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Iconic Christmas Markets

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Iconic Christmas Markets

No Reviews No Booking FeesDedicated Cruise Advisor
River View
$5,210
Balcony
$6,842
Suite
$11,146
* Port charges, taxes and fees included
 Cruise Length
8 Days
 Cruise Starts
Nuremberg
 Cruise Finishes
Budapest
8 Day Iconic Christmas Markets Itinerary (AmaWaterways)
Countries Explored: Germany, Austria, Hungary
 Cruise Length
8 Days
 Cruise Starts
Nuremberg
 Cruise Finishes
Budapest
8 Day Iconic Christmas Markets Itinerary (AmaWaterways)
Countries Explored: Germany, Austria, Hungary
Cruise Line
AmaWaterways
No Reviews
Ship
Departures
Passengers
160
Crew
51
Launched
2010
Refurbished
2021
Cruise Code
AHX
Cruise Line
AmaWaterways
No Reviews
Ship
Departures
Passengers
160
Crew
51
Launched
2010
Refurbished
2021
Cruise Code
AHX

Overview

Travel back through centuries as you walk along cobblestone streets through grand cities and historic towns bedecked with twinkling Christmas trees and lined with wooden huts gleaming with handcrafted treasures. Iconic Christmas Markets are plentiful and are on full display for your pleasure. Nuremberg’s festive Christkindlesmarkt, the largest and oldest Christmas Market in Germany; Regensburg’s Artisan Christmas Market at Thurn and Taxis Castle, considered one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic; Vienna with its impressive Christmas Markets that seem to majestically appear around every corner;...read more and Budapest, where products sold in the market are traditionally handmade. Revel in a feast for the senses: sparkling lights; festive sounds of children dressed as angels singing carols; and enticing smells of hot-mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, sausages and sweet treats of every kind.
Travel back through centuries as you walk along cobblestone streets through grand cities and historic towns bedecked with twinkling Christmas trees and lined with wooden huts gleaming with handcrafted treasures. Iconic Christmas Markets are plentiful and are on full display for your pleasure. Nuremberg’s festive Christkindlesmarkt, the largest and oldest Christmas Market in Germany; Regensburg’s Artisan Christmas Market at Thurn and Taxis Castle, considered one of Bavaria’s most beautiful and romantic; Vienna with its impressive Christmas Markets that seem to majestically appear around every corner;...read more and Budapest, where products sold in the market are traditionally handmade. Revel in a feast for the senses: sparkling lights; festive sounds of children dressed as angels singing carols; and enticing smells of hot-mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, sausages and sweet treats of every kind.

Itinerary

Board the ship for your Iconic Christmas Markets cruise. (D)

Join a city tour of WWII highlights and then walk through Nuremberg's cobblestone streets to the Imperial Castle and 900-year-old city ramparts, followed by a visit to Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world's largest and most famous Christmas Markets. You can also choose to spend the entire morning exploring this iconic Christmas Market. For those looking for a taste of Nuremberg, depart for Nuremberg Imperial Castle and visit City Brewery where you will delight your palate with savory Nuremberg sausage and beer. Then continue to Sebalder Kirche (church) where you will nibble on sweet and spicy lebkuchen, a baked treat similar to gingerbread. End the day crossing the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Nuremberg Christmas Market visit OR City Tour & Christmas Markets OR “Tastes of Franconia”
  • Main-Danube Canal

Regensburg is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join a guided walking tour showcasing the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, before visiting the Old Town Christmas Market. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria's specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels. Or bike to the base of Walhalla where there is a neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. For those in a festive mood, head to one of Bavaria's most beautiful and romantic Christmas Markets at Thurn and Taxis, where you can watch artisans make their unique arts and crafts. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • UNESCO City tour and Christmas Market OR Tastes of Bavaria OR Walhalla bike tour OR Thurn & Taxis Christmas markets

Join a walking tour of this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen's. Go in search of Bavarian-style crafts at the Christmas Market. Or, for the active adventurer, join a guided bike tour along the Danube. Alternatively, you can travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart. Your full-day excursion in Salzburg includes a walking tour of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, its magnificent cathedral and its Christmas Markets, including the Hellbrunn Palace, where its inner courtyard is turned into a romantic backdrop for one of the most beautiful Christmas Markets in Austria. (B/L/D) *Not combinable with other tours on this day.

