christmas market tours gate 1

8 Day Christmas Markets of Germany and Austria

Escorted tour details, a 8-day gate 1 tour starting from $1,599.00, dates & prices.

• What's Included

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Escorted Tour Highlights

Austria, Christmas Markets, Germany

See Description

Sightseeing Highlights

Hilton Munich City This first class hotel is located in the city of Munich, adjacent to the Gasteig Cultural Center.

Ramada by Wyndham Nuernberg Parkhotel This first class hotel is located on beautiful urban park grounds, halfway to the city center and fairgrounds.

ARCOTEL Castellani Salzburg This first class hotel is located just outside the city center in a picturesque garden setting.

Hilton Vienna Park This deluxe hotel is situated adjacent to the popular Stadtpark in the heart of Vienna.

Hilton Munich Park This superior first class hotel is nearby the Englischer Garten.

Hotel NH Salzburg City This first class hotel is located in the heart of the city, near the Mirabell Gardens.

DAY 1, Friday - Depart for Germany Depart for Germany

DAY 2, Saturday - Arrive in Munich Arrive in Munich and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure to discover Munich's Christmas Market. Your tour will begin with an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager at approximately 6 PM, followed by a light dinner at your hotel. We recommend that you select flights which arrive no later than 4 PM Overnight: Munich Meals: Dinner

DAY 3, Sunday - Munich City Tour & Christmas Market This morning, tour Munich and view the major sights of the city, in particular, Nymphenburg Palace, former summer palace of the Wittelsbach dynasty. Continue via the Olympic Stadium to view many of the famous squares, including the delightful Marienplatz to see the Glockenspiel clock with its playful mechanical figures. Here, you can begin exploring the largest and most famous Christmas market of Munich. This afternoon is free to further discover the over 20 Christmas markets located throughout the city or, join the optional to Linderhof & Oberammergau. Participate in a guided tour of Linderhof palace, built by "Mad" King Ludwig II, and admire the ornate Baroque and Rococo décor. Proceed via the Ettal Monastery to Oberammergau, world-famous for its Passion Play Optional: Linderhof & Oberammergau (PM) Overnight: Munich Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4, Monday - Nuremberg Christmas Market This morning, travel to Nuremberg to visit Germany's most famous Christmas market. With nearly 180 wooden stalls richly decorated with traditional wares, the market has earned the colorful title "Little Town from Wood and Cloth". Spend free time to perhaps sample a glass of mulled wine and the local roasted sausage Overnight: Nuremberg Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5, Tuesday - Salzburg City Tour & Christmas Market This morning head to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and famous setting for the Sound of Music movie. Upon arrival, take a guided walking city tour of Salzburg where you will view such sights as the cathedral, Getreidegasse, St. Peter's monastery and views of the mighty 11th-century Hohensalzburg fortress. Enjoy free time to browse Salzburg's Christmas Market with a variety of stalls full of decorations, holiday gifts and gingerbread Overnight: Salzburg Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6, Wednesday - Vienna City Tour & Christmas Market Today, travel to Vienna, the former center of the Habsburg Empire. Begin along the famous Ringstrasse and view the State Opera House, Parliament and City Hall, the site of the lively Christmas Market. Tonight, attend the optional Mozart & Strauss Recital, featuring the classical masterpieces of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss Optional: Mozart & Strauss Recital (PM) Overnight: Vienna Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7, Thursday - Full Day in Vienna Spend a day at leisure to explore Vienna's Christmas Markets or, join the optional tour to Bratislava. This morning, enjoy an excursion across the border to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. For centuries, this city has been famous for its charm and beauty. It has undergone a major revitalization and now flourishes as one of Europe's newest capitals. The beautifully restored old town with its winding lanes and medieval courtyards is nestled between the steep Castle Hill and the Danube River. Tonight during dinner, share memories of your journey and bid farewell to your Tour Manager Optional: Half Day Bratislava (AM) Overnight: Vienna Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8, Friday - Depart Austria Transfer to the airport for your departure flight Meals: Breakfast

• Flights New York-Munich, Vienna-New York Other departure cities available. Click on date of departure for selection and prices
• 2 nights Munich
• 1 night Nuremberg
• 1 night Salzburg
• 2 nights Vienna
• Hotel taxes, fees & service charges
• Hotel porterage
• All transfers included only with airfare purchase on package arrival & departure dates†
• 9 meals: 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners
• Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
• Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
• Entrance fees per itinerary
• Comfortable wireless earphones for enhanced touring
• Experience the charm of the world-famous Christmas markets in Munich, Nuremberg, Salzburg & Vienna
• Tour Munich, Bavaria's capital with its delightful "dancing" Glockenspiel clock
• Visit magical Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and scene of the Sound of Music
• Explore Vienna with its magnificent Baroque palaces, parks and monuments

Not Included: Optional tours and gratuities.

