Rajah Travel Corporation

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. Your local expert will take you past the Town Hall, whose red-brick walls feature paintings by Hans Bock, so you’ll know right where to go after your tour. The 800-year-old Münster, with its red sandstone walls, multi-colored roof tiles, and twin towers, is equally spectacular; spread out before it you’ll find the wondrous Christmas Market. With more than 150 stands, it offers many locally made craft items, unique ornaments, and delicious seasonal baked goods. Warm your hands on a mug of hot mulled wine as you browse. 

After exploring this Swiss treat, you’ll want to visit the town’s illuminated Christmas Street, which is beautifully decorated with more than 100 Christmas trees. If you’re looking for truly unique gifts, stop by Johann Wanner’s shop, with its array of elegant angel ornaments, blown-glass figurines, and pewter Victorian miniatures. You’ll also find museums and art galleries, specialty shops, and cozy wainscoted restaurants near Market Square.

Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Located on the frosty shores of Lake Lucerne and framed by the snow-capped Alps, Lucerne enchants visitors with all the sights of a traditional Swiss Christmas. Stroll past the 13th-century Water Tower and across the famous covered Chapel Bridge, with its 15th-century painted panels (depicting scenes from the Plague). Admire the stately façades of the medieval family palaces and the old city ramparts, the Town Hall and the famous Lion Monument, which commemorates the Swiss Guards who died defending Louis XVI during the French Revolution-and delve into the delights of the Christmas markets on your own.

*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.

Head out along the Alsatian Wine Road, a winding road that hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains and links charming villages and vineyards producing the great white wines of the region, to a family-owned winery, where you'll sample three delicious wines. Your next stop is Obernai, a picturesque town of half-timbered houses and delightfully decorated shops, where you can explore the Christmas Market.

*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.

Watch the “Capital of Christmas” transform in the evening. Glittering decorations light up the night, with a brilliant Christmas Tree towering above it all. The effect is magical, adding a layer of fairytale charm to the holiday experience in a city that is widely considered to host the oldest markets in all of France.

For a different spin on the Palatinate wine region, visit the Weinessiggut Doktorenhof estate for a special vinegar tasting. Yes, you read that right—a vinegar tasting. Founded by Georg Wiedemann some 30 years ago, Doktorenhof produces vinegars from premium wines, rather than inexpensive ones. Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Riesling, and Pinot Noir are aged with a century-old vinegar “mother,” as the bacteria that makes vinegar is known, and flavored with a variety of herbs and fruits. Most importantly, Wiedemann and his family run their farm and vineyards with the utmost care, tending to them with natural materials only.

The results make complex and elegant aperitifs, intended to be sipped from a specially designed long-stemmed glass between courses or after a meal. The atmospheric tasting room (think candles, cloaks, and choir music) is like no other you’ll ever experience, and the candlelit tasting room is decked for the holidays. You’ll have plenty of time to explore their enticing gift shop, too.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports Global Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

The Sternschnuppenmarkt (or “Twinkling Star”) Christmas Market in Wiesbaden is a delight for visitors young and young at heart, festively decorated and well-organized, with a colorful stage and a good mix of friendly vendors. There’s also a one-of-a-kind backdrop, the city’s grand Town Hall, State Capitol, and the Market Square Church, the latter of which is beautifully illuminated.

Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Watch the waters of the Moselle gush into the Rhine as you stand on the spit of land called German Corner. It’s an appropriate spot for a symbol of German unity: an equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, erected in honor of German unification in 1871. Behind it is Koblenz’s oldest church, St. Castor’s Basilica, originally built in the ninth century and the first of the charming churches and squares you’ll encounter as you wander through Old Town. Like many Rhineland towns, Koblenz suffered at the hands of French forces under Louis XIV—that’s why you’ll see so many baroque features in the buildings you pass, since so many needed to be rebuilt after the French left. That’s also why the Church of Our Lady has twin onion domes. Originally built in the Middle Ages on the highest point in Koblenz, the lovely church that stands in this spot now mostly dates to the early 1700s. Following your tour, delve into the Koblenz Christmas Market, which spills from square to square, with stalls full of unique Rhine Valley handicrafts, baked goods, and wines. Be sure to check out the Advent calendar in the baroque town hall’s windows.

Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Follow your guide around some of the most popular sites of Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine. You’ll pass the old fish market, City Hall with its Renaissance façade, and the old Jewish mikvah (a bath used for ritual cleansing).

Meander through the narrow, cobbled lanes of Old Town, lined with traditional houses in every color and a plethora of restaurants and pubs. One of the city’s 12 Romanesque churches provides a castle-like backdrop to this quaint, riverside quarter of Cologne.

Your local expert will take you all the way to the Domplatte, the square where you’ll find the Cologne Cathedral. Should you wish, you can head inside this Gothic building on your own to see the Shrine of the Magi and the beautiful stained-glass windows. The famous Cologne Christmas Market is held in the square just outside the cathedral. Enjoy the festivities during your free time after the tour.

Following your dinner, return to the streets of Cologne for another round of Christmas Market fun. The warm glow of the evening lights will help you brave the chill of the winter night as we walk to a few of the city’s many markets, such as the famous Domplatz market sprawling out at the feet of the Cologne Cathedral.

Follow your guide around some of the most popular sites of Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine. You’ll pass the old fish market, City Hall with its Renaissance façade, and the old Jewish mikvah (a bath used for ritual cleansing).