Excursions:

  • Full-day Salzburg excursion with Christmas Markets* OR “City of Three Rivers” walking tour and Christmas Market OR River Inn Bike Tour

High on a rocky outcrop lies the Melk Abbey, one of Europe's most revered Baroque monasteries. Visit this magnificent and storied abbey, which now houses a museum chronicling its history and a famous library with countless medieval manuscripts. Alternatively, go on a guided bike ride around Melk. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Melk Abbey visit OR Danube bike tour
  • Rathaus Christmas Market by night

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems just waiting to be discovered. Join a tour showcasing its regal splendors, such as the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs along with an opportunity to visit the city's Christmas Markets. If you prefer a more active adventure, then join a guided bike along the Danube River. In the afternoon, visit Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market and its spectacular festive atmosphere. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • “Imperial Vienna” tour with Christmas Markets OR Vienna City Tour by Bike
  • Schönbrunn Christmas Markets

Today you have the opportunity to visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. Start on the Buda side, following your guide through the city's Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman's Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof. You will also visit the city's famed Christmas Markets. For a more active tour, hike to Budapest's Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the treasures of Pest, admiring the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square and the moving “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Buda city tour and Christmas Markets OR Castle hike
  • Pest city tour

Disembark the ship in Budapest and bid farewell to the city before preparing for your return flight home. (B)

Board the ship for your Iconic Christmas Markets cruise. (D)

Join a city tour of WWII highlights and then walk through Nuremberg's cobblestone streets to the Imperial Castle and 900-year-old city ramparts, followed by a visit to Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, one of the world's largest and most famous Christmas Markets. You can also choose to spend the entire morning exploring this iconic Christmas Market. For those looking for a taste of Nuremberg, depart for Nuremberg Imperial Castle and visit City Brewery where you will delight your palate with savory Nuremberg sausage and beer. Then continue to Sebalder Kirche (church) where you will nibble on sweet and spicy lebkuchen, a baked treat similar to gingerbread. End the day crossing the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Nuremberg Christmas Market visit OR City Tour & Christmas Markets OR “Tastes of Franconia”
  • Main-Danube Canal

Regensburg is one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join a guided walking tour showcasing the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, before visiting the Old Town Christmas Market. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria's specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels. Or bike to the base of Walhalla where there is a neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. For those in a festive mood, head to one of Bavaria's most beautiful and romantic Christmas Markets at Thurn and Taxis, where you can watch artisans make their unique arts and crafts. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • UNESCO City tour and Christmas Market OR Tastes of Bavaria OR Walhalla bike tour OR Thurn & Taxis Christmas markets

Join a walking tour of this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen's. Go in search of Bavarian-style crafts at the Christmas Market. Or, for the active adventurer, join a guided bike tour along the Danube. Alternatively, you can travel through the serene Austrian Alps to Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart. Your full-day excursion in Salzburg includes a walking tour of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, its magnificent cathedral and its Christmas Markets, including the Hellbrunn Palace, where its inner courtyard is turned into a romantic backdrop for one of the most beautiful Christmas Markets in Austria. (B/L/D) *Not combinable with other tours on this day.

Excursions:

  • Full-day Salzburg excursion with Christmas Markets* OR “City of Three Rivers” walking tour and Christmas Market OR River Inn Bike Tour

High on a rocky outcrop lies the Melk Abbey, one of Europe's most revered Baroque monasteries. Visit this magnificent and storied abbey, which now houses a museum chronicling its history and a famous library with countless medieval manuscripts. Alternatively, go on a guided bike ride around Melk. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Melk Abbey visit OR Danube bike tour
  • Rathaus Christmas Market by night

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems just waiting to be discovered. Join a tour showcasing its regal splendors, such as the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs along with an opportunity to visit the city's Christmas Markets. If you prefer a more active adventure, then join a guided bike along the Danube River. In the afternoon, visit Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market and its spectacular festive atmosphere. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • “Imperial Vienna” tour with Christmas Markets OR Vienna City Tour by Bike
  • Schönbrunn Christmas Markets

Today you have the opportunity to visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. Start on the Buda side, following your guide through the city's Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman's Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof. You will also visit the city's famed Christmas Markets. For a more active tour, hike to Budapest's Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the treasures of Pest, admiring the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square and the moving “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

