Tui River Cruises debuts new sailings giving guests chance to cruise down Europe's second-largest river

The new sailings will explore the Danube River throughout winter 2025 with a new four-night itinerary available over the festive period.

Several routes will launch down the second-largest river in Europe, flowing through the Central and southeastern stretches of the continent.

Customers opting for the ‘Austrian Christmas Flavours’ will have the chance to get into the Christmas spirit cruising through Vienna, Dürnstein, Melk and Linz.

Cruise passengers will get to ring in the New Year on Tui Maya’s ‘A Danube New Year’; sailing through European cities Vienna, Budapest, Esztergom in Hungary, Bratislava and Durnstein in Austria.

Cruise passengers can enter 2026 admiring firework displays over the Rhine in Koblenz in Germany onboard TUI Isla's 'A New Year Sail Away', visiting Germany and the Netherlands.

Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises, TUI RIVER CRUISES, said: “We’re excited to be launching new winter sailings down the Danube for our wine 2025 programme.

“We’re giving customers the chance to explore even more cities during the festive period for the very first time.

“By introducing the new four-night sailings down the Danube and Rhine, it will offer a chance for new cruise customers to experience our fleet for the first time for a shorter duration.”

Customers will have the chance to experience festive cheer onboard the 'Christmas Carols & Castles' itinerary, stopping in festive German cities like Düsseldorf, Cologne, Rudesheim, and Koblenz.

Tui Skyla will also offer festive sailings with a new four-night stay on its 'Glühwein on the Rhine' itinerary sailing in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Koblenz.

Plus, Tui Skyla's 'Festive Fairy Tale' sailing in picturesque German market cities will visit Cologne, Rudesheim, Speyer, Kehl (for Strasbourg), Mainz and Koblenz.

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Two longer sails lasting seven nights will visit festive European market cities along the Rhine, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as part of the 'North Rhine Noël' itinerary.

The newest ship in the fleet, Tui Al Horeya, will return to new sailings in winter 2025 as of November 2025, with exclusive flights from London Gatwick and Manchester Airport to Luxor.

Further afield, a seven-night sailing will begin and end in Luxor, giving travellers the chance to visit Egyptian hotspots in Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan.

The itinerary, dubbed 'Legends of the Nile', will cruise down the famous River Nile, giving passengers the chance to soak up some sun.