Christmastime from Basel to Vienna 2025

16 days
•
From Basel to Vienna
4.6
234 traveler reviews
  • St. Stephen's Cathedral under a blue sky.
  • Schonbrunn Palace and gardens with cityscape in the background.
  • Aerial view of a small town with river and countryside.
  • Melk Abbey against a clear sky.
  • Scenic view of a town along a river with docked cruise ships.
    View all
  • Colorful aerial view of Passau, Germany.
  • Night view of Frauenkirche in Nuremberg with illuminated city square.
  • A historic castle with half-timbered houses in Nuremberg.
  • Aerial view of Bamberg, Germany with the cathedral.
  • Aerial view of Bamberg Cathedral and surrounding architecture.
    View all

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Plan your adventure:
Gold Operator
Avalon Waterways
River Cruise
Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Group Tour
Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 160
Ages 8+

Places You’ll See

  • Breisach
    Breisach
  • Speyer
    Speyer
  • Heidelberg
    Heidelberg
  • Frankfurt-am-Main
    Frankfurt-am-Main
  • Wurzburg
    Wurzburg
  • Nuremberg
    Nuremberg
  • Regensburg
    Regensburg
  • Passau
    Passau
  • Melk
    Melk
  • Wachau
    Wachau
  • Vienna
    Vienna
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Explore medieval Freiburg and the Black Forest
  • Discover Strasbourg's Gothic cathedral and markets
  • Tour Heidelberg Castle and Christmas markets
  • Experience the Mechanical Music Museum in Rüdesheim
  • Enjoy festive treats and crafts in Nuremberg

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
  2. Day 2 BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
  3. Day 3 STRASBOURG, FRANCE
  4. Day 4 SPEYER, GERMANY. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION
  5. Day 5 FRANKFURT. EXCURSION TO RUDESHEIM
  6. Day 6 MAIN RIVER VILLAGE
  7. Day 7 WÜRZBURG
  8. Day 8 BAMBERG
  9. Day 9 NUREMBERG
  10. Day 10 NUREMBERG (DISEMBARKATION). EXCURSION TO MUNICH (EMBARKATION)
  11. Day 11 NUREMBERG
  12. Day 12 REGENSBURG
  13. Day 13 PASSAU
  14. Day 14 MELK, AUSTRIA
  15. Day 15 VIENNA
  16. Day 16 VIENNA (DISEMBARKATION)
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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

Avalon Waterways

4.6
(234 reviews)
This operator has high review ratings and responds promptly to enquiries

Number of tours

550

Age Range

8 to 99 years old

Response time

within 1 day

Response rate

70%

Introduced in 2003, Avalon Waterways sets the standard in river and...

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Julie
    · August 7th, 2025
    Unforgettable, stress-free trip.
    Show more
  • Klaus
    · July 28th, 2024
    ship was excellent, food and drinks were great, adventures perfectly organized,all crew members were extremely friendly and helpful. One person was outstanding and needs to be mentioned: our cruise director GAYLE. She was just outstanding and the best we ever experienced.
    Show more
  • Laurence
    · June 18th, 2024
    Although we did not actually do the river cruise because of high water levels, we were taken on excursions by coach.
    Show more
Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Avalon Waterways with your enquiry, they usually respond within 1 day.

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 254042

  • Currencies
    €
    Euro
    Austria, France and Germany
    Fr.
    Swiss Franc
    Switzerland
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand you will need an adaptor for type J.

    Type J
    Switzerland
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Ideally 6 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 December 22nd, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after December 22nd, 2025, a minimum payment of $750 is required to confirm your booking with Avalon Waterways. 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 "Avalon Waterways" 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.
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