Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Main
10 nights
Viking's Christmas on the Rhine and Main suits travellers who want Franconia's markets and Alsace in one eleven-day trip from Nuremberg to Basel. Its weakness for 2026 is that Viking's UK site showed no bookable 2026 departures on 11 October 2026.
Photo Ermell · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Follow the ports in sailing order
| Port | Mooring | Christmas market |
|---|---|---|
| Nuremberg | Days 1 and 2 are in Nuremberg. | Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt |
| Bamberg | Day 3 includes the large nativity scene on Maximiliansplatz. | Bamberg Christmas Market |
| Wurzburg | Day 4 is in Wurzburg's old town. | Wurzburg Christmas Market |
| Frankfurt | Day 6 is in Frankfurt. The Romerberg market closes on 22 December 2026. | Frankfurt Christmas Market |
| Baden-Baden | Day 7 is a visit to Baden-Baden and its Kurhaus. | Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt |
| Strasbourg | Day 8 is in Strasbourg. | Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik |
| Basel | Day 10 is in Basel and day 11 is disembarkation. | Basel Christmas Market on Munsterplatz |
Do the same route by train
Franconia works well by train from a Nuremberg base: Bamberg is 34 minutes away and Wurzburg 51 minutes on Deutsche Bahn's published fastest services. Strasbourg to Basel takes 77 minutes at best.
- Strasbourg to Baselfastest 1 h 15 min, computed from the timetable
Few Christmas cruises link the Main towns with the Upper Rhine, and this one calls at Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Marktheidenfeld, Frankfurt, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Breisach and Basel. The Main is a lock-heavy river, so expect slow sailing and night passages through the Spessart hills.
Viking's UK booking page listed no bookable 2026 sailings for this itinerary on 11 October 2026, so the dates here wait for the 2027 programme, which is on sale.
Quick answers about Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Main
Which Viking Christmas cruise visits Nuremberg and Strasbourg?
Viking's Christmas on the Rhine and Main sails eleven days from Nuremberg to Basel and calls at Bamberg, Wurzburg, Frankfurt, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg and Breisach on the way.
Is Viking's Christmas on the Rhine and Main bookable for 2026?
Viking's UK booking page listed no bookable 2026 departures for Christmas on the Rhine and Main on 11 October 2026. The 2027 departures are on sale.
Which towns does Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Main stop at?
Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Main sails the Main-Danube Canal, Main and Rhine over 10 nights and calls at Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Frankfurt, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg and Basel, in that order.