CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN FRANCE, ITALY, & GERMANY in 8 days
Christmas Markets pop up all over Europe during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Each year, we feature several winter wonderland tours during the holiday Christmas season. These outdoor markets feature unique decorations, beautiful, handcrafted arts, and endless opportunities to sample great food and countless varieties of glüwein, punch, and spiced drinks, served piping hot in souvenir mugs. This route features three contrasting cultures and languages. Plus, as a bonus, traveling “off-season” means easy access to the sights and markets in Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Freiburg, Füssen, Bolzano, and Munich.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $3789 + air | Nov 29-Dec 6, 2026 |  |
| $3789 + air | Nov 28-Dec 5, 2027 | |
Strasbourg – 2 nights
Freiburg – 1 night
Füssen/Reutte – 1 night
Bolzano – 2 nights
Munich – 1 night
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Single Room Additional Cost ~ $680
ITINERARY
Day 1: Alsace and Strasbourg – Meet your Exploring Europe guide and driver at the Frankfurt (FRA) Airport around 10:30-11:00 a.m. Then, we will head across the Rhine River to the Alsatian wine country in France for a tasting and vineyard visit. Strasbourg is known as France’s Capitale de Noël, the Capital of Christmas. The entire old town is an island, surrounded by a tributary of the Rhine and decked out with at least six festive markets in its pedestrian squares. After setting up in our hotel, we’ll take an orientation walk visiting several markets and squares in town. Then, enjoy dinner together at a typical Alsatian restaurant. Driving: 2.5 hours. Walking: moderate. Sleep for 2 nights in Strasbourg. Dinner.
Day 2: Strasbourg – After breakfast, enjoy a guided walk and visit a historic church, the Cathedral, and the canal-laced, Le Petit France neighborhood. Then enjoy the remainder of the day and evening on your own, exploring and shopping in Strasbourg. Walking: light and level.
Day 3: The Black Forest and Freiburg – Heading back across the Rhine, we dive deep into Germany’s Black Forest. Enjoy a scenic drive on the “high road” through charming villages. We’ll make a few stops along the way for cuckoo clocks, beer steins, and Black Forest Cake. Later, arrive in Freiburg in plenty of time to experience the pedestrian town and the Christmas Markets. We’ll give you an orientation walk and set you free for the evening. Driving: 6 hours with stops. Walking: light. Sleep 1 night in Freiburg.
Day 4: Lindau & Schwangau – The Bodensee (Lake Constance in Switzerland) hugs the border between Germany and Switzerland. The little town of Lindau sits on an island in Lake Constance. We’ll stop here to experience this unique village, its harborfront promenade, and the sweeping views of the lake and Swiss Alps. Up the hill, you’ll find Maximillianstrasse, lined with restaurants and the picturesque Gothic Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) with an ornately painted facade. Then, if time and weather permits, visit the village of Schwangau, with views of two famous Wittelsbach castles. Later, we’ll arrive in Breitenwang, a small community near Reutte, Austria. My friend, Hermann, will welcome us to his inn and restaurant for a hearty dinner and a good night’s sleep. Driving: 6 hours with stops. Walking: light. Sleep 1 night near Füssen. Dinner.
Day 5: The Italian Dolomite Mountains – Today, we’ll drive across the mountains into Austria and then through the Alps to Italy. We’ll set up in the beautiful Tyrolean town of Bolzano, which is definitely Italian but with an Austrian influence. The Christmas Markets in and around Piazza Walther are loaded with food, drinks, local crafts, and a festive spirit. After an orientation walk around town, we’ll set you free to experience the town and dinner on your own, including admission to the South Tirol Museum of Archaeology and the 5,000-year-old Ötzi, The Iceman. Driving: 4 hours. Walking: light. Sleep for 2 nights in Bolzano (Bozen, in German).
Day 6: Alpine Villages, Funiculare, and “Snowball Express” Trains – After breakfast, let’s take a cable car up to the little resort village of Oberbozen. At an elevation of 4000 feet, it affords magnificent views of the Alps and Dolomites. Then we’ll board a narrow-gauge train to Klobenstein village. There are shops, stores, restaurants, and cafes to explore. Spend as much time up in the alpine villages as you like and take the train and cable car back to Bolzano at your leisure. Walking: moderate.
Day 7: Munich – Today, enjoy a scenic ride to Munich. Once in the city center, we’ll give you an orientation walk and set you free in Marienplatz, the main square and largest Christmas Market. Later, let’s meet for a grand farewell dinner, celebrating our tour successes and new friendships! Driving: 3.5 hours. Walking: light. Sleep 1 night in Munich. Dinner.
Day 8: Heading Home – Your tour ends today after breakfast at the hotel. The airport and train station are nearby, and your Exploring Europe guide will be happy to help you with your transfers. – Auf Wiedersehen!
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
Transportation by coach and/or minibus from the airport in Frankfurt to your last hotel in Munich.
Seven night’s accommodation in traditional hotels, guesthouses, and B&B’s. All rooms have private ensuite baths.
Strictly Small Groups with 6-18 travelers.
All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant, and hotel staff.
All breakfasts and three of your dinners.
Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.
Traditional 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, as mentioned in the tour itinerary.
A full-time Exploring Europe guide 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
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.
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!!
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!
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!
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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