Experience the Magic of Germany’s Christmas Markets Through Their Food, Drink, and Festive Traditions!
Join us for a festive journey through a Bavarian winter wonderland! Delight in magical Christmas markets, scenic gondola rides, and all the seasonal drinks you could wish for—plus, of course, some delicious German beer.
We’ll explore the Christmas markets of four historic Bavarian cities: Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Munich, and Salzburg. In these charming towns, we’ll fully embrace the season—strolling past chalets draped in garlands and twinkling lights, browsing locally crafted gifts and decorations, sampling lebkuchen, and sipping warm mugs of Glühwein and flaming Feuerzangenbowle. Midway through the trip, we’ll venture into the Alps for a cozy mountaintop lunch, taking in sweeping views and crisp mountain air. The jovial atmosphere and gemütlichkeit are guaranteed to fill you with Weihnachtsgeist—the true Christmas spirit!
The tour comes to a memorable close with a multi-course fine dining experience at St. Peter’s Stiftskulinarium in Salzburg, a nearly 1,200-year-old restaurant carved into the cliffs. It’s the perfect setting to celebrate the journey, enjoying gourmet dishes and expertly paired wines in a historic and unforgettable atmosphere.
To make this experience truly special, we’ve partnered with local guides like The Thirsty Historian, crafting custom tours that blend city exploration, festive markets, local culture, and of course, plenty of fun, food, and drinks—exactly what you’ve come to expect from Drinkable Destinations.
We’ll explore the Christmas markets of four historic Bavarian cities: Nuremberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Munich, and Salzburg. In these charming towns, we’ll fully embrace the season—strolling past chalets draped in garlands and twinkling lights, browsing locally crafted gifts and decorations, sampling lebkuchen, and sipping warm mugs of Glühwein and flaming Feuerzangenbowle. Midway through the trip, we’ll venture into the Alps for a cozy mountaintop lunch, taking in sweeping views and crisp mountain air. The jovial atmosphere and gemütlichkeit are guaranteed to fill you with Weihnachtsgeist—the true Christmas spirit!
The tour comes to a memorable close with a multi-course fine dining experience at St. Peter’s Stiftskulinarium in Salzburg, a nearly 1,200-year-old restaurant carved into the cliffs. It’s the perfect setting to celebrate the journey, enjoying gourmet dishes and expertly paired wines in a historic and unforgettable atmosphere.
To make this experience truly special, we’ve partnered with local guides like The Thirsty Historian, crafting custom tours that blend city exploration, festive markets, local culture, and of course, plenty of fun, food, and drinks—exactly what you’ve come to expect from Drinkable Destinations.
Christkindl Markets tour
Monday, December 11th - Saturday, December 16th, 2028
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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
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The Itinerary
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Day 1:
Group meets in Munich, Germany. We’ll meet at the hotel before heading out to a welcome dinner for at the classic Augustiner Keller Bierhall with exclusive barrel tapping for our group. This will be a great opportunity for everyone to meet each other, your hosts (Justin and Robyn) and start building up anticipation for the week that lays ahead! |
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Day 3: The group will board a private coach for a day trip to the walled medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a fairytale setting that feels tailor-made for the holidays. After enjoying lunch together, we’ll meet our local guide for a walking tour through the city’s cobbled streets and its famous Christmas markets. Along the way, we’ll uncover Rothenburg’s rich history and hear stories like the legendary mayor who saved the town from an invading army by downing nearly a gallon of wine—a moment still re-enacted every hour at the town’s clocktower. Day 4: We will pack up camp once more and board the high-speed train back to Munich. After dropping bags at the hotel, we’ll head straight to lunch at the world-famous Hofbräuhaus. From there, the afternoon unfolds with a guided tour of Munich’s old town, including a stop at the charming Medieval Christmas Market. Next, we’ll make our way to the Hofbräukeller beer garden on Munich's eats side for a lively round of Eisstockschießen (Bavarian-style curling). To cap off the day, we’ll visit the festive main Christmas Market at Marienplatz before giving everyone a free evening to shop, explore, and dine at their own pace.
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Day 2: We’ll break camp and hop on the high-speed train to our next home base for several days: Nuremberg, Germany. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we’ll set out on a guided city and Christmas market tour. The experience takes us underground into Nuremberg’s historic rock-cut cellars beneath the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof, followed by a resurfacing in the brewery’s restaurant for a tasting of classic local brews—Rotbier, Roter Bock, and Kellerbier—paired with lunch. Afterward, we’ll continue with a short stroll through the city and its festive markets before turning the afternoon over to free time, leaving plenty of opportunity for shopping and exploring at your own pace. 
