Fill your festive cheer with candles, carols, snowflakes and stollen as you wander past heaving market stalls and pay tribute to old-world traditions, local craftsmanship and mesmerizing city backdrops.
What is included in the tour
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Accommodation
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Guide
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Meals
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Additional Services
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Transport
What is NOT included in the tour
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Flights
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Insurance
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Optional
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Additional Services
- Explore Vienna with a Travel Director
- Tour Salzburg's 'Sound of Music' sites
- Experience Munich's Christmas market
- Visit Oberammergau and Innsbruck
- Celebrate with a local in Lucerne
Day 1 Welcome to Vienna
Write your very own Christmas story on a festive foray to some of Europe’s most magical Christmas markets. Our journey begins in Vienna. Take the opportunity to explore on your own before meeting your fellow travelers. Today, your Travel Director will provide an orientation drive of the Austrian capital before dinner.
Day 2 Discover Vienna's Spectacular Christmas Markets
Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour, from Parliament and City Hall to the grand State Opera House and Hofburg Palace, once the winter palace the Habsburgs, one of the most powerful royal houses of Europe. We feed our Christmas spirit with a visit to the enchanting Christkindlmarkt this afternoon and feast on delicious gingerbread and Glühwein, wandering past wooden stalls piled high with handcrafted toys, seasonal gifts and tasty festive fare.
Day 3 Journey to Munich Dive Into Culture
Venture to Mozart's beloved Salzburg. Dive Into Culture with a Local Specialist on a walking tour to see the Mirabell Gardens and iconic sights that featured in the filming of the 'Sound of Music'. Later, dramatic vistas accompany your journey as you travel past alpine landscapes to Munich, the capital of Bavaria. This evening, dinner is served at the hotel.
Day 4 Enjoy Bavarian Munich's Magical Christmas Markets
Bundle up warmly and join a Local Specialist on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to discover lost and forgotten Advent traditions. Embrace the festive cheer in Marienplatz with its impressive Town Hall and the ornate Glockenspiel. Then, spend the rest of your day savoring the sights, sounds and smells of Munich’s Christmas market – a dazzling display of twinkling lights, carols and a magnificent Christmas tree. Continue your cultural exploration with an optional visit to enjoy the Gemütlichkeit atmosphere at one of Munich's most traditional restaurants.
Day 5 Off to Innsbruck
We leave Munich behind and travel through the romantic Bavarian countryside en route to Oberammergau, which hosts the poignant Passion Play every ten years. Admire the village’s intricate woodcarvings and elaborate frescoes depicting Bavarian themes before continuing to Innsbruck. Indulge in delicious Kiachl doughnuts at the bustling Christmas market before returning to your hotel for dinner.
Day 6 Venture to Lucerne
A winter wonderland beckons as we see the ski jump that towers over Innsbruck before continuing to Vaduz to view its turreted castle, perched perfectly above the Liechtenstein capital. Our final stop today is Lucerne, where we’ll spend the next two nights. Our orientation tour of the city takes us past the Lion of Lucerne and the famous wooden Chapel Bridge.
Day 7 Explore Lucerne's Festive Glittering Lights Connect with Locals
This morning choose to join your Travel Director for an Optional Experience to the peak of a nearby mountain top. Embrace the Yuletide cheer in true Swiss-style during a visit to Lucerne’s Christmas market at Franziskanerplatz, in the heart of the city’s Old Town. Ramble past traditional wooden stalls, a warm mug of Glühwein in hand, and admire the swirling Christmas carousel, filled with the joyful sounds of happy children. For lunch we celebrate our magical journey together during an exclusive Be My Guest experience filled with Christmas cheer as you Connect With Locals in their home. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure or perhaps join an optional cruise on Lake Lucerne.
Day 8 Journey Home
We bid a festive farewell to our travel companions, returning home with magical Christmas memories. Find out more about available airport transfers at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.