DMSalzburgSnow

Your Adventure Starts Here!

Salzburg River

Salzburg & Salzach River

schwangau church in winter

Schwangau Church

Neuschwanstein Castle

Castle Neuschwanstein

Rothenburg snow

Rothenburg an de Tauber

Nürnberg Christmas Market

Munich Christmas Market

CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY & AUSTRIA in 8 days

Christmas Markets pop up all over Europe during the first weeks of December.  Each year, we feature a winter wonderland tour to Germany and Austria during the Christmas season. These outdoor markets feature unique decorations, beautifully handcrafted arts, and endless opportunities to sample great food and countless varieties of glüwein, punch, and spiced drinks, served piping hot in souvenir mugs. But there is more to this tour than snow and markets!  Enjoy visiting many destinations that, in the busy tourist season, are packed shoulder-to-shoulder with sweaty tourists.  Traveling “off-season” means easy access to castles and sights in Salzburg, Schwangau, Rothenburg, Munich, Nürnberg, and more.  There has never been a better time to visit Europe’s winter wonderland destinations. 

Your Adventure Starts Here!

PRICE FROMDATES
$3789 + airDec 6-13, 2026“Wait
$3789 + airDec 5-12, 2027“Sign

Salzburg – 2 nights

Reutte – 1 night

Rothenburg – 2 nights

Munich – 2 nights

——————————-

Single Room Additional Cost ~ $680

ITINERARY

DAY 1, Sunday: Munich to Austria – Please arrange your flights to arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. local time at the Munich Airport (MUC). Meet your Exploring Europe guide and driver to begin your Christmas Market adventure at the Munich Airport. Enjoy a scenic journey through the beautiful Bavarian countryside en route to Austria. Our first stop is beautiful Mondsee, home of a small Christmas Market and the basilica made famous as the wedding church in the Sound of Music. Later, arrive at your Salzburg hotel, followed by dinner at one of David’s favorite Salzburg restaurants. Driving: 3.5 hours. Walking: moderate. Sleep for 2 nights in Salzburg. Dinner.

DAY 2, Monday: Salzburg – This morning, enjoy a drive through the Saltzgammergut countryside visiting several sights made famous by the movie, The Sound of Music. Later, we will return to Salzburg to explore the Christmas Markets, the castle, and the old town. Dinner and entertainment are left up to you tonight. You might consider taking a carriage ride, attending a concert, or simply poking around the old town. Driving: 2.5 hours. Walking: moderate.

DAY 3, Tuesday: Innsbruck and Tirol – Our journey today takes us to the western part of Austria, known as the Tirol. En route, enjoy a visit to Innsbruck for lunch and a look around their Christmas Markets. Continue on a scenic journey to Reutte, where you will have a relaxed evening and a grand gourmet dinner prepared by my friend Hermann at his Tyrolean restaurant. Driving: 5 hours. Walking: light. Sleep 1 night in Reutte. Dinner.

DAY 4, Wednesday: Castle Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg, Germany – After breakfast, we will take a short drive to the village of Schwangau. You will have an opportunity to enjoy the village atmosphere, hike in the spruce woodlands, and enjoy the pristine lakeside. Also, enjoy a guided tour of Schloss Neuschwanstein, famous as the home of “Mad King” Ludwig II of Bavaria. This castle is the model upon which Walt Disney conceived Cinderella’s Castle at the Disneyland resort. Then, please sit back and relax as we travel through Bavaria to the picture-perfect village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This village is charming any time of the year, but at Christmas, it is delightful. Enjoy the afternoon exploring the Christmas markets, visiting the shops, and wandering the cobbled lanes. Later, let’s meet at our hotel for a fine Rothenburger feast. Driving: 5 hours. Walking: moderate to strenuous. Sleep for 2 nights in Rothenburg. Dinner.

DAY 5, Thursday: Rothenburg  – You will have the entire day to do more exploring on your own in Rothenburg.  Enjoy a wander in the castle gardens, a walk on the medieval-era town walls, plenty of shopping, wine tasting, and of course, their little Christmas Market located on the town square. No driving. Walking: your choice.

