German Christmas Markets
Experience Overview
Ready for the most wonderful time of the year? Jump on board for one of Europe's most festive destinations, Germany, for this Contiki trip that takes in Christmas markets in six different cities. Fill your stocking with traditional and handmade gifts from local market stalls while sipping steaming mulled wine, nibbling on gingerbread and exploring cobbled streets, Bavarian beer halls and gothic architecture, and soak up the nostalgic yuletide atmosphere and old-world charm of dancing lights, Christmas trees and guaranteed good vibes on this 7-day celebration of all things Christmas.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 2 Dinner (D)
- 6 Breakfast (B)
Included Experience
- Frankfurt: Get together with your new Contiki fam and acquaint yourself with Germany’s most sophisticated city.
- Frankfurt: Drink in the festive atmosphere of Frankfurt’s Christmas market and enjoy a glass of traditional glühwein
- Frankfurt: Go castle spotting as you ramble along the river. Or jog if you’re feeling energetic.
- Koblenz: Enjoy a wine tasting in the picturesque village of St.Goar, in the Rhine Valley
- Cologne Cathedral: Get to know the historical city. Climb the cathedral for panoramic views and then refresh with a beer on the ‘Party Mile’.
- Cologne: Browse amid the twinkling lights of Cologne’s Christmas Markets
- Stuttgart: Stroll the illuminated trail around Stuttgart’s Christmas Garden.
- Nuremberg: Discover Nuremberg’s history, heritage and hard times on a walking tour with a local guide.
- Nuremberg: Learn the secrets of Nuremberg’s local delicacy at an exclusive gingerbread-making class
- Munich: Lace up your comfy boots, it's time for a walking tour of Munich - with a local guide on hand to impart historical and cultural wisdom.
- Stuttgart: Tour the fairy-tale turrets of Neuschwanstein Castle
- Munich: Dine on regional favourites at a local restaurant in Munich
Trip Details
Product Code: 18989
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Contiki (CA)
Supplier Code: 541.1843A
Starts: Frankfurt, Germany
Finishes: Munich, Germany
Duration: 7 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2,090 ($299 /day)
Itinerary
Wilkommen to Frankfurt, often described as a big city with a friendly village feel. We'll start off with an orientation tour before cutting to the main event, Frankfurt’s Christmas Market. With a glittering 30m tree and a vintage carousel, the town is like a snow-globe come to life. Countless stalls sell grilled sausages, roasted nuts, honey, candles and pretty ornaments as well as local jewellery, art and sculpture. You’ll even find an LGBTQ market with bright pink Christmas trees, glitzy purple lights, a laid back atmosphere and all the usual goodies. Be sure to sample Bethmaennchen, traditional marzipan cookies found only in Frankfurt, and enjoy a glass of glühwein on us.
Accommodation: Leonardo Hotel Offenbach Frankfurt (or similar)
Meals: Dinner
We bid Auf Wiedersehen to Frankfurt and make tracks to the Rhine Valley where we will relax on a sightseeing cruise before docking in Sankt Goar. Narrow canals, one sprawling river, & plenty of boats gliding to and fro. That's how you know you're in the oh-so-romantic Rhine Valley (the home of premium German wine). We'll spend the morning floating along the Rhine on a scenic cruise before visiting a local cellar to sample some of the delicious wine. Where the Rhine meets the Moselle, we’ll stop off for some free time in historic Koblenz, a charming city with plenty of quiet squares, quirky fountains and pavement cafes. Wine has been cultivated near Koblenz since Roman times, and we’ll learn all about it as we raise a glass at an included wine tasting in St Goar. Our final stop for the day is Cologne, where we’ll explore the breathtakingly huge cathedral, originally built to house the remains of the Three Wise Men! In its shadow we’ll gasp in delight at just one of the city’s celebrated Christmas Markets, with its glittering canopy of lights. A few steps further on we’ll find a spectacular ice skating rink and many, many more market areas promising Christmas paradise on earth. When we’ve shopped for gifts to our heart’s content let’s not forget to get a taste of all the local delicacies – Käsespätzle (tiny egg dumplings tossed in cheese) and Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes with sugar), plus churros, crepes and plenty of German craft beer!
