Grand Christmas & New Year's (2026) - 13 days Nuremberg to Budapest

You’ve seen Europe’s most iconic Christmas Market by day, now it’s time to appreciate it by night. After dinner, bundle up and head off ship to browse the endless rows of stalls peddling handcrafted goods and seasonal treats, grab a hot mulled wine to watch the steam curl in the crisp night air, and admire the way the twinkling lights decorating the market bring the whole scene to life.

Beautiful at any time, Nuremberg’s Old Town is especially magical when dressed in all of its holiday splendor. 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. Two hundred stalls filled with holiday wares—ornaments, nutcrackers, seasonal treats, and hand-carved toys—await you, and the irresistible aromas of roasting nuts, cinnamon, and grilled sausages waft through the air.

Adding to the fun is an area set aside especially for children, complete with a two-tiered carousel featuring carved reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. As you wander through the market, you will certainly want to indulge in some of the city’s famous gingerbread; after all, Nuremberg is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.”

People have been describing Regensburg as “old and new” for a thousand years. A single structure perfectly illustrates this: Porta Praetoria, the gate built by the Romans during Marcus Aurelius’ reign. The gate and adjacent watchtower have been incorporated into a much newer building, but the plaster has been removed to reveal the ancient stones laid so long ago.

As you walk through the cobbled lanes of the UNESCO-designated Old Town, the city’s 2,000-year history is similarly revealed: the Stone Bridge that made Regensburg a 12th-century trading powerhouse, the Gothic town hall where the Imperial Diet met for three centuries, the 13th-century fortified patrician houses, and the spectacular Cathedral of St. Peter, whose magnificent 14th-century stained-glass windows alone are worth your walk.

You'll have free time to explore on your own. It's very hard to get lost in Regensburg because the spires of the cathedral are visible all over town, so don't hesitate to roam.

Please note that many businesses will be closed for Christmas Day.

Enter the Bavarian Forest, Germany’s first and largest national park, to discover an abundant wilderness covered in diverse flora and fauna. This area is home to several unique craft traditions, and you’ll have your choice of which ones you’d like to discover today.

Enjoy a tasting of local schnapps. In Germany, schnapps refers to any hard liquor, and each is distinguished by the ingredients it is distilled from. The word means “snap,” since schnapps is generally “snapped” back in the style of a shot.

From there, you’ll move on to a glass workshop and see how the local style of glassware is crafted.

The skyline of Passau is dominated by two buildings that owe their existence to the prince-bishops who ruled the city until 1803: the great fortress looming on a hill above the three rivers, home to the bishops until the 17th century, and the green onion domes of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As you walk through the cobblestone streets toward those green onion domes, you’ll realize that Passau retains the layout of the medieval town.

However, many of the wooden medieval buildings burned to the ground in the 17th century, and the prince-bishops imported Italian artists to build a new cathedral and a magnificent new residence for the bishops themselves. As a result, these splendid structures flaunt Italian baroque and rococo style and ornamentation, complete with opulent gilding and wonderful frescs. Your guide will introduce you to some of the architectural highlights—the rococo stairways of the New Residence; the cathedral; and the Town Hall, which boasts a magnificent atrium adorned with large paintings by Ferdinand Wagner—and make sure you get a close-up view of the point where the three rivers meet.

Get to know Linz on foot with a local expert who will take you by all the major sites in town, from Mozart’s apartment to the old Jesuit Cathedral. You’ll stop for a bite at Konditorei Jindrak, home of the Original Linzer Torte. Enjoy a cup of coffee alongside this thin, buttery pastry made with ground nuts, filled with fruit preserves and topped with a lattice crust.

Considering its diminutive size, the village of Dürnstein offers much to explore. The famous blue baroque tower of the abbey church is doubtless its best-known landmark, but the ruined castle above the town provides its most romantic tale. There Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned until he was found by his faithful bard, Blondel, and ransom could be raised—or so the legend gs. Walk with the Cruise Manager through the Kremser Gate, which dates to the 15th-century, and past 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century houses; it’s an up-close look at over 300 years of regional architecture. The inhabitants of this region have grown apricots and grapes for many centuries, and they have happily turned both into delectable beverages through the years. Taste a local spin on mulled wine—spiced with Wachau Valley saffron—after your walk, then sit back and enjoy an organ concert inside a rococo Augustine monastery.

