CLASSIC CHRISTMAS MARKETS
RIVER DUCHESS
EXPERIENCE THE QUINTESSENTIAL MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS
Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.
Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air.
Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit.
*Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
INCLUSIVE UNIWORLD EXPERT EXPERIENCES
Do as the locals do
Experience life like a local, from riding the subway to stopping at a café for a local treat.
Village Day
Get an in-depth look into the quaint destinations you will visit and the local people who bring them to life.
Nights Out
Private after-hours tours of popular attractions and fun local nightlife experiences.
8 DAYS 7 NIGHTS NUREMBERG TO FRANKFURT
Arrive at Nuremberg International Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship.
For a holiday extravaganza, look no further than Nuremberg, which boasts the largest and grandest Christmas Market in all of Germany— and that’s really saying something. The “Gingerbread Capital of the World” pulls out all the stops during the holidays, as you’ll see for yourself on a panoramic tour guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. You could not ask for a more perfect place to begin an exploration of Christmas traditions than Nuremberg. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas Market in Germany.
A special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions
Nuremberg City Tour with Christmas Market
Beautiful at any time, Nuremberg’s Old Town is especially magical when dressed in all of its holiday splendor. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas market in Germany. Two hundred stalls filled with holiday wares—ornaments, nutcrackers, seasonal treats, and hand-carved toys—await you, and the irresistible aromas of roasting nuts, cinnamon, and grilled sausages waft through the air.
Adding to the fun is an area set aside especially for children, complete with a two-tiered carousel featuring carved reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. As you wander through the market, you will certainly want to indulge in some of the city’s famous gingerbread; after all, Nuremberg is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.”
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
Nights Out: Christmas Market Illuminations
You’ve seen Europe’s most iconic Christmas Market by day, now it’s time to appreciate it by night. After dinner, bundle up and head off ship to browse the endless rows of stalls peddling handcrafted goods and seasonal treats, grab a hot mulled wine to watch the steam curl in the crisp night air, and admire the way the twinkling lights decorating the market bring the whole scene to life.
Masterpiece Collection:
Nuremberg WWII Historical Tour
Hitler considered Nuremberg the perfect expression of German culture and chose it as the location for his massive rallies and most grandiose building schemes. Visit the Party Rally Grounds and the Documentation Center’s exhibit on the rise and fall of the Nazis, and see the Nuremberg Memoriam, which gives you a view of Courtroom 600, where 21 Nazi war criminals were tried in 1945-it remains an active courtroom and cannot be viewed during court proceedings, though the displays, including pieces of the original dock, can be seen.
Duration: 4 hours
Activity Level: Intermediate
Price: USD$90 pre-purchase, EUR€80 onboard
*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.
The fact that Bamberg still exists today is something of a miracle—it survived WWII bombing virtually unscathed. It’s a superb example of a medieval German city, one compact enough to explore on foot with a local expert. You’ll also have free time to visit not just one but four Christmas Markets and a captivating amount of nativity scenes located along nativity trail.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
Bamberg Walking Tour with Christmas Market
The entire heart of historic Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is yours to explore today. In the splendid late-Romanesque Imperial Cathedral you will find the only papal tomb in Germany, that of Pope Clement II (who was the bishop of Bamberg before he became pope), as well as the tomb of Emperor Henry II (who established the bishopric). Near it are two magnificent palaces: The Old Palace, the late-Gothic imperial residence (if you saw the 2011 3-D version of The Three Musketeers, you’ll recognize it immediately), sits across from the New Residence, where the 17th-century prince-bishops lived. Cross the footbridge to the old Town Hall; legend has it that the bishop refused to give the town land for their town hall, so they built an artificial island for it smack in the middle of the Regnitz River. You’ll also see parts of Bamberg’s famous Nativity Walk, which links 35 churches, museums, and public spaces that display Nativity scenes; some made hundreds of years ago.
When the tour concludes, you’ll have time to explore Bamberg’s Christmas Market, which is actually four markets: the traditional one on the Market Square, one featuring medieval cultural programs, and two markets that focus on local arts and crafts. Shuttles will be provided throughout the afternoon to take you between the ship and town.
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
Masterpiece Collection:
Bamberg Beer Experience
For VIP access to a classic German experience, enter the halls of Kundmüller Brewey. You’ll be treated to a close-up view of their operations and introduced to their beers with a tasting and some light snacks.
Duration: 3 hours
Activity Level: Intermediate
Price: USD$65 pre-purchase, EUR€60 onboard
*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.
