A Christmas market is mulled wine, gingerbread and wooden stalls in a square that has been doing this for centuries. The question is how you get from one to the next. A coach tour does the driving, a small-group train trip feels like an adventure, and a river cruise lets you unpack once and wake up somewhere new.
This guide is for anyone planning a festive trip in November or December. We compare every Christmas market tour we sell, from a four-day break in Riga to nine days through four countries, plus three holidays that spend Christmas Day itself away, so you can choose the style first and the markets second.
The quick answer
- If you want Germany’s classic markets with the driving done for you, pick German Christmas Markets by Coach.
- If you are on a budget and like a bit of adventure, pick Christmas Markets by Train: Budapest to Zagreb.
- If you want to unpack once, pick the Danube or Rhine Christmas markets river cruise.
- If you only have a long weekend, pick Riga, Vienna or Montreux.
- If you want to be away on Christmas Day, pick Christmas on the Rhine.
Every Christmas market tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By coach | ||||||
| German Christmas Markets by Coach: Berlin to Munich – 8 Days | 8 | £2,062 pp | Low | Not stated | No | Germany’s classic markets |
| Christmas Markets of Germany: Berlin to Munich – 8 Days | 8 | £3,195 pp | Low | Not stated | No | Germany in four-star hotels |
| Christmas Markets of Austria & Bavaria: Vienna to Munich – 8 Days | 8 | £2,495 pp | Low | Not stated | No | Vienna, Salzburg and Neuschwanstein |
| Alpine Christmas Markets: Munich, Innsbruck & Zurich – 9 Days | 9 | £2,915 pp | Low | Max 40 | No | Four countries, Strasbourg to Zurich |
| Christmas Markets of Poland, Prague & Germany – 8 Days | 8 | £2,050 pp | Low | Not stated | No | Kraków, Prague and Berlin |
| Christmas Markets of Kraków, Prague, Dresden & Berlin – 8 Days | 8 | £2,453 pp | Low | Not stated | No | The same route, with tastings |
| Christmas Markets of Croatia, Slovenia & Austria – 8 Days | 8 | £2,225 pp | Low | Max 40 | No | Somewhere different: Zagreb and Ljubljana |
| By train, in small groups | ||||||
| Christmas Markets by Train: Munich to Budapest – 8 Days | 8 | £1,743 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Munich to Budapest, budget |
| Christmas Markets by Train: Budapest to Zagreb – 8 Days | 8 | £1,264 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | The best-value tour here |
| By river cruise | ||||||
| Rhine Christmas Markets River Cruise with Travel – 5 Days | 5 | £1,199 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | A short break, Eurostar or flights |
| Danube Christmas Markets River Cruise with Flights – 6 Days | 6 | £1,349 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | Three capitals, full board |
| Short breaks with flights | ||||||
| Riga Christmas Markets: Festive Break in Latvia’s Capital – 4 Days | 4 | £585 pp incl. flights | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | The cheapest festive break here |
| Vienna Christmas Markets Break with Flights – 4 Days | 4 | £849 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 45 | Yes | Vienna in a long weekend |
| Swiss Christmas Markets: Montreux & Château-d’Oex – 4 Days | 4 | £733 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 49 | Yes | Lakeside market, Alpine village |
| Christmas Day itself | ||||||
| Christmas on the Rhine River Cruise with Flights – 8 Days | 8 | £2,199 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | Christmas Day on the river |
| Christmas in Budapest with Flights – 6 Days | 6 | £1,279 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | Christmas in a city |
| Christmas in the Austrian Tyrol with Flights – 6 Days | 6 | £1,792 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | A snowy Alpine Christmas |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us about Christmas market dates →
By coach: the classic way (someone else drives, you hold the Glühwein)
The coach tours share a format: a tour director throughout, local experts in the main cities, some relaxed starts, and hotels that are named on the tour pages. All are land-only, so you fly in and out yourself, and all warn that coach groups can be large and winter days are chilly.
