The Danube gets dark before four in Budapest, and Budapest, Bratislava, Linz, Passau and Regensburg all have their markets a short walk from the ship, which makes it the easiest river for seeing Christmas markets lit up. Vienna and Nuremberg are the hard ones, and the week you sail decides whether the Wachau's little weekend markets are open at all.
Six Danube sailings worth booking, each for a different reason. We rechecked every fare on the line's own site on 3 November 2026 where it would show one, and the ones we couldn't recheck say so.
$3,799 for 7 nights
Danube Christmas DelightsPassau to Budapest, 29 Nov – 6 Dec
Seven in ten of Viking's 102 Passau calls this season give you an evening in port, and every market on this route is open the day the ship gets there. When we checked Viking's site on 3 November, this was the only one of its 2026 Christmas sailings still on sale, so don't sit on it.
€534 for 4 nights
Donau AdventszeitPassau round trip, 14–18 Dec
The cheapest Danube Christmas sailing we found, with Vienna from 14:00 to midnight, Melk until 21:00 and Linz until 19:30, all published on A-ROSA's own site. The catch is the Wachau, where Dürnstein's market has finished by the 16th and Melk only has some huts open midweek.
$3,647 in October
Christmastime on the DanubeNuremberg to Vienna, 4–10 Dec
It starts with a night docked in Nuremberg, so you get the Christkindlesmarkt after dark before you've unpacked, and it ends with two nights in Vienna. The canal port is 8 km from the market, so budget for taxis. Avalon's site blocked our price check on 3 November.
€4,449 for 7 nights
Danube Holiday MarketsBudapest to Passau, 16–23 Dec
Tips, excursions, an open bar and transfers are in the fare, and seven of Uniworld's eight Passau calls this season give you an evening. This late departure reaches Passau on the market's last day, so don't save your shopping for the end.
£949 for 4 nights
The Danube and its traditionsVienna round trip, 10–14 Dec
Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava from a Vienna round trip, with a market excursion in each and drinks included on board. It runs on eight dates from 29 November, and the brochure fare is for its premium ship.
£4,766 for 14 nights
Christmas MarketsBudapest to Amsterdam, 25 Nov – 9 Dec
Two weeks from Budapest up the Danube, through the canal to Nuremberg and Bamberg and down the Rhine, and every dated market on the way is open the day it calls. Wertheim is the only stop we have no dates for, and UK fares include flights.
Sold out for 2026. Viking's 13 December Danube Christmas Delights from Budapest to Passau was sold out on Viking's site on 3 November, like every other 2026 date on the route except the one above. The route runs 32 times in 2027 from $2,999, and the dates are on our Viking Christmas market cruise page.
Every market a Danube Christmas sailing stops at, from Nuremberg down to Budapest, with CW's 2026 dates. Dark to close runs from sunset on 12 December to the market's weekday closing time, which is the window you want your ship to stay for.
| Market | 2026 dates | Dark to close | From the ship | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NurembergMain-Danube Canal | 27 Nov – 24 Dec | 16:17–21:00Daily 10:00–21:00 | 8 km from the canal port, a taxi is about €24 | The most famous market in Germany and the worst served by ships. A sailing that docks overnight is the way to see it lit up. |
| RegensburgDanube | 19 Nov – 23 Dec | 16:15–21:00Neupfarrplatz from 10:00, castle market to 21:00 | 12 min on foot from Donaulände | Several markets in a compact old town, and the castle courtyard market at Thurn und Taxis is the one to see after dark. |
| PassauDanube | 24 Nov – 22 Dec | 16:11Sunset. Hours not in our data yet | About 10 min from the old-town quays, 47 min from the Lindau berths | One market on the cathedral square. It closes on 22 December, which catches out the last sailings before Christmas. |
| LinzDanube | 21 Nov – 24 Dec | 16:09–19:00Stalls open at least 11:00–19:00 | 6 min on foot to Hauptplatz | Two markets, Hauptplatz and the bigger Volksgarten. It's often the stop for the Salzburg coach trip, so you'll usually pick one or the other. |
| SalzburgCoach trip | 19 Nov – 1 Jan, Sternadvent to 6 Jan | 16:16–20:30Mon–Thu 10:00–20:30, Fri–Sat to 21:00 | About two hours each way by coach from Linz or Passau | The prettiest setting on the trip, below the fortress, but it costs four hours on a coach. Worth it if Salzburg is the reason you're going. |
| MelkDanube, Wachau | 27 Nov – 20 Dec | 16:05–21:00Fri–Sun 13:00–21:00, some huts midweek | Dock not confirmed | A small weekend market below the abbey. Midweek you'll find only a few huts open. |