Accommodation: Mercure Hotel Severinshof (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Another day, another bewitching market to visit. We leave Cologne after breakfast and head for Heidelberg.Covering seven different locations in the Old Town, Heidelberg’s Christmas Market radiates festive magic – the perfect blend of tradition and winter wonderland. We’ll tear ourselves away to also take in the romantic ruins of Heidelberg castle before making tracks for Stuttgart. Later today we’ll reach Stuttgart where, in the Christmas Garden, the magic begins after twilight falls. The Wilhelma (garden) is transformed into a fairy-tale landscape as ten million points of light illuminate a sparkling circular walk. Stuttgart Christmas market, one of Europe’s oldest and liveliest, will give us the chance to shop for wooden toys and antiques and to warm our bellies with mulled wine and fresh gingerbread – all to the festive sounds of local choir music. TEST
Accommodation: Vienna House Easy (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
See you later Stuttgart, after breakfast today we’ll set our sights for Rothenberg.Here in Rothenburg, Germany’s best-preserved walled town, we’ll sip some seasonal hot chocolate before continuing on to Nuremberg.Here we are in the heart of Bavaria for a walking tour that’ll fill us in on 1000 years of history, from emperors and Renaissance riches, to World Wars and Nazi trials.This evening we’ve another chance to thrill to enticing stalls, tinsel angels, wooden nutcrackers, coloured stars and lots more twinkling lights. Grab dinner on the move with the locals’ favourite grilled sausages, or maybe a crackling pork shoulder served with a dumpling.
Accommodation: B&B Hotel Nurnberg West (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Nuremberg gingerbread is a centuries-old tradition – a delicious speciality made to carefully guarded family recipes. This morning we’ll get to see up close how the famous treat is made and pick up some tips and treats at an included gingerbread workshop, the perfect farewell before we make our way to Munich this afternoon, via Dachau. Moving on from Nuremburg, we’ll head on to Munich. But first, an important and sobering visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial, once the original working camp. You’ll be able to spend some time here to learn and reflect on a generation never to be forgotten. Munich may be famous for Oktoberfest festivities, but the vibes live here all year round. A tour of the sights will introduce you to the history and sights of this dynamic city including the main square and the famous Glockenspiel with its 32 dancing figurines and 43 chiming bells. This evening you’re free to make the most of your time in the city; with so many bars, clubs and beerhalls you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Munich City West (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Today we begin with a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, straight out of a storybook. Built by ‘mad King Ludwig’ it’s not only one of the most famous castles in Europe but said to be the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle too. Munich’s Christmas Markets are amongst the oldest in Germany. We’ll follow our noses as the tantalising scents of roasted almonds, doughnuts and mulled wine draw us to the old town for a final night of sparkly lights, traditional crafts and holiday cosiness. Dinner is included this evening, then get ready for a whirlwind of lederhosen, dirndls and steins as we continue the night at a traditional beerhall, where the oompah band will play and strangers will become friends. Prost!
