Cruise on the Danube with Lüftner Cruises

Day 1: Passau

Embark in Passau, the Bavarian city where three rivers meet. Once you have got your bearings on the “floating hotel”, there will be a welcome cocktail party before dinner is served on board. The vessel remains moored overnight in Passau.

Day 2: Linz / Salzbourg

Enjoy a guided walking tour of Passau’s old quarter (15€). The guide will identify the many buildings that bear witness to the city’s historical importance: St. Stephen's cathedral, which has the world's largest organ (with 17,974 pipes and 233 registers), the new Bishop's residence and the town hall are particularly impressive. Guests can alternatively opt to visit Salzburg (87€) the city made famous by Mozart, which now boasts UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site status. Here, there will be time to visit the Christmas market, before rejoining the ship downriver at Linz. There will also be the opportunity to peruse the Christmas market at Linz before dinner on board. The vessel leaves Linz later in the evening.

Day 3: Melk / Emmersdorf - Dürnstein

Early in the morning, the ship docks at the wine-growing town of Emmersdorf an der Donau, in the district of Melk. From here, there will be a coach excursion through the beautiful District of Wachau (51€), including a guided tour of the Benedictine Abbey at Melk, and a Glühwein party. The ship leaves Emmersdorf during lunch and arrives in Dürnstein in the afternoon. The ship will be decorated for Christmas Eve, and there is the opportunity to attend the Christmas mass in Dürnstein.

Day 4: Vienna

The vessel continues its journey overnight, arriving in Vienna in the morning. The sightseeing tour of Vienna (30€) offers guests a comprehensive guide to the city’s most important sights, taking you along the Ringstrasse, into the Schwarzenbergplatz, passing by the Karlskirche and Vienna’s stunning opera house. The last stop is at the city’s famous St. Stephan’s cathedral, where there will be time to see round inside. In the afternoon you can take an optional excursion to the Schönbrunn castle (41€). In the evening, there is a festive concert on board, in the Panorama Bar after dinner.

Day 5: Bratislava

Early in the morning, the ship leaves Vienna and arrives in Bratislava during breakfast. A sightseeing tour (€ 30) will cover the city’s major sights, including breathtaking views from Bratislava’s 13th-century castle over countryside where the borders of Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia meet. The vessel leaves Bratislava during lunch, followed by a relaxed afternoon cruising upstream through Austria. On this, the penultimate evening of the cruise, the crew will host a Captain’s Gala Dinner, during which the ship’s orchestra will provide its fine entertainment.

Day 6: Grein / Linz

In the morning, the ship moors at the idyllic village of Grein. Here, guests can enjoy a guided walk (15€) seeing – among other sights – Austria’s oldest theatre. In the afternoon, the ship will continue to Linz, Austria’s third-largest city and its former cultural capital, where another guided walking tour (16€) is available. After dinner, the vessel continues upstream towards Germany.

Day 7: Passau

In the morning, the ship arrives at Passau, where guests will disembark after breakfast