| DürnsteinDanube, Wachau | Four short runs, the last 11–13 Dec | 16:03Sunset. Hours not in our data yet | Dock not confirmed | A tiny village market that only opens on four short runs. Most sailings land on a closed day, and from 14 December it's over. |
| KremsDanube, Wachau | 19 Nov – 23 Dec | 16:03Sunset. Craft market 10:00–19:00 on three weekends | Dock not confirmed | About 30 mulled-wine stands across the old-town squares, plus a craft market in the Dominikanerkirche on three weekends. |
| ViennaDanube | Rathausplatz 13 Nov – 26 Dec, some to 6 Jan | 16:01–22:00Rathausplatz 10:00–22:00, most others to 21:00 | 48 min on foot to Stephansplatz from Handelskai, so take the U1 | The biggest market city on the river. Rathausplatz is the famous one and Schönbrunn the calmer one, and both are a metro ride from the ship. |
| BratislavaDanube | 26 Nov – 3 Jan, closed 24–25 Dec | 15:58–22:00Daily 10:00–22:00 | 7 min on foot from the HUMA 3 pier | Small and right by the river. One of the best market evenings on the Danube when your ship stays. |
| BudapestDanube | 13 Nov – 1 Jan, Castle Hill to 3 Jan | 15:53–21:0011:00 to 21:00 or 22:00, later at weekends | 9 min on foot from Belgrád rakpart, 46 from Garam utca | Vörösmarty tér and the Basilica market, with the best food on the river. Give it a full evening at the start or the end. |
Dates and hours are from CW's market data, checked against the organisers in October and November 2026. Sunset times are for 12 December.
Every bulb is a day of the sailing. Gold means the market at that stop is open that day, red means it isn't, and dark means there's no market to speak of. Open any sailing for port times, where the ship really docks and how far it is to the stalls.
Scenic · Scenic river ship
Budapest to Amsterdam · 25 Nov – 9 Dec · 14 nights · from £4,766 per person with UK flights, checked 3 November 2026
Embark
Disembark
Scenic sells this route in both directions on 24 and 25 November, so check you're booking Budapest to Amsterdam. Its own day list gives the ports but not the times.
Uniworld · S.S. Maria Theresa
Budapest to Passau · 16–23 Dec · 7 nights · from €4,449 per person, checked 3 November 2026
Embark
Market tour
Tour, then the market after dinner
Museum in the morning, then the market
Krems in the morning
Salzburg full day
Market tour on the market's last day
Disembark
That's Uniworld's lowest fare across its four 2026 departures, priced on the 25 November one.
Viking · Viking Aegir
Budapest to Passau · 13–20 Dec · 7 nights · $3,299 per person, sold out on Viking's site, checked 3 November 2026
Port times are from the same sailing in December 2025. Viking publishes them only with your documents. Viking's site showed this departure sold out on 3 November 2026, like every other 2026 date on this route except 29 November from Passau to Budapest, from $3,799.
Board mid-afternoon
Back on board 20:30
14:00–22:30
06:00–23:45
07:30–14:00
Back on board 22:30
08:00–21:30
Disembark
Viking doesn't publish port times. The 16 Dec departure swaps Krems for a day sailing the Wachau.
Tauck · ms Joy
Vienna to Nuremberg · 1–8 Dec · 7 nights · from $8,580 per person in October, not rechecked
Starts late afternoon, with an evening at the lit-up markets
Full day with shuttles, sails after dinner
Melk in the morning, Linz by evening
Salzburg full day
Back on board in the afternoon
Tour after docking
Tour ends
Emerald · Emerald Dawn
Budapest to Passau · 9–16 Dec · 7 nights · booked out on Emerald's US site, checked 3 November 2026
Embark, free time after boarding
City tour, free time at the market
Optional evening concert
Optional Salzburg
Disembark, flights from Munich after 1 pm
Emerald's other Danube Christmas departures were on sale from $3,993 to $6,490 per person on 3 November, and some of them run Munich to Budapest instead.
Avalon Waterways · Avalon Visionary
Nuremberg to Vienna · 4–10 Dec · 6 nights · from $3,647 per person in October, not rechecked
The Passau port register has Avalon Visionary in port 14:00–18:00 on 1 December. Avalon's site blocked our check on 3 November 2026, so the price is October's, from a booking site.
On board by 5 pm, docked overnight
Day ashore, sails in the evening
Day ashore
Day ashore, optional Salzburg
Melk in the morning, Vienna by evening, docked overnight
Docked overnight
Disembark after breakfast
Scenic · Scenic river ship
Munich to Budapest · 16–23 Dec · 7 nights · from £3,129 per person with UK flights, checked 3 November 2026
Fly into Munich, board in Regensburg
Disembark
The cheapest Scenic Danube departure on 3 November. Dürnstein's market has finished by the 19th, but Melk is on a Saturday, its last weekend. The 7 December departure (from £3,646) catches Melk midweek and Dürnstein between its runs.
