The 15 Christmas Shopping Tours That Earn Their Price

1.Dresden Christmas Market & Bastei Saxon Switzerland Tour from Prague

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $229Our pick

Travel from Prague in a small group of up to eight with hotel pickup, a guide such as Sam, Jana, Misu, or Alex, and free WiFi in the van. Walk across Bastei Bridge, eat lunch, tour Dresden, then explore the Striezelmarkt before returning around 6 p.m.

“Our guide Miso was amazing. The Bastei Saxon Switzerland was beautiful, a wonderful place to go for scenery. The Christmas market was the best I’ve been, many stall options”

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2.Original Munich Christmas Market Tour with Festive Wine and Food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $162

Spend three to four hours with an English-speaking guide visiting Munich’s Marienplatz, Residenz, Wittelsbacherplatz, and Theresienwiese markets. Sample glühwein, mulled beer, festive snacks, and local traditions in a group capped at 15 people. Guides such as Victoria, Katrina, and Lockie have earned warm praise.

“Great guide! Wonderful time seeing the Christmas markets and trying out all the food and drinks. The tour guide provided great suggestions. A must do when in Munich!”

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3.Christmas Market Tour from Colmar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $162

Spend about nine hours visiting Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, and Ribeauvillé from Colmar. English-speaking guides such as Christian, Yvan, and Christopher handle the winter driving, market drop-offs, local stories, and a wine cellar tasting. Lunch is not included, and the route can change with market dates.

“Kristian was a super guide! Knowledgeable, courteous, helpful. The villages were lovely and wine tasting very nice. Lunch was particularly good.”

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4.Munich Christmas Market Food Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $181

Spend about three hours walking Munich’s central Christmas markets with guides such as Patrick, Kevin, Iain, Liam, or Daniel. Taste seasonal sausages, pastries, sweets, pizza-style snacks, and alcoholic drinks while hearing stories about Munich’s churches, palaces, wartime scars, and local legends.

“Kevin was an amazing tour guide. I had a wonderful time trying new German Christmas foods and of course the wine!”

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5.Christmas Market Vienna Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 53 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $103

Walk from Mariahilf to Maria-Theresien-Platz in 2 to 3 hours, visiting four Christmas markets with an English-speaking guide. Sample Glühwein, punch, cookies, and local snacks while hearing Austrian holiday stories. Expect cold weather, crowds, and a group of up to 20 people.

“Great informative tour. Learned many interesting things about Vienna and tasted some really good food!”

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6.Cologne Christmas Market and Kölsch Beer Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $21Best value

Start at Brauerei zur Malzmühle with an introduction to Cologne’s Kölsch culture, then visit Heinzels Wintermärchen, the Cathedral market, and Cologne’s main Christmas market. Guides such as Bernie, Kim, Chris, Heike, Michael, and Marina add local stories, while drinks and snacks are purchased separately.

“It was helpful having a guide, but all drinks are at your own expense. After visiting 1 pub and 3 Christmas Markets, plan on spending an additional $50 for drinks.”

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7.Salzburg Christmas Market & City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $348

Walk Salzburg’s Christmas markets and old town with an English-speaking guide, visiting the cathedral, St. Peter’s Abbey, Getreidegasse, and Mozart sites. You’ll hear local stories, taste gingerbread, receive a Salzburg mug, and finish near the market with time for a warm drink and food.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our time with our guide! She was thoughtful and very kind and showed us some of the best out of the way areas and the best places to purchase local items. The food tastings were also great!”

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8.Dresden Xmas Market & Saxon Switzerland Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 9 hours · from $229

Travel from Prague in a small group of up to eight people to Saxon Switzerland’s Bastei Bridge and Dresden’s Striezelmarkt. You get a guided Dresden walk, à la carte lunch, WiFi, snacks, and Glühwein. Guides such as Sam, Robert, Tereza, and Ondrej are part of the guiding team.

“Robert was very accommodating and friendly. He made sure we were taken care of.”

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9.Budapest Christmas Market Tour with Basilica visit & Chimney cake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $140

Meet at the Opera House at 4:30 pm for a 2.5-hour English tour with guides such as Katalin, Zsuzsa, and Istvan. Walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, three Christmas markets, and the Danube, with chimney cake, mulled wine, and local food tips along the way.

“We had a lovely afternoon discovering the Christmas markets with Zsuzsa. She gave us tips on which food we should try and which ones are prepared in the traditional or classic manner. She also gave us tips on where to buy the best pastries in town and introduced us to the section of the road where every winning "Hungarian wine of the year" is lined up. We also got the chance to try mulled wine and hot tea and we love them. They warm the stomach which helps with the freezing temperature at night.”

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10.Christmas Markets & Shopping in Vienna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $70

Spend three hours with a local English-speaking guide, visiting Hotel Sacher, Swarovski, St. Stephen’s Christmas Market, Graben, Kohlmarkt, Café Central, and Neubaugasse. Nicoleta’s lively storytelling, shopping tips, and welcome map make this a useful introduction to Vienna’s festive center.

“Nicolette was very funny, attention grabbing and engaging. She had a very resounding voice that everyone could hear especially people in the back of the group which sometimes we ended up at. The group was not very big so we could stay close to the guide. I loved all the little bits of information she gave us which you don’t read in the books. Thanks for a great experience Nicollet.”

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11.German Christmas Market Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 1h 30m · from $34

Meet your French or English speaking guide at Quebec City's Tourist Information Center for a 90 minute walk through the German Christmas Market. Taste glühwein, a pretzel, and stollen while learning how German and Quebec traditions meet. Sarah and another upbeat guide have earned especially warm praise.

“Sarah was a knowledgeable guide and offered info on some of the different stalls as well as some other interesting facts and history of the market. I highly recommend this tour.”

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12.Budapest Wonderland – A Christmas Market Tour with Chimney Cake & Mulled Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $114

Walk from the Hungarian State Opera to Budapest’s Christmas markets, stopping at Szent István Square, Gresham Palace, and Vörösmarty Square. Your English-speaking guide explains Hungarian holiday customs, with mulled wine and chimney cake included. Guides have included Zoltán, Ferenc, and Odea.

“Zoltán was terrific. Ask for him. Very knowledgeable and good English. Good balance of history and Xmas markets.”

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13.Zurich Christmas Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10 reviews · 2 hours · from $49

Join a local guide for a two-hour walk through five Zurich Christmas markets. You’ll see the huge tree at the main station, hear carols at the singing Christmas tree, visit Münsterhof, and finish at Bellevue’s Christmas village. Alexander is one guide praised for his Zurich history.

“Alexander is a great tour guide with so much knowledge about Zurich and its history.”

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14.Christmas Market Guided Walking Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $106

Meet your English-speaking guide outside the Hungarian State Opera House for a 2.5-hour walk through Budapest’s Christmas markets. Taste chimney cake, mulled wine, and marzipan, then finish with coffee at a historic coffee house. Private groups are available.

“We loved this individualised tour for our group. We were able to taste some of the traditional Christmas market treats and learned more about the culture of this beautiful country. We especially enjoyed the cafe stop at the end! The hot chocolate was devine!”

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15.1.5-Hour Christmas Market Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 8 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $25

Start at Neckarmünzplatz and follow a German-speaking guide through Heidelberg’s Old Town to Universitätsplatz. Hear regional Christmas stories, learn how the market works across several historic squares, and pause for roasted almonds and winter treats at your own expense.

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