ALPINE CHRISTMAS MARKETS (CLASSIC GROUP)
Price
Duration
Min People
Tour Code
INSIGHT-ACM
Overview
There is nothing quite like Christmas among the Alps with the festive Munich Christmas Market, Salzburg’s snowcapped spires and an indulgent cup of Glühwein in Innsbruck. Your Local Expert brings Mozart’s history to life ahead of an indulgent Salzburg market tasting, with samples of traditional, hand baked gingerbread. After tasting these festive treats, the culinary delights continue with a traditional Innsbruck dining experience, set against the backdrop of a local Tyrolean folk show. If that is not enough to summon your holiday spirit, a stroll through the medieval cobbled streets of Freiburg will certainly do the trick, not to mention the fairytale surrounds of Strasbourg, where the sweet scent of cinnamon treats is carried on the breeze at the oldest Christmas market in France.
Included/Excluded
Day 1: Arrive in Munich (Dinner with Wine)
- Welcome to Germany. Meet your Travel Director this afternoon for an orientation of the city that will show you some of the city’s major sights, culminating in the Marienplatz, with its soaring Town Hall and Glockenspiel.
- Here, the Christkindlmarkt will be in full swing, an entrancing festival of light and music.
- In the evening, join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a Welcome Dinner with wine.
Arrival transfer: Depart the airport at 10:00, 13:00
Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 15:00
Day 2: Free Time in the Bavarian Capital (Breakfast)
- Munich embraces the holiday season with a particular zeal, so the day is all yours to enjoy the vibrant festive markets that abound in this city.
- On crisp winter days, organ music and carols ring out from the ancient churches.
- If snow has fallen, the vast English Garden provides lovely winter vistas.
- Another option is to experience the romantic royal palaces of the Bavarian Alps.
Day 3: Lake Chiemsee, Salzburg and Innsbruck (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Travel alongside the tranquil waters of Lake Chiemsee on your way to Salzburg in Austria, where the spires and domes of the Old Town are often draped in snow in December.
- Visit Mozart’s birthplace to learn more about his life, and sit down to a musical demonstration on his original pianoforte.
- Enjoy a visit to Swarovski in the afternoon followed by a highlight dinner.
- Head through the mountains to your Innsbruck hotel.
Day 4: Innsbruck at Leisure (Breakfast)
- Enjoy a horse & carriage ride in the morning.
- Immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere of the Old Town and Christmas Markets, set in front of the Golden Roof, graced by beautifully preserved medieval facades.
Day 5: The Black Forest via Lindau (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Travel through the Alberg tunnel, Austria’s longest road tunnel, as you return to Germany and pause in the tiny island-town of Lindau.
- Walk through the maze of ancient streets down to the harbour.
- Across the lake, often shrouded in mist, look for the rising silhouette of snow-capped peaks.
- After time to explore, continue along the shores of the Bodensee to your hotel in the Black Forest.
Day 6: Freiburg Sightseeing (Breakfast)
- Visit Freiburg in the morning, a lively university city with a charming Christmas atmosphere.
- Walk from the medieval Münster through the heart of the historic old quarter, past colourful stalls offering a range of festive goodies from the Black Forest.
Day 7: Strasbourg and Alsace Experience (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Cross the Rhine to the region of Alsace, wedged between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains.
- This area has changed nationality four times since 1870! Arrive in Strasbourg, the City at the Crossroads, where the Christmas Market is the oldest and one of the largest in France.
- Spend time in a cosy neighbourhood of timbered fairy-tale buildings, with Christmas shops and a gingerbread bakery, warm with fragrant promise.
- Return to Germany and venture to a local restaurant for a delightful dinner of local specialties, accompanied by wine.
Day 8: The Swiss City of Zürich (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Cross the Swiss border and head for Zurich where a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® visit takes you through the streets of Zurich.
- A highlight is Europe’s biggest indoor Christmas extravaganza held in the main railway station, with over 160 wooden chalets.
- Toast to the culmination of your Yuletide journey during a festive Celebration Dinner with wine at a local restaurant with its own microbrewery.
Day 9: Depart Zürich (Breakfast)
- Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before checking out.
- Transfers are available from your hotel to Zürich Airport.
- Transfers are available from your hotel to Zurich Airport every 20 minutes between 4:00am and noon and from 4:00pm to 11:30pm.
- Day 1 – Day 2: Munich Marriott Hotel
- Day 3 – Day 4: AC Hotel Innsbruck
- Day 5 – Day 7: Hotel Stadt Lörrach
- Day 8: Mövenpick Hotel Zürich-Airport