Germany from Berlin to Munich
German Christmas Markets by Coach: Berlin to Munich – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,062 per person
- Berlin, Germany to Munich, Germany
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
The length of Germany in Advent: Berlin with a local expert, Leipzig, two nights in Dresden for the Striezelmarkt, Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Munich. You stay at hotels such as the DoubleTree by Hilton Berlin Ku’damm and the Munich Marriott, or similar, with seven breakfasts and four dinners including a festive dinner with wine in Munich. Departures run from late November to mid-December. Christmas Markets of Germany follows the same route in four-star hotels, with fewer departures and a higher price.
Suits: first-timers who want the famous German markets. The honest drawback: not a small group, and departures are before Christmas Day, not over it.
Austria and Bavaria
Christmas Markets of Austria & Bavaria: Vienna to Munich – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,495 per person
- Vienna, Austria to Munich, Germany
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Vienna to Munich via two nights in Salzburg, Innsbruck, Neuschwanstein Castle and Oberammergau, with a Glühwein and Viennese winter dessert tasting and Tyrolean specialities for dinner in Innsbruck. Hotels include the Hilton Vienna Park and the Steigenberger in Munich, or similar.
Suits: couples after a romantic winter break with music and castles. The honest drawback: only a handful of departures each season.
Alpine markets in four countries
Alpine Christmas Markets: Munich, Innsbruck & Zurich – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £2,915 per person
- Max 40 people
- Munich, Germany to Zurich, Switzerland
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Nine days from Munich to Zurich, with Salzburg, a horse and carriage ride in Innsbruck, Lindau, Freiburg, Strasbourg and three nights on the edge of the Black Forest, travelling by coach with extra legroom. Eight breakfasts and five dinners are included.
Suits: anyone who wants variety, including solo travellers looking for company. The honest drawback: groups can reach 40.
Poland, Prague and Germany
Christmas Markets of Poland, Prague & Germany – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,050 per person
- Kraków, Poland to Berlin, Germany
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Kraków’s Main Square, Wawel Hill and Kazimierz, a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum, Wrocław, two nights in Prague with a progressive dine-around, Dresden and Berlin. Christmas Markets of Kraków, Prague, Dresden & Berlin covers the same route, with gingerbread and mulled wine at the markets and fewer departures.
Suits: history lovers. The honest drawback: the Auschwitz visit makes for a sombre day in a festive week, which some travellers will want to know in advance.
Somewhere different
Christmas Markets of Croatia, Slovenia & Austria – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,225 per person
- Max 40 people
- Zagreb, Croatia to Vienna, Austria
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in December
Zagreb’s Advent, ice skating on King Tomislav Square, the Postojna Caves by cave train, Ljubljana with Slovenian specialities and wine, Graz, Bratislava and Vienna. Hotels include the Sheraton Zagreb and the Hilton Vienna Park, or similar.
Suits: travellers who have done Germany. The honest drawback: few departures each season, and groups can reach 40.
By train: small groups, big value (pack light)
Munich to Budapest
Christmas Markets by Train: Munich to Budapest – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £1,743 per person
- Max 12 people
- Munich, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Four festive cities in eight days by train: Munich’s Marienplatz market, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest, with two nights in most stops. Groups have up to 12 travellers aged 15 and over, with a tour leader. Breakfast is included daily, plus a welcome dinner, leaving the rest to the market stalls.
Suits: independent-minded travellers and solo travellers looking for company. The honest drawback: you carry your own luggage on trains, and rooms are twin or multi-share.
Budapest to Zagreb
Christmas Markets by Train: Budapest to Zagreb – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £1,264 per person
- Max 12 people
- Budapest, Hungary to Zagreb, Croatia
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
The cheapest of the longer tours here: Budapest’s Christmas fair in Vörösmarty Square, Graz, two nights in Ljubljana with a bus to Lake Bled, and Zagreb with the Sljeme cable car. You travel by train, bus and local transport, with a tasting of Christmas snacks and mulled wine in Budapest and a traditional Croatian lunch.
Suits: budget-conscious travellers who enjoy trains. The honest drawback: hotels are simple and most meals are up to you.
By river cruise: unpack once
The Danube
Danube Christmas Markets River Cruise with Flights – 6 Days
- 6 days
- From £1,349 per person incl. flights
- Starts and ends in Budapest, Hungary
- Physical rating: low
- Flights included
- Departures in November, December
Six days on a five-star river ship from Budapest, with guided tours of Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna, free time at their Christmas markets and a scenic cruise through the Danube Bend. Return flights, transfers and full-board dining are included, with a cruise director throughout.
