Danube Christmas Markets with Budapest Extension

Step aboard the Trafalgar Reverie, your floating home for your Danube Christmas river cruise, and settle in for the night. This evening, get to know your fellow travellers over dinner hosted by your Experience Director. (D)

Join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through Passau's medieval lanes and baroque squares before browsing the city's Christmas markets, where merry stalls line the cobbled streets. Alternatively, choose a guided hike along the Ilz River and enjoy a more active perspective on this scenic region. Later, you can opt to join a Bavarian beer experience, complete with traditional folk music and freshly baked pretzels. Raise a stein with locals and take in the warm, welcoming spirit that makes Bavaria so memorable during the season. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Passau Walking Tour with Christmas Market OR Get a Taste of Bavaria

Spend the day in Linz, Austria's third-largest city, known for its elegant main square and riverside charm. Join a Local Specialist for a guided walk through the old town and enjoy time to browse the Christmas markets, where handcrafted gifts and seasonal treats bring the square to life.

Alternatively, choose an Optional Experience to Salzburg and step into the story of The Sound of Music. Visit Maria's church in Mondsee and explore Salzburg's baroque streets. Along the way, discover the city's musical heritage and enjoy one of Austria's most enchanting Christmas markets. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Visit Historic Linz with Christmas Market OR The Sound of Music in Salzburg with Christmas Markets

Cruise through Austria's Wachau Valley, a UNESCO-listed landscape of terraced vineyards, hilltop castles and riverside villages. Arrive in the historic town of Krems an der Donau and join a Local Specialist to visit the Kremser Adventzauber, where the old town glows with seasonal lights and stalls showcase regional crafts and Christmas specialities. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursion: Explore Krems an der Donau

Welcome to Vienna, the former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Get to know this buzzing city with a drive along the Ringstraße before exploring the old town's Baroque architecture on foot with a Local Specialist. Pass imperial landmarks, admire festive displays in shopfronts and visit Vienna's Christmas markets, where wooden stalls, mulled wine and hand-blown ornaments fill the historic streets.

There's free time to explore the Christkindlmarkt in front of the town hall, one of Europe's most iconic settings. Choose to visit Schönbrunn Palace for an Optional Experience, where the courtyard transforms into a picture-perfect Christmas village. After a day of discovery, why not end the evening with an optional classical concert featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart? (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Taste of Christmas Vienna Walking Tour OR Stroll Around Schönbrunn Palace with Christmas Markets OR Experience the Music of Strauss and Mozart

Arrive in Bratislava and choose between two included options to explore the city. You can join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through the old town, passing through Michael's Gate to see the Town Hall and St. Martin's Cathedral. You'll wander among wooden chalets as you explore Bratislava's Christmas markets, filled with handmade gifts and local delicacies. Or choose a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to hear powerful stories from the communist era and Velvet Revolution.

For your Be My Guest experience, visit one of the city's most celebrated microbreweries, you'll meet head brewers Tomáš and Mário. Taste traditional lagers, dark beers and local ales before sitting down to lunch.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Bratislava Walking Tour with Christmas Markets OR Life Beyond the Iron Curtain OR Beer and bites at Bratislava's DOCK7

Discover both sides of Hungary's capital today with your Local Specialist on a city tour. In historic Buda, head up Castle Hill and admire the Gothic spires, of Matthias Church before stepping onto Fisherman's Bastion for sweeping views across the Danube. Cross into Pest to see Heroes' Square, a tribute to Hungary's national identity.

Later, join your Experience Director and Experience Manager to explore Budapest's Christmas markets at your own pace, where you could find local pastries, roasted nuts and mulled wine. Or choose an Optional Experience to explore the Jewish district, including a visit to the Dohány Street Synagogue. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Budapest Walking Tour OR Discover Budapest's Jewish History

This morning, disembark the Trafalgar Reverie and bid farewell to the captain and crew, taking with you memories of the Christmas magic you've experienced along the Danube. (B)

Continue your journey with an extended stay in Budapest, the "Queen of the Danube." Join a Local Specialist for a guided visit to the Hungarian Parliament, then see the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. Enjoy the city’s rich history and cafe culture at your own pace before bidding Budapest a fond farewell.

• Sightseeing tour of Budapest with a Local Specialist, bringing the city’s history to life
• Optional Experience add-ons to personalise your stay.
  

Accommodation: 2 nights at a centrally located hotel, plus all hotel taxes, porterage and transfer to your hotel

Included Meals: 2 breakfasts