Begin your day with breakfast at the hotel before setting out to explore Munich on a three-hour walking tour. As you navigate the Old Town, you may see landmarks like Marienplatz, the city’s central square, where a large mechanical clock, the Glockenspiel, animates its figures to depict Bavarian history. Nearby is the imposing Frauenkirche, Munich’s most famous church with its distinctive twin spires, and the grand Munich Residenz – a former royal palace.
In the afternoon, experience the festive atmosphere of Munich’s famous Christmas markets as you weave your way through stalls brimming with handcrafted ornaments, twinkling lights and the aromas of roasted nuts and mulled wine.
As evening falls, experience Bavarian hospitality with a welcome dinner at the 16th-century beer hall, Hofbräuhaus, for a three-course meal paired with a classic German beer.
Christmas market visit
After breakfast, set out for Salzburg nestled along the Salzach River and framed by the snow-capped Alps. Glimpse into the city’s past on a walking tour, passing landmarks like Mozart’s birthplace on Getreidegasse, where the famed composer spent his early years. You might also glimpse the DomQuartier, St Peter’s Abbey and the Mirabell Gardens, made famous by The Sound of Music.
In the afternoon, soak up the festive atmosphere at Salzburg’s Christmas markets. The historic Christkindlmarkt in Residenzplatz and Domplatz is one of the oldest in Europe, where wooden stalls overflow with handcrafted ornaments, spiced nuts and steaming cups of Glühwein.
For those seeking an evening of culture, an optional Mozart concert and dinner offers the chance to enjoy a gourmet meal set to the sounds of Salzburg’s most famous composer (surcharges apply).
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Christmas market visit
Start the day with breakfast at your hotel before a full day’s exploration of the Salzkammergut region, a landscape of pristine lakes, dramatic mountains and villages that have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
As you travel through this scenic area, see the glacial waters of Wolfgangsee, the charming town of St Gilgen and the towering peaks that frame the region. In Hallstatt, a lakeside village often called one of the most beautiful in the world, see pastel-coloured houses set on a hillside, a historic salt mine that dates back thousands of years and the reflections of the Alps on Hallstätter See.
Return to Salzburg in the afternoon, where you may enjoy another visit to the Christmas markets to pick up holiday gifts or indulge in seasonal treats like Kaiserschmarrn.
Salzkammergut day trip
Christmas market visit
After breakfast, travel to Innsbruck, a city set against the Alps. On a tour of this wintry world, enjoy views of the towering Nordkette Alps as you weave past sights like the Golden Roof, a late-medieval balcony decorated with over 2,600 gilded tiles built for Emperor Maximilian I.
In the afternoon, explore Innsbruck’s Christmas markets full of festive stalls against an Alpine backdrop. Traditional wooden chalets offer seasonal treats, handcrafted gifts and warm drinks, making it an ideal place to soak up the holiday atmosphere.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 2.5 hours
Christmas market visit
Set off on a scenic drive after breakfast to Freiburg im Breisgau, stopping at the small principality of Liechtenstein. Nestled between Switzerland and Austria, this landlocked country is only 25 kilometres long and is known for its medieval heritage and alpine landscapes.
Arrive in Freiburg im Breisgau in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
Fuel up with breakfast and enjoy a full day at your leisure in Freiburg. Perhaps stroll through the cobbled streets of the Old Town, or else uncover its history and culture at the Augustiner Museum, showcasing medieval art in a former monastery (at own expense). With the Swiss riverside town of Basel within a 40-minute train ride (at own expense), you may like to explore this medieval town and its world-class art museums.
After breakfast, travel to Strasbourg with a stop in Colmar, a town known for its half-timbered houses, winding canals and winemaking traditions. In the Alsace region, embark on a vineyard tour and wine tasting to learn about the area’s centuries-old viticulture and sample its renowned white wines. As you explore the vineyards, enjoy views of villages and the Vosges mountains in the distance.