Suits: first-time river cruisers who dislike packing and unpacking. The honest drawback: drinks other than tea and coffee are extra, and it is a short break.
The Rhine
Rhine Christmas Markets River Cruise with Travel – 5 Days
- 5 days
- From £1,199 per person incl. flights
- Starts and ends in Cologne, Germany
- Physical rating: low
- Flights included
- Departures in December
Five days on a five-star river ship moored in Cologne, with the Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim and Bonn. The price includes return flights or Eurostar from London, full board and a free drinks package.
Suits: anyone who would rather take the train than fly. The honest drawback: it is a short, relaxed break, so not for anyone after an active trip.
Long-weekend breaks with flights
Three four-day breaks include flights and suit a festive long weekend. Riga has three nights at the four-star Avalon Hotel or similar, a guided Old Town tour and the market on Town Hall Square, with hand luggage only and two December dates. Vienna includes a guided tour of the Ringstrasse and the Hofburg area and the Spittelberg and Freyung markets, for adults aged 20 and over. Montreux and Château-d’Oex pairs the lakeside market at Montreux with three nights at the Hotel Roc et Neige or similar in an Alpine village, for adults aged 21 and over.
Want to be away on Christmas Day itself?
The market tours above all finish before Christmas Day. To spend the day itself away, Christmas on the Rhine (8 days) spends Christmas Eve in Speyer, Christmas Day in Strasbourg and Boxing Day in Boppard. Christmas in Budapest (6 days) includes a Danube cruise with Christmas lunch. Christmas in the Austrian Tyrol (6 days) is half board in an Alpine village, with Innsbruck’s market. Solo travellers can choose from dedicated Christmas trips on our escorted tours page.
How to choose
By time available. A long weekend: Riga, Vienna or Montreux. Five or six days: the Rhine or Danube cruise. Eight or nine days: the coach and train tours.
By budget. The long-weekend breaks with flights are the cheapest way to go, followed by the two train trips, which are land-only. The river cruises include travel and full board. The coach tours cost the most, with named hotels, more included dinners and a tour director.
By fitness. Every tour here with a physical rating is rated low. Expect walking on cobbles in cold, sometimes icy weather, and on the train trips you carry your own bags.
By travel style. Coach tours for comfort and named hotels; trains for small groups and value; river cruises for unpacking once; the short breaks if flights are the bit you would rather not organise.
When to go
The market tours depart from late November to just before Christmas. Several have only one or two departures a season, so the earlier you ask, the more choice you have. Live dates are on each tour page.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Germany, Austria and each country on your route.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for Christmas markets: coach, train or river cruise?
A coach tour is the easiest, with named hotels and a tour director. A small-group train trip is the best value. A river cruise suits anyone who wants to unpack once and have meals included.
What is the cheapest Christmas market tour?
The long-weekend breaks to Riga, Montreux and Vienna are usually the cheapest, with flights included. Of the longer tours, Budapest to Zagreb by train is usually the best value. Live prices are in the comparison table.
Do Christmas market tours include flights?
The river cruises and the Riga, Vienna and Montreux breaks do. The coach and train tours are land-only, and we can arrange flights.
Can I spend Christmas Day on a market tour?
Not on the market tours, which finish before Christmas Day. Christmas on the Rhine, Christmas in Budapest and Christmas in the Tyrol cover Christmas Day.
Which Christmas market tour is best for solo travellers?
The small-group train trips, such as Munich to Budapest, list solo travellers looking for a sociable group among the people they suit, as does the Alpine markets coach tour.
When should I book a Christmas market tour?
As soon as you can. Several tours have only one or two departures a season, between late November and just before Christmas.
Find your Christmas market tour
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel, and a Travelisto specialist will check availability and prices with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Germany
- Escorted tours in Austria
- River cruise or ocean cruise?
- Danube river cruises compared
- Rhine river cruises compared
- Christmas and New Year in the sun
- Germany holidays
- Austria holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
