Christmas Trips · ITALY CHRISTMAS TOURS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 italy christmas tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Spend two hours in Rome’s St. Paul’s Within the Walls with the Orchestra of I Virtuosi dell’Opera di Roma, soprano Ms. Testa, tenor Mr. Gentili, and baritone Mr. Utzeri. Choose a New Year’s Eve or January 1 concert featuring Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, and Strauss.
“It was a surreal experience to attend the concert on a new year’s eve in the church. Loved it”
Join a local guide at 5:30 pm for a 90-minute Christmas walk through Rome, from the Spanish Steps and Via dei Condotti to Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’Angelo, and St. Peter’s Square. Expect a group of up to 15, evening lights, Roman traditions, and plenty of walking.
“I took this tour with my adult daughter. Tour was lovely. We did finish a long way from the start, otherwise we thoroughly enjoyed it”
Spend 90 minutes at Rome’s Capuchin Convent with a Christmas concert by the Schola Romana Ensemble, then visit the museum and crypt. Choose a self-guided audioguide in 13 languages or a VIP English tour for up to 10 people.
“The details don’t clearly include that there is a brief museum tour and crypt visit before the concert. The concert was lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The music is Christmas music sung during the baroque period, 15th century.”
Ride through Rome after dark in a Vespa sidecar, starting at Piazza della Repubblica and ending at Piazza Navona. An English-speaking guide covers the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Square, Janiculum Hill, Trastevere, the Jewish Ghetto, and Christmas-lit streets. You sit back while a professional driver handles the traffic.
“Really fantastic night zipping around Roma seeing the city, the lights and Christmas decorations. Daughter claimed the side car so I can't comment on its comfort, but the vespas are a fun way to travel, and gives access to Rome's alleys and back streets.. The team did a great job in making us feel welcome and ensuring our safety. Everything was clean and efficient. Highly recommend this tour at any time of the year, but it is something special at Christmas.”
Join Matteo and the Concierge Dolomites team for a 7 to 8 hour Christmas-market day trip from Bolzano. Visit Innsbruck, Vipiteno, and Bressanone, with guided walks, free time, hotel or station pickup, WiFi, and private air-conditioned transport.
“The tour was not available on the given date, so I could have it one day after or one day before. I chose one day after and it was the day when it snowed 40 cm in the Alps. We could not make it to Innsbruck, but Matteo offered a memorable experience. First we were into the snow until the frontier, in Gries bei Brenner, then, besides Vipiteno (Sterzing) and Bressanone (Brixen) which we could see (the info point in the city has a booklet writing about the most important Christmas markets in South Tyrol which are Boze, Sterzing, Brixen, Bruneck and Meran), we went up the mountains to Ortisei…”
You’ll be collected from your Rome accommodation and escorted to St. Peter’s Basilica for Christmas Eve Mass with Pope Leo XIV. An English-speaking escort helps with crowds and Vatican procedures, while a private chauffeur handles the ride home. Andrea, Stefania, and Sergei have provided especially strong support.
“We were picked up at our hotel by our guide, Stephania and driver. We were escorted into the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica by our guide and she found us absolutely great seats. The mass was wonderful and our guide shared many interesting facts about the basilica ( prior to the mass) Thank you for one of the most memorable events of a lifetime.”
Follow an English, Italian, French, or Russian-speaking guide through Naples’ Nativity tradition. See the tiny Museodivino collection, Rossellini’s 15th-century scene at Sant’Anna dei Lombardi, and finish among the workshops of Via San Gregorio Armeno. Gianni and Silvir have led recent tours.
“Great expereince, the variety of things included was interesting. our gide Gianni was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting, thank you”
Walk from Piazza del Popolo toward Piazza Venezia, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Piazza Navona, the Bridge of Angels, and St. Peter’s Square. A guide shares Roman Christmas customs, legends, and art. Groups are limited to eight, with English and Italian tours available.
“guide did not turn up or we could not find him as the meeting point was too vague.”
Join an English-speaking guide, including guides such as JoAn or Yash, for a 90-minute evening walk through Rome’s Christmas-lit center. Start at Babingtons Tea Room, visit the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Ponte Sant’Angelo, and finish beneath the tree at St. Peter’s Square.
“The guide JoAn was very helpful, nice, knowledgeable. The tour was great. Would do this one again!”
Meet at the Capuchin Convent on Via Veneto for a live Schola Romana Ensemble concert of Palestrina, Victoria, Gregorian chant, and other sacred works. Then visit the Capuchin Museum and Crypt with an audioguide or art historian. A Roman dinner is an optional add-on.
“Great experience however, the meeting point address from Viator was incorrect. It was a half mile away from the actual meeting point in front of the museum.”
Spend about 90 minutes with I Musici Veneziani at Venice's ornate Scuola Grande di San Teodoro. The holiday concert brings 14 performers together, including soprano Vittoria Boldrin, tenor Massimo Cagnin, and baritone Nico Mamone, with orchestra, opera, period costumes, and an early 5:30 pm start.
“Fabulous performance by both orchestra and singers. Mix of well-known with less well known composition. Tenors performance amazing”
You’ll ride a Christmas train from Piazza del Comune through Assisi’s illuminated streets, passing Piazza Santa Chiara, Basilica of St. Francis, and other landmarks. An Italian audio guide, holiday music, and video mapping add seasonal color. The 45-minute route is wheelchair accessible and costs $9.
“Only in Italian. Could not even understand what might be of interest that we drove by. And could not exit early. Very disappointed. Waste of nearly an hour.”
Meet your English or Spanish-speaking guides at the Highlander Pub for a Rome NYE night out. You get one hour of long drinks, beer, wine, pizza, games, two more pubs, shots, and skip-the-line entry plus a drink at a city-center club.
Meet your live English-speaking guide at 5 pm in Piazza Bellini for a two-hour evening walk through Naples’ Christmas center. See Greek walls, Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, Palazzo Pandola, Spaccanapoli, the Duomo area, and the famous Via San Gregorio Armeno. Snacks are included, but dinner and transport are not.
“Is this tour only at night? I only had one choice at 5pm. Would prefer a daytime morning tour. Like a longer city tour combo. Need more time to shop.”
Spend two private hours with an English- or Italian-speaking Bolognese guide matched to your interests. Your guide may be Jon, Lorenza, or another local, with a flexible route covering Christmas traditions, culture, history, and food tips.
“Excellent introduction to the wonderful city of Bologna. Perfect mix of history, culture and food tips. Saved us so much time over our short stay. Our guide Jon was lovely , accommodating and passionate about Bologna. Definitely recommend.”
Pick a market, a lights run or a night in the snow.
