Christmas Markets Along the Rhine - Northbound 2026

8 days
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews  
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River Cruise
Exclusive Tauck experiences, special holiday events, much yuletide cheer... and of course, Tauck's uncommon access ashore... set the tone or this holiday journey between Basel and Düsseldorf aboard ms Inspire!
From$3,990
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Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Travel along the Rhine for the holiday season
    • from Basel to Köln and Düsseldorf aboard ms Inspire
    • both perfect waysto capture all the magic of Christmas Marketsin Germany and France.Along with all the inclusions that are part of every Tauck river cruise
    • Tauck's Christmas market experience wows you with special holiday touches like an onboard tree-trimming party...glühwein and other treats aboard the riverboat
    • decorated in a festive seasonal theme... a traditional European Christmas dinner with all the fixings... special evenings of onboard holiday-themed entertainment... walking in the footsteps of celebrities at the Kurhaus casino in Baden-Baden... a lecture on Alsatian storytelling traditions in Strasbourg... a cookie-making demonstration and a visit to the fanciful Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett in Rüdesheim... a traditional German lunch in Heidelberg and much more!

What's this trip about?

    Exclusive Tauck experiences, special holiday events, much yuletide cheer... and of course, Tauck's uncommon access ashore... set the tone or this holiday journey between Basel and Düsseldorf aboard ms Inspire!

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start City Basel, Switzerland
End CityCologne Germany

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Attractions

  • Heidelberg
  • Lucerne
  • Strasbourg

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • Visits to Christmas Markets in Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden and Strasbourg* All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors & Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions – $1,536 Value! Walking tours of market cities and towns with local guides Visits to Old Town Heidelberg and historic Heidelberger Schlöss (Heidelberg Castle) *Please note: Operating dates for the Christmas Markets could be subject to change; every effort will be made to visit as scheduled.

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Arrive Basel

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Basel.
 Transfers are included from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg to the riverboat where embarkation begins at 4:00 PM; guests can also transfer from Zürich Airport or Zurich Hauptbahnhof (train station) to the riverboat in Basel. Guests enjoying a pre-stay in Basel will ...
Day 2 Lucerne & Mt. Pilatus at Christmastime

Awaken aboard the riverboat in Basel, then set off on an excursion to Switzerland's lakeside "city of lights," Lucerne. From town, you'll head out for the heights of Mt. Pilatus via gondola; after descending the mountain by gondola,...

Day 3 A walking tour of Strasbourg and the Christkindlmarkt

Strasbourg
- Steaming mulled wine... gingerbread... Advent wreaths... a towering Christmas tree, dwarfed by soaring Strasbourg Cathedral... nearly every street and building aglow with lights and decorations... bredle, the tiny, traditional holiday cakes of Alsace... the unmistakabl...
Please Note: 

Day 4 Travels through the Black Forest and Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden
- The Black Forest's special magic casts its spell over the Christmas Market of this famous spa town, set adjacent to its sumptuous Belle Époque casino complex – the Kurhaus – which screen icon Marlene Dietrich called "the most beautiful casino in the world." Cheered by ...
Day 5 The holiday season in Heidelberg

Heidelberg
– With thousands of stars twinkling in the trees... hundreds of booths sprawling across five city squares... and an ice rink glistening in the shadow of Heidelberger Schlöss... you'll think you've stepped inside a snowglobe at this shining Weihnachtsmarkt! Festooned with...
Day 6 Music, sweet treats & more in Rüdesheim & afternoon cruising

Travel back in time as you make your way from Rüdesheim to Köln and Düsseldorf on a historic cruise along the River Rhine… Glide past rolling green hillsides and see the magnificent castles of centuries past… each with its own uniqu...

Day 7 Spend the day in Köln (Cologne) and on to Düsseldorf

Arrive early morning in Köln (Cologne). Enjoy a guided tour of this historic cultural center of the Rhineland in Köln – with its Christmas Market adjacent to the Gothic, twin-spired Kölner Dom. Spend time in Köln this afternoon as y...

Day 8 Journey home

Tour ends: Düsseldorf.
 

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,990
Price per day$499
Last Updated: 3/6/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Standard
Single Standard
Double Luxury
Availability
02 Dec 2026
10 Dec 2026
$4,190
$4,190
$5,990
16 Dec 2026
24 Dec 2026
$3,990
$3,990
$5,790

All prices are per person in U.S. dollars.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
MS INSPIRE
MS INSPIRE Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Inspire cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Rhine and Moselle rivers as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open
MS INSPIRE
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
ALL_AGES
Additional Information
[object Object]
Trip ID
tauck-RCX2026

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