Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle

  • From AU$6,195
  • |
  • 12 Days
  • |
  • 10 Guided Tours
  • |
  • 4 Countries

Basel, Switzerland

  • Festive Christmas market with glowing decorations

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and begin your journey to your embarkation city. A delightful blend of old and new, Basel is Switzerland’s best-kept secret. During the holiday season, the medieval Old Town is transformed into a magical yuletide affair. Cobblestone streets are lined with wooden chalet-style huts selling all manner of festive treats and gifts. Visitors to the Christmas market can enjoy a warming cup of aromatic glühwein in a decorated boot-shaped mug. Hand-carved tree decorations, cheerfully painted ceramics and delicious food are sold from stalls throughout the city. Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom.

Shore Excursions

Shore excursions vary by each itinerary and are subject to change.

Historic Basel Cathedral by the Rhine River

Basel Walking Tour & Festive Markets

Discover Basel’s inviting cluster of medieval buildings and festive markets during a walking tour.

Included
Historic Basel Cathedral by the Rhine River

Basel Walking Tour & Festive Markets

Duration: 2 hours      

A Swiss Cultural Capital at Christmas

Discover Basel’s inviting cluster of medieval buildings and festive markets during a walking tour. Meet your guide and set off on foot for a tour of this fascinating city where three nations converge: Switzerland, France and Germany. Visit Marktplatz, or Market Square, surrounded by guild halls of late Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles. Admire the ornate spires of the Rathaus, or Town Hall, and stroll to the Münsterplatz, where the thin towers of the 13th-century Romanesque Cathedral overlook the wooden chalets of the festive market. Take time to browse the stalls, and perhaps sample a local delicacy, such as a freshly prepared röstis, a fried, grated potato patty served with a helping of apple sauce; a fragrant fondue; or a grittibänz—a delicious, sweetened brioche shaped like a gingerbread man.

* Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.
Scenic lakeside village with snowy mountains

Highlights of the Alps

Immerse yourself for a day among the splendid vistas and rich culture of alpine Switzerland.
Scenic lakeside village with snowy mountains

Highlights of the Alps

Duration: 10 hours 30 minutes      

Alpine Villages Nestled Among Majestic Swiss Landscapes

Immerse yourself for a day among the splendid vistas and rich culture of alpine Switzerland. Meet your guide and take a scenic drive to the charming village of Brienz. Here, you will stop to view a wood carver at work and learn how this traditional craft lives on. After time to visit with an artisan, continue to Grindelwald to board a cogwheel train to Kleine Scheidegg, a breathtaking mountain pass with stunning mountain views. You will have lunch in this magnificent setting and have time to explore before descending back to Grindelwald. Continue to Interlaken, beautifully set between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and surrounded by soaring peaks. Once hailed as a spa town to cure the ailments of 19th-century Europeans, today it is an inviting and relaxed pocket of Switzerland luring mountaineers and hikers eager to conquer the nearby summits.

* Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.
Shore excursions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

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Scenic rural village with church spire

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