Christmas Markets of Austria and Bavaria
From CAD $3775
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
Journey through the snow-capped peaks of the Austrian Alps on this grand tour of Vienna’s Schonbrunn Palace, Salzburg’s 500-year-old Christmas Market and Munich’s six-storey-tall Christmas tree. Enjoy an Insight Choice in snow-dusted Seefeld: glide through the countryside on a horse-drawn carriage or savor coffee and cake in a Tyrolean cafe. Then feel the festive magic of Innsbruck, where Gluhwein, Swarovski crystal and the Christmas Market’s cheerful bustle await. At the Salzburg Market Tasting experience, meet a local market stallholder for a warm cup of mulled wine accompanied by traditional gingerbread. In Neuschwanstein, follow in Walt Disney’s footsteps on a tour of the fairy-tale-like castle that reputedly inspired him, complete with extravagant decorations and breathtaking views.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
Authentic Dining
- Vienna: Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a drink, followed by a pleasant dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
- Salzburg: Taste traditional Glühwein, a spiced wine recipe dating to the 15th century, in Salzburg’s Christmas market. With your Travel Director, learn how warming blends of cinnamon, clove and citrus have become a hallmark of Austria’s festive season, as you explore one of Europe’s oldest Advent markets.
- Innsbruck: Indulge in regional specialties during dinner at a local restaurant.
- Munich: Revel in the celebratory atmosphere of the city's famous markets as you enjoy a festive dinner with wine and good cheer.
Insight Experiences
- Experience a Musical Demonstration at Mozart's Birthplace in Salzburg
- Salzburg: Visit the house where Mozart was born in 1756. Enjoy a pianoforte demonstration and examine letters, memorabilia, and musical instruments of the great composer, plus a fascinating collection of portraits.
Make Travel Matter
- Munich: Stop to taste seasonal treats as you discover the lost and forgotten Advent traditions that play a significant role in regional cultural revitalization. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Top Rated Highlights
- Vienna: Visit Vienna’s grand Baroque palace with your Local Expert and trace the legacy of the Habsburg dynasty. See the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart performed as a child, the richly decorated Great Gallery used for court functions, and the private apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. Learn how court rituals, politics and personal tastes shaped one of Europe’s most influential empires.
- Vienna: Join your Local Expert for a city tour that reveals both the renowned sights and hidden gems of Vienna's historic Ringstrasse. See the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
- Salzburg: With a Local Expert, see Mozart's family home and the 500-year-old Christmas market in front of the cathedral. You'll also view the Hohensalzburg fortress and see Residenz Fountain when you spend some time in the Old Town.
- Innsbruck: Nestled amidst majestic mountains, Innsbruck is a beautiful city offering a unique combination of nature, history, and culture. Stroll the streets of the picturesque Old Town, with your Travel Director, learn about its history and admire the Baroque and Gothic architecture.
- Innsbruck: Meet your coachman and enjoy a delightful horse-drawn carriage ride, surrounded by the mountains and valleys of Tyrol.
- Oberammergau: Explore the town and see the theater where the Passion Play has been performed since 1634.
- Munich: During your orientation of the city with your Travel Director, see Feldherrnhalle in the Odeonsplatz, the Palace of the Dukes of Wittelsbach, the Hofbräuhaus, St. Peter's Church and the famous Marienplatz.
Trip Details
Product Code: 19538
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Explorer
Tour Operator:
Insight Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 413.56A
Starts: Vienna, Austria
Finishes: Munich, Germany
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $3775 ($472 /day)
Itinerary
Meet your Travel Director and head over to a local restaurant for a delicious dinner. Enjoy the opportunity to mingle with fellow guests over a delightful meal and wine.
Accommodation: Hilton Vienna Park
Meals: Dinner
At this time of year, Vienna is a place of nostalgia and romance, alive with concerts, nativity displays and official Advent Markets brimming with seasonal gifts and warming treats. Tour Schönbrunn Palace with your Local Expert, exploring its gilded halls and lavish private apartments. Later, enjoy a panoramic drive around the grand Ringstrasse, built along the line of the former city walls, showcasing the Opera House, Hofburg Imperial Residence and City Hall. The surrounding parklands glow with festive lights, setting the scene for a visit to the Viennese Christmas Market. You may choose to join an Optional Experience to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where you'll enjoy a warming cup of Glühwein at the Christmas market in the shadow of Vienna’s most iconic landmark.