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Day 6: Grand Finale: SalzburgFor the final chapter of our journey, we’ll travel by train through the stunning Bavarian and Austrian Alps to our last destination—Salzburg, Austria. Here, The Thirsty Historian will lead us on a tour of the city’s highlights, sharing fascinating stories that trace its roots back to the salt trade. By late afternoon, you’ll have free time to browse the Christmas markets or explore the charming old town at your own pace. In the evening, we’ll gather for a special Farewell Dinner at St. Peter’s Stiftskulinarium, a legendary restaurant carved into the cliffs and dating back to 803 AD. Over a multi-course gourmet meal with expertly paired wines, we’ll celebrate the memories we’ve made together. Parting may be bittersweet, but everyone will leave with full hearts—and a true sense of the Weihnachtsgeist, the Christmas spirit of Germany and Austria. |
Day 5: Alpine adventure day! We’ll board the train and head south into the Bavarian Alps, visiting the picturesque mountain towns of Mittenwald or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A cable car ride will carry us to breathtaking views—Germany stretching out on one side, Austria on the other—before we settle in for lunch at a cozy mountaintop chalet. Back in town, we’ll take a leisurely stroll to admire the painted facades, alpine architecture, and festive Christmas market stalls. By late afternoon we’ll return to Munich, with the evening free for more browsing, shopping, and soaking up the Christmas spirit at the city’s markets.
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Inclusions
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RatesTBD, pricing will be finalized in September 2027.
2026 Rates below for reference. $4400/person based on double occupancy lodging in 2026 $700 single supplement for solo travelers in 2026 $900/person deposit in 2026 Don't forget, our total group size is limited to 8-12 people! For comprehensive information about the tour including reservation information, please download the Information Packet in pdf format below.
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WHAT MAKES OUR TOURS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER TOUR OUTFITS?
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1. Local Tour Guides - We don't live in Germany but we have lived in Europe and have traveled extensively. Even so, we feel that our tour guests are best served by using local tour guides that we have established relationships with for our tours. The experience is so much more rich when stories are heard from people who live in the areas we are visiting.
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2. Small Group Sizes - We believe that small group sizes make for better experiences. Small groups allow our guests to form closer relationships with us, our local guides and each other It also gives us more intimate access to places, restaurants and attractions.
Minimum: 8 Maximum: 12 |
3. It's not only about beer and breweries - We love beer and learning it's history and cultural implications. But we're not a one trick pony only visiting breweries all day, every day. (if you've seen one room of stainless steel tanks...)
We love all sorts of history, culture, food and attractions so we blend our thirst for great local beer and seasonal drinsk with local history, culture and attractions. And at the end of a day of touring, we'll find a great spot to sit back and enjoy our Drinkable Destination! |
WHAT have PEOPLE SAid ABOUT OUR TOURs?
We took a trip to Germany/Octoberfest with Justin and Robyn and let me tell you it was nothing short of amazing. We had access to places and people and beer we would have never had on our own. They made sure every single aspect of the trip was handled so all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. The ability to meet and talk to the malters, hop farmers and brewers was nothing short of magical. We stayed in top notch hotels and there was never a shortage of great food and beverages. We feel blessed as we have become great friends with the folks we traveled with. We would not hesitate to book another trip with Justin and Robyn!
Cindi & Chris, Milwaukee WI
Just returned from the Oktoberfest & Bavaria tour with Drinkable Destinations and everything was incredible. The tour itself was a perfect mix of history, culture, sightseeing and beer-based experiences. Loved the addition of local guides for the city walking tours. Justin & Robyn are true professionals who were prepared for everything and handled hiccups so well. For example, as we were boarding the train to head back to Munich, my husband realized he left his passport at the hotel. Robyn stayed behind with him while he got his passport, and they took the next train to meet up with Justin and the rest of the group. I always felt like we were in good hands and well taken care of. There were so many special touches included in the tour, and they even gifted us a custom gingerbread heart to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. I'll definitely travel with Drinkable Destinations again. Hoping to make it to Tipsy Tulips 2027! Thank you for all the amazing memories, Justin & Robyn!
Google review from Vicki
Cindi & Chris, Milwaukee WI
Just returned from the Oktoberfest & Bavaria tour with Drinkable Destinations and everything was incredible. The tour itself was a perfect mix of history, culture, sightseeing and beer-based experiences. Loved the addition of local guides for the city walking tours. Justin & Robyn are true professionals who were prepared for everything and handled hiccups so well. For example, as we were boarding the train to head back to Munich, my husband realized he left his passport at the hotel. Robyn stayed behind with him while he got his passport, and they took the next train to meet up with Justin and the rest of the group. I always felt like we were in good hands and well taken care of. There were so many special touches included in the tour, and they even gifted us a custom gingerbread heart to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. I'll definitely travel with Drinkable Destinations again. Hoping to make it to Tipsy Tulips 2027! Thank you for all the amazing memories, Justin & Robyn!
Google review from Vicki