Luxury River Cruise: Christmas in Germany
Once upon a time, people gathered on cobblestone squares to buy the special tools and ingredients they needed to make the treats of the season. They kept warm with hot spiced wine, music and games while they shopped and chatted with the local tradesmen. Those were the first Christmas markets, 500 years ago. Today, though the light comes from twinkling electric bulbs rather than torches, bonhomie and fun still prevail.
Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air. Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cosy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit. Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.
- All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
- 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the regal River Queen
- Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
- Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
- Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water
- 6 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
- Guided “Taste of Christmas” and “Village Day” programs
- State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all shore excursions
Your fare excludes:
- Airfares & Travel Insurance
Day 1: Nuremberg (Embark)
Arrive at Nuremberg International Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship.
Day 2: Nuremberg
For a holiday extravaganza, look no further than Nuremberg, which boasts the largest and grandest Christmas Market in all of Germany— and that’s really saying something. The “Gingerbread Capital of the World” pulls out all the stops during the holidays, as you’ll see for yourself on a panoramic tour guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. You could not ask for a more perfect place to begin an exploration of Christmas traditions than Nuremberg. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas Market in Germany.
Day 3: Bamberg
The fact that Bamberg still exists today is something of a miracle—it survived WWII bombing virtually unscathed. It’s a superb example of a medieval German city, one compact enough to explore on foot with a local expert. You’ll also have free time to visit not just one but four Christmas Markets and a captivating amount of nativity scenes located along nativity trail.
Day 4: Kitzingen (Rothenburg), Würzburg
Rothenburg looks like something straight out of the pages of a storybook, with its medieval walls, cobbled streets, Gothic churches, and Hansel-and-Gretel houses. Join a local expert for an insightful walking tour, and then wander amongst the stalls at one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets
Today’s lunch will be on your own.
Day 5: Würzburg
This morning, you’ll head off to see the Würzburg Residence, a baroque-style palace famous for its gigantic ceiling fresco. Later, visit the town’s renowned Christmas Market, held in front of the old City Hall, for some one-of-a-kind gifts for friends back home. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. One of the best ways to embrace a different culture is through encounters with local residents, which you’ll experience this afternoon in a typical Franconian village. Make new friends over hot drinks and homemade seasonal treats.
Day 6: Wertheim
Located at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers, Wertheim is a lovely village dating back over a thousand years. It epitomizes the friendly, slow-paced small-town atmosphere of many German villages; here, residents greet each other by name as they do their daily shopping for fresh bread and sausage in tiny shops. On your guided walking tour of the village, you’ll hear a lot about daily life in Wertheim, as well as facts about the town and its history. Its many well-preserved medieval buildings—complete with low doors and tiny windows—attest to the inconveniences of life in the Middle Ages.
Day 7: Frankfurt
Frankfurt is known as the “Mainhattan” of Europe, a financial powerhouse with soaring skyscrapers, but that’s done nothing to diminish the cultural heart of the city. Frankfurt’s old town, the Altstadt, is as charming as it gets, and has hosted some of the best Christmas markets on the continent for centuries. Opt to stay in town today for a “Taste of Christmas” walking tour featuring all sorts of sugary and savory treats, or alternatively, head out of town on an excursion to the Christmas market in Wiesbaden.
A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.
Day 8: Frankfurt (Disembark)
Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to the Frankfurt International Airport for your flight home.
Note: Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
The itineraries presented are subject to modification due to water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but changes may still be necessary throughout the cruise. This day-to-day schedule is subject to change. Your final day-to-day schedule will be provided onboard on the first day of your cruise.
Nuremberg to Frankfurt or Frankfurt to Nuremberg, cruise operates multiple times in December 2024 and 2025
Below pricing based on 23 December 2024
- Classic cabin from
$6699$3,349 pp twin share - Deluxe cabin from
$7799$3,899 pp twin share - French Balcony cabin from
$9399$4,699 pp twin share - Suite from $10,999 pp twin share
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Note that this cruise Itinerary and pricing is subject to change - call today and enquire.
One of the most unique ships cruising Europe’s waterways, the River Queen has an exterior resembling the steamships of the 1930s and an elegant Art Deco interior.
Decorated in richly textured blue and white fabrics—with marble bathrooms and inspiring artwork—River Queen is a sublime floating hotel designed with your every comfort in mind.
River Queen was rated the #1 ship in the entire cruise industry (both river and ocean) in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Cruise Poll.