Accommodation: Hilton Vienna Park
Meals: Breakfast
Journey through the rich farmlands of eastern Austria towards the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut and the enchanting city of Salzburg. Visit Mozart's birthplace to learn more about his life, and sit down to a musical demonstration on his original pianoforte.
Accommodation: Wyndham Grand Salzburg Conference Center, ARCOTEL Castellani Salzburg
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Come December, the spires and domes of Salzburg’s old town are often draped in snow. Walk with your Local Expert to see Mozart’s family home on the Getreidegasse, beautifully decorated at this time of year. Then head on to the rosy hues of the 500-year-old Christmas Market in front of the cathedral. Culinary delicacies, candied fruits, hot mulled wine and the lovingly decorated stalls invite visitors to stop and browse. Here your Travel Director will introduce you to a market stallholder to enjoy sampling a Viennese winter dessert, complemented perfectly with a traditional fragrant glass of Glühwein.
Accommodation: ARCOTEL Castellani Salzburg, Wyndham Grand Salzburg Conference Center
Meals: Breakfast
A lovely drive brings you to the Inn Valley and the Tyrolean Alps. Explore the Olympic village of Seefeld with Insight Choice. Choose to enjoy a horse & carriage ride to enjoy stunning Alpine scenery, or indulge in a morning tea of coffee and cake in a local cafe. Continue to the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck to enjoy the Christmas Markets in the heart of the old town. In the evening, enjoy dinner featuring Austrian favorites.
Accommodation: AC, Innsbruck
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Travel to the Neuschwanstein castle, before continuing into the beautiful scenery of the German Alps to visit Oberammergau, home of the Passion Play since 1634. See the immense theater and admire the colorful painted chalets before driving on to the Bavarian capital of Munich.
Accommodation: Steigenberger Hotel Munich
Meals: Breakfast
Join a Local Expert for a unique guided journey through Munich’s Advent traditions, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Explore the quieter streets besides the Christmas Markets to learn about well-known Christmas customs and uncover traditions that have largely been forgotten today. In Marienplatz beside the soaring Town Hall, see the famous Glockenspiel. Beneath the gigantic Christmas tree, Munich’s traditional Christmas Market is an entrancing festival of light and music. In the evening, join your traveling companions at a local restaurant for a festive dinner with wine and good cheer.
Accommodation: Steigenberger Hotel Munich
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your departure transfer will be arranged to Munich Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Insight Vacations (CA)
Part of The Travel Company (TTC) family of brands, Insight Vacations began operations in 1978 and is based in Cypress, CA. Journeys are featured to destinations, such as the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland. The company offers are a variety of tours under the classifications of Regional Journeys, Country Roads, Discovery Journeys, Easy Pace trips, and Special Interest tours. Insight is the ideal name for the tour operator, as the journeys provided by Insight Vacations allow travelers to gain further insight into whatever destination they wish to explore. For example, Discovery Journeys are the ideal choice for first-time visitors to Europe. Itineraries include Dine-at-Home or Farm-to-Table experiences so travelers can learn more about how locals live and dine. Regional Journeys allow trip-goers to see a specific location in Europe that they have always wanted to see – Poland, Switzerland, Italy, etc. The carefully planned trips enable customers to immerse themselves in one specific region or country and to become acquainted with its culture, traditions, and people. For anyone seeking travel off the beaten track, Insight Vacations offers Country Roads – trips that lead travelers off the well-tread tourist trail to explore hidden gems where visitors can savor the local produce with Farm-to-Table dining. Some trips are offered under the Easy Pace travel style – the ideal trip choice for trip-goers who wish to slow their pace during their vacation. During these tours, vacationers stay at least 3 nights at each destination, giving them some additional time to explore a place and enjoy it. Regardless of the travel style, many of the vacations offered by Insight Vacations begin with Relaxed Starts – giving travelers time to sleep in a little, spend more time at breakfast, or explore an area on their own. The tour company prides itself on providing business class tours that features luxury coaches with 40 seats. While most coach touring operators provide vehicles with 53 seats, Insight Vacations has re-configured its motor coaches to hold up to 40 guests. This gives passengers extra leg room while traveling and offers them more space and privacy.
