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Danube Christmas Markets: Nuremberg to Budapest
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Brian Whitacre
Gresham, OR Travel Agent· 7 Years of Experience
Whitacre Travel, an independent agent with WorldVia, a Travel Leaders Agency
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Brian was very helpful from the beginning stages of planning our trip, all the way through the very last day when we had last minute questions... Read More >
DESTINATIONS VISITED:Austria, Germany, Hungary
PLACES VISITED:Budapest, Melk, Nuremberg, Passau, Regensburg, Salzburg, Vienna
SUGGESTED DURATION:8 Days
Picture waking up in a new Danube town nearly every morning, with a Christmas market glowing a short walk from the gangway and your ship waiting at day's end. This 7-night AmaWaterways sailing takes you from Nuremberg to Budapest through Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Each day, choose from the included excursions: a guided walk through a medieval UNESCO town, a bike ride along the river, a day trip to Salzburg, or an unhurried evening with a mug of Glühwein. The details are handled, so you can simply enjoy the trip you've talked about for years. I've got your back from the first planning call to the day you're home. Contact me today to plan your sailing.
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DAY1
Nuremberg
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Welcome aboard in Nuremberg
Arrive in Nuremberg and step aboard your ship, your home for the next seven nights. There's nothing to rush today. The travel is behind you, and the Danube is ahead. You'll unpack once, settle in, and get your first taste of the Christmas season in Franconia, the historic region of northern Bavaria. Want a few extra days in Nuremberg before you sail? Ask me about adding a pre-cruise stay.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Embarkation in Nuremberg
Welcome aboard your AmaWaterways ship
First evening in Franconia
Optional pre-cruise stay (ask me)
DAY2
Nuremberg
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Christkindlesmarkt, castle walls, and gingerbread
Choose how you spend the day. Walk the cobbled streets up to the Imperial Castle and along 900-year-old ramparts, with Nuremberg's WWII history told along the way. Browse Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world's largest Christmas markets. Or join Tastes of Franconia: Nuremberg sausages and beer at the City Brewery, then lebkuchen, the city's famous gingerbread, at Sebalder Kirche. Your included options: Nuremberg Christmas Market Visit, City Tour and Christmas Markets, Tastes of Franconia, or Main Danube Canal. Later, your ship crosses the Continental Divide on the Main-Danube Canal.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Nuremberg Christmas Market Visit (Included)
City Tour and Christmas Markets (Included)
Tastes of Franconia (Included)
Main Danube Canal (Included)
Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world's largest Christmas markets
Imperial Castle
900-year-old city ramparts
Nuremberg's WWII highlights
Nuremberg sausages and beer at the City Brewery
Lebkuchen at Sebalder Kirche
DAY3
Regensburg
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Medieval Regensburg and Bavarian flavors
Regensburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Germany's best-preserved medieval cities. Join the guided walking tour past the Old Town Hall and Porta Praetoria, then visit the Old Town Christmas Market. Prefer Bavarian specialties? Choose Tastes of Bavaria. Want fresh air? Bike to the neoclassical Walhalla temple. At the Thurn and Taxis Christmas Markets, you can watch local artisans at work. Pick the one that suits your pace. They're all included.
HIGHLIGHTS:
UNESCO City Tour and Christmas Market (Included)
Tastes of Bavaria (Included)
Walhalla Bike Tour (Included)
Thurn and Taxis Christmas Markets (Included)
UNESCO World Heritage medieval Old Town
Old Town Hall
Porta Praetoria
Old Town Christmas Market
Neoclassical Walhalla temple
Local artisans at work
DAY4
Passau
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Salzburg
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Passau's three rivers, or a day in Salzburg
Today is a real choice. Stay in Passau, the city of three rivers, for a walking tour and its Christmas market, or lace up for the Passau Fitness Hike. Or spend the full day on the Salzburg excursion, traveling through the Austrian Alps to explore its UNESCO-listed Old Town, grand cathedral, and holiday markets. Salzburg makes for a long day, so choose it if that's the stop you've always wanted to see. Prefer a slower pace? Passau rewards it.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Full Day Salzburg Excursion with Christmas Markets (Included)
"City of Three Rivers" Walking Tour and Christmas Market (Included)
Passau Fitness Hike (Included)
Scenic journey through the Austrian Alps
Salzburg's UNESCO-listed Old Town
Salzburg's grand cathedral
Salzburg holiday markets
Passau Christmas Market
DAY5
Melk
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Melk Abbey's Baroque splendor
Perched on a rocky outcrop above the Danube, Melk Abbey is one of Europe's most celebrated Baroque monasteries. Tour its museum and renowned library, or take a guided bike ride around the charming town of Melk. Prefer the evening? Choose the Rathaus Christmas Market by Night, when the lights do their best work. Every option is included, so pick the one that fits your energy.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Melk Abbey Visit (Included)
Danube Bike Tour (Included)
Rathaus Christmas Market by Night (Included)
Melk Abbey, one of Europe's most celebrated Baroque monasteries
Abbey museum and renowned library
The charming town of Melk
DAY6
Vienna
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Imperial Vienna and Schönbrunn's holiday glow
Vienna, the City of Waltzes, dresses up for December. Choose the Imperial Vienna tour for the Opera House, the former Imperial Palace, and the city's festive Christmas markets. Prefer to see it on two wheels? Join the Vienna City Tour by Bike, a guided ride along the Danube. Or head straight to the Schönbrunn Christmas Markets in front of the palace. All three are included with your sailing.
HIGHLIGHTS:
"Imperial Vienna" Tour with Christmas Markets (Included)
Vienna City Tour by Bike (Included)
Schönbrunn Christmas Markets (Included)
The Opera House
The former Imperial Palace
Guided bike ride along the Danube
Vienna, the City of Waltzes, in its holiday dress
DAY7
Budapest
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Buda, Pest, and a grand finish on the Danube
Budapest saves its best for last. Begin in the Castle District with Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, and sweeping views across the city. Choose the Buda City Tour and Christmas Markets, the City Tour Late Starter if you'd like a gentler morning, or the Gellert Hill Hike for a more active start. In the afternoon, see Pest: the Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square, and the poignant Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Buda City Tour and Christmas Markets (Included)
City Tour Late Starter (Christmas) (Included)
Gellert Hill Hike (Included)
Fisherman's Bastion
Matthias Church
Panoramic views from the Castle District
Hungarian Parliament Building
Heroes' Square
Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial
DAY8
Budapest
Close Day
Farewell to the Danube
Say goodbye to your ship and begin your journey home, with a week of Christmas market stories to tell. If you'd like more time in Budapest, I can add a post-cruise stay, so you're not rushing away from a city this good.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Disembarkation in Budapest
Journey home
Optional post-cruise stay in Budapest (ask me)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Seven nights, six Danube towns, and a Christmas market around nearly every corner. The details are handled, and I've got your back from the first planning call to the day you're home. Contact me today to plan your sailing.