CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY
Good festive tastings in Germany fill up weeks before Christmas and the best go first. Below: the 12 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Join a German-speaking guide for a 90-minute Advent walk through Dresden’s Old Town and three Christmas markets. See the Frauenkirche, Fürstenzug, Royal Palace, Semper Opera, Zwinger, and Striezelmarkt. Along the way, learn about Saxon Christmas customs and sample Dresden stollen with mulled wine.
Meet your English- or German-speaking guide by Münster City Hall for a one-hour private rickshaw ride through six Christmas markets. Sip mulled wine or a non-alcoholic drink under a roof, listen to optional seasonal music, and shape the tour around sightseeing, city history, or personal recommendations.
“Very fun way to drive around town, see some highlights and hear about the history”
Walk Munich’s Christmas markets with guides such as Patrick, Kevin, Iain, Liam, or Daniel, tasting seasonal sausages, pastries, pizza, desserts, beer, and several kinds of Glühwein. The three-hour route links Marienplatz, Residenz, Wittelsbacherplatz, and Viktualienmarkt with stories about Munich’s buildings, legends, and wartime past.
“We were running late (our fault) and the tourguide, Liam, waited for us and made every effort to contact us. Once we got there it was great. The markets we visited were beautiful, and the food and drink were great. Liam was an awesome guide and we had a great time.”
Spend one hour on a festive Koblenz boat cruise with Christmas music and one glass of mulled wine or punch. From the open-air deck, you’ll see Deutsches Eck, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, and Stolzenfels Castle. Food and extra drinks cost more, and the upper deck is reached by stairs. The boat returns to its starting point.
“We celebrated my mother's birthday with a large group of people. Everything was excellent, the atmosphere was pleasant, there were no crowds, and you could sit outside or go inside to warm up. We give it a 10 out of 10. Thank you to the organizers.”
Take a 90-minute winter cruise through central Berlin aboard Seminarschiff Berlin. You’ll pass the Reichstag, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, Central Station, and Nikolai Quarter while sitting in the heated salon, wheelhouse, or VIP lounge. Mulled wine and stollen are available to buy, but the ticket does not include food or drinks.
“Es hat Spaß gemacht,viele Sehenswürdigkeiten entlang der Fahrt,nettes Schiffsteam...leider nur,wenn man mit älteren Menschen fährt,es gibt zum größten Teil nur Bartische mit Barhockern im Innenbereich.”
Join Freiburg drag queen Betty BBQ for a 70-minute Christmas city tour through the city center and Cathedral Square. Expect jokes, festive stories, Christmas-market context, and playful questions about punch and mulled wine. Drinks and snacks are not included, but you can take photos with Betty BBQ after the tour.
“Man(n) muß es erleben ✌️👌einfach cool, lustig und informatives über Freiburg zu erfahren. ✌️👌💫🍀👍💯”
Ride through Berlin’s illuminated streets with a live German-speaking guide, passing Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Bebelplatz, and Rotes Rathaus. The tour ends with 45 minutes at Charlottenburg Palace Christmas market, where a free mulled wine awaits.
“The tour was nice and getting to know the Christmas markets.”
Walk Munich’s Christmas markets with a private English-speaking guide for about two hours. Start at Frauenkirche, visit Marienplatz, Residenz, and Wittelsbacherplatz, and enjoy Glühwein with Bavarian snacks. The tour is easy to reach by public transport and suits most participants, but the high per-person price deserves careful thought.
“This tour was billed as a "Magical Christmas" tour and it was anything but that. It was a general tour of old town Munich - which was nice and informative but NOT what we ordered. It was also EXCEPTIONALLY OVERPRICED. We paid over $550 for a Christmas tour and did not get one. Our entire group was very disappointed.”
Join Franzi or another German-speaking guide for a 90-minute walk through six Münster Christmas markets. You’ll hear stories of medieval conflicts, political power, and local personalities while enjoying two mulled wines, or non-alcoholic drinks, plus a small snack. Meet at St. Michaelisbrunnen.
“Franzi hat das ganz toll gemacht, es hat richtig Spaß gemacht ihr zu zuhören. Es war herzlich und informativ. Empfehlung geht raus.❤️”
You’ll ride with your private group between Münster’s six Christmas markets in a decorated, rainproof rickshaw. Enjoy mulled wine, music, and a blanket while your guide adapts the route to your interests, from the historic town hall and Lambert’s Church to the castle and local craft stalls.
“Die Rikscha-Rundfahrt war in dem weihnachtlichen Treiben eine wunderbar erholbare Zeit, mit vielen interessanten Informationen über Münsters Geschichte und Gegenwart. Florians Mutter macht einen mega Glühwein. Die Aktivität ist sehr zu empfehlen.”
Join local guide Karin Görl for a two-hour Advent walk through Würzburg. Sip Franconian sparkling wine on the Old Main Bridge, taste cookies and gingerbread, hear stories of local Christmas customs from the Middle Ages and Baroque era, then finish with mulled wine or punch at the Christmas market. Small groups, English and German.
Spend 2.5 hours seeing Berlin’s Christmas lights from a coach, with a local guide, live commentary, a mulled wine coupon, and gingerbread. The route begins near Kurfürstendamm, visits Potsdamer Platz, KaDeWe, and Unter den Linden, then returns to the starting point. Group size is limited to 30.
“A bit disappointing - the tour did not start on time (they forgot the cookies) and then the guide called our names out loud as if we were in school. She also gave pretty bad directions to the poor driver, leading us to find ourselves in pretty Read more”
Pick a market, a light show or a sleigh.