DAY 6, Friday: Nurnberg and Munich- Today, we will travel to nearby Nurnberg, home of Germany’s most famous Christmas Market. The entire town square is filled with over 180 wooden stalls, loaded with homemade crafts, local food, mulled wine, and Christmas cheer. Each stall is decorated with red and white cloth and has become the model for all other Christmas markets in Europe. Later, hop on the bus and travel to Munich. Once in the city, enjoy a walking tour of the sights with the remainder of the afternoon and evening to explore the Christmas Markets, churches and pedestrian-friendly shopping areas. Driving: 4 hours. Walking: moderate. Sleep for 2 nights in Munich.

DAY 7, Saturday: Munich – Enjoy an event-free day in town. You may want to visit the markets, Residenz Palace, a museum or take in the holiday atmosphere.  Tonight, we’ll meet for a festive grand farewell dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. No driving. Walking: your choice. Dinner.

DAY 8, Sunday: So Long, Farewell – Your tour ends this morning after breakfast.   Munich’s airport and train station are nearby and are easily connected by subway, train, or taxi. Your Exploring Europe tour leader will be available to assist with your transportation needs. Merry Christmas!

Itinerary specifics are subject to change.

INCLUSIONS

Transportation by coach and/or minibus from the airport in Munich to your final hotel in Munich.

Seven night’s accommodation in traditional hotels, guesthouses, and B&B’s. All rooms have private en-suite baths.

A guaranteed Small group with 6-18 travelers.

All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant, and hotel staff. 

Breakfast each morning.

Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.

Four Traditional dinner dining experiences at some of David’s personal favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority, and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale has to offer.

All tours and admissions at no extra cost: Innsbruck orientation – Rothenburg walking tour and orientation – Castle Neuschwanstein entrance and guided tour – Salzburg orientation and walking tour – Salzgammergut driving tour and notable Sound of Music sights – Munich orientation walking tour – Christmas Markets in Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich, Rothenburg and Nurnberg – traditional and fine dining experience in David’s top choice restaurants – and much more.

A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the historical and cultural experience of the tour destinations.

David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.

Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.

Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.

$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year

EXCLUSIONS

Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.

Fee for passports.

Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.

Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items

Extras and optional activities.

Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.

CANCELLATION POLICY

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:

Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.

Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.

Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.

SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST

If you do not want to sign up online:

You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.

-OR-

You may return it by:

  • FAX 1-800-570-1351
  • Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
  • email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
  • TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149

KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY

Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:

Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.

Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.

Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks.  There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.

Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.

PRE-TOUR RESOURCES

Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions.  Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.

DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS

Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in the United Kingdom.  Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David Explores Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

David’s TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY almost-weekly broadcast and Video Series Blog.

Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook.  Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded.  Watch them here.

DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES

David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog.  But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.

PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.

We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions.  tours@davidmcguffin.com   or 800-570-1351.

 

Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours

 by Lavon from Colorado on David McGuffin's Tours to Scotland and Wales
Loved Scotland and Wales

The Scotland /Wales trip was wonderful. Scotland is so beautiful, and we loved the small towns where we stayed. Dave was a great guide and so willing to help us in whatever we needed. Ian was a great driver and so nice. His van was super comfortable. We really enjoyed getting to meet Jan and Bobby on the trip and finding out that they had known you for years. They are special people, and we hope they had an enjoyable time in London.
Thanks for doing the trip for such a small group, and I know we all felt that we were very blessed because of it.

 by Julio and Lily on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Bucket List Experience!

