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Christmas Markets of Germany

Operated by: Insight Vacations

8 Days
NOV - DEC 2023
Christmas Markets Germany Guided Tour

Countries Visited

Germany ...more Germany

Locations Visited

Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Munich ...more Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Munich
  1. Day 1 Arrive in Berlin

    Welcome to Germany. Airport transfers depart Berlin's Brandenburg Airport for your hotel at 10:30, 13:00 and 16:00. Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner and the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other, over a delightful evening of good food and wine.

    meals Dinner with Wine
    hotel Hotel NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin.
  2. Day 2 The Spirit of Berlin Relaxed Start

    Join your Local Expert to see the highlights of Berlin. Your exploration includes the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Unter den Linden and the restored Reichstag Building. Later on, feel free to soak up the Weihnachtszauber, or Christmas magic, at the Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin’s most magnificent square, framed by the Concert Hall and near identical French and German cathedrals.

    meals Breakfast
    hotel Marriott Hotel Berlin.
  3. Day 3 Leipzig and on to Dresden

    Journey south to Leipzig to visit Bach’s Thomaskirche and the medieval market square behind it. Renowned for its musical and culinary delights, the Leipzig Christmas Market is one of the most beautiful in Germany, with around 250 stalls located on the city’s historic market square. Enjoy its great traditions, which date back to the 15th century, before continuing to Dresden.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
    hotel Townhouse Dresden.
  4. Day 4 Dresden Sightseeing Relaxed Start

    Your guided tour with a Local Expert will continue past the colossal 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace. Gaze in awe at the Frauenkirche, risen once again from wartime ashes. Join a local for a foodie exploration of Dresden Christmas markets, to taste the local christollen.

    meals Breakfast
    hotel Townhouse Dresden.
  5. Day 5 Continue to Nuremberg

    Journey on to Nuremberg, where the Christkindlmarkt stalls are donned in traditional red and white cloth. Surrounded by ancient ramparts and watchtowers, look out for the Nuremberg Plum People while you explore or shop for local treats such as Rostbratwürste, Lebkuchen or Glühwein.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
    hotel NH Collection Nuremburg.
  6. Day 6 Rothenburg ob-der-Tauber

    Venture through the heart of Germany to Rothenburg ob-der-Tauber, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in all of Europe. Why not stroll through the cobbled streets to the year-round Christmas Shop? Here it is Christmas 365 days of the year! Later, follow parts of the meandering Romantic Road to the Bavarian capital.

    meals Breakfast
    hotel Munich Marriott Hotel.
  7. Day 7 Munich Sightseeing Relaxed Start

    Enjoy an orientation tour which concludes in the Marienplatz beside the soaring Town Hall, famous for its Glockenspiel. Beneath the gigantic Christmas tree, Munich’s traditional Christmas Market is an entrancing festival of light and music. In the evening, join your friends for a festive Celebration Dinner with wine and good cheer at a local gasthof.

    meals Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
    hotel Munich Marriott Hotel.
  8. Day 8 Depart Munich

    Auf Wiedersehen! After breakfast, your departure transfer arrives at Munich airport at 07:00 and 09:00.

    meals Breakfast
Price Includes

Dining Summary

  • 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
  • 7 Breakfast (B)

Authentic Dining

  • Munich: Join your newfound friends for a festive Celebration Dinner with wine and good cheer!

Top Rated Highlights

  • Berlin: You Local Expert provides a tour of this vibrant city. Drive along the Ku'Damm, passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and through Tiergarten to the Reichstag building. See the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House and visit Alexanderplatz.
  • Leipzig: Renowned for its musical and culinary delights, the Leipzig Christmas Market is one of the most beautiful in Germany, with around 250 stalls located on the city’s historic market square. Enjoy its great traditions, which date back to the 15th century, on your orientation with your Travel Director.
  • Leipzig: Visit Thomaskirche where Bach worked as a Kapellmeister, a conductor, and his remains are now buried.
  • Dresden: Your guided tour with a Local Expert shows you the Frauenkirche, the colossal 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace. You'll also learn about the traditional German Christmas Pyramids.
  • Nuremberg: In Nuremberg the Christkindlmarkt stalls are donned in traditional red and white cloth. Surrounded by ancient ramparts and watchtowers, look out for the Nuremberg Plum People while you explore or shop for local treats such as Rostbratwürste, Lebkuchen or Glühwein on your orientation with your Travel Director.
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Fortified by ancient walls, picturesque and unspoiled, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a fairytale come true at any time of year. It dazzles in December, with its 500-year-old Reiterlesmarkt lending a festive air to the cobbled streets and medieval buildings.
  • Munich: During your orientation of the city with your Travel Director, see Feldherrnhalle in the Odeonsplatz, the Palace of the Dukes of Wittelsbach, the English Garden, the Hofbräuhaus, St. Peter's Church and the famous Marienplatz.

Dates & Prices

Thank you for your interest in this tour. If no dates are displaying, please call our reservations line at 1-877-622-9109 for more information

Optional Add-Ons

Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.

Berlin

Available on Day 2

Berlin By Night And Dinner

This evening you are treated to traditional Berliner cuisine in a lively local restaurant with live music and drinks. Guten Appetit and Prost! Afterwards embark on a scenic illuminations drive through the centre of Berlin, with splendid views of the historic buildings and monuments, lit up in all their glory. See the Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate and more.
Adult Price: € 63

Available on Day 2

Highlights of Former East Berlin

Explore the shadows of the past with our Local Expert and visit the staggering Holocaust Memorial. Stop for a photo at ‘Checkpoint Charlie', location of the tense stand-offs between U.S. & Soviet forces during the Cold War. Then a real highlight as we visit the Berlin Wall Memorial. The memorial contains the last section of the Berlin Wall with a guard tower and preserved grounds and is thus able to convey an impression of how the border fortifications developed until the end of the 1980s. Learn about this focal point of 20th-century history and of the fate of those who attempted to cross it.
Adult Price: € 32
Note: If your hotel is located near Checkpoint Charlie you will visit East Side Gallery instead.