CroisiEurope · Premium ship
Vienna round trip · 10–14 Dec · 4 nights · from £949 per person in CroisiEurope's 2026 brochure, checked 3 November 2026
Boarding 18:00
Market excursion, then on to Budapest
Market excursion and free time
Market excursion, gala dinner
Off at 09:00
Three capitals in four nights. It also leaves on 29 November and 2, 3, 7, 11, 14 and 15 December, and the brochure price is for its premium ship.
A-ROSA · A-ROSA BELLA
Passau round trip · 14–18 Dec · 4 nights · from €534 per person, checked 3 November 2026
Sails 16:00
14:00–23:59
Dürnstein 07:00–12:00, Melk 15:00–21:00
07:00–19:30
Arrives in the morning
The cheapest departures of the season are the last ones before Christmas.
APT · APT Solara
Budapest to Amsterdam · 18 Dec – 2 Jan · 15 nights · from $9,801 per person in October, not rechecked
Embark
Evening palace concert
Linz or Salzburg trip
New Year's Eve
Tour ends
This is a Christmas and New Year sailing, so most of its markets have closed by the time it reaches them.
No sailings match. Try another week or direction.
Pick a Danube port and the day you're there. We'll tell you whether its market is open and how far it is from the dock.
Each bulb below is one day. The brighter it glows, the more of the 11 Danube and canal markets on these sailings are open. Tap any day to see what's trading.
From Friday 27 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026. Sail inside those dates and the only stops left to match are the Wachau's weekend markets in Melk and Dürnstein.
11of 11 Danube markets open
Every Danube market on these sailings is open. Any port day on this date lands on a working market.
Nuremberg is the last to open, on Friday 27 November, and Passau the first to close, on Tuesday 22 December. Between those dates every big Danube market is trading.
Before 27 November you'll find gaps. On 22 November, for example, Bratislava, Passau and Nuremberg haven't opened yet, and neither has Melk.
The Wachau runs on weekends. Dürnstein opens on four short runs, the last from 11 to 13 December, and Melk only fully opens Friday to Sunday until 20 December. Krems' craft market in the Dominikanerkirche keeps to three weekends too.
Christmas week is a different trip. Budapest, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Nuremberg open with short hours on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day only Budapest, Salzburg and some of Vienna's markets are trading, so check which markets are open on your sailing dates.
Most Danube Christmas sailings run between Budapest and Passau or Nuremberg in both directions. The direction decides where your first and last evenings are and how long the ship stays in each port.
UpstreamUpstream from Budapest is the classic. You start with Budapest's markets and work up to Passau or Nuremberg. The catch is the end of the line. Passau closes on 22 December, so the last departures before Christmas reach it on its final day or after it's gone.
Direction changes the clock too. In Passau's port register the same Viking ship stays until 18:00 on one call and leaves at 15:30 three days later going the other way.
✓ Our pick for a first Danube cruiseDownstreamDownstream ends where the food is best. Avalon starts with a night docked in Nuremberg and finishes with two nights in Vienna, and Scenic's 16 December departure finishes in Budapest, whose markets keep going after the German ones have shut.
The trade-off is the start. Nuremberg's canal port is 8 km from the Hauptmarkt, so your first evening needs a taxi or the U1.
A-ROSA loops from Passau to Vienna, the Wachau and Linz from €534, and CroisiEurope loops from Vienna to Budapest and Bratislava from £949. Four nights covers three or four markets, which is plenty if you'd rather spend the rest of the week on land in Vienna or Budapest.
Markets are at their best after dark, and on the Danube dark comes early. On 12 December the sun sets at 15:53 in Budapest and 16:17 in Nuremberg, half an hour before the Rhine. What decides your evenings is how long the ship stays.
Passau's port register lists every ship booked in from 20 November to 23 December 2026, all 374 calls. Half of them give you at least an hour in port after 16:30. The other half leave before the lights matter.
Share of each line's Passau calls with at least an hour in port between 16:30 and 21:00. Stadtwerke Passau berth schedule, November and December 2026, as of 21 October.
Two hours of lit-up market one way. None the other.
An evening by the cathedral, or a morning coffee before the stalls are even open.
Ask for port times before you pay. Lines have them months ahead even when the website doesn't, and the direction you sail can turn a lunchtime stop into an evening one. If they won't say, ask what time the last coach or shuttle goes back to the ship.