Arriving in Strasbourg in the evening, take in the festive atmosphere of the Christkindelsmärik, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, is set against the backdrop of Strasbourg’s medieval cathedral and historic squares.
Travel time: Driving – approx. one hour
Alsace region wine tasting
Christmas market visit
After breakfast, a private transfer takes you to Strasbourg’s train station, where you’ll board a first-class train to Paris. Sit back and enjoy the journey as the French countryside passes by.
Upon arrival in Paris, another private transfer will take you directly to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace – perhaps take a stroll along the Seine, visit a nearby cafe for a classic French pastry or simply relax and settle into your surroundings.
Travel time: Train – approx. 2.5 hours
Begin your day with breakfast before enjoying a leisurely day in Paris. With no set schedule, you can explore at your own pace – perhaps wandering through the historic streets of the Marais, browsing the boutiques along the Champs-Élysées or visiting one of the city’s world-class museums.
In the evening, mark the end of your journey with a farewell dinner aboard a Seine River cruise, gliding past the illuminated Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre.
After breakfast, bid a fond au revoir to Paris as you take a private transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for your flight bound for Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG).
Make your way to The Mozart Prague, your five-star retreat in the heart of the city. Set within the historic Pachtuv Palace just steps from Charles Bridge, the hotel is named after Mozart himself, who stayed here in 1787. Inside, individually styled guestrooms showcase the building’s Baroque charm, with select rooms overlooking Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
After dark, Prague glows. Wander to the Old Town’s Christmas market for wooden stalls, twinkling lights and mulled wine beneath the Astronomical Clock, with Charles Bridge and the floodlit Prague Castle lighting up the river beyond.
Travel time: Flight – approx. two hours
Five-star stay at The Mozart Prague
Enjoy a delicious breakfast and then set out to explore the city at your own pace.
Cross Charles Bridge in the morning light to Malá Strana – commonly known as Lesser Town – where ornate rooftops climb the hill toward Prague Castle and quiet lanes wind past hidden gardens. Or remain within the gates of the Old Town, wandering its cobblestoned streets as they fan out from the river, or browsing the designer boutiques of Pařížská, Prague’s most prestigious boulevard.
The Jewish Quarter sits just minutes from the hotel, its layered history written into the synagogues and old cemetery clustered within a few blocks.
Five-star stay at The Mozart Prague
This morning, join a locally guided walking food tour through Prague and discover the flavours that define Bohemian cuisine. Begin at a traditional deli to sample chlebíčky, the city’s iconic open-faced sandwiches, before visiting a family-run butcher to taste Prague ham, salamis and hearty house-made stews and soups.
Continue with Czech wines paired with small plates, freshly baked gingerbread, and a local herbal digestive. Finish with a sit-down tasting of goulash, dumplings and slow-roasted meats, served alongside a Czech beer. By the end of the tour, you’ll have sampled a rich cross-section of Prague’s culinary traditions.
The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure, whether you choose to relax at your five-star hotel or continue exploring Prague’s festive atmosphere and historic streets.
Five-star stay at The Mozart Prague
Set out today on a guided bus and boat tour that takes in Prague’s top sights.
The morning’s drive winds through Old Town, New Town and Lesser Town before climbing to Prague Castle, where you’ll see the exteriors of the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and St Vitus Cathedral, with time to explore the castle grounds.
Continue by sightseeing boat for a one-hour cruise along the Vltava, gliding beneath Charles Bridge and past landmarks including the curving Dancing House. The tour ends at Old Town Square, where the Astronomical Clock chimes the hour above the cobblestones, flanked by the spires of Church of the Mother of God before Týn and the dome of St Nicholas Church.
Five-star stay at The Mozart Prague
Spend a final day in Prague at your own pace. For something different, the Christmas markets at Wenceslas Square and Náměstí Republiky offer a fresh flavour from the Old Town’s stalls.
Five-star stay at The Mozart Prague
After breakfast, head to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) for your onward flight to Basel’s EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL).
