2028 Christmas-market river cruises
2028 itineraries are already being published. Use the extra time to choose the right river, bring friends, or add a few days in a city you love.
A shortlist to get you started
These published routes give you something concrete to compare. Ask us to check your 2028 departure, ship, cabin, and current offers. Routes may operate in either direction; stops and market hours can change.
First, help me choose Rhine or DanubeViking · 7 nights · 8 days
Amsterdam to Basel
Cologne · Rüdesheim · Strasbourg
Why we'd consider it: An adults-only option for travelers 18 and over, combining German market towns with Alsace. A straightforward shortlist choice if you want a child-free ship.
Before choosing: Compare the market stops and hours in each direction. Arrival day in Amsterdam and departure day in Basel are not full sightseeing days.
AmaWaterways · 7 nights · 8 days
Amsterdam to Basel
Cologne · Rüdesheim · Strasbourg
Why we'd consider it: Consider Ama if included excursion choices and dining matter to you. The Chef’s Table specialty dinner is included; check the ship and excursion options for your departure.
Before choosing: Ask which excursions run on your date and how much independent evening time remains at the markets.
Viking · 7 nights · 8 days
Budapest to Passau
Budapest · Bratislava · Vienna
Why we'd consider it: Our starting point when Budapest and Vienna matter more to you than Nuremberg. The route combines capitals with smaller Austrian and Bavarian stops.
Before choosing: This is not the Nuremberg-to-Vienna route. Add time in Budapest if you want more than the cruise schedule allows.
AmaWaterways · 7 nights · 8 days
Nuremberg to Budapest
Nuremberg · Regensburg · Vienna · Budapest
Why we'd consider it: A useful shortlist choice when you want Bavarian market traditions and the major Danube capitals in one trip.
Before choosing: A longer list of places can mean shorter calls. Compare time ashore, not just the number of cities in the itinerary.
Avalon Waterways · 6 nights · 7 days
Vienna to Nuremberg
Vienna · Passau · Regensburg · Nuremberg
Why we'd consider it: A shorter Christmas cruise focused on Austria and Bavaria. Compare the Prague extension if you have a few more days.
Before choosing: Budapest is not on this itinerary. Seven days is six nights, so compare it fairly with an eight-day sailing.
Decide which cities matter and who is coming. For friends traveling together, ask about cabins on the same sailing before anyone books separately.
Compare the ship, cabin location, deposit, and cancellation terms now. Published itineraries are a starting point; the exact departure and cabin still need a live check.
Air schedules, excursions, and city market calendars may not yet be final. Do not assume a future opening date or promise an event based on this year's schedule.
Military traveler? See the offers we can verify. Offer eligibility is separate from general cruise availability.
Start with the guides
Not every market feels the same. Explore the places, the food, and the small details that make a trip worth taking.
The Rhine
Find the markets worth your time, from Cologne's different neighborhoods to Strasbourg's food and traditions.
Read the guide
The Danube
Compare Vienna, Budapest, and Bavaria. See what makes each stop different—and what we'd look for there.
Read the guide
The practical guide
Food, mulled wine, mug deposits, evening visits, and the questions to ask before choosing a sailing.
Read the guideTell us your travel window and the places you care about. A Vacation Planning Company advisor will help turn the options into a trip, with no added planning service fee.
Build my 2028 shortlist