Travel to the enchanting land of Germany's Christmas markets, sharing the festive season spirit and Gemütlichkeit of the locals amidst rousing oompah music and the spicy scents of Glühwein.
Take a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Germany, sipping beer in Munich, dining on German delicacies in Berlin and experiencing the Christmas pyramids in Dresden. This immersive Christmastime tour highlights the delights of the Nuremberg Market’s Christkindlmarkt stalls—with the chance to sample authentic German Rostbratwürste, and the musical surrounds of the Leipzig Market, where locals gather to sing and celebrate the festive season. On your Local Expert Tour of Dresden, see iconic city sights like the enormous Procession of the Dukes mosaic, Zwinger Palace and the Semper Opera House. Dresden is also home to Germany’s oldest Christmas market where you can taste Christstollen—a traditional Christmas cake recipe dating back to medieval times.
Join us for a magical cruise on the Upper Rhine where you can celebrate Christmas and discover new traditions. Be carried away by the warm and festive atmosphere of the famous Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar. You can also attend the Christmas Mass in Breisach after an exciting Christmas eve dinner.
Ready for the most wonderful time of the year? Jump on board for one of Europe's most festive destinations, Germany, for this Contiki trip that takes in Christmas markets in six different cities. Fill your stocking with traditional and handmade gifts from local market stalls while sipping steaming mulled wine, nibbling on gingerbread and exploring cobbled streets, Bavarian beer halls and gothic architecture, and soak up the nostalgic yuletide atmosphere and old-world charm of dancing lights, Christmas trees and guaranteed good vibes on this 7-day celebration of all things Christmas.
Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air.
Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit. Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.
Please note that most Christmas Markets in Europe end their season on the 23rd of December and will not be available after that date.
On a boat cruise along the Danube, explore charming Christmas markets and see Europe dressed in its holiday best. Discover Würzburg, an ancient Franconian wine town. Explore Nuremburg, home to one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in the world. Float through the Wachau Valley, dotted with castles and hillside houses. Visit the 900-year-old Benedictine Melk Abbey, one of Europe’s largest Baroque monasteries. Enjoy a Glühwein Party – a German holiday gathering with mulled wine. Join a local expert and explore historic Vienna. Relax as you are transported to beloved riverside towns and delve into local holiday traditions.