Example sailing
Amsterdam → Basel · 8 nights · December
The sailing
Viking's signature Rhine Christmas sailing threads the 40-mile Middle Rhine gorge, with an included excursion at every port. The Longship's Aquavit Terrace turns into a winter lounge, and a resident historian gives daily talks. This is the most-booked Christmas-market sailing in the world.
Best for first-timers and culture lovers who want a polished, predictable, inclusive rhine experience.
The ports of call
From Amsterdam to Basel — the Christmas markets on this Rhine sailing.
Netherlands
Amsterdam's Christmas markets and the Winter Festival along the illuminated canals are the western anchor of most Rhine sailings.
Early Dec – early Jan
ExploreGermany
Seven Christmas markets sit in the shadow of Cologne's UNESCO cathedral, anchored by the Cathedral Market (Dom) and the medieval Old Town market.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreGermany
Rüdesheim's Christmas Market of Nations lines the Drosselgasse with stalls from 25+ countries, in a Rhine-gorge wine town famous for Riesling.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreGermany
Speyer's Christmas market sits before its UNESCO Romanesque cathedral, in a 2,000-year-old imperial city on the Upper Rhine.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreFrance
Strasbourg, the self-proclaimed 'Capital of Christmas,' hosts France's oldest market (since 1570) across its UNESCO old town.
Late Nov – Dec 30
ExploreSwitzerland
Basel, the eastern anchor of Rhine sailings, hosts two of Switzerland's grandest Christmas markets in its medieval old town.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreMore from this line
More on the Rhine
Same river, different line or different dates — see how the operators compare.
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