Rothenburg looks like something straight out of the pages of a storybook, with its medieval walls, cobbled streets, Gothic churches, and Hansel-and-Gretel houses. Join a local expert for an insightful walking tour, and then wander amongst the stalls at one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets.
Today’s lunch will be on your own.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
Full Day Rothenburg with Walking Tour and Christmas Market
Rothenburg really does look like a fairytale version of the Middle Ages. Great stone walls surrounding the medieval core stand tall, linking towers, bastions, and parapets, and timber-framed houses decked out for the holidays line the narrow cobblestone streets and tiny squares. Walk with a local expert to the magnificent Town Hall, whose Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque features reveal its long history. The Gothic Franciscan Church is revered for its famous Tilman Riemenschneider altarpiece depicting St. Francis receiving the stigmata.
Your local expert can suggest the best places to enjoy a lunch on your own before you wander among the stalls of one of Germany’s oldest and most celebrated Christmas markets. You’ll find charming handcrafted wares and souvenirs, as well as pastries and mulled wine to keep you warm. Don’t miss a favorite seasonal treat, the schneeball, or snowball, made from strips of sweet dough shaped into a ball that is fried and covered in powdered sugar or chocolate. Be sure to check out the original Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Store opposite the market. A huge Christmas tree revolves in the center of the store, and some 35,000 Christmas-themed items line the shelves.
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
Würzburg Christmas Market Night Stroll
Just before dinner, we’ll take a walk together to Würzburg’s glorious Christmas Market, which is held in the square in front of the old City Hall. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. As you rove among the booths, you can watch glassblowers and wood carvers at work and buy their handiwork directly from them.
This morning, you’ll head off to see the Würzburg Residence, a baroque-style palace famous for its gigantic ceiling fresco.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
Würzburg Residence Visit
This 300-room UNESCO World Heritage–designated residence was constructed over a period of 60 years in the 18th century. An extraordinarily lavish palace, it was created under the auspices of two Schönborn prince-bishops, Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl, who brought enormous knowledge and passion to the project, as well as a budget for the best of the best. The magnificent grand staircase boasts the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Portions of the building were damaged by Allied bombing in 1945, but fortunately most of the historic furnishings had been stored off-site and key rooms were unharmed, so you can see the original—and matchless—artwork, gilding, and statuary. Check out the spectacular Hall of Mirrors and the imposing Imperial Hall, which boasts a large oval dome and 20 half-columns.
Village Day: Franconian Christmas
Travel through Franconia’s rolling hills and farms to the picture-perfect village of Aschfeld, which features a historic church with a defensive wall that protected residents throughout the Middle Ages, After your visit to the Heimatmuseum at the Fortified Church, sample some homemade Christmas goodies such as cookies, stollen, and gingerbread, along with coffee and tea. The locals’ English-speaking abilities vary, so this is a great opportunity for you to try out your German, just as they are trying out their English. Here’s one phrase you might want to know: “Fröhliche Weihnachten,” which means “Merry Christmas!”
Located at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers, Wertheim is a lovely village dating back over a thousand years. It epitomizes the friendly, slow-paced small-town atmosphere of many German villages; here, residents greet each other by name as they do their daily shopping for fresh bread and sausage in tiny shops. On your guided walking tour of the village, you’ll hear a lot about daily life in Wertheim, as well as facts about the town and its history. Its many well-preserved medieval buildings—complete with low doors and tiny windows—attest to the inconveniences of life in the Middle Ages.
Featured Excursion
Wertheim Walking Tour with Mulled Wine and Christmas Stollen Demonstration
While you’re still onboard, enjoy a cup of mulled wine and join a stollen (traditional German fruitcake) baking demonstration by a master baker. Then venture into town where you’ll see the dramatic ruins of Wertheim Castle standing high above the village as you ramble through the narrow streets, passing small bakeries and butcher shops. The counts of Wertheim began building this huge fortress in the 12th century, and the town grew up in its shelter. Wertheim had defenses of its own too: The Pointed Tower, a former watchtower also used as a jail for drunkards and shrews in the 13th-century, still stands, leaning slightly toward its neighbors, not from age but because flood waters have undermined it. It’s not the only architectural wonder you’ll pass: Blue House’s spectacular half-timbering is painted with an unusual cobalt glass-based paint, and Zobel House is just 10 feet (3 meters) wide at its base. In the Market Square, you’ll see St. Mary’s Chapel, which was erected in 1447; the step-gabled house built for 16th-century wine merchant Lorenz Baunach; and the 1574 Angels’ Well, which derives its name from the two little angels that hold Wertheim’s coat of arms. After the tour you can stay in town to shop for keepsakes or visit the Glass Museum before making your way back to the ship.
