Tauck will be setting sail this holiday season, offering two eight-day river cruises this year along the Rhine and Danube, visiting some of the most popular Christmas markets. Stops along the way include Nürnberg, Vienna, Strasbourg, Aachen, and more.
On board, the ship will have seasonal décor and music, caroling, gingerbread house decorating, seasonal treats such as glühwein, the traditional mulled wine of the region, and more. Tauck also hosts a tree-trimming party where guests are given euros for a scavenger hunt in various markets to find ornaments to decorate the trees onboard. Tauck’s cruises are virtually all-inclusive, with all gratuities, meals, shore excursions, unlimited beer, wine and premium spirits, airport transfers and more included in the cruise price.
Tauck is also offering land programs for those looking to spend the holidays in warmer weather in unique locations.
Christmas Markets Along the Rhine
This cruise will take guests to markets in Germany and France, with three departures; November 26 and December 10 aboard Tauck’s ms Grace and aboard the ms Inspire on December 3.
Traveling from from Cologne to Basel, highlights of this cruise include visits to Old Town Heidelberg and historic Heidelberg Castle along with a German lunch in town, a cookie-making demonstration in Rudesheim, and a presentation on storytelling traditions in Strasbourg.
From $2,690 per person plus airfare.
Christmas Markets Along the Danube
This cruise will be sailing eastward from Nürnberg to Vienna on December 10 and westbound on a reverse journey December 3 and December 10. The itinerary includes include a Christmas lunch and children’s choir performance inside a private Viennese palace, a guided visit to Austria’s Baroque Melk Abbey, and a private tour of Thurn und Taxis Palace.
From $2,690 per person plus air.
Cuba: Connecting With People and Culture
This seven-day Havana-based itinerary plunges travelers in the rich Cuban culture from arts and history, to architecture and agriculture.
Highlights include an authentic ropa vieja cooking class, a visit to Havana's bustling San Jose crafts market, a trip to Ernest Hemingway’s winter home from 1939 to 1960, and much more.
Departures available on December 7, 14, 21, and 27, 2017.
From $5,890 per person plus air.
South Africa: An Elegant Adventure
Guests will spend the holidays at two of the most popular private game reserves watching leopards, lions, elephants, and zebras. They will also spend time at Victoria Falls, Cape Town and the Cape Winelands.
The 12-day Tauck Earth Journey, offered in partnership with BBC Earth, includes on-tour film vignettes custom-made by BBC Earth natural history experts, and the use of field equipment such as night vision goggles and FLIR thermal imaging cameras that reveal the secret nocturnal life of South Africa's wildlife.
Available departures on December 1 and 15.
Tours start at $8,690 per person including on-tour air (international round-trip are not included).
Northern India & Nepal
Also offered offered in partnership with BBC Earth, the 17-day journey will bring guests from Mumbai to the Himalayas, from the ultramodern architecture of New Delhi to the forests of Bandhavgarh National Park in India and Chitwan National Park in Nepal and more.
Highlights include a flight over Mt. Everest, game-viewing safaris in search of the elusive tiger, and a visit to the Taj Mahal and the eye-opening Hindu temples of Khajuraho. Guests will also be able to give back by by volunteering on tour with hands-on community projects in local villages.
Departing on December 10, 2017, prices start at $10,990 per person including on-tour air (international round-trip are not included.)
This story originally appeared on www.travelagentcentral.com.
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