Arrive at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. You will be greeted by a representative and transferred to the ship.

The city of Basel is a cultural and artistic powerhouse, with all sorts of galleries, theaters and museums. At this time of year, the city’s Christmas Market draws visitors from all over Europe, as does its Christmas Street, lined with more than 100 beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas trees. Do you have a special wish for Christmas? Write it in the Wish Book, which lies open in Basel’s 17th-century Town Hall during Advent, waiting for residents and visitors to express their hopes and dreams for the holiday—or for the world.

Featured Excursion: Basel walking tour with Christmas market

A special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared this evening.

Strasbourg is invariably described as quaint, a rather overused word that in this case is perfectly apropos. It’s also been known as the “Crossroads of Europe” for its strategic location halfway between Paris and Prague. With a friendly local expert, see this historic town with its cobbled lanes, half-timbered homes, giant stork nests and impossible-to-resist pastry shops that will win your heart. You won’t want to miss the holiday treats like bûche de Noël, the delicious Christmas cake made to look like a yule log.

Choice of Strasbourg walking tour with Christmas market or “Taste of Christmas” Strasbourg walking tour

Leave France behind and sail into Germany during the wee hours of the morning. If you speak no German, here’s one phrase you might want to learn now: “Fröhliche Weihnachten,” or “Merry Christmas!” Today, you’ll have two choices: Venture into the storied city of Heidelberg, home to the oldest university in the country, or visit the Doktorenhof vinegar estate for a special vinegar tasting. The atmospheric cellar is like no other and the candlelit tasting room is decked for the holidays.

Choice of Heidelberg tour with Christmas
+ market or Private Doktorenhof vinegar estate visit and tasting

Mainz’s Old Town brims with specialty shops tucked into lovingly restored buildings. Find jewelry, leather goods, books, toys and much more. There is something special for every person on your list, or opt to explore neighboring Wiesbaden’s Christmas Market. However, choose to spend your time in Mainz and then head back to the ship for a short cruise to Rüdesheim, which, like many cities along the Rhine, dates back to Roman times, when the Rhine was the northern border of the empire. Today, Rüdesheim is famous for its beauty and its entertaining alley of shops and wine bars called the Drosselgasse.

Featured Excursions:
Wiesbaden Twinkling Star Christmas Market
Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instruments Museum with Christmas Market

Spend a spectacular morning on board your luxurious boutique ship as you sail the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. An UNESCO World Heritage Site, this stretch of the Rhine is extraordinarily picturesque: Castles perch atop steep cliffs above the water and each quaint village is marked by the spire of its historic church. After sailing past 40 miles (65 kilometers) of gorgeous scenery, reach the famous intersection of the Rhine and the Moselle. Here, where the two rivers meet, lies the enchanting town of Koblenz. Watch the waters of the Moselle gush into the Rhine as you stand on the spit of land called German Corner before embarking on a walking tour of Koblenz’s historical treasures.

Featured Excursion: Koblenz walking tour with Christmas market

Your local expert will show you favorite haunts around the Old Town and share some of the cathedral’s most intriguing and magical secrets with you. You can find unexpected treasures in the red-roofed stalls clustered around Cologne’s magnificent cathedral.

Featured Excursion: Cologne walking tour with Cologne Cathedral visit and Christmas markets

A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

This morning, disembark the ship in Cologne and depart for the airport for your flight home.