Christmas markets by river: Vienna, Nuremberg, Cologne and Strasbourg, one unpack.
From mid-November to Christmas week the river ships sail the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle between the markets: Vienna’s Rathausplatz, Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, Cologne under the cathedral, Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, Budapest, Passau, Regensburg and Basel. Every Christmas market sailing from AmaWaterways, Avalon, Viking, Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald, Riverside, CroisiEurope, Amadeus and Tauck is here, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. They sell out by summer, so call 1-800-444-1560 early.
Three Christmas market routes
Pick a river and the list below filters to it.
Danube: Vienna, Budapest, Passau, Regensburg
- Vienna has a dozen markets alone; Budapest’s Vörösmarty Square, Passau and Regensburg’s cathedral square
- 7 nights Budapest to Passau or Vilshofen, or short 5 night Vienna round trips
- Salzburg and Nuremberg as pre- or post-cruise stays
Best for: first market cruise, Vienna at Christmas
Rhine: Cologne, Strasbourg, Basel
- Cologne’s cathedral market, Rüdesheim’s Drosselgasse, Strasbourg, the oldest market in France, and Basel
- 7 nights Amsterdam to Basel or 5 to 6 night Rhine holiday market sailings from Cologne, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf
- Add Lucerne after for a Swiss Christmas
Best for: glühwein and gothic cathedrals, shorter trips
Main and Danube: Nuremberg to Vienna
- Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, the one every other market is measured against
- Frankfurt or Nuremberg to Vienna or Budapest on the Main-Danube Canal, 7 to 10 nights
- Bamberg, Würzburg and Regensburg markets on the way
Best for: market connoisseurs, Franconian food and beer
Christmas market cruise deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every river sailing departing 15 November to 31 December, from every river line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra; below them, every departure with full sorting by line, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Christmas market sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Pick your embarkation city
Each button filters the list above to one departure city.
Which line for the Christmas markets?
Every line is on the list above. Our one-line take on each, with a link to its deals page.
When to go
The markets open in the third week of November and most close on 23 or 24 December. Pick the week by what you want.
Christmas market cruise questions we answer every day
When do the Christmas markets open and close?
Most open in the third or fourth week of November and close on 23 or 24 December; Vienna’s and Budapest’s main markets run to the first days of January. Sailings between 20 November and 22 December see every market open.
Which river has the best Christmas markets?
The Danube for the big-city markets, Vienna and Budapest above all. The Rhine for cathedral-square markets in Cologne and Strasbourg and the shortest trips. Nuremberg, on the Main-Danube Canal, is the single most famous market and sits on the routes between Frankfurt and Vienna.
How early do I need to book?
Christmas market cruises are the first river sailings to sell out each year; the popular lines are often full by August for December. Book by spring for a choice of cabins, or ask us about the last cabins on our last-minute river page in October and November.
How cold is it?
Expect 30s to low 40s Fahrenheit, with snow possible in Bavaria and Austria. The ships are heated, the markets are walked in layers, and the glühwein is included in several lines’ fares.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities where not included and optional excursions are extra.
Do you have other river cruises?
Yes: Danube river cruises, Rhine river cruises, last-minute river cruises and every other river on our river cruises page.
Talk to a Christmas market cruise specialist
Tell us the week you can travel and the markets you most want to see, and we price every line side by side, with taxes and port fees included and the flights worked out. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.