohány Street Synagogue.

Included Experience

Budapest Walking Tour - Join your Local Specialist for a walking tour through Budapest’s rich history and stunning architecture. Visit Heroes’ Square, a tribute to Hungary’s national leaders, before heading up Castle Hill. Pass the striking Matthias Church and step inside Fisherman’s Bastion, where you’ll be rewarded with views over the Danube and the city below.

Optional Experience

Discover Budapest’s Jewish History - Explore Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, starting with a panoramic drive along Andrássy Avenue, passing Heroes’ Square and the House of Terror. Arriving at Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe, uncover the rich history of Jewish Budapest in this culturally significant district. (from €79.00pp)

December 15: Farewell Budapest

This morning, disembark the Trafalgar Reverie and bid farewell to the captain and crew, taking with you memories of the Christmas magic you’ve experienced along the Danube.

Optional Post-Cruise Extension in Budapest

Contact your Roseborough Advisor for more details about our post-cruise extension in Budapest.