Germany Christmas Markets

Day 1: Depart USA
Depart the U.S. for Berlin, Germany. From your local airport, you will board your overnight flight, where meals will be served on board.

Day 2: Arrival
Arrive in Berlin, border crossing formalities before we head to our hotel! Time permitting, we will take a panoramic bus tour of Berlin before checking in to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Berlin. 

Day 3: Berlin
Today we are in Berlin, a morning city tour! Tour inspired by the borderline between the communist and free world in the period after World War II. Today Berlin is a free and open city, fast growing in the economy, architecturally booming, populated every day more and more by artists, live and bursting with energy. We will leave the hotel and have a half-day guided sightseeing tour of Berlin. Visit the famous Wall Museum, see the Congress Hall, Alexander Platz, Unter den Linden, Checkpoint Charlie and Brandenburg Gate. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the Postdamer and or Alexanderplatz Christmas Market! Here we'll have dinner on our own before we return to the hotel.

Day 4: Berlin  |  Dresden
Today we leave Berlin and head towards Dresden, where we have a guided tour of the city. Visit the cathedral (Hofkirche). You will also view (outside only) the Frauenkirche, the Semper Opera House and the Royal Castle. Later in the afternoon, after a lunch break, we'll visit Dresden's Christmas Market, Striezelmarkt. The first Dresden Striezelmarkt went for only one day. In 1434, Friedrich II, Elector of Brandenburg, approved an open-air market at Dresden's Altmarkt Square. Check in to the hotel, have dinner and overnight in Dresden.

Day 5: Dresden  |  Leipzig  |  Bamberg
Today the group will take a whole day ride from Dresden via Leipzig to Bamberg, where we will check in to the hotel. On the way to Bamberg, we will go via Leipzig. In Leipzig, we will take a walking city tour of the old town and spend a few hours at the Christmas market in the historical center. Leipzig Christmas Market dates all the way back to 1458 and is one of the largest and most popular ones. After some sightseeing and shopping here, we move on to Bamberg. After a 4-hour drive, we are at our hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Bamberg  |  Würzburg
Morning in Bamberg will start with Mass and then a guided tour of this beautiful old town. The town of churches and monasteries, with bridges, narrow lanes and squares, half-timbered buildings, and baroque facades, the magic of centuries before your eyes. We will visit the Cathedral, Old Court, New Residence and Rose Garden, the Old Town Hall and "Little Venice." Bamberg's Christmas Market takes place on Maximiliansplatz, surrounded by historic half-timbered houses and unique nativity scenes. Later in the afternoon, we will leave Bamberg, heading to Würzburg. Check in to a hotel in Würzburg, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Rothenburg
Guided tour of Rothenburg, a well-preserved medieval town. Sights include half-timbered houses and the Old Town Hall. Later in the afternoon, you will have time to visit the Rothenburg Christmas Market, and maybe you wish to shop for wooden Christmas ornaments in the famous Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop and see the Christmas Museum. Return to hotel in Würzburg  for dinner overnight.

Day 8: Munich
Head to Munich to see the annual Krampus run through the Christmas market, which is one of the most famous in the region. Young and old dress up as Krampus, donning carved masks, big goat horns, furs and long hair, before taking over the streets. Check in to hotel in Munich, dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Munich
Your guide and driver will take the group to the city center of Munich. The group will meet with the local tour guide for a city tour of Bavaria's capital! Our focus here will be a central part of the "Altstadt," the old city in German. As we enter it through the Karlsplatz, we will walk by St. Michael's Church and the Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche), which serves as the cathedral of Munich, to the Marienplatz as a central part of the old Munich, Altstadt. From Marienplatz, we will continue until St. Peter's Church! A visit will also include a few secular landmarks like the famous "bierkeller" and beer hall Hofbräuhaus München. The rest of the day is reserved for free time for lunch, visiting and shopping at the Munich Christmas market "Christkindlmarkt" at Mary's Square, until we meet for the farewell dinner! We'll return to our Munich hotel for the last overnight on our tour of Germany's best Christmas Markets.

Day 10: Oberammergau  |  Ettal  |  Linderhog Palace
This morning after breakfast, we drive to Oberammergau (site of the world-famous Passion Play and a lovely Bavarian village). Among the most scenic historic towns in the Bavarian Alps, Oberammergau is known for its traditional wood carving and the colorful frescoes that adorn its centuries-old buildings. However, the town’s biggest claim to fame is the Passion Play — held every ten years and dating to 1634, the performance tells the story of Jesus’ last days.

We then visit Ettal where Ettal Abbey is located. The Abbey is famous for its liqueur, beer and baroque design). Ettal is one of Bavaria’s architectural highlights with its striking and unique monastery grounds. The mighty Basilica, the magnificent Rococo vestry and treasures in the monastery library attract thousands of visitors each year.

We continue to Linderhof Palace in the Alps. Linderhof Palace is one of the most captivating castles not only in Germany but in the world. It's one of the glamorous and dazzling royal palaces of Ludwig II.

Day 11: Heartfelt Farewell
Following our final breakfast and heartfelt farewells to this beautiful and holy part of the world, we travel to Munich International Airport for our departure back to the U.S.