Frankfurt is known as the “Manhattan” of Europe, a financial powerhouse with soaring skyscrapers, but that’s done nothing to diminish the cultural heart of the city. Frankfurt’s old town, the Altstadt, is as charming as it gets, and has hosted some of the best Christmas markets on the continent for centuries. Opt to stay in town today for a “Taste of Christmas” walking tour featuring all sorts of sugary and savory treats, or alternatively, head out of town on an excursion to the Christmas market in Wiesbaden.
A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
Featured Excursions:
“Taste of Christmas” Frankfurt Walking Tour
What better way to end your holiday cruise than by sampling some of the seasonal specialties of this region? Join your local expert for an exploration of Frankfurt’s culinary delicacies, including holiday treats such as bethmännchen, a marzipan- filled pastry named for a 19th-century banking family, and quetschemännchen, quirky little plum-and-nut figures that are traditionally made for the season (they were also traditionally sent by a young man to the young lady he was interested in; if she accepted one from him, she accepted him also). These are just a couple of the treats awaiting you as you ramble through the picturesque area around historic Römer Square, where markets have been held since the 13th-century. Tall half-timbered houses, including the old Town Hall, enclose the square, which has hosted a Christmas market since the 1390s. Now you’ll find long rows of gaily decorated stalls filled with imaginative crafts and delicious foods, one last delightful market for you to enjoy before you head home.
Wiesbaden Twinkling Star Christmas Market
The Sternschnuppenmarkt (or “Twinkling Star”) Christmas Market in Wiesbaden is a delight for visitors young and young at heart, festively decorated and well-organized, with a colorful stage and a good mix of friendly vendors. There’s also a one-of-a-kind backdrop, the city’s grand Town Hall, State Capitol, and the Market Square Church, the latter of which is beautifully illuminated.
Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.
Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer, or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Frankfurt International Airport for your flight home.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
| Price per person in MYR (from) |
||||||||
| River Duchess | ||||||||
| Sailing Date | Classic | Deluxe | French Balcony | Suite | ||||
| 24 November 2025* | 16,785 (NP: 21,615) |
20,005 (NP: 24,835) |
25,065 (NP: 29,895) |
SOLD OUT | ||||
| 15 December 2025 | 18,165 (NP: 22,075) |
21,385 (NP: 25,295) |
26,445 (NP: 30,355) |
40,245 (NP: 44,155) |
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| *Cruise operates in reverse order [Frankfurt to Nuremberg] | ||||||||
RIVER DUCHESS
French Balcony
RIVER DUCHESS
Blue Danube Lounge
RIVER DUCHESS
Palace Restaurant
PACKAGE INCLUSIONS
- 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the regal River Duchess
- Free Wi-Fi
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
- Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water
- 6 days of excursions, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
- Guided “Let’s Go,” programs
- State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all excursions
- Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks
- Cultural enrichment, including captivating onboard local entertainment
- Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
- Group Transfers are included on arrival and departure days (please see terms and conditions for transfer guidelines)
- Gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) are included during the cruise/tour
PACKAGE EXCLUSIONS
- Return air ticket
- Travel Insurance
- Personal expenses
TERMS & CONDITIONS
- “2025 Winter Special Sailing” offer is applicable for new booking made by 30 Jun 2025.
- Prices above are in Ringgit Malaysia (MYR) based per person in a twin-share stateroom.
- Prices shown in Uniworld website are in USD ; and payment to Holiday Tours to be made in MYR.
- Rate of Exchange for USD conversion to MYR is based on Holiday Tours Finance’s Weekly FOREX (above ROE at 4.60 on 3 March 2025).
- Non-refundable deposit of MYR 1,300 per person (or MYR 2,500 per person for Egypt/Asia/Peru) upon booking.
- Full payment is required 120 days before departure. Sailings booked within 120-days before departure requires full payment upon booking.
- MH Enrich Points :
- Earn 1,500-points per person with minimum tour-fare of USD3,000 per person & above, before discount.
- MH Enrich Point will be credited to the Traveller’s account within 45-days after completion of the tour. Points earned are valid for use up to 1-year from date of issuance.
- HSBC Rebate MYR 200 per booking applies to minimum spend of MYR 5,000 per booking per card transaction.
- Offers/discount may be combined with “River Heritage Club Savings” (past guests discount), but not combinable with any other promotions.
- Uniworld offers seasonal sales and all prices are dynamic basis. Please speak to our travel consultants to find-out more details and dates on sale.
- Seasonal sales/discounts subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice.
- Other terms and conditions apply.
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