Meander through the narrow, cobbled lanes of Old Town, lined with traditional houses in every color and a plethora of restaurants and pubs. One of the city’s 12 Romanesque churches provides a castle-like backdrop to this quaint, riverside quarter of Cologne.

Your local expert will take you all the way to the Domplatte, the square where you’ll find the Cologne Cathedral. Should you wish, you can head inside this Gothic building on your own to see the Shrine of the Magi and the beautiful stained-glass windows. The famous Cologne Christmas Market is held in the square just outside the cathedral. Enjoy the festivities during your free time after the tour.

Following your dinner, return to the streets of Cologne for another round of Christmas Market fun. The warm glow of the evening lights will help you brave the chill of the winter night as we walk to a few of the city’s many markets, such as the famous Domplatz market sprawling out at the feet of the Cologne Cathedral.

Watch the waters of the Moselle gush into the Rhine as you stand on the spit of land called German Corner. It’s an appropriate spot for a symbol of German unity: an equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, erected in honor of German unification in 1871. Behind it is Koblenz’s oldest church, St. Castor’s Basilica, originally built in the ninth century and the first of the charming churches and squares you’ll encounter as you wander through Old Town. Like many Rhineland towns, Koblenz suffered at the hands of French forces under Louis XIV—that’s why you’ll see so many baroque features in the buildings you pass, since so many needed to be rebuilt after the French left. That’s also why the Church of Our Lady has twin onion domes. Originally built in the Middle Ages on the highest point in Koblenz, the lovely church that stands in this spot now mostly dates to the early 1700s. Following your tour, delve into the Koblenz Christmas Market, which spills from square to square, with stalls full of unique Rhine Valley handicrafts, baked goods, and wines. Be sure to check out the Advent calendar in the baroque town hall’s windows.

Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Learn the secrets of creative but easy cooking when you join a chef in his 300-year-old village home-one with a very modern kitchen-near Doktorenhof. Schnitzel and sauerkraut may include vinegar in their ingredients, but the four courses you help prepare for lunch today take vinegar in a whole new direction. You might use orange blossom vinegar to season prawns or cherry vinegar in chocolate tartlets. This is a friendly, hands-on experience with a chef who welcomes novices as well as experienced cooks into his kitchen. The menu will be determined by what's fresh and local, and your chef instructor is a master at pairing regional wines with regional foods. Sauté, sip, sample-and enjoy!

*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.

For a different spin on the Palatinate wine region, visit the Weinessiggut Doktorenhof estate for a special vinegar tasting. Yes, you read that right—a vinegar tasting. Founded by Georg Wiedemann some 30 years ago, Doktorenhof produces vinegars from premium wines, rather than inexpensive ones. Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Riesling, and Pinot Noir are aged with a century-old vinegar “mother,” as the bacteria that makes vinegar is known, and flavored with a variety of herbs and fruits. Most importantly, Wiedemann and his family run their farm and vineyards with the utmost care, tending to them with natural materials only.

The results make complex and elegant aperitifs, intended to be sipped from a specially designed long-stemmed glass between courses or after a meal. The atmospheric tasting room (think candles, cloaks, and choir music) is like no other you’ll ever experience, and the candlelit tasting room is decked for the holidays. You’ll have plenty of time to explore their enticing gift shop, too.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports Global Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Head out along the Alsatian Wine Road, a winding road that hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains and links charming villages and vineyards producing the great white wines of the region, to a family-owned winery, where you'll sample three delicious wines. Your next stop is Obernai, a picturesque town of half-timbered houses and delightfully decorated shops, where you can explore the Christmas Market.

*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.

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. Your local expert will take you past the Town Hall, whose red-brick walls feature paintings by Hans Bock, so you’ll know right where to go after your tour. The 800-year-old Münster, with its red sandstone walls, multi-colored roof tiles, and twin towers, is equally spectacular; spread out before it you’ll find the wondrous Christmas Market. With more than 150 stands, it offers many locally made craft items, unique ornaments, and delicious seasonal baked goods. Warm your hands on a mug of hot mulled wine as you browse. 

After exploring this Swiss treat, you’ll want to visit the town’s illuminated Christmas Street, which is beautifully decorated with more than 100 Christmas trees. If you’re looking for truly unique gifts, stop by Johann Wanner’s shop, with its array of elegant angel ornaments, blown-glass figurines, and pewter Victorian miniatures. You’ll also find museums and art galleries, specialty shops, and cozy wainscoted restaurants near Market Square.

Please note that on or after Christmas Eve, the Christmas Market will likely have ended its season and not be part of this tour.

Located on the frosty shores of Lake Lucerne and framed by the snow-capped Alps, Lucerne enchants visitors with all the sights of a traditional Swiss Christmas. Stroll past the 13th-century Water Tower and across the famous covered Chapel Bridge, with its 15th-century painted panels (depicting scenes from the Plague). Admire the stately façades of the medieval family palaces and the old city ramparts, the Town Hall and the famous Lion Monument, which commemorates the Swiss Guards who died defending Louis XVI during the French Revolution-and delve into the delights of the Christmas markets on your own.

*Masterpiece Collection are optional experiences that go above and beyond our daily selection of included excursions and can be booked for an additional fee. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be pre-booked. Please note that requests to pre-book must be made by calling our Reservations Team no later than 6 days prior to departure and are subject to availability. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 5 days prior to the cruise/tour start date; if inside of 5 days they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change. Masterpiece Collection excursions may not operate if they occur on a holiday or if they require a minimum number of participants and that minimum is not met.