Riviera Travel releases ‘biggest-ever’ festive programme for 2025

Riviera Travel has released its “biggest-ever” programme of Christmas and New Year cruises for December 2025, six of which will have optional extended land stays.

A total of 37 festive departures are available for next year across six itineraries on the Rhine and Danube.

The itineraries are the five-day Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide Markets, from £999; the six-day Danube’s Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets, from £1,199; the eight-day Christmas on the Rhine, from £2,299; the eight-day Christmas on the Danube, from £2,299; the six-day New Year on the Rhine, from £1,899; and the six-day New Year on the Danube, from £1,899.

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Riviera Travel is offering extended land stays on selected departures following “positive feedback and demand from guests and agents”, after the programme was introduced in 2023.

These include the Blue Danube with Budapest extension, comprising a seven-night Danube river cruise with a three-night post-cruise hotel stay in Budapest, and the Rhine Cruise to Switzerland with Glacier Express extension, composed of a seven-night Rhine cruise and three-night hotel stay in Zermatt.

The former extension costs from £539 and the latter from £969.

All river cruises are full-board with welcome cocktails, a welcome dinner and captain’s dinner, and prices include flights and transfers.

Head of product Will Sarson said: “There is something very special about celebrating the Christmas and New Year period on a river cruise and at Riviera we have a wide selection of itineraries available to book.

“All are filled with endless opportunities to take in the festive atmosphere in some of Europe’s most enchanting cities.

“Our land stay extensions have proven very popular in recent years giving guests the option to extend their holidays with a range of visits to historic and celebrated landmarks.”