Compare Grand European Tour by Viking River Cruises vs Christmas in Central Europe, Berlin to Vienna by G Adventures
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Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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Duration | 15 days | 7 days |
Price From | $ 4,899 | $ 1,849 |
Price Per Day | $ 327 | $ 264 |
Highlights |
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Trip Style | River cruise | Small group tour |
Lodging Level | Premium | Standard |
Physical Level |
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Travel Themes |
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Countries Visited | ||
Cities and Attractions |
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Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
Activities |
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Meals Included |
14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches and 14 Dinners |
6 breakfasts, 1 dinner |
Description |
Travel through the heart of Europe Admire Rhine Valley vistas from a 900-year-old castle. Sample the food and wine of Austria’s Wachau Valley. Learn the Viennese waltz and linger in Budapest’s Café Gerbeaud. Indulge all your senses on this 15-day journey spanning the best of Europe. Our most iconic itinerary traces the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers between the windmill-dotted waterways of Holland and the stunning landscapes of Hungary, with engaging encounters at every bend. |
Europe is filled with timeless cities — but there is one time of year where some of them really twinkle, sparkle, and shine: the holidays. On this seven-day adventure, you’ll tour the historic Christmas markets of not one but five different destinations. You’ll sip some warm Glühwein as you wander through Gendarmenmarkt square in Berlin, travel by train to Nuremberg, search for handmade ornaments in Munich, visit local Christmas markets just outside of Salzburg, and get into the festive cheer while you walk through the Viennese Christmas markets. So dig out your best scarves and start practicing your Yuletide carols, because no one does Christmas quite like Europe. |
Day 1: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Meals: Dinner
Arrive in Amsterdam, then transfer to your ship.* After boarding, the afternoon is yours to relax or explore the city on your own. If your arrival schedule permits, you may wish to visit the Rijksmuseum, or the van Gogh Museum next door.
Day 2: Kinderdijk, The Netherlands
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning we sail to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a tour of this ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. You learn why the windmills were built and see how they work, plus you enter a working windmill for a tour of its mechanisms and living quarters. Return aboard for lunch and an enjoyable afternoon of Dutch diversions: sample handcrafted Dutch cheeses and jenever, a distilled juniper liquor, and try your hand at sjoelen (Dutch table shuffleboard). We cruise through the night.
Day 3: Cologne, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
You have a morning tour of Cologne, including a visit to the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After your tour, spend the rest of the day and evening exploring Cologne on your own: There are Roman ruins, interesting neighborhoods and wonderful museums like the Fragrance Museum and the Chocolate Museum. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Lunch and dinner are served aboard; we depart at midnight.
Day 4: Koblenz, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine, stopping in Koblenz to visit Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine fortress never destroyed. After your tour, continue cruising this stunning stretch of the Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pass the Lorelei Rock, which marks the river’s narrowest point and is named after the legendary Rhine maiden who lured sailors to their demise. Lunch and dinner are served aboard your ship.
Day 5: Miltenberg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
The morning is spent sailing along the beautiful Main River as it winds its way through the Spessart region, home of the actual Snow White. After lunch, we stop in Miltenberg, known for its half-timbered houses and Germany’s oldest inn. Join our walking tour that concludes with free time for you to explore. Back on your ship, learn about the region’s glassblowing traditions during a live demonstration. We sail through the night to Würzburg.
Day 6: Würzburg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, tour Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then enjoy scenic afternoon cruising. Or, instead of touring Würzburg, join an optional full-day journey along Germany’s “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg, which features a turreted city wall and impressive Gothic and baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship for dinner.
Day 7: Bamberg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Sail through the morning; after lunch we visit Bamberg, with its medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your walking tour includes a visit to the magnificent 11th-century cathedral, reworked in late Romanesque style in the 13th century, and the picturesque city hall built on a tiny island in the middle of a river. Take some free time to enjoy Bamberg and perhaps try some of the town’s distinctive smoke-flavored beer before returning aboard.
Day 8: Nuremberg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, disembark in Nuremberg and visit the ruins of Zeppelin Field, the Nazi parade grounds of the 1930s; then see the Palace of Justice, site of the infamous Nuremberg Trials. Spend free time exploring Nuremberg’s Old Town, or join an optional World War II tour that includes the illuminating Documentation Center Museum. We depart just before dinner.
Day 9: Regensburg, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Arrive in Regensburg midday. After lunch, tour this wonderfully preserved medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including structures dating back to Roman times. Discover many 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses and see the splendid St. Peter’s Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Würstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany’s oldest restaurant. Dinner is served aboard before our evening departure.