We participated in the Best of Italy tour in June of 2026. This was our first David McGuffin tour, and certainly not our last. We were blessed to have an exceptional tour manager throughout our trip. Ilaria Mercuri was a gem! Not only did she provided insightful information about the places we visited, but she was also very flexible and accommodating to our needs and preferences. She became family! We can't imagine having this unique experience without her. Transportation between and within the cities was flawlessly arranged. We had two drivers in particular that really stood out (Angelo and Enzo). They were very personable and courteous. Each destination we visited was unique and had its own charm. Our accommodations were excellent! The dining experiences were carefully curated to showcase the local cuisine of each region. It took the pressure of "guessing" off, and enriched our experience. Our experience with the local guides began with Giulia, who was truly a wealth of knowledge, as she showed us around the Vatican. This was followed by Annie in Volterra who gave us an unbelievable historical presentation of this unique Tuscan city, culminating in a delightful wine tasting in a local tavern. Our final interaction with local guides was with Paola in Florence, who introduced us to so many incredible facts and nuances of the culture, including our first "wine window" experience. These local experts enriched our visits to this beautiful country. Every time we encountered a new location, it was definitely a "wow" moment for us. David gave us valuable information prior to and throughout our trip. This helped us prepare for what to expect on our trip. It also included important reminders to include when packing. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to commemorate our 32 wedding anniversary! Bucket list... CHECKED!!

 by Libby on David McGuffin's Tours to London and Paris
London,Paris and Rome on 6/22/26

We had an amazing time on this tour of London, Paris, and Rome! My husband, our grown daughter, and I loved the combination of guided sightseeing and free time to explore on our own.

The walking tours covered all of the must-see sites in each city, and we learned so much from the guides. A special thank you to our tour directors, Jamie and Leslie, who were absolutely wonderful. They were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and always attentive to everyone in the group. They made the trip run smoothly and helped create such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The local guides in each city were also excellent and shared fascinating history and stories that made every stop more meaningful.

We enjoyed delicious meals throughout the trip and appreciated having enough free time to wander, shop, and discover places on our own. We also had the pleasure of traveling with two other families, and getting to know them made the experience even more enjoyable.

The only minor disappointment was that our hotel in Paris wasn’t quite as nice as the accommodations in London and Rome. Even so, it was a small part of an otherwise fantastic experience.

This tour exceeded our expectations, and we came home with wonderful memories of three incredible cities. We would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a well-organized, enjoyable, and memorable European vacation. Thank you, Jamie and Leslie, for making our trip so special!

 by Sue, McKinney, Texas on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Islands & Amalfi coast

I can't thank David enough for an amazing trip! His knowledge of everywhere we went was terrific. He also had locals to do various tours and driving either around the island or Pompeii and Amalfi coast. The group was fun and easy going. I think that was my favorite part, we had a schedule, but we weren't over scheduled. It was a great mix of planned activities and time to explore, rest or whatever on our own. David helped to make this a fantastic trip! The best part was I didn't have to plan it or figure out how to get around. Will I use David's company, absolutely!

 by Phil & Geny, Garland Tx on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
A different side of Italy

We took the Sicily and Amalfi/Islands tours back-to-back. Both were outstanding. Every time we saw a line of visitors with headphones following a guide with a flag on a stick we were reminded just how different the experience with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe (DMEE) is from other tours. Our travels with DMEE were very personal. The pace was comfortable and we were able to pause where we wanted to linger, plus we had plenty of time to wander about on our own.

Sicily was Italian, yet different. It seemed each city or area we visited had its own charm. The architecture, customs, people, and cuisine were so lovely. From the backstreet ristorante David knew about in Palermo to the views from Erice, the Dorian Temples in Agrigento, the passiggiata in Taormina, our Sicilian experience was outstanding!

Amalfi/Islands was very interesting too! Ischia has a beautiful castle and gardens to explore. Our group enjoyed a stunning view from the rooftop terrace, where we gathered for some relaxation time together. Procida was packed with stunning vistas, cultural uniqueness, and incredibly talented drivers, navigating the insanely narrow streets. Our favorite memory of Capri was boat ride that circled the island. Just beautiful.

The time in Sorrento included a drive along the world-famous Amalfi Coast Road…which was a great experience. But the best experience we had on the entire trip was our pizza cooking class.

Thank you DMEE for making this a truly once in a lifetime experience. If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, you must contact DMEE! They treat you like family every step of the way! Ciao!

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David McGuffin Exploring Europe: Tour Operator & Travel Information
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