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Who is travelling?

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Christmas on the Elbe

7 days
•
From Berlin to Dresden
4.3
459 traveler reviews
  • The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with a large Christmas tree and snow falling.
  • View all
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Plan your adventure:
Platinum Operator
CroisiEurope River Cruises
River Cruise
Scenic waterways and effortless exploration
Group Tour
Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 30 - 160
All Ages Welcome
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Embarkation

    You'll board the MS Elbe Princess at 6:00 p.m. and get settled into your cabin. Before dinner, there's a welcome cocktail where you'll meet the captain and crew.

    Meals
    Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Welcome cocktail and crew introduction
    • Dinner
  2. Day 2

    Sanssouci Park - Magdeburg

    This morning you'll tour Berlin's main sites and check out the Christmas market. After lunch, head to the New Palace in Sanssouci Park to see the ornate Marble Hall, Grotto Hall, Concert Hall, and Palace Theater. The boat picks you up from Nedlitz and continues toward Magdeburg through the afternoon.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Berlin
    • Berlin Christmas market visit
    • Visit to New Palace at Sanssouci Park
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    Landmarks/POIs
    New Palace
    Sanssouci Park
  3. Day 3

    Magdeburg

    The morning is spent cruising the river. In the afternoon, you'll take a guided tour of Magdeburg with free time to walk around the local Christmas market before heading back to the ship for dinner.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Morning river cruise
    • Guided tour of Magdeburg
    • Visit to Magdeburg Christmas market
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    Landmarks/POIs
    Magdeburg
  4. Day 4

    Meissen

    You'll visit Lutherstadt Wittenberg to walk through the city center and see the Renaissance-style houses. After returning to the ship, you'll cruise toward Meissen. Tonight there's a gala dinner on board as the ship travels through the night.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Gala dinner and evening)

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Lutherstadt Wittenberg
    • Visit to Wittenberg city center
    • Cruising to Meissen
    • Gala dinner and evening
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    Landmarks/POIs
    Lutherstadt Wittenberg
  5. Day 5

    Dresden

    A guided tour of Meissen shows you the city's famous porcelain production. You'll have time to browse the Christmas market in the old town, then head back to the ship for an afternoon cruise to Dresden. Christmas Eve dinner is on board, followed by Midnight Mass in Dresden.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Christmas Eve dinner including wine)

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Meissen
    • Visit to Meissen Christmas market
    • Cruising to Dresden
    • Christmas Eve dinner with wine
    • Midnight Mass in Dresden
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    Landmarks/POIs
    Meissen
  6. Day 6

    Dresden

    If you'd like, attend Christmas Day services at the Dresden Frauenkirche. The afternoon brings a guided walking tour of Dresden. Tonight you'll hear a symphony of Johann Sebastian Bach's music performed at the Frauenkirche.

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Included Activities

    • Christmas Day services at Dresden Frauenkirche (optional attendance)
    • Guided walking tour of Dresden
    • Concert - Symphony of Johann Sebastian Bach at Dresden Frauenkirche
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    Landmarks/POIs
    Dresden Frauenkirche
  7. Day 7

    Disembarkation

    Enjoy your final breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. The tour ends here.

    Meals
    Breakfast (Buffet breakfast)

    Included Activities

    • Buffet 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

CroisiEurope River Cruises

4.3
(459 reviews)
This operator has the highest review ratings and fastest responses to enquiries

Number of tours

575

Age Range

1 to 99 years old

Response time

within 1 day

Response rate

80%

When river cruising was a privilege for the wealthy, CroisiEurope developed...

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Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Supporting Destinations

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

CroisiEurope River Cruises Ship

Customer Reviews

  • Glen
    · September 27th, 2025
    Our cruise on MS Symphonie was excellent. The boat and our cabin in particular were comfortable and well equipped. The food was very good, tasty, beautifully prepared and presented, with well-sized portions, and a wide variety of French cuisine including many regional specialities. The included wines were varied, delicious and demonstrated an interesting range of French varieties. The range of the other drinks on offer was also very satisfactory. We did not feel it was necessary to try any of the paid drinks but it was nice to know they were available. Service was excellent in all categories: efficient and friendly. We only took two of the optional excursions (Strasbourg and Colmar) and both were well organised and very interesting. We would happily take another cruise with CroisiEurope.
    Show more
  • Wilma
    · September 27th, 2025
    Very good , we enjoyed the food/ drinks well organized tours, love the excursion, especially the train to Switzerland Alps.
    Show more
  • Toni
    · August 5th, 2025
    great experience no tours in English, the staff in charge of entertainment, especially Thomas and Quinteria(not sure of spelling) were extremely helpful.
    Show more

What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • D

    Darren

    Asked on October 19th, 2023

    Mother and son traveling. We'd need two rooms. son works until 12/22. Could he join on the 23rd.

    Accommodation
    Travel Support
    • CroisiEurope River CruisesOperator•Written October 2023

      We have reached out to the operator to see if your son can join on the 23rd Dec 2023. The operator has advised that it would be possible for the second passenger to board the ship on Day 4 in Wittenberg - in the morning. However, river cruise schedules are always subject to change due to the weather, water levels, etc.

  • M

    Maria

    Asked on August 22nd, 2023

    I would like to book Christmas on the Elbe, from Dec. 20 to 26, but for THIS YEAR, not for 2024. is there any availability?

    Price / Availability
    Tour Details
    • CroisiEurope River CruisesOperator•Written August 2023

      For this cruise here, there are no dates in December 2024. However, we do have many amazing cruises on the Elbe in December 2023.

  • E

    Emily

    Asked on January 1st, 2023

    Do people get seasick on the trip?

    Travel Support
    • CroisiEurope River CruisesOperator•Written January 2023

      Your chances of getting motion sickness on river cruises is much smaller because there's less motion. On the rivers, you're not dealing with ocean waves and currents. But for most rivers in the US and Europe, the motion felt on the boats is significantly reduced.

  • J

    Jeremy

    Asked on November 6th, 2022

    Interested Departure Date: Tuesday 20 December, 2022

    Tour Details
    • CroisiEurope River CruisesOperator•Written November 2022

      Cabin category A on the Main Deck is completely sold out. We have quoted pricing in cabin category B on the main deck. The price is USD $2202 for 1 traveller in a 1 x 2 adjustable Twin Beds Cabin Category B(14 m², high opening window) located on the main deck onboard the MS Elbe Princesse departing on 20 Dec, 2022.

Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at CroisiEurope River Cruises with your enquiry, they usually respond within 1 day.

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 97103

  • Currency
    €
    Euro
    Germany
  • Plugs & Adapters

  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Germany. 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 March 4th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after March 4th, 2026, a minimum payment of 30% is required to confirm your booking with CroisiEurope River 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 120 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 "CroisiEurope River 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.
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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