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.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
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8 Days/7 Nights
1 Country
2 UNESCO World Heritage sites
7 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 7 Dinners
6 days of excursions
Guided "Taste of Christmas" and "Village Day" Programs
Lavisly appointed riverview staterooms and suites
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Note: 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.
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.
*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee.
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.
Featured Excursion : Nuremberg City Tour with Christmas Market <OR> Masterpiece Collection Excursion: Nuremberg WWII Historical Tour ($93)
A special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
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.
Featured Excursion: Bamberg Walking Tour with Christmas Market <OR>
Masterpiece Collection: Bamberg Beer Experience ($81)
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
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.
Featured Excursions:
Full-Day Rothenburg with Walking Tour and Christmas Market <OR>
Würzburg Christmas Market Night Stroll
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
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.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
Würzburg Residence Visit with Christmas Market <OR>
Village Day: Franconian Christmas
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.
Featured Excursion:
Wertheim Walking Tour with Mulled Wine and Christmas Stollen Demonstration.
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.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
Wiesbaden Twinkling Star Christmas Market <OR>
“Taste of Christmas” Frankfurt Walking Tour
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
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.
Prague offers a wonderful addition to your holiday cruise. Wander its old-world streets and enjoy the opportunity to compare the festivities of the classic German Christmas Markets to the unique yuletide traditions of the Czech Republic.
Pricing starts at $1,049 per person (for 2 guests). For solo travelers, there is a single supplement of $359.
Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy 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.
Relax and leave all the details to Sundew Travel. We'll expertly manage every aspect of your trip, from arranging car services to and from the airport in the US and abroad, to handling your air travel bookings, organizing memorable river cruises, and planning additional excursions. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that we've got everything covered, allowing you to unwind and truly savor your travel experience
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Prices start at: $3,699/pp and does not include air fare or Travel Insurance. Air fare prices are constantly fluctuating are are best quoted at the time of booking or you can self book your air. All fares are per guest in US dollars based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted.