Top Christmas market river cruises

Is it too early to talk about Christmas? Maybe! But who can resist the thought of twinkling lights, cosy Christmas markets and the sweet scent of mulled wine wafting through the air? A river cruise is one of the most magical ways to experience Europe’s Christmas markets. Here, we look at the top Christmas market river cruises for this December: 

Amsterdam is magical year-round, but even more so at Christmas. The capital of the Netherlands hosts a number of Christmas markets each year, and this year, they begin as early as the 30th of November. Experience the city’s multiple markets with APT Cruising, which offers several cruises during the festive period. You can choose from seven and fourteen-night itineraries onboard Travelmarvel Polaris, Travelmarvel Vega, ms AmaVenita and ms AmaStella. 

Known as the Pearl of the Danube, Budapest hosts several Christmas markets, many of which can be found in Pest. Across each market, there are hundreds of stalls filled with traditional patisseries, hand-carved souvenirs, Christmas tree decorations and much more. You can visit Budapest on one of two Uniworld River Cruises’ Super Ships™, S.S. Beatrice and S.S. Maria Theresa. Both offer seven to twelve-night itineraries to Hungary’s magical capital. 

On average, four million people flock to Cologne’s Christmas markets each year. Germany’s 2,000-year-old city proudly hosts Christmas markets from mid-November each year, and visitors can choose from the larger markets held in downtown Cologne with live music performances or smaller markets with local handicrafts and a thriving festive atmosphere. Enjoy the Christmas period onboard one of two Scenic River Cruises ships, Scenic Amber or Scenic Opal, both of which offer cruises to Cologne between seven and twenty nights long. 

Christmas markets are an important part of the festive magic in the Czech Republic. Prague’s markets are open daily from the 30th of November right the way through until the 6th of January. You’ll find plenty of stalls with handmade gifts and lots of vendors serving exquisite food. Emerald Cruises’ ship Emerald Star is offering two 10-night cruises to Prague’s Christmas markets, with stops at other magical ports along the Danube River, like Vienna and Regensburg.