Explore Strasbourg’s Christmas markets in the historic centre, including the setting around Strasbourg Cathedral. Spend time among illuminated stalls before discovering the timber-framed streets and canals of La Petite France.

Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik dates to the 16th century and is among France’s oldest Christmas markets. The scent of gingerbread and seasonal spices reflects Alsace’s distinctive traditions, shaped by the region’s long history between French and German cultures.

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 8 Breakfast (B)

• Experience a musical demonstration at Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg.
• Salzburg: Visit the house where Mozart was born in 1756. Enjoy a pianoforte demonstration and examine letters, memorabilia, and musical instruments of the great composer, plus a fascinating collection of portraits.

Insight Vacations

Explore central Munich with your Travel Director, seeing Odeonsplatz and the Feldherrnhalle, the Wittelsbach palace, the Hofbräuhaus and St. Peter’s Church. The orientation leads to Marienplatz and its Glockenspiel, beneath the ornate facade of the New Town Hall.

Experience the Christkindlmarkt in Marienplatz, where illuminated stalls bring Bavarian Christmas traditions into the historic heart of the city. It is an introduction to Munich’s royal heritage and its festive street life.

Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a hosted dinner with wine in Munich. Share a table and get to know the group over an evening meal in the Bavarian capital.

Munich’s convivial dining culture gives the gathering a fitting setting. This is an organised welcome experience rather than an independent restaurant visit, with time to exchange first impressions and settle into the journey together.

Join a Local Expert for a culinary walking tour through central Munich. Discover the city through its food culture while exploring streets shaped by Bavarian traditions and everyday local life.

Food offers a different perspective on a capital also known for its royal buildings and beer halls. This is one of two included Insight Choice experiences in Munich; travellers select either the culinary walk or a visit to the Residenz.

Visit the Munich Residenz, the former palace of Bavaria’s Wittelsbach rulers, and explore its museum and Treasury. Its rooms and collections reveal how a ducal residence grew into a centre of royal ceremony and collecting.

The Residenz stands at the heart of Munich’s historic centre, making its courtly interiors a contrast to the surrounding city streets. This is one of two included Insight Choice experiences; travellers select either the palace visit or a culinary walking tour.

Walk Salzburