Curator’s statement
If European Christmas Markets are on your bucket list, a river cruise is the best way to see the most! You visit new cities and markets daily. There is a delightful holiday celebration on board the ship as well. This makes it the best way to experience the Christmas spirit, especially with Ama’s perfect itinerary.
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Setting sail on AmaWaterways’ Iconic Christmas Markets on the Danube is the ultimate way to experience the most Christmas markets in luxury and with ease.
Starting in Budapest, Hungary, with an independent overnight at the beautiful St. Regis Budapest, conveniently located between the two main Christmas markets. The hotel is gorgeous and perfectly located in town.
The cruise embarks from Budapest, granting the best views of both Budapest and Pest as well as the iconic Parliament buildings. The itinerary goes up the Danube. There are stops in Vienna, Linz (with a day trip to Salzburg), Regensberg and Nuremberg. These locations feature some of the best markets Europe has to offer. I would rank all, particularly Vienna, in my top 10.
The ship goes out of their way to make the markets easy to navigate. There is direct transportation and vouchers for the iconic gluhwein (and of course, the mug is the perfect souvenir!) The ease with which one can navigate new markets each day without packing or relocating makes this the ideal way to experience them. This is especially true for older travelers.
The Christmas spirit continues on board, with nightly festivities and even a visit from Santa, who comes bearing gifts for each passenger. The crew delights by leading a singalong of favorite carols. The ship is decked from top to bottom in holiday cheer.
AmaWaterways in particular, has mastered this itinerary. After much research, I chose the Danube cruise, which includes magical Salzburg on the itinerary. This location requires bus travel from the boat, provided by Ama.
Ending in Nuremberg — believed to be Europe’s oldest and most iconic market. It is the ideal way to experience both a medieval city and endless stalls of Christmas shopping. The nearby Sheraton provided a perfect landing spot post-cruise and for an extra day of market visits.
Need to know
AmaWaterways provides the easiest and most luxurious way to experience some of the best Christmas markets Europe has to offer. For couples, groups or a mother-daughter trip like mine — it's a bucket list item you must experience!
For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Budapest page.
Travel Advisor
Andrea Mokros
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