Christmas Markets Tour Europe - Itinerary

European Christmas Markets Tour

(Inclusions in italics)

Your Christmas Markets Tour can start at any time from the end of November to Mid-December. Choose your travel dates to co-incide with special events and excursions, like the Christmas markets village tour in the Austrian Lake district from Salzburg, Saturdays and Sundays only, or the 'Pyramid Festival' on the Saturday before the third Sunday in Advent at the Dresden Christmas Market.

Day 1 & 2 -  Prague: Your English speaking driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel right in the centre of the city.

Take the afternoon and evening to familiarize yourself with this UNESCO World Heritage listed inner city and its amazing architecture, winding streets and famous sites.

A local guide will take you on a leisurely walking tour of the historical buildings of ‘Old Prague’. Stroll around the spectacular Prague Christmas Market where you will find local handicrafts, like Bohemian crystal and lace and listen to local and international choirs singing Christmas carols on the stage in the Old Town Square while you browse the market stalls and enjoy the food and hot Christmas punch.

Day 3 & 4 - Dresden: Familiarize yourself with this city with a 'Hop-on/Hop-off' bus tour and visit the Zwinger Palace and Pillnitz Castle.

The 'Striezelmarket', Germany's oldest Christmas market, has its origins in the early 15th Century. Traditional Christmas gifts, toys and decorations were invented hundreds of years ago in the nearby Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains). Today most of the Christmas markets in Germany are still being supplied from this region and the traditional Dresden Christmas Market with its romantic and festive charm is a treasure trove of traditional handmade crafts. Admire Dresden's Christmas pyramids, smoking figures, printed textile products and pottery from Lusatia, gingerbread from Pulsnitz, filigree lace products from Plauen, Herrenhut Advent stars or blown glass tree decorations from Lauscha. Take this opportunity and watch the carvers, glass-blowers and bakers in action at the crafts market.

The focal point of the Dresden Christmas Market is the world's tallest Christmas pyramid, with a height of 14 metres and the world's biggest nut cracker.

Day 5 & 6 - Berlin: The German capital offers you a choice of 60 Christmas markets, traditional historic or lively and modern.

At the Charlottenburg Castle Christmas Market the castle and its park are immersed in a special romantic light and the stalls present carefully selected arts and crafts and ancient handicrafts. In the festively decorated cabins and exclusive glass pagodas you can enjoy delicious Christmas treats.

The Highlights at the Christmas Market on the 'Reformationsplatz' are a Nativity scene with living animals and a medieval plague procession that takes place every Wednesday.

The 'Gendarmenmarkt' Christmas Market takes place in one of the most beautiful squares of the city.  Apart from the interesting offerings at the stalls there is plenty of entertainment provided by jugglers, acrobats, fire artists, dance groups, choirs, classical, jazz and gospel ensembles and famous international artists.

Take a nostalgic carriage ride through 'old Berlin' past the delightful backdrops of the Christmas Market at the State Opera House and the Opera Palais. Children in particular will enjoy the crib with live animals, the 200 wooden stalls and an antique wooden horse carousel. 

Take part in a guided tour of the Reichstag (German Parliament) and view the city from the roof terrace of this spectacular and world famous glass dome. (Saturdays only). On other days enjoy a guided historic walking tour of the inner city.

Day 7 & 8 - Nurenberg: A walking tour through the old town offers insights and information about the history of this ancient town, the castle, fortifications, wells and art treasures.

Every year Germany's most famous Christmas market commences with a moving ceremony on Friday evening before the first Advent Sunday. 180 stalls festooned with red and white cloth have given this Christmas market its name: Little town of wood and cloth.

Day 9 & 10 - Munich: Start your visit to Munich with aguided tour to several of Munich's Christmas markets. Your guide will lead you through the Old Town to visit Munich’s most enchanting market stalls, steeped in history and festively decorated with fairy lights and Christmas decorations. Listen to stories about German Christmas traditions and history and see the nativity scene at Old City Hall and the Christmas Village in the Royal Palace courtyard and the Medieval Market near Odeonsplatz.

From Munich take an excursion to King Ludwig's fairytale-like Neuschwanstein castle.

Day 11 & 12 - Salzburg: Explore the small, car-free inner city at your leisure. Visit Mozart’s birthplace, the majestic Cathedral, the Christmas markets and take the funicular railway up to the fortress overlooking Salzburg.

A very special highlight of this Christmas markets tour will be your excursion to the village markets of the Salzburg lake district. Stroll in the villages of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang. Enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of these little lake side markets and communities with thousands of candles, lanterns and hundreds of Christmas trees and a magic boat ride on Lake Wolfgang with a cup of hot Christmas punch. Available on Saturdays and Sundays only.

If you are in Salzburg during the week the 4-hour 'Sound of Music' tour takes you to the location where many of the scenes for the movie were filmed. The English speaking guide shows you not only the highlights of the ‘Sound of Music’ but also the historical and architectural landmarks in the city, as well as a part of the picturesque lake district.

Optional tour extension:

If you want to spend the Christmas days in an Austrian mountain village not far from Salzburg and you have chosen your travel dates accordingly you can add a few days in the Gastein Valley into your itinerary before travelling on to Vienna. Go tobogganing, skiing or snowboarding, take walks in the snow or luxuriate in the hotel thermal spa complex before indulging in a 4-course dinner every night.

Build an igloo, participate in a guided night time flame-torch hike, cross one of Europe's highest suspension bridges and enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride into a romantic valley. Experience a traditional Austrian Christmas that will forever be a treasured memory. 

For more details see our Romantic White Christmas tour.

Day 13 & 14 - Vienna: Stroll around the historic inner city and you will be enchanted by Vienna's spectacular architecture, its cosy coffeehouses, atmospheric wine taverns and musical tradition. Visit the Christmas Market in front of City Hall and Palace Belvedere. In the evening take a dreamy ride on a Viennese tram to one of the oldest traditional ‘Heurigen’ Pubs and enjoy a traditional Austrian meal and zither music in a building dating back to the 12th Century. 

You have a 48-hour pass for all public local transport in and around Vienna. Explore the entire city with its Christmas markets, lights and huge Christmas trees at your leisure. Hire ice-skates and skate on the frozen Danube or on the Ice Rink (with hot punch stalls) in front of the baroque historic museum. Visit the magnificent baroque Palace Schönbrunn and stay on afterwards to listen to the choirs singing traditional Austrian Christmas carols in front of the huge Christmas tree at the famous Christmas Market in front of the palace.

Day 15 - Vienna: On your last day your driver will take you directly from your hotel to the departure terminal at Vienna airport.