In Business Since 1978
Reviews
Dawn - Traveled, January 2025
Its absolutely fantastic!!! It was very nice and had a lot to offer. I enjoyed our free time at the different stops. I also liked the extra excursions you could go on . Our tour leader Sarah Tattersall was so amazing. You could always tell her main concern was our safety and that we had an amazing time! she always tried to answer our questions,helped us find what we were looking for and was so informative. This was my first group trip and I was very impressed!!!! I would so do this again! She always had a smile on her face and so attentive!!! My daughter and my trip was even better because of Sara! Our coach driver Dario was awesome too. His driving skills were exceptional. We always felt safe. He was very courtious and always had a smile for us . He helped us on and off the coach when needed. He is very good at what he does. There is not one bad thing that I could say about our trip!!!Thanks again fro helping us make some amazing memories and have an awesome trip!!!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Jerry - Traveled, January 2025
Just be prepared for an energetic good time. Rest well at night and be prepared for early morning. The itinerary is well planned with enough flexibility to allow a certain amount of roaming to explore some on your own. I really liked that we do a lot of things early in order to avoid the tourist crowds.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
Our Tour Director was fantastic and always helpful. Everything was very well organised. Our driver was always on time and was a safe driver. Was a great trip highly recommend it. Markets were great and the scenery was beautiful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
Only average, expected more Xmas markets, as it was advertised Tour was five a small group, but wasn’t!!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
When purchasing the trip the outline of the trip should provide more details especially outlining long travel days. I had called customer service before the trip ( three days ) requesting information on where to meet the representative at the airport to get the ride to the hotel. They were unable to answer my question which caused me some stress. Also the times from hotel back to airport are very limited and much too early. There should be three time slots to the airport like there are three time slots at the beginning of the trip. Also with exception of the first dinner in Vienna the rest of the dinners were not satisfactory. The worst two dinners were the added on ones that were costly at &73 and $68. People don’t mind paying but the quality of the meal should be at least good. In Innsbruck the outline of the evening meal included traditional strudel instead our group was served chocolate cake which was awful. Then I saw strudel being served to another group, very disappointing. In Salzburg we were left waiting for the bus in the cold in the evening for about 15 minutes. You need to remember that some seniors are tired at the end of the day and really have difficulty standing in the cold at the end of the day. No explanation was provided. There were two days that were basically lost secondary to travel days in the bus getting from place to place. Also two events were offered at the same time and you need to choose. One was an outside carriage ride - amazing and the other was a trip to the Crystal Factory. If you choose to go to the Crystal factory you needed to wait 40 minutes while the others on the tour did the carriage ride. I would suggest since we past the cyrtal factory on the way to the carriage ride that both be included in the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
We felt very well taken care of. Tour director and bus driver were excellent. Lots of content and also time to just be in the moment.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
Our tour director was excellent. Very organized, friendly and helpful. She helped make the tour a truly wonderful experience. The tour director and driver were great and the coach was quite comfortable. This tour included some of my favorite cities (Vienna and Salzburg). The city tours were interesting and informative and, really, nobody does Christmas like the Austrians! Each city was beautifully decorated and the Christmas markets were festive and packed with treasures, food and, of course, gluhwein! Go at the beginning of the season before the markets get too crowded. We included all of the optional activities and were glad that we did. Insight provided a really wonderful experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Melissa - Traveled, January 2025
The itinerary was great! Lots of time at the Christmas markets and a good pace for seeing and experiencing the other places. We had a decent amount of time at each location with a mix of a lot of walking and some down time as well. Our guide and driver were great! They made our tour that much better.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Jacqueline - Traveled, January 2025
Didn’t really interact with insight customer service as we booked the trip through a travel agent. Would be very ambitious to do all activities of the itinerary and the optional excursions!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/15/2025
Lisa - Traveled, February 2025
All were very nice and accommodating. They town selections were perfect. I preferred more Austrian towns than Germany.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/15/2025
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