Christmas Markets on the Danube

Welcome to Budapest. You will be greeted by an Emerald Cruises representative at the airport and transferred to your Emerald Cruises contemporary Star-Ship. After boarding, you’ll have time to enjoy Budapest at your leisure. 
This evening, enjoy a Hungarian folk music and dance performance on board.

Please book your flight to arrive into Budapest prior to 05:00 PM.

Join a local guide for a tour of the Hungarian capital today, as you board a comfortable coach and drive past the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Chain Bridge and the Buda Castle district, where historic façades line cobblestone streets. Following your guided tour, enjoy free time to explore the stalls of Budapest’s main Christmas market, where handcrafted ornaments are plentiful and colorful strings of lights line the streets.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Across Europe, different cultures intertwine at Christmastime, sharing their traditions, treats and unique customs. The Slovakian capital is a truly charming city, whose roots can be traced across the continent. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city today, including its enchanting historic district and some of its many bustling Christmas markets. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sweeping boulevards and world-famous art exhibitions welcome you to Vienna, a city which perfectly encapsulates the opulence of the Habsburg Monarchy and their ornate Baroque palaces. For art lovers, there is no other place like the Austrian capital, not just because the city is packed with museums and artwork, but because of its variety. Your tour will include a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a guided tour of Göttweig Abbey, a true treasure overlooking the Wachau Valley from a hill covered by vineyards and forests. Built in 1083, it is one of Austria's most important Benedictine abbeys, attracting visitors from all over the world. Run by a community of about 45 monks, it is visible from a great distance and provides epic panoramas from its grounds.  
Afterwards, relax on board as we sail through one of the most charming wine regions in Europe and on to Dürnstein. This is the site where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned following his return from the Third Crusade in the 12th century.
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure or stroll around the picturesque village of Dürnstein, before the ship sets sail for Passau.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A blanket of powdered snow graces the European countryside at Christmastime, creating a magical setting as we cruise into Passau. On this afternoon’s included walking tour of the town, enjoy visiting its annual Christkindlmarkt, set in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Almost a hundred gingerbread-like stalls selling festive souvenirs and handmade gifts can be found here, each connected to the next by strings of twinkling fairy lights.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will have the opportunity to visit one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Germany, Regensburg. Our guided walking tour will explain the history behind this UNESCO World Heritage-listed city, as you stroll across one of the oldest bridges on the Danube and witness its ancient fortifications. Stop to visit one of the loveliest Christmas markets in the region at Thurn und Taxis Palace, with its many quaint wooden stalls, twinkling lights and festive goods adorning hidden passageways and narrow cobblestone streets.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to your fellow passengers and disembark the Star-Ship for your transfer to the airport, taking festive memories of handcrafted ornaments and traditional gingerbread stalls with you.

Please book your flight to depart out of Munich after 12:30 PM.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.

Meals Included: Breakfast