Additional Information: Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers.

Christmas markets opening vary, and are seasonal.

No current offers.

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Gate 1 Travel Blog

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Now is the Time to Reserve Your Christmas Markets Tour!

Summer might still be in the air, but the holidays will be here in the blink of an eye. So this is the ideal time for Gate 1 travelers to book their visits to Europe’s festive and colorful Christkindlmarkts!

It’s been said that the off-season for tourists is the on-season for some of Europe’s most intimate and delightful cultural festivals. Christmas markets are just one example of this adage, as Central Europe’s old squares come alive with local traditions that conjure Christmases past. Each year, the cities of Germany and Austria offer a feast for the senses. Aromas of cinnamon, gingerbread, baked apples and roasting chestnuts waft through Old Town squares. Gaily decorated stalls brim with handmade ornaments, toys, and endless ideas for holiday gift-giving. Artisans are often on hand to demonstrate their crafts, carolers roam about the snowy squares, and stalls are decorated with the finest trimmings. It’s hard to find a more perfect place to ring in the holiday season than in Central Europe.

Christmas Markets Steeped in German Tradition

Two of Gate 1’s Christmas Market itineraries feature time to experience the city in which the market tradition began: Nuremberg, Germany. Blanketing the squares of the old walled city, this market dates back to the 1600s. Here, almost 200 stalls illuminated by candlelight cluster in the Haupmarkt competing for the “Plum Person,” a prize for the most breathtaking display. And everywhere, you’ll marvel at the gingerbread houses and Zwetschgenmannle , or dried plum statuettes, for which Nuremberg is known.

The spirit of Nuremberg echoes in cities throughout Germany. Munich’s Marienplatz in the Old Town hosts one of the world’s largest Christmas markets. Its twinkling lights and draperies of garlands vie for your attention amidst a sea of ornament-filled stalls. Under a canopy of festive lights in Berlin, you may discover the perfect hand-blown glass ornament, meticulously painted wooden nutcracker, or an intricately designed Weihnachtspyramide keepsake, a captivating multi-level carousel powered by the rising heat of candles; these precious treasures were first carved in Germany’s Ore Mountains. Dresden, too, boasts its own Striezelmarkt, named for the beloved Stollen Christmas cake. And in neighboring Leipzig , more than 250 stalls offer a profusion of holiday delights in the shadow of St. Nicholas Church, final resting place of Johann Sebastian Bach. If you listen closely, you might hear echoes of his celebrated Christmas cantata floating from within.

Smaller German cities also take part in the holiday cheer. In Heidelberg, delight in the treats of the city’s elegant market square in the Old Quarter, including lebkuchen , a tasty holiday cookie. The millennium-old Cathedral of St. Martin in Mainz adds a hallowed air to the brightly decorated stands brimming with wooden toys, straw stars, colorful ceramics and more.

The Magic of Austria

Vienna is one of Europe’s grandest capitals any time of year. But during the holiday season, it is illuminated and festooned unlike anywhere else. The city’s markets date back to 1298, when Albrecht I allowed his people to hold a Krippenmarkt in December. Today, 20 markets spread out across this elegant city, from the platz in front of City Hall, where international choirs sing carols, to the makeshift village at Belvedere Palace. As you browse, you’ll want to have a delicious vanillekipferl in hand, a crescent-shaped holiday biscuit dusted with sugar.

In Salzburg, city of The Sound of Music set amidst Austria’s stunning alpine landscapes, the brass sounds of a turmblasen band echo among richly adorned stalls. As you peruse the countless crafts in beautiful Cathedral Square, you just might spot wandering among the stalls the fabled Christkind, dreamy figures in white and gold robes donning feathered wings. And you’ll no doubt want to avoid the Krampus, mythical creatures who accompany St. Nicholas in case the children behave badly.

Deck the halls with Gate 1 Travel this year during one of our three festive itineraries that bring the joy and fun of the holiday season to vivid life. Don’t miss out! Just select from one of the trips below!

8 Day Christmas Markets of Germany & Austria

10 Day Christmas Markets of Germany

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Posted by Gate 1 Travel

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