Celebrate the festive season this year on one of 198 uniquely tailored tours & river cruises showcasing Europe's renowned Christmas Markets. Take a river cruise along the Danube and the Rhine to soak up the culture of Europe’s historic Christmas Markets in quaint town centres and palace squares, filled with modern and traditional stalls and the aroma of mulled wine and Christmas baking.
Must do highlights on a tour of Europe's Christmas Markets
Rothenburg and the Romantic Road
Visit picturesque Rothenburg on the Romantic Road with cobblestoned streets, and alleyways filled with quaint Christmas Markets stalls. The Christmas Shop is famous for its stunning displays.
Christmas Market River Cruise
River cruise along Europe's mighty rivers, crossing up to five countries, stopping along the way to enjoy the colourful Christmas markets, from Budapest to Paris.
Vienna's Christmas Dream Market
There are many Christmas markets in Vienna but the Vienna Christmas Dream Market, in front of the City Hall, offers an unforgettable winter festive scene.
Warm Christmas Treats
Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine or steaming hot chocolate; decorative cookies and pastries, warm and fresh from the bakery. Sample each region's unique festive specialities as you explore the Christmas Markets for trinkets read more and trimmings for your tree.
Strasbourg, France
Take a walking tour of the Christkindlmarkt, host to 300 wooden stalls that light up the heart of the World heritage-listed Grande Île. Fairly lights and Christmas cheer light up this ever popular French Christmas market.
Recent Reviews
What our clients are saying about their European Christmas Market tours
Our booking with Hannah at Global Journeys was seamless. There isn't a single thing I would've changed on our Danube Cruise with Scenic Waterways. We felt spoilt from the first day until the last. Just the right amount of free time and the tours were very good. We cruised in December & it was Christmas Market magic.
We were so taken by this cruise that we will do another one with Amadeus next year. Could not fault it. From the friendly staff to the amazing food. Definitely recommend this tour. Thank you Global Journeys.
We saw a lot of Christmas markets on the cruise and they were a highlight when not crowded, which they mostly were unfortunately. If we were the only ship at the port then it wouldn't be so bad but often there were upwards of a dozen ships concurrently, making the Christmas markets quite a slog to get through.
The ship itself was good but facilities read more and entertainment were limited (no pool or gym and entertainment was mostly a pianist and on the last night a local easy listening band) and the rooms are smaller than on larger ships. The ship staff were all very good so kudos to Viking for having excellent crew. The food was mostly great also but meal times are less flexible than on larger ocean cruises so you have to eat at the times they dictate (mainly 7pm and later which did not really suit the mostly older passengers); if you wanted food at any other time it was only pastry items like muffins and cookies (but hot drinks from a machine were available 24/7). The ports were mostly right by the main part of town which was very handy, and with the exception of Dordrecht every port stop had a Christmas market (or three) so that was great. Overall it was a good trip but we wouldn't do another river cruise.
This Advent on the Rhine cruise was a wonderful and relaxing way to experience the holiday season. The itinerary was well planned, the scenery along the Rhine was beautiful, and the Christmas markets were charming and festive. The accommodations were comfortable, the food was consistently good, and the crew was friendly and attentive throughout the read more journey. Everything felt well organized and truly worry-free, allowing us to simply enjoy the experience. I would absolutely travel this way again and would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, enriching European holiday adventure.
Our tour commenced in Frankfurt with a welcome dinner which was a chance to meet fellow travellers. Albatross tours are usually around 28 passengers but we only had 14 so everyone got to know each other and we had a great time. Our journey included stays in Rothenburg, Oberammergau and Salzburg, finishing in Munich. All hotels were a good standard and read more centrally located so it was easy to get to the main sights and Christmas markets. Highlights of the trip, beside the Christmas Markets, were a Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg, Neuschwanstein Castle visit and a horse drawn carriage from Filzmoos up the mountain where we enjoyed a lovely morning tea. This tour proviided some spectacular and breathtaking sights and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Elena was a great tour manager who worked very hard to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves and she went the extra mile for a couple of travellers who werent as mobile as the rest of us. Our driver, Marco was very skilled, especially manoeuvring the coach in some small streets and tight spaces. As always, it was easy booking through Global Journeys and look forward to booking again.
We have just finished the Budapest to Amsterdam Christmas Market Cruise. Wow!! What an unforgettable experience. The whole crew were amazing - from our cabin Steward, Rendi, to the Cruise director, Armin, and the Entertainment director, James, the serving staff and bar staff..... I cannot fault one of them. The food was delicious. The markets and tours read more were fun, informative and memorable. We will definitely be doing another cruise with Emerald.
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Indulging in rich and delicious food and drink is a quintessential part of the experience when you visit traditional European Christmas Markets. Truth be known, it is the
Enjoy An Ancient Festive Tradition If you are travelling to Europe over the festive season you need to visit to one of the beautiful Christmas Markets. The Christmas Market
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