Two of the best markets on a Danube sailing aren't on the Danube. Nuremberg sits on the Main-Danube Canal and Salzburg is a coach ride inland, and the Wachau's small markets keep their own calendar.
The Christkindlesmarkt runs 27 November to 24 December, and the canal port is 8 km away. Take a taxi, about €24, or bus 60 and the U1. Avalon starts with a night docked here and Tauck finishes here, so both give you an evening.
Twelve minutes' walk from Donaulände, with markets on Neupfarrplatz from 10:00 and in the Thurn und Taxis castle courtyard from 15:00 on weekdays. Scenic's Danube sailing spends two days here.
A coach day from Linz or Passau, about two hours each way. The market below the fortress runs to New Year's Day and opens on Christmas Eve until 15:00, which makes it the one Christmas-week stop that still works.
Fully open Friday to Sunday, 13:00–21:00, until 20 December, with only some huts on weekdays. A Saturday call is the one to hope for.
Four short runs, 20–22 November, 27–29 November, 4–8 December and 11–13 December. Any other day and you're looking at a closed village market.
Scenic's two-week sailing carries on through the canal to Bamberg, Würzburg and the Main. Bamberg's ships tie up in the industrial port, while Würzburg's market is six minutes from the Alter Kranen berths.
The walk from the berth each line names to the main market square. Five of the seven are under 15 minutes, so on most Danube evenings you can wander back at dusk on your own.
Ships moor at Handelskai, 48 minutes' walk from Stephansplatz. Walk 10 minutes to Vorgartenstraße and the U1 gets you there in under 25.
From the old-town quays it's about 10 minutes to the market. The Lindau berths are 47 minutes out.
Belgrád rakpart is 9 minutes from the market. The Garam utca pier is 46, so check which one your line uses.
For most people, Viking's Danube Christmas Delights. Seven in ten of Viking's Passau calls this season give you an evening in port, but on 3 November the only 2026 date still on sale was 29 November from Passau to Budapest, at $3,799. The route runs 32 times in 2027 from $2,999.
For less money, A-ROSA's four-night loop from Passau starts at €534.
Vienna, Budapest and Nuremberg are the big three, with Salzburg as a coach trip and Bratislava, Regensburg and Passau as the easy evening stops.
Budapest, Bratislava, Linz, Passau and Regensburg are all within 12 minutes' walk of the ship, while Vienna and Nuremberg need the metro or a taxi.
Between 27 November and 22 December, when every full-season Danube market is open.
For the Wachau too, look for a sailing that reaches Dürnstein on 27–29 November, 4–8 December or 11–13 December, and Melk on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
From €534 per person for four nights on A-ROSA and £949 on CroisiEurope's Vienna loop. Seven nights runs from £3,129 with Scenic including UK flights to €4,449 with Uniworld, whose fare includes tips, drinks and excursions, and $3,799 for the one Viking sailing still on sale.
Those were checked on the lines' own sites and brochures on 3 November 2026.
Yes, as a coach excursion from Linz or Passau, about two hours each way. Uniworld, Tauck, Emerald, Avalon and APT include or offer it on these sailings.
It's a lovely market, but it costs most of a day, and Linz's own market is six minutes from the ship.
Probably, though not every night. Passau's port register shows that half of this season's 374 ship calls give you at least an hour in port after 16:30.
Emerald, Uniworld and Viking do best there, and A-ROSA publishes evening stays in Vienna, Melk and Linz.
The Danube if you want more markets after dark and shorter walks, the Rhine if you want to see as many markets as possible in a week.
Our Rhine Christmas market cruises page checks every Rhine sailing the same way.
Yes. Avalon sails from Nuremberg to Vienna on 4 December with a first night docked there, and Tauck finishes in Nuremberg on its sailing from Vienna. Scenic's Danube sailing starts nearby in Regensburg, with flights into Munich.
Some are, with short hours. Budapest, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Nuremberg trade on 24 December, while Passau, Regensburg, Bratislava and Krems have closed.
On Christmas Day only Budapest, Salzburg and some of Vienna's markets are open.
Sleep in the old towns and you're at the stalls every evening. These are the fastest checked times in CW's rail data, and our trip planner strings them together. Passau is the one market a ship does better, because until 12 December the line from Regensburg is closed for rebuilding and the trip takes about four hours.
Until 12 December engineering works slow both legs, to 1 h 43 and 1 h 42, so build in time. Regensburg is 51 minutes from Nuremberg in the normal timetable.
Direct Railjets from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to Wien Hbf, so Salzburg gets a whole evening instead of a coach excursion.
Bratislava is under an hour from Vienna with about 24 direct trains a day, and Budapest is 2 h 23 further on.
Every confirmed 2026 opening date and Christmas-week hours in one email. Once a season, no drip.