Danube Express Christmas Markets of Central Europe from Budapest

It is a 7-night, 8-day journey from Budapest to Munich. You arrive in Budapest on day one for a two-night hotel stay, board the Danube Express on day three, travel via Vienna and Salzburg, and finish in Munich, where day eight is a transfer to the airport after breakfast. It is a one-way itinerary, so book your flights accordingly.

The itinerary includes extended visits to the Christmas markets of Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich. In Vienna these include the market on Maria-Theresien Platz; in Munich, the centuries-old market on Marienplatz that dates back to the 1600s. Budapest's markets are enjoyed at leisure on day two, along with the historic Great Market Hall.

The journey opens with two nights in a five-star hotel in Budapest and ends with a hotel night in Munich, with the remaining nights in your private en-suite cabin on the Danube Express. Five-star pre- and post-tour accommodation is included in the fare, as is your cabin on board. The day-by-day itinerary on this page shows the pattern night by night.

Two classes are offered: Deluxe Class and Superior Deluxe Class, both private and en-suite, with cabin attendant service including an evening turndown. Superior Deluxe is the more spacious option and tends to sell first on festive departures. The exact fare for each class on each departure is shown on this page.

Included are five-star pre- and post-tour hotel accommodation, your private en-suite cabin on board, cabin attendant service with evening turndown, an experienced tour management team, the services of a UK-registered doctor with medical facilities on board, arrival and departure transfers, all gratuities on and off the train, luggage porterage, meals, and the guided off-train excursions in the itinerary.

Yes. All gratuities, both on and off the train, are included in the tour price, so there is nothing to work out for train staff, hotel porters or local guides. Luggage porterage throughout the journey is included as well. Personal purchases at the markets and anything ordered outside the standard bar list are your own.

Yes. Arrival and departure transfers are included: you are met on arrival in Budapest and transferred to your hotel, and on the final morning you are transferred from the Munich hotel to the airport after breakfast. International flights into Budapest and home from Munich are not included in the fare.

Yes. The services of a UK-registered doctor and medical facilities on board are included throughout the rail portion of the journey, alongside an experienced tour management team. That is a reassuring feature on a winter itinerary crossing several countries, though travel insurance is still strongly recommended.

Meals are freshly prepared on board using the finest local ingredients, and the itinerary also includes authentic dining experiences in local restaurants. Inclusive beverages from the standard bar list are covered, as is a welcome reception on departure. A welcome reception dinner is held at the Budapest hotel and a Farewell Dinner takes place in Munich.

Day one is an arrivals day ending with a welcome reception dinner at an art nouveau landmark hotel. Day two is a city tour taking in the Royal Palace, St Mathias Church, a panoramic view from Gellert Hill, the Citadel, the Opera House, St Stephen's Cathedral, Heroes Square and the City Park, with the rest of the day free for the Christmas markets.

Late on the morning of day three you transfer to Nyugati station for a drinks reception in the station's impressive Royal Waiting Room. A private brass band plays as the train departs, and uniformed train staff escort you to your private en-suite cabin. Your first lunch is served on board as the train leaves Budapest for Vienna.

Vienna covers two days. There is a panoramic exploration of the city on arrival, a ride through the stunning Old Town by horse-drawn carriage, and a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Austria's largest art museum, whose collection is built on works acquired by the Habsburg dynasty. The Christmas market on Maria-Theresien Platz and Hofburg Palace also feature.

One of the signature moments of the journey is a tasting of traditional Pirker gingerbread in front of St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. It is a small, characteristically festive experience: the gingerbread is a long-established Austrian speciality, and the setting in the square beside the cathedral is one of the most atmospheric in the city at Christmas.

Salzburg sits in the northern foothills of the Alps, cut in half by the curves of the Salzach River and set against snow-capped peaks. The afternoon exploration starts at Mirabell Palace, a UNESCO-listed baroque 17th-century palace known to many from The Sound of Music, and continues into the heart of the city with its Christmas markets, Advent concerts and local traditions.

The DomQuartier is a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble at the heart of Salzburg, created when the prince archbishops transformed the city into a baroque jewel more than 400 years ago. The Residenz and cathedral area, with the Benedictine monastery of St Peter, can be toured as one continuous route, and the terrace above the cathedral arches gives fine views over the old town and surrounding mountains.

Munich is the finale. The most famous of the city's markets sits on Marienplatz and dates from the 1600s, mixing Bavarian traditions such as bratwurst and freshly roasted chestnuts with modern stalls, all beneath a majestically illuminated Christmas tree. A Farewell Dinner is held that evening, and day eight is breakfast at the hotel and a transfer to the airport.

The lead-in fare is from EUR 9,900 per person (2026 departure; EUR 11,200 in 2027) sharing a cabin, covering the hotel nights, your cabin on board, meals, inclusive beverages from the standard bar list, the excursions, transfers and all gratuities. The fare varies by cabin class and departure, so the exact fare for each date is shown on this page.

Yes. A single-occupancy fare is available from EUR 14,900 (2026; EUR 16,800 in 2027) for the journey, depending on cabin class and departure date. Single cabins on a private train are genuinely limited, so they should be requested early. The exact single rate for your chosen date is shown on this page and confirmed in writing before you book.

A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610 or message https://wa.me/17864080610, and a travel specialist or our AI assistant will help. The departures listed on this page are bookable directly. December dates on a festive train sell out well ahead, so we will confirm availability, your cabin class and the exact fare in writing straight away.