Example sailing
Nuremberg → Budapest · 8 nights · December
The sailing
Viking's Danube Waltz is the classic Nuremberg-to-Budapest Christmas run, with three capital cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest) and a Wachau Valley transit. The Budapest arrival at night, with the Parliament lit up, is one of the great river-cruise moments.
Best for travelers who want imperial-city grandeur and the most date options.
The ports of call
From Nuremberg to Budapest — the Christmas markets on this Danube sailing.
Germany
The Christkindlesmarkt is the world's most famous Christmas market, set in Nuremberg's medieval main square and dating back to the mid-1600s.
Late Nov – Dec 24
ExploreGermany
Regensburg's Romantic Christmas Market sits in the medieval Neupfarrplatz, in a UNESCO old town with the world's oldest sausage kitchen (since 1146).
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreGermany
Passau, where three rivers meet, hosts a small Christmas market in its cathedral square, home to the world's largest cathedral organ.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreAustria
Melk Abbey, the baroque masterpiece above the Wachau Valley, hosts Advent markets and overlooks the most beautiful stretch of the Danube.
Advent weekends
ExploreAustria
Vienna hosts three major Christmas markets: the vast Rathausplatz, the baroque Schönbrunn, and the cultural Belvedere — all framed by imperial architecture.
Mid-Nov – Dec 26
ExploreSlovakia
Bratislava's old town hosts three compact Christmas markets — Hlavné námestie, Hviezdoslavovo námestie, and the castle — between Vienna and Budapest.
Late Nov – Dec 22
ExploreHungary
Budapest's Vörösmarty Square market is the eastern anchor of most Danube Christmas sailings, set against the illuminated Parliament and Chain Bridge.
Mid-Nov – Jan 1
ExploreMore from this line
More on the Danube
Same river, different line or different dates — see how the operators compare.
Nuremberg → Budapest · 7n · December
$2,799
example · pp
Nuremberg → Budapest · 9n · December
$3,499
example · pp
Nuremberg → Budapest · 8n · December
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example · pp
Nuremberg → Budapest · 8n · December
Request pricing
example · pp
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