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 FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $3789 + air | Dec 7-14, 2025 |  |
| $3789 + air | Dec 6-13, 2026 | |
Salzburg – 2 nights
Reutte – 1 night
Rothenburg – 2 nights
Munich – 2 nights
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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.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
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
My wife and I had travelled with David in Italy twice before doing the Budapest and Croatia Land and Sea tour in September/October 2024. This tour was so much fun because it included a mix of famous destinations (like Budapest and Dubrovnik) with less well known places. For example, if we had tried to explore Croatia independently, we would never have found the historical grain boat ride on the Kupa River. The ride was relaxing, our hosts were entertaining and hospitable, and the meat and cheese boards (served with Croatian wine) were excellent.
Spending a week on land followed by a week traveling by boat offered a pleasant variety to the trip. Also, the people of Croatia are warm and welcoming. Dinner in the countryside with David's Croatian friends was unforgettable!
David, love you man, your the best. Can't wait for the next one.
We left Thanksgiving day for what has become our annual Christmas Markets Tour Vacation with David and Charlotte and a group of friends we have met through out our many trips with EE.
We flew into Munich a couple of days early to get adjusted to the time difference, we love this city and all it has to offer from the beer gardens to the fabulous markets set up throughout the city. Transportation is a breeze using the subway.
We traveled by train to Nurnberg to visit the oldest and most famous Christmas Market, enjoying a tradition german group dinner before heading to Prague. On our way to Prague in our van we stoped at a couple of local markets and had lunch. Once in Prague we were greeted with great weather for our walking tour of the old historic town. Dinner was delicious with authentic pub food in the Jakubsky Obvod area. The next day we walked along the Vltava river bridge after visiting the ST Vitus Cathedral, The Royal Palace an ST George Basilica while the sunshine was a perfect picture day. Now on to my favorite time of our tour VIENNA AUSTRIA! This was by far my favorite place to visit. The autobahn, the city full of beautiful people, Cathedrals, Hofburg Palace, Imperial Apartments, Royal Treasury, Christmas Markets (the food and champagne to die for) cafes, shopping (I bought beautiful fabric to have curtains made) & the restaurants etc....Vienna, I will see you again. Long Live SISI
Final stop was in Budapest and the majestic Danube River. Our night time cruise down the river with its glowing city lights illuminating the Parliament Building is a must see when you visit. Saffron risotto with squid was my favorite meal we had while there too. Thank you David! They have a huge Christmas Market too with different homemade crafts and ornaments to bring home.
My advice is bring a nylon duffle to put all your goodies in to bring back home or you can purchase an extra suitcase like I did, not kidding.
I alway say this but it's true, if you can't have fun with David and Charlotte you're not trying, they are a blast!
My best friend and I just returned from the Best of Greece + Santorini tour in October 2024. First, it was the perfect time to go--much less crowed and we had perfect weather! Charlotte, our guide, was so kind and fun to travel with. We loved all the historical sites (and the site licensed guides were all phenomenal! We learned so much and they told great stories), and all the beaches/towns we went to were gorgeous. Delphi was unbelievable, I never would have thought to go to Nafplio on my own but it was a gem, and Hydra was adorable. The catamaran trip at the end in Santorini had to be postponed one day due to winds but when we went the next day, it was an unforgettable experience. From the local places for dinners to cute hotels, we wouldn't have wanted to travel any other way!
Best of Italy 15 days for our 50th wedding anniversary ! Our first McGuffin tour. More to plan next trip. ! We were well taken care of and teamed up with 5 folks from the Denver area, Great small group.
Our guide Ilaria was excellent, well organized and detailed. Great personality and took extra good care of us by avoiding the tourist traps, selecting great restaurants off the beaten path.
Rome was overwhelming and breathtaking, hard to comprehend the history, we were glad to get out of the city and tour the smaller towns.
The hotels were first class and close enough to transportation but off the beaten path. Group dining was fun and educational as Ilaria explained the local cuisine and customs.
The wow moment was the Vatican and Basilica and seeing The David. So much to take in.
David's tour information prepared us well and by the time we departed we felt confident and well informed. We also had many daily PDF downloads to brief us on the days activities.
It was a lot of walking but we came home in great shape, exhausted but in a good way. Did not get to hear a lot of music which we wanted , there were opportunities on our free days but i did not plan ahead well for that,. We did find a couple of laundries which helped.
All in all we would go again in a heartbeat ! The preparation, the planning, guides, hotels, were well worth the cost and a trip of a lifetime. Booking and finding the flights was a bit challenging but we minimized our hops and traveled well with Delta. Security lines and checkpoints were numerous and lengthy at times.
One night we were booked into a penthouse suite in the LIDO ! overlooking Venice ! Many thanks for a wonderful trip and making new friends along the way. Thank you David,. ! Germany is next !
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