In the early afternoon, make your way to the Rhine to board the Trafalgar Verity as the river chapter of your journey gets underway.
The Trafalgar Verity carries just 128 guests across three decks, with elegant blue-and-white Art Deco interiors creating a refined river cruising atmosphere. At its heart is the only working fireplace on a European river ship – a cosy gathering place as festive towns drift by outside. Onboard amenities include a massage therapist, fitness centre, main dining room and library, while your cabin’s French balcony offers uninterrupted views of the Rhine’s winter scenery.
Embarkation runs from around 2pm; settle into your cabin, meet your Experience Director and Experience Manager and find your feet on board. An evening of welcome drinks, dinner and festive cheer marks the start of your cruise.
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Set out this morning with a Local Specialist to discover Basel from a fresh perspective. Your walking tour winds through riverside lanes and historic squares to the Old Town Christmas market, where festive stalls, Swiss crafts and seasonal treats sit beneath medieval church spires.
An Optional Experience takes you to Lucerne, a lakeside Swiss city surrounded by mountains. Visit landmarks like the Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument, wander through the old town’s painted facades, and browse local Swiss souvenirs (surcharges apply).
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Cruise into France, arrive back in Strasbourg and join a Local Specialist on a walking tour, where half-timbered houses lean over cobbled lanes and the Gothic spire of the cathedral rises above the rooftops. Alsatian history meets festive cheer at this time of year, and the city’s Christmas market – one of the oldest in Europe – fills the streets with handcrafted ornaments, regional delicacies and the scent of spiced, mulled wine.
An Optional Experience invites you further into Alsace for wine tasting at a local cellar, followed by the Christmas markets of Obernai (surcharges apply).
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Dock in Speyer and choose between two included experiences.
Join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through one of Germany’s oldest cities, where the Romanesque cathedral rises above the old town and a Christmas market fills the square beneath its towers.
Alternatively, visit Doktorenhof, a family-run vinegar estate where centuries-old traditions continue in candlelit cellars. Sample artisan vinegars and learn how the estate supports local biodiversity through its sustainable practices.
In the afternoon, an Optional Experience to Heidelberg trades small-town charm for Baroque grandeur. Stroll through elegant squares, see the red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle and browse festive market stalls in the heart of the old town (surcharges apply).
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
The day opens in Mainz, where your Experience Director and Manager lead a guided stroll through the magical Christmas market.
Continue to Rüdesheim and join the Breuer family at their traditional Weingasthaus for an intimate lunch of seasonal dishes paired with the family’s own wines. Enjoy live music and the warm hospitality that has been passed down through generations.
From there, board the Winzerexpress, a miniature train that winds past timber-framed houses and through hillside vineyards to panoramic views above the town.
The day ends at the Rüdesheim Christmas Market, where stalls brim with crafts and festive treats from across Europe beside one of Germany’s oldest churches.
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Cast off from Rüdesheim this morning and sail through the scenic Middle Rhine, where castles crown the cliffs and vineyards climb the hillsides above the water. The ship docks at Koblenz, where a Local Specialist leads you through the Old Town to the Deutsches Eck, the promontory where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet.
The Christmas market unfolds across the city’s old squares, with regional treats, Glühwein and handmade gifts to browse before returning to the ship.
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Founded by the Romans on the banks of the Rhine, Cologne is one of Germany’s oldest cities and one of its most festive in December. Explore the old town on a walking tour with your Experience Director and Manager, taking in the city’s twin-spired Gothic cathedral and the Christmas markets that wrap around it.
Optional Experiences let you tailor the afternoon. Visit the Michael Schumacher Private Collection for a closer look at the F1 champion’s racing career or go behind the scenes of Cologne’s Kölsch beer culture for tastings of the local brew (surcharges apply).
Rhine Christmas Market Cruise aboard the Trafalgar Verity
Your cruise docks in Düsseldorf, bringing your festive journey through Europe’s Christmas markets to a close. Enjoy breakfast on board, disembark the ship and make your own way to Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) for your onwards journey.