Dresden

Available on Day 4

Meissen Excursion

It was in Dresden that the first porcelain in Europe was made. With our Local Expert we visit the Meissen factory where we are shown how this world famous porcelain is made before we visit the museum. Later there is time to visit the factory shop for some bargains before we take a stroll through the medieval town of Meissen.
Adult Price: € 39

Munich

Available on Day 6

Bavarian Dinner

Tonight we'll soak up the lively atmosphere of a popular traditional restaurant. We'll enjoy traditional Bavarian hospitality and sample delicious regional specialties and local beer.
Adult Price: € 69

Available on Day 7

The Dachau Memorial

After Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the first concentration camp for political prisoners was opened outside the town of Dachau and it became a blueprint for others to follow. Now maintained as a memorial, spend some reflective moments with our Local Expert amid the remains of the camp prisons, reconstructed barracks, kitchens, workshops and baths which serves as the museum. A chilling and emotional reminder of the horrors of war.
Adult Price: € 35

Reviews
Service
Vacation
Independent Reviews
Trusted Customer
Review date: Sunday, December 15, 2019
Service
the agent was helpful and knowledgeable/ offered suggestions and made the process easy
Vacation
our tour guide was sociable and well informed. my wife had an unfortunate incident, a theft of cash and the guide stayed with her, helping to file the police report.
Daniel Christensen
Review date: Sunday, December 23, 2018
Service
The tour was not to the level of the tour we took in 2018. The food, and the activities were very boring.It was more of a history lesson than a happy experience.The East Germany tour was very 'DARK' and did not leave us with a good feeling.We went by a lot of buildings but was not able to venture in to see the actual museums.
Response from Grand European Travel:
We are very sorry to hear that you were disappointed with this trip. While every destination and tour are unique, we do strive to provide a quality experience for all out guests. We will be sure to share your comments with our Quality Control team and have them review them closely. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Vacation
higher than last year and less content
Phyllis Farrow
Review date: Sunday, December 17, 2017
Service
I booked at the last minute and decided I shouldn;t go 6 hours later. Your company would not let me cancel. Said there would be no refund because Insight had already booked me on the trip, Yet when I arrived to my tour in Berlin, the tour director said they had been told that I had cancelled. The tour was awesome.
Response from Grand European Travel:
We do apologize for the confusion.  You did book and pay just 24 hours prior to the start of the trip so we acted quickly to make sure your reservation was secured. When you decided to cancel, everything had already been arranged and paid.  We do hope that once you arrived, you enjoyed yourself and the German Christmas Markets.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Vacation
The Insight tour was wonderful
Trusted Customer
Review date: Monday, January 2, 2017
Service
The GET staff were always helpful, polite and professional whenever I called. They always followed up in a timely manner.
Vacation
The Christmas Markets of Germany was an excellent tour. The tour was well organized and supremely executed. Hildegard, our tour director, was top-notch. Werner, our driver, was excellent. The itinerary was fabulous. Not only did I get to enjoy the magic of the markets, but I also learned so much about the cities we visited.
Trusted Customer
Review date: Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Service
The trip was great. We had an excellent guide. In addition to her usual duties as a guide, she accompanied us to the hospital when I fell and dislocated my shoulder. She worked with the hospital to help us through that difficult time. The only negative is we were told, at the time we signed up, the amount paid included transportation from the hotel to the airport at the end of the trip. When we arrived in Germany, we were told we would have to pay for our own transportation to the airport due to the time of our flight. We believe we paid for a transfer service that we never received.
Response from Grand European Travel:
Thank you for your feedback. We will look in to the hotel/airport transfer issue right away and someone from our Guest Relations Department will be in touch with you shortly. Grand European Travel
Monday, December 14, 2015
Vacation
The trip was great. We had an excellent guide. In addition to her usual duties as a guide, she accompanied us to the hospital when I fell and dislocated my shoulder. She worked with the hospital to help us through that difficult time. The only negative is we were told, at the time we signed up, the amount paid included transportation from the hotel to the airport at the end of the trip. When we arrived in Germany, we were told we would have to pay for our own transportation to the airport due to the time of our flight. We believe we paid for a transfer service that we never received.
Trusted Customer
Review date: Monday, December 22, 2014
Service
Mel Lennon of Insight Travel made the trip! Intelligent, great with people, good communicator and very organized. He made sure that everything ran smoothly.
Response from Grand European Travel:
The Christmas Markets are definitely the place to be in Germany during this time of year, and I'm so happy that you enjoyed the special atmosphere and the expertise of your travel Director Mel Lennon. I apologize for the confusion about having a roommate during your vacation, but I do hope that it did not affect your ability to enjoy the beautiful Christmas Markets. Happy Holidays! Dee-Grand European Travel
Monday, December 29, 2014
Vacation
When I signed up I asked for a roommate and was told that no one had requested one. Upon arrival to Berlin I found out that I did have a roommate and that she had requested one almost a year ago when she signed up for the trip. You need better communication or records for such matters. Group dinners were fun but the food was terrible in every case. The first night's dinner at the Intercontinental in Berlin being the worst of them all. I loved the historical and cultural commentary on the bus provided by Mel Lennon. I would seek out another trip led by him as he was that good.
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