Day 10: Passau, Germany
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Arrive this morning in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Your guided walk along the town’s narrow streets takes you through Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. You’ll see the New Bishop’s Residence and visit the impressive baroque St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its ornate interior. Inside, you are treated to a special concert played on the 17,000-pipe organ, considered Europe’s largest church organ.† Enjoy lunch aboard your ship, and return to the city for further exploration on your own before departing. We cruise through the night.
†Passau organ concert is only available May 1-October 31 and is closed on Sunday.
Day 11: Melk, Austria
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, visit the abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria’s finest Italian baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship; cruise through the spectacular Wachau Valley this afternoon. Before dinner, you have time to explore the time-honored town of Krems and see the Steiner Tor, the last remaining city gate, or sample some local vintages from this famous wine-producing region.
Day 12: Vienna, Austria
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna. Ride along the Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. See some of the city’s baroque architecture, including the world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Or you may take an optional tour to Schönbrunn Palace, the “Versailles of Vienna,” erected in 1778 and graced by a number of formal gardens, Grecian statuary, the world’s oldest zoo and Roman ruins. After dinner, relax or enjoy an optional classical concert.
Day 13: Vienna, Austria
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy a day at leisure in Vienna. Perhaps see an unrivaled collection of Old Masters and other spectacular art treasures at the Museum of Fine Arts, or visit the Albertina, with the most valuable graphic arts collection in the world. Maybe ride the Riesenrad, the world’s oldest Ferris wheel, or go shopping for high-quality gifts inspired by the turn-of-the-century arts movement. A cup of coffee or tea and a slice of exquisite sächertorte are a must for any afternoon in Vienna. Later, rejoin your ship and sail for Budapest.
Day 14: Budapest, Hungary
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
The Danube River divides Hungary’s capital city into the once separate towns of Buda and Pest. Explore both sides, starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, walk along Castle Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship, with the rest of the day to explore on your own. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner.
Day 15: Budapest, Hungary
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 3 nights in Prague, Czech Republic, where you tour Old Town landmarks and Prague Castle.
Day 1 Berlin
Arrive at any time. After settling into your hotel, attend a welcome meeting with your CEO before enjoying a local dinner as a group.
Day 2 Berlin
Set out on an orientation walk with your CEO to get your bearings. See famous sights like the Berlin Wall Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, and the historical Museum Island. Enjoy a Bratwurst/Currywurst tasting and do some shopping in Alexanderplatz. End your day with visits to the Christmas markets in Gendarmenmarkt square. Search for handmade souvenirs to bring home, and choose to try Glühwein (mulled wine) to warm yourself up as you wander through the little stalls.
Day 3 Berlin/Munich
Travel by train to Nuremberg this morning to visit one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world and arguably the most famous. Make sure to try some Nuremberg Lebkuchen, a German cake or cookie that is similar to gingerbread, before wandering through this charming winter fairytale filled with wooden stalls, old-fashioned carousels, and if you’re lucky some lazy snowflakes. In the late afternoon, travel to Munich where you can enjoy more markets with your CEO and then take advantage of free time to explore Bavaria’s capital on your own.
Day 4 Munich/Salzburg
Enjoy some free time this morning to explore Munich on your own. View the streets from above with a climb up to the tower of Old St Peter’s Church, give ice skating a try at Karlsplatz, or join a curling match on the Nymphenburg Schlosskanal, which turns into Munich’s longest curling rink in the winter. Depart for Salzburg in the afternoon and stop at the Hellbrunner Christmas Market. This especially atmospheric Christmas Market has been held here for almost 20 years and features over 700 conifers decorated with red Christmas balls and lights immersing the area in a warm glow. In the evening, you’ll have a chance to visit more of Salzburg’s markets with your CEO and group.
Day 5 Salzburg/Vienna
In the morning choose to walk the historic squares and quaint little side streets of Salzburg Old town. Climb Festungsberg Hill to visit Hohensalzburg Castle, or check out the birthplace of Mozart and visit the museum there. Then, the group will depart for Vienna, stopping at some local Christmas markets en route. Once in Vienna take advantage of free time to get acquainted with the city. Opt to explore Schönbrunn Palace which is like the Versailles of Vienna, or climb to the top of St. Stephen’s cathedral in the centre of the city for unparalleled views. In the evening, opt to go for dinner as a group and continue experiencing the capital of Austria.
Day 6 Vienna
It’s all about Vienna today. Set out on a CEO led orientation walk around the city. Then, take a break and indulge in some coffee and cake in one of the famous Viennese coffee houses. In the afternoon, wander around Vienna’s Christmas markets with your CEO and sip a warm mug of Glühwein for one last chance to experience the lively atmosphere of this European holiday tradition. The rest of the day is yours. Choose to visit famous landmarks in the city like, The Vienna State Opera House, Belvedere Palace, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, or Vienna City Hall.
Day 7 Vienna
Depart at any time.