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Munich City West (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
We don’t want the festivities to end but today’s the day we say “Auf Wiedersehen”. We’ll go our separate ways with Christmas lights sparkling in our eyes and cheer in our hearts, until our next Contiki adventure comes around.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Contiki (CA)
Contiki is a New Zealand-based tour company that caters to 18 to 35-year-olds, offering over 350 different tours in over 75 countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.[1] It is a subsidiary of The Travel Corporation. Its tours historically had a reputation for partying;[2][3] however, it also operates wellness trips culturally immersive experiences that focus less on alcohol, which are more popular with Generation Z.[4] The company owns lodging facilities in Europe, including the Chateau De Cruix, a 16th century castle in the Beaujolais wine region, and the Gasthof Schoneck in the Austrian Tyrol. The name "Contiki" comes from the portmanteau 'Con' from the word 'Continent' and 'Tiki'; from the Māori referring to the first man, often symbolised as a pendant known as hei-tiki. It can also be attributed to the New Zealand slang 'Tiki-tour' describing taking a longer route to a destination in order to explore.[5]
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, July 2024
Gingerbread making was so much fun and the range of places and markets we got to see felt just right. I wish we could have had a little bit more time in the markets though. I had a great time, the people were amazing and were so helpful and the stuff we did was incredible.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/27/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2024
It was a magical trip. To get to experience Germany in December in Christmas mode is an amazing experience. The extra activities filled in the days and nothing was too rushed. You really got to get a great glimpse of Germany. Booking the trip was easy. The travel portal was a good form to navigate and had the answers I needed.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/26/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2024
I can not recommend this tour enough for those wanting to experience that magical feeling of a traditional white Christmas. While the German Christmas Markets are the foundations of this tour, there is still a variety of included experiences that break this up. Historical city walking tours, castles, beerhalls, a cruise along the Rhine, wine tasting and gingerbread making are a few of the experiences that pull this whole trip together. The only let down of this tour is at times it can feel rushed as there is so much to do in the space of a week. An extra night at Cologne in the middle of this tour would have been great as there was not enough time here. Our trip manager was very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. A massive shout out to our driver for navigating the roads and traffic. Booking this trip was easy as I went through a travel agent. Contiki provided comprehensive information and itinerary within a few weeks of the trip. Our trip manage also set up a facebook group and whatsapp for relevant communication for before and during the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/25/2024
Amy - Traveled, April 2024
All of our activities were included- a boat ride along the Rhine, wine tasting, gingerbread bread making class, the Dachau concentration camp, a tour of Nuremberg. We jad such a great time doing all of these activities and ot was impressive that they were all included. I had an absolutely amazing time. Maddie was such a great trip manager and really wanted us to have a great trip and show us as much of Germany as she could. She loves the Christmas markets and was excited to share them with us. I was so ecstatic to be part of a brand new trip. Trust me- keep it! Our group got along famously and truly got is in the Christmas spirit.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/24/2024
Stephanie - Traveled, March 2024
For the price I paid it made sense plus the time itinerary, I enjoyed being able to see much as we can for the price we paid. Yes, I would definitely recommend Contiki to my friends and Family and I am planning on another Contiki trip soon! I have nothing negative to say about this trip, the staff was very nice and fun and positive!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/23/2024
Robin - Traveled, February 2024
I think that the trip was fun filled with a great deal of activities, extremely informative, and unforgettable. Great experience, Rob (our tour guide) was super informative and went the extra mile to make sure that everyone was always comfortable and ok. Would 100% do another contiki. In future I would book directly instead of through a travel agency.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/22/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, October 2024
The Best Christmas Market trip ever! Great group of people, super TM and TD, lots of markets and fun festive activities included. Super easy to book! Everything was faultless.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/31/2024
Charlotte - Traveled, September 2024
Our tour guide, made the trip magical!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/30/2024
Erica - Traveled, August 2024
This was such a fun way to get in the Christmas spirit prior to the holidays. Highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t been to Germany/the Christmas markets before. Traveling was so easy and it was even easier to try all the local cuisine at the Christmas markets.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/29/2024
Daniel - Traveled, August 2024
It was great seeing the lovely German Christmas markets! The food was good and we had a great trip manager! Pricing was reasonable and I highly recommend this trip! I made up a contagious Christmas song parody that all my travel mates could never forget about. The original song I made it off of is O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum). I bought a very cute wooden Christmas music box that played the original song and I got an idea all of a sudden. My idea was to make up a song about the Christmas markets and send it to the WhatsApp group chat. While writing up the song, I decided the first line would definitely be “O Germany, O Germany”. The final lyrics of my written song were: O Germany, O Germany Has lovely Christmas markets O Germany, O Germany Has lovely Christmas markets With Christmas lights and ornaments And other kinds of excitements O Germany, O Germany Has lovely Christmas markets.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/28/2024
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