Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube
7 nightsfrom £2,583 per person
Emerald's Christmas Markets on the Danube has the lowest flight-inclusive Danube fare among the operators this site compared, from £2,583 per person in December 2026, sailing Budapest to Passau with a transfer to Munich. Vienna gets a single day, so you see its markets on one evening at most.
Photo GT1976 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Follow the ports in sailing order
| Port | Mooring | Christmas market |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest | Days 1 and 2 are in Budapest, with a guided coach tour. | Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market |
| Vienna | Day 4 is in Vienna, with an art tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. | Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz |
| Durnstein | Day 5 is in Durnstein, with an organ recital and wine tasting at Gottweig Abbey. The Wachau Advent in Durnstein opens Friday to Sunday and ends on 13 December 2026, and on Emerald's published day-by-day the departures up to 8 December reach it on a weekend. | Wachau Advent in Durnstein |
| Passau | Day 7 is in Passau, with a guided tour, and day 8 ends with a transfer to Munich. | Passau Christmas Market at the Cathedral |
Pick a December departure
- 24 Nov to 1 Dec 2026from £4,350 per person (2026)
- 25 Nov to 2 Dec 2026from £3,580 per person (2026)
- 1 Dec to 8 Dec 2026from £3,901 per person (2026)
- 2 Dec to 9 Dec 2026from £2,583 per person (2026)
- 8 Dec to 15 Dec 2026from £2,767 per person (2026)
- 15 Dec to 22 Dec 2026from £3,712 per person (2026)
- 16 Dec to 23 Dec 2026from £2,859 per person (2026)
Fares are the operator's published lead-in prices for the year shown. Check the cabin grade, any flight and the port charges before you book.
Do the same route by train
OBB runs Budapest to Vienna every hour with a published fastest time of 157 minutes, and Vienna to Munich runs through Salzburg. A rail trip swaps Bratislava, Durnstein and Linz for a night in Salzburg on the way west.
The ship calls at Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, Linz and Passau, and the inclusions add touches such as a Hungarian folk show and a Bavarian band on board. Passau's cathedral market runs to 22 December 2026, so the 16 December sailing reaches it on its last day. The 9 December 2026 departure showed as booked out on 11 October 2026.
Worth knowing
- Uniworld reported on 11 October 2026 that low water on the Danube kept one of its ships from reaching Budapest, so check with Emerald a week before sailing if the autumn stays dry.
Quick answers about Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube
What is the cheapest Danube Christmas market cruise with flights in December 2026?
Of the operators this site compared on 11 October 2026, Emerald's Christmas Markets on the Danube had the lowest flight-inclusive December fare: £2,583 per person on the 2 December 2026 departure from Budapest. Avalon's cruise-only fare from Nuremberg starts lower, at £2,405, before flights and port taxes.
Does Emerald's Danube Christmas cruise stop in Passau?
Yes. Emerald's Christmas Markets on the Danube spends day 7 in Passau with a guided tour, then transfers guests to Munich on day 8.
Which towns does Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube stop at?
Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube sails the Danube over 7 nights and calls at Budapest, Vienna, Durnstein and Passau, in that order.
How much does Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube cost?
Emerald Cruises publishes Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube from £2,583 per person (2026). That is the lead-in fare, so check the cabin grade and what it includes before you compare it.
When does Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube sail in December 2026?
Emerald Cruises lists seven departures of Emerald Christmas Markets on the Danube in December 2026, leaving on 24 Nov, 25 Nov, 1 Dec, 2 Dec, 8 Dec, 15 Dec and 16 Dec.