08/18/2026
❗REVISED❗
❗I RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM AVALON.❗
🎄🛳️ Danube Christmas Markets 2027 — Comparing My Top 3 River Cruise Options! 🛳️🎄
I’ve narrowed the Danube choices down to three serious contenders for our Pink Skies Travel Christmas Markets group, and after looking closely at the itineraries, included experiences, port time, and overall value, here is how I’m ranking them right now:
🥇 #1 Viking — Danube Christmas Delights
🥈 #2 Avalon — Christmastime on the Danube
🥉 #3 Viking — Christmas on the Danube
Here’s why each one made my top three:
🎄 #1 — VIKING: DANUBE CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS
📅 November 30 – December 7, 2027
🛳️ 8 days / 7 nights
📍 Passau to Budapest
💰 Starting at $1,799 per person, double occupancy
✈️ Airfare additional
Destinations include:
🇩🇪 Passau
🇩🇪 Nuremberg
🇩🇪 Regensburg
🇦🇹 Linz
🇦🇹 Krems
🇦🇹 Vienna
🇸🇰 Bratislava
🇭🇺 Budapest
The itinerary also includes scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley and Danube Bend.
✨ What stands out to me:
🌙 More opportunities for Christmas Markets after dark
🎄 Christmas Market-focused sightseeing
🚌 6 included guided tours
🏛️ 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
🍽️ All onboard meals, including regional specialties
🍷 Beer, wine & soft drinks with lunch and dinner
📶 Complimentary Wi-Fi
⚓ Port taxes & fees included
🎶 Holiday-themed cultural programming and onboard enrichment
Optional extensions include:
🏰 Budapest — 2 nights, from $699 pp
🎄 Prague — 3 nights, from $999 pp
🇩🇪🇦🇹 Munich & Salzburg at Christmas — 4 nights, from $1,799 pp
⭐ Why it’s currently #1 for me:
I really like the combination of destinations, included sightseeing and the opportunity to experience more of the Christmas Markets after dark, when the lights and atmosphere are at their best.
🎄 #2 — AVALON: CHRISTMASTIME ON THE DANUBE
📅 December 4 – 10, 2027
🛳️ 7-night river cruise
📍 Nuremberg to Vienna
🚢 Avalon Expression
💰 $3,999 cruise fare + $216 port charges = $4,215 per person, double occupancy
✈️ Airfare additional
Destinations include:
🇩🇪 Nuremberg
🇩🇪 Regensburg
🇩🇪 Passau
🇦🇹 Linz
🇦🇹 Dürnstein
🇦🇹 Vienna
✨ What stands out to me:
🎄 Nuremberg is included in the cruise itinerary — and that is one of the Christmas Markets I really wanted to include.
🚌 More guided excursions are included, which is a definite advantage for anyone who enjoys organized sightseeing.
⏰ Avalon also has many overnight sailings, which can mean longer overall time in port.
Other Avalon inclusions and perks:
🍽️ All onboard meals with regional specialties
🍷 Complimentary wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner
🚌 Daily sightseeing with expert local guides
🚲 Bikes available for active independent exploration
📶 Complimentary Wi-Fi
🧳 Porterage
⚓ Taxes, fees & port charges included
🛏️ Spacious outside staterooms & suites
🎁 Group perks that may apply:
🎁 Free prepaid gratuities on select 2027 departures when booked as part of a group
💰 Possible $300 savings per couple
🏨 Extra nights can also be added:
Nuremberg pre-nights from $243 pp
Vienna post-nights from $301 pp
Based on double occupancy and availability.
💙 My Personal Experience with Avalon
I also have a little personal experience influencing this ranking.
I had the privilege of sailing the Danube with Avalon in July 2025, and it was an amazing experience.
The service was excellent, the tour guides were extremely knowledgeable, and I really enjoyed the overall onboard experience.
I also loved the Panoramic Suite. It felt noticeably more spacious than cabins I’ve seen on some other river cruise lines, and I thought the bathroom was fantastic.
So even though Avalon is currently my #2 choice based on this particular Christmas Market itinerary, I already know firsthand that Avalon delivers an excellent river cruise experience.
🎄 #3 — VIKING: CHRISTMAS ON THE DANUBE
📅 December 4 – 11, 2027
🛳️ 7 nights / 8 days
📍 Regensburg to Budapest
💰 Starting around $1,999 per person, double occupancy
✈️ Airfare additional
Destinations include:
🇩🇪 Regensburg
🇩🇪 Passau
🇦🇹 Krems
🇦🇹 Vienna
🇭🇺 Budapest
✨ What stands out to me:
🇦🇹 More time in Vienna, including an overnight and additional sightseeing and leisure time
🌙 Good opportunity for later market time
🚌 6 included guided tours
🏛️ 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
🍽️ All onboard meals
🍷 Beer, wine & soft drinks with lunch and dinner
📶 Complimentary Wi-Fi
⚓ Port taxes & fees included
🎶 Holiday cultural programming and onboard enrichment
Optional extensions mentioned include:
🏰 Budapest — 2 nights
🎄 Prague — 3 nights
🇩🇪 Nuremberg — 2 nights
🇩🇪🇨🇿 Nuremberg & Prague — 4 nights
⭐ Why it’s currently #3:
I still really like this itinerary, especially the extra time in Vienna, but when I compare all three, the other two currently edge it out for me.
✨ HOW I’M COMPARING THEM RIGHT NOW
🥇 VIKING — DANUBE CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS
🌙 Best opportunity for nighttime Christmas Markets
🎄 Christmas Market-focused itinerary
🚌 6 guided tours
🏛️ 3 UNESCO sites
🎶 Holiday programming
💰 Lowest starting price
⭐ Currently my #1
🥈 AVALON — CHRISTMASTIME ON THE DANUBE
🎄 Nuremberg included
🚌 More included guided excursions
⏰ Longer overall time in port on many days
🌙 Many overnight sailings
🚲 Bikes available for exploring
🎁 Possible group gratuity perk
🛏️ Spacious staterooms & suites
💙 I’ve sailed Avalon personally and had an excellent experience
⭐ Currently my #2
🥉 VIKING — CHRISTMAS ON THE DANUBE
🇦🇹 More time in Vienna
🌙 Good opportunity for later market time
🚌 6 guided tours
🏛️ 4 UNESCO sites
🎄 Good extension choices
⭐ Currently my #3
And one of the biggest advantages ALL THREE have over a land tour?
🧳 We unpack once.
Instead of getting up early, packing our bags and spending hours traveling to the next city by motorcoach, the river ship can often move while we sleep.
We can go to bed in one destination and wake up the next morning in another European city, ready for another day of Christmas Markets.
That style of travel is a BIG reason the river cruises continue to be at the top of my list.
👇 Which one would you choose — Viking Danube Christmas Delights, Avalon Christmastime on the Danube, or Viking Christmas on the Danube?
