8D Classic Christmas Markets

Tour Overview

A journey that will make you believe in holiday magic all over again.

Once upon a time, people gathered on cobblestone squares to buy the special tools and ingredients they needed to make the treats of the season. They kept warm with hot spiced wine, music and games while they shopped and chatted with the local tradesmen. Those were the first Christmas markets, 500 years ago. Today, though the light comes from twinkling electric bulbs rather than torches, bonhomie and fun still prevail.

Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air. Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit. Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.

SHIP
River Queen - One of the most unique ships cruising Europe’s waterways, the River Queen has an exterior resembling the steamships of the 1930s and an elegant Art Deco interior.

SHIP
River Princess - The stunning foyer of the 128-passenger River Princess sets an indulgent and luxurious tone for your European journey.

Germany

8 DAYS

Cruise

Depart

Nuremberg, Germany

Return

Frankfurt, Germany

^fromUS$1,999 per person

Cruise Highlights

ACCOMMODATIONS

7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the regal River Queen
Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms and suites have handcrafted Savoir® Beds of England, high thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, and a menu of pillow options
Free Internet and Wi-Fi access

DINING

All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water

EXCURSIONS

6 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
Guided “Taste of Christmas” and “Village Day” programs
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all shore excursions
Use of Nordic walking sticks

EXPERIENCES

1 country: Germany
2 UNESCO World Heritage sites
Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
All transfers on arrival and departure days
Gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) are included during the cruise/tour
Captivating onboard local entertainment
Exclusive Generations Family Program on a select December departure

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrive in Nuremberg (Embark)

DAY 2

Nuremberg

DAY 3

Bamberg

DAY 4

Kitzingen (Rothenburg), Würzburg

DAY 5

Würzburg

DAY 6

Wertheim

DAY 7

Frankfurt

DAY 8

Depart from Frankfurt (Disembark)

DAY 1: Arrive in Nuremberg (Embark)

Arrive at Nuremberg International Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship.

Note: Please check with us for Port Location, Arrival, Departure and Transfer details.

DAY 1: Arrive in Nuremberg (Embark)

Note: Please check with us for Port Location, Arrival, Departure and Transfer details.

DAY 2: Nuremberg

For a holiday extravaganza, look no further than Nuremberg, which boasts the largest and grandest Christmas Market in all of Germany— and that’s really saying something. The “Gingerbread Capital of the World” pulls out all the stops during the holidays, as you’ll see for yourself on a panoramic tour guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. You could not ask for a more perfect place to begin an exploration of Christmas traditions than Nuremberg. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas Market in Germany.

1) Featured Excursion: Nuremberg city tour with Christmas market

2) Generations Excursion: No place like Nuremberg for the holidays (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

3) MASTERPIECE COLLECTION: Nuremberg WWII historical tour. (Providing the most all-inclusive luxury to our guests is the heart and soul of our brand and that will never change. Yet sometimes our guests want something that goes even "above and beyond" our included experiences. In light of this, we now offer guests a curated selection of optional excursions, available for an additional charge.)

DAY 3: Bamberg

The fact that Bamberg still exists today is something of a miracle—it survived WWII bombing virtually unscathed. It’s a superb example of a medieval German city, one compact enough to explore on foot with a local expert. You’ll also have free time to visit not just one but four Christmas Markets and a captivating amount of nativity scenes located along nativity trail.

1) Featured Excursion: Bamberg walking tour with Christmas market

2) Generations Excursion: A stroll through Nativity Town (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

DAY 4: Kitzingen (Rothenburg), Würzburg

Rothenburg looks like something straight out of the pages of a storybook, with its medieval walls, cobbled streets, Gothic churches and Hansel-and-Gretel houses. Join a local expert for an insightful walking tour, and then wander amongst the stalls at one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets

1) Featured Excursion: Full-day Rothenburg with walking tour and Christmas market

2) Generations Excursion: Rock on Rothenburg (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

DAY 5: Würzburg

This morning, you’ll head off to see the Würzburg Residence, a baroque-style palace famous for its gigantic ceiling fresco. Later, visit the town’s renowned Christmas Market, held in front of the old City Hall, for some one-of-a-kind gifts for friends back home. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. One of the best ways to embrace a different culture is through encounters with local residents, which you’ll experience this afternoon in a typical Franconian village. Make new friends over hot drinks and homemade seasonal treats.

1) Featured Excursions: Würzburg Residence visit | Franconian Christmas “Village Day”

2) Generations Excursions: Würzburg’s winter wonderland | Festive Franconia (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

DAY 6: Wertheim

Located at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers, Wertheim is a lovely village dating back over a thousand years. It epitomizes the friendly, slow-paced small-town atmosphere of many German villages; here, residents greet each other by name as they do their daily shopping for fresh bread and sausage in tiny shops. On your guided walking tour of the village, you’ll hear a lot about daily life in Wertheim, as well as facts about the town and its history. Its many well-preserved medieval buildings—complete with low doors and tiny windows—attest to the inconveniences of life in the Middle Ages.

1) Featured Excursion: Wertheim walking tour with mulled wine and Christmas stollen demonstration

2) Generations Excursion: Wertheim’s medieval sights & winter treats (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

DAY 7: Frankfurt

Frankfurt is known as the “Mainhattan” of Europe, a financial powerhouse with soaring skyscrapers as well as traditional Old Town architecture. Experience both aspects of the city today, with time to browse the local Christmas market, one of the best on the Continent. Other options include a “Taste of Christmas” walking tour featuring all sorts of sugary and savory treats or an excursion to the Christmas market in Wiesbaden.

1) Featured Excursion: Wiesbaden Twinkling Star Christmas market

Choice of Mainhattan walking tour with Christmas market or “Taste of Christmas” Frankfurt walking tour

2) Generations Excursion: Frankfurt’s festive zoo (This excursion is only available on sailings that belong to the Generations program.)

DAY 8: Depart from Frankfurt (Disembark)

Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to the Frankfurt International Airport for your flight home.

Pricing

fr US$1,999

RIVER QUEEN

Nuremberg to Frankfurt | Departure dates 2021/2022/2023: December 08, 22

Frankfurt to Nuremberg, | Departure dates 2021/2022/2023: December 01*, 15*

RIVER PRINCESS

Nuremberg to Frankfurt | Departure dates 2023: December 23

Frankfurt to Nuremberg, | Departure dates 2023: December 02*

NOTES
[*] Sailing from Frankfurt to Nuremberg.
The itineraries presented are subject to modification due to water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but changes may still be necessary throughout the cruise. This day-to-day schedule is subject to change. Your final day-to-day schedule will be provided onboard on the first day of your cruise.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
Travel Period: Please contact us for further details. All fares are per guest in US Dollars based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted. Prices exclude additional port charges of $200 per person and other personal expenses. Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice.
Availability of all stateroom categories cannot be guaranteed. Single Supplement applies for single accommodation.
Itineraries, hotels, and vessels may change, and substitute visits to other sites may occur during your trip due to water level fluctuations and other uncontrollable factors.
The order of sightseeing and docking ports are subject to change according to port authority assignments.
All travellers are responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa, vaccinations, and health certificates. All travellers are also responsible for ensuring that their passport is valid for at least six months at point of entry into travel destination.

8D Classic Christmas Markets