  • Buda city tour and Christmas Markets OR Castle hike
  • Pest city tour

Disembark the ship in Budapest and bid farewell to the city before preparing for your return flight home. (B)

Life Onboard AmaVerde

AmaVerde
AmaVerde

Sister to AmaBella, the newly reimagined AmaVerde is full of light, love and bold artwork showcasing vibrant, modern designs. Read more

All Excursions Included
All Excursions Included

Our guests have different tastes, so we offer a variety of included shore excursions so you can tailor your experience in every port of call. Read more

The Luxury Of Space
The Luxury Of Space

Sophisticated, contemporary and elegantly appointed, your spacious stateroom serves as your personal oasis for rejuvenation. Read more

Award-Winning Dining
Award-Winning Dining

All onboard dining, as well as unlimited wine and beer with lunch and dinner, is included so you can indulge whenever and however you'd like. Read more

Feels Like Family
Feels Like Family

Our staff are committed to the happiness of our guests and cruise after cruise they tell us of their wonderful experiences the've had with us. Read more

Active Ways To Discover
Active Ways To Discover

All of our guided hikes and bike tours are included in the cruise fare so you have more choices when it comes to how you prefer to explore. Read more

Brochure

Heart of the River

AmaWaterways Heart of the River (2025)

Step aboard a world of unparalleled experiences, where your journey is our passion. Allow us to share villages that time forgot. Walk along cobblestone streets filled with delights. Pedal through historic town squares. And revel in moments that last a lifetime. When you step aboard AmaWaterways, each day brings a genuine smile that warms the heart....more Every river a new culture that inspires, and each course a moment to savour and share. Experience these wonders and delights with AmaWaterways, the Heart of the River.

Availability Click on prices below to view cabin upgrades and details

Exclusive Savings
Wednesday 26 Nov 2025
Wednesday 03 Dec 2025
Ship AmaReina
River View
$6,080
View Cabins
Balcony
$8,156
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Suite
$11,868
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Exclusive Savings
Wednesday 10 Dec 2025
Wednesday 17 Dec 2025
Ship AmaReina
River View
$6,377
View Cabins
Balcony
$8,453
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Suite
$12,165
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Monday 15 Dec 2025
Monday 22 Dec 2025
Ship AmaVerde
River View
$6,377
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Balcony
$8,453
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Suite
$12,165
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Holiday Triple Savings
Wednesday 17 Dec 2025
Wednesday 24 Dec 2025
Ship AmaSonata
River View
Save $1,546
$4,892
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Balcony
Save $1,567
$6,968
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Suite
Save $1,604
$10,680
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Saturday 20 Dec 2025
Saturday 27 Dec 2025
Ship AmaMora
River View
$6,377
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Balcony
$7,860
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Suite
$12,165
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Anniversary Sale
Wednesday 25 Nov 2026
Wednesday 02 Dec 2026
Ship AmaReina
River View
Save $805
$5,804
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Balcony
Save $827
$8,029
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Suite
Save $865
$11,740
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Saturday 05 Dec 2026
Saturday 12 Dec 2026
Ship AmaLea
River View
$6,844
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Balcony
$8,475
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Suite
$12,780
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Exclusive Savings
Wednesday 09 Dec 2026
Wednesday 16 Dec 2026
Ship AmaReina
River View
$6,844
View Cabins
Balcony
$9,068
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Suite
$12,780
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Holiday Triple Savings
Monday 14 Dec 2026
Monday 21 Dec 2026
Ship AmaVerde
River View
Save $1,549
$5,210
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Balcony
Save $1,571
$7,435
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Suite
Save $1,609
$11,146
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Wednesday 16 Dec 2026
Wednesday 23 Dec 2026
Ship AmaSonata
River View
Save $1,549
$5,210
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Balcony
Save $1,571
$7,435
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Suite
Save $1,609
$11,146
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Saturday 19 Dec 2026
Saturday 26 Dec 2026
Ship AmaLea
River View
Save $1,549
$5,210
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Balcony
Save $1,565
$6,842
View Cabins
Suite
Save $1,609
$11,146
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Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by AmaWaterways. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from AmaWaterways. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.

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