Christmas Market Tour – Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland
Gay Christmas Market Tour
Prices listed are per person:
Shared Room: $8498
Private Room: $10,798
Physical Challenge
Experience THE BEST OF CHRISTMAS in Europe, from Mozart and the Habsburg Empress, Sissi’s castles in Vienna, gay King Ludwig’s heritage in Munich and Bavaria, the oldest and most famous Christmas market in Nuremberg, and the most beautifully-decorated fairy tale villages in the Alsace mountains and the stunning Christmas Capital Strasbourg.
Highlights
Explore Vienna’s famous Christkindlmarkt – The largest Christmas market in Austria with over 150 stalls of food, drinks, and Christmas gifts.
Enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides and ice skating at both the Viennese Emperor’s Palace or Bavaria’s Baroque Palace under a canopy of Christmas decorations and festive music.
Snack at Munich’s giant Viktualienmarkt – Germany’s largest Christmastime farmer’s market with acres of edible treats, music, and Christmas gifts from all across Bavaria.
Lose yourself in Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt – the oldest Christmas market in all of Germany with 250+ stalls of regional food, drinks, holiday music, and plentiful Christmas gifts.
Discover Nuremberg’s castle atop the sparkling city, decorated for Christmas and offering a variety of Christmas activities, such as concerts and tours.
Immerse yourself in the largest Christmas market in France, located in Strasbourg’s city center with over 300 stalls of French and European Christmas fare, drinks, music, and varied Christmas gifts.
Overview
Christmas markets are street markets associated with the celebration of Christmas and are usually held during the four Weeks of Advent. Originating in Germany, they have spread all over Europe, with many towns in Germany, France, and Switzerland holding Christmas markets in the town square. These markets feature open-air stalls hawking regional food specialties, Christmas drinks, and seasonal products and gifts, accompanied by singing and dancing. Vienna’s December Market is a forerunner of the modern Christmas market and dates back to 1298.
Itinerary
Please note that Christmas is the new “high season” in Europe, often surpassing summertime. Occasionally, we may adjust itinerary items to meet conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Walking tours, train transfers, and visits to hilly or cobblestone streets may be difficult for older participants or those with limited mobility.
Day 1: Arrival in Vienna
Welcome to Vienna! Famous for its classical music and opera, Vienna is home to spectacular architecture and rich cultural offerings with an undeniable charm. The area is brimming with ornate palaces, traditional coffee houses, art galleries, and museums. The city is the jewel in Austria’s crown, sensationally decorated during Christmas time. Tonight we will enjoy our Welcome Dinner.
Day 2: Markets and Mozart/Strauss Concert
Enjoy a leisurely day, visiting over 150 Christmas market stalls, eating, listening to music, and getting lost in the joy. This evening we will enjoy dinner and an authentic Mozart/Strauss concert.
Day 3: Vienna
Today we will enjoy a visit to Schonbrunn Palace with an audio guide (Imperial audio ticket: 22 rooms, duration approx. 35 mins) + Schonbrunn Park. Afterwards we will enjoy the palace Gloriette, the tea house above the palace for lunch. Afterwards, we will enjoy lunch near the palace.
The rest of the day will be at our leisure to explore the Weihnachtdorf Stephansplatz Christmas Market near the hotel. These are the markets frequented by the locals.
Day 4: Munich via train
This morning we will enjoy our comfortable, 4 hours direct scenic train journey from the capital of Austria to the capital of Bavaria via first class. During our ride, you will enjoy the Austrian mountain scenery passing snowcapped mountains while sipping coffee and enjoying lunch on board.
Munich is home to some of Europe’s greatest cultural treasures, packed with lovely sights, museums, and endless steins of beer. In the weeks before Christmas, Munich pulls out all the stops. Generally, it’s cold enough to snow, so the roofs of all the fabulous buildings and churches are topped with a glittering cap. In the morning, icicles drip from gutters and tree branches and ice roses cover the windows. Munich opens her jewelry box and pulls out the best Christmas decorations to spread lavishly all over the city. Huge stars, angels, and Christmas trees decorate streets and shop windows, and you can enjoy over 20 Christmas markets, including the famous “Pink Market” – a special LGBT-oriented Christmas market.
We will enjoy dinner at the famous gay-owned boutique hotel, Deutsche Eiche. (Underneath happens to be the biggest gay sauna in Munich!
Day 5: Munich – Neuschwanstein Castle
After breakfast, we will head out for a tour of Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps in the very south of Germany. Enjoy a free evening of leisure to explore Munich and it’s many Christmas markets.
Day 6: Nuremberg
Today, you may choose to have a proper Bavarian lunch at the famous Hofbräuhaus in Munich, with oompah music and a peek upstairs at the WWII-era meeting rooms.
Later, we take a 1-hour high-speed train to visit Nuremberg and to spend the night. The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt – best seen at night – is one of the oldest and most famous Christmas Markets in the world. In the wooden booths of “the little city of wood and cloth” one finds traditional, often handmade Christmas decorations and sweet treats such as gingerbread and Spekulatius.
Day 7: Strasbourg
Today we will head to Strasbourg via the TGV high-speed train. It is a direct first-class luxury train that will bring you from Nuremberg to Strasbourg.
Christened the Capital of Christmas by Strasbourg’s deputy mayor in 1992, the French city is home to about a dozen Christmas markets in different squares throughout the city. The most iconic one has been held at the foot of Strasbourg Cathedral since 1570, when the city was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, making it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. Taking pride of place in the center of a Christmas village festooned with miles of twinkly lights is a 100-feet-tall Nordic pine. Some 300 stalls sell everything from pastries and glühwein to handmade gifts and festive decorations.
Day 8: Strasbourg – Alsace Countryside
After breakfast today, we head to Colmar and several other medieval picturesque villages of Alsace. We will enjoy lunch along the way before heading back to Strasbourg in the late afternoon.
Day 9: Free Day
Today is a free day to relax and enjoy your last day in Strasbourg. Stroll the markets and/or museums. We will meet up this evening for dinner.
Day 10: Basel, Switzerland
Today, we will head to Switzerland. Lying on the border of France and Germany, the Swiss city of Basel is full of Christmas energy. We will enjoy are last evening here together with plenty to see and do. Tonight we will enjoy our Farewell Dinner.
Day 11: Departure from Basel
Today you are free to depart at your convenience from Basel.
Please note that Christmas is the new “high season” in Europe, often surpassing summertime. Occasionally, we may adjust itinerary items to meet conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Walking tours, train transfers, and visits to hilly or cobblestone streets may be difficult for older participants or those with limited mobility.
Price Includes
Price includes: All group ground transportation during the tour; All hotels and accommodations in double occupancy; HE Travel tour director; 10 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 7 dinners; HE Travel provides complimentary Medical & Evacuation Insurance for every US Resident on our group tours who does not have other coverage.
Not included: Airfare to the starting point of the tour and from the end of the tour; Airport transfers; Souvenirs, snacks, admissions, alcohol; Meals and beverages not listed here; Optional activities, as listed; Gratuities for tour director and local guides.
Tour Insurance
We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Cancellation and Interruption insurance to protect your vacation investment in case of unforeseen circumstances such as flight delay, illness, or injury. Click Here to learn more about our Insurance partner.
FAQ
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