Schloss Stetteldorf, also known as Juliusburg Castle, sits right on the edge of the Wagram in Lower Austria. The castle was constructed in 1588 for Count Julius II zu Hardegg. Over the years, his descendants added to the stately residence, beautifying its gardens, adding a fresco to the ballroom, carving a moat, and more. Meet the current residents to see how they are continuing to renovate the castle on a tour that includes a chance to taste some of what they grow in their gardens.

The Vienna Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum) is home to an astonishing collection of artistic treasures. Its doors open early especially for you as you join an art historian for a tour of some of the masterpieces gathered here: View a unique group of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Vermeer’s Allegory of Painting, Raphael’s Madonna in the Meadow, and portraits by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Rubens, Titian, Tintoretto, and Van Eyck, among others, in the Picture Gallery before moving on to the Kunstkammer galleries, where you can see Benvenuto Cellini’s legendary salt cellar (the only gold sculpture he created that has survived to the present day) and hear its remarkable story. Your exclusive tour ends with a reception in the magnificent Cupola Hall, perhaps the architectural highlight of the splendid building.

Step back in time at the last surviving music hall where all four Strauss composers—Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, and the latter’s two brothers, Josef and Eduard—once performed. Composer of “The Blue Danube” and one of Europe’s most celebrated musicians, Johann Strauss II captivated audiences at this venue several times during his lifetime. In his day, the building was a hub for Vienna’s socialites. Begin with a brief tour of the exhibits, followed by an immersive audio-visual experience of Strauss compositions.

Please note: On the rare occasions that the House of Strauss is unavailable, an alternative concert venue will be arranged.

Ring Street, the great horsesh-shaped boulevard lined with many of the city’s major landmarks—Parliament, City Hall, the Vienna State Opera, glorious palaces, and museums—is a mere 150 years old, practically an infant for a city of Vienna’s age. It replaced the walls and fortifications that had protected the city for centuries. Its construction was a testament to confidence, forward-thinking and grand urban planning, and it resulted in a 50-year building spree. You’ll pass most of these opulent landmarks on your way to the older section of the city, the area the walls once enclosed.

Later, you’ll walk along Kärntner Street, the celebrated pedestrian boulevard that links the State Opera with St. Stephen’s Cathedral, past the elegant shops on the Graben and the Kohlmarkt. The neighborhood offers a lively combination of historic architecture, street performances, shoppers’ delights, and true Viennese atmosphere.

In many ways a must-visit destination for both the art lover and the gourmand, Vienna is full of artistic and culinary treasures. Today’s walking tour is all about immersing ourselves in that side of this beautiful city.

Our menu for the day includes a stop for coffee and strudel at a local coffee house—a hallmark of Viennese culture. These treats will fuel our walks to see the Sisi Monument, a life-sized mosaic replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the Habsburg Palace, and the extravagant St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Embrace the imperial flair of Vienna with a visit to the famous Schönbrunn Palace complex. Arrive to marvel at the massive Baroque building with its iconic yellow exteriors. Stroll hallways elaborately decorated with golden stucco, rich velvet, and stunning frescs. This palace complex was the primary summer residence of the Habsburgs and features many testaments to their history and extravagance.

During your tour, enter the palace's historic marionette theater for a production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Take in the highlights of Budapest on a panoramic tour down Andrassy Avenue, a bustling promenade lined with breathtaking Neo-Renaissance architecture. The construction of this street was part of a concerted effort to establish Budapest as a modern metropolis during the 19th century, making the grandeur of these buildings as much a political statement as an artistic one. Today, you can enjoy both the beauty and the history of this UNESCO-designated avenue as you pass through, marvel at Hers’ Square, and make your way to the top of Gellért Hill, where you’ll look down to incredible views of both the Buda and Pest sides of the city.

Stepping off the coach, you’ll enter the iconic Parliament building that commands Budapest’s skyline. Likely the most famous building in Budapest, this masterpiece of Neo-Gothic architecture is as spectacular inside as out.