From
$9,980
NZ $4,990 per person

Christmas time on the Danube 2025|2026

5 days
From Budapest to Vienna
1.0
1 traveler review
From
$9,980
-50%
NZ $4,990 per person

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Select Date

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
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Plan your adventure:
River Cruise
Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 182
Ages 12+
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Budapest

    You'll get picked up at the airport and taken to your Star-Ship for boarding. Once you're settled in, the rest of the day is yours to wander around Budapest and get a feel for the city at your own pace.

  2. Day 2

    Budapest

    A guided coach tour takes you through Budapest's main sights, covering the city's architecture and layout. You'll have free time later to walk around the Christmas market near Vaci Utca Street. Dinner comes with a traditional folklore show in the evening, so you get a real sense of local culture.

    Meals
    Lunch, Dinner (Dinner & folklore show)

    Included Activities

    • Guided coach tour of Budapest
    • Dinner & folklore show in Budapest

    Optional Activities

    • Excursion to Szentendre (extra expense)
    Landmarks/POIs
    Váci Utca Street
    Budapest Christmas Market
  3. Day 3

    Bratislava

    The ship arrives in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital. You can choose between a walking tour of the Old City (visiting the Town Hall and the Gothic Cathedral of St Martin) or an active guided hike up to Bratislava Castle. The Christmas markets are set up around the city centre if you want to check those out.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Walking tour of Bratislava
    • Local Slovakian entertainment on board
    • Christmas traditions in Europe on board presentation

    Optional Activities

    • Active guided hike to Bratislava Castle
    Landmarks/POIs
    Bratislava Old City
    Town Hall
    Mirbach Palace
    Cathedral of St Martin
    Bratislava Castle
    Main Square
    Hviezdoslav Square
    Eurovea shopping centre
  4. Day 4

    Vienna

    Vienna's up next. A drive along the Ringstrasse shows you the Opera House, Burgtheater, Town Hall, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Hofburg Imperial Palace. You'll have plenty of free time to browse the Christmas markets and try local festive treats. An optional Viennese concert is available if you want something cultural in the evening.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Vienna

    Optional Activities

    • Visit to Schönbrunn Palace (extra expense)
    • Viennese evening concert (extra expense)
    Landmarks/POIs
    Ringstrasse
    Vienna State Opera House
    Burgtheater
    Vienna City Hall
    St. Stephen's Cathedral
    Hofburg Imperial Palace
    Schönbrunn Palace
    Vienna Christmas Markets
  5. Day 5

    Vienna to Airport

    After breakfast, you'll leave the Star-Ship and transfer to the airport for your flight home or onward, taking the memories from your time on the Danube with you.

    Meals
    Breakfast
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Operated by

Emerald Cruises

Number of tours

566

Age Range

12 to 90 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

84%

There’s nothing quite like an Emerald Waterways river cruise. From Europe to...

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Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Emerald Cruises Ship

Customer Reviews

  • KD
    · November 25th, 2023
    Would not recommend to a single person. Two days in a row the tours we booked were cancelled. Both trips were in my top three reasons to take this cruise, so am extremely angry. Furthermore, the trip to the Bavarian Forest was cancelled on the basis of A SINGLE PART of the tour being closed. The woman in charge of the activities on the Emerald Destiny should be fired over her handling of that situation. Additionally, none of the Christmas markets, the main advertised feature of the cruise, were open! The food was also awful. Would give 0 stars if I could.
    Show more
    Trip date: November 2023

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Upcoming departures
Hurry, deals only available for a limited time!
Ends on 12 Nov, 2025
  • -60%
    From Friday
    28 Nov, 2025
    To Tuesday
    2 Dec, 2025
    English
    From:
    $16,820
    NZ $6,656 per person
    Multiple Room Types
  • -50%
    From Tuesday
    24 Nov, 2026
    To Saturday
    28 Nov, 2026
    English
    From:
    $9,980
    NZ $4,990 per person
    Multiple Room Types
Want to read it later?

Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

Why book with TourRadar?

    • Trusted and vetted operators
    • Rated excellent on
    • Best price guarantee
    • 24/7 customer support
    • Earn $50 in travel credits
    • Free eSim with every purchase

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More benefits
Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Emerald Cruises with your enquiry, they usually respond within 2 days.
From
$9,980
-50%
NZ $4,990 per person

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Select Date

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Save and compare this adventure

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 200814

  • Currencies
    Euro
    Austria
    Ft
    Forint
    Hungary
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

    Type C
    Hungary and Slovakia
    Type E
    Hungary and Slovakia
    Type F
    Hungary and Slovakia
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. Ideally 6 months before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Hungary and Slovakia. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Hungary and Slovakia. Ideally 2 months before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before February 7th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after February 7th, 2026, a minimum payment of $1,000 is required to confirm your booking with Emerald Cruises. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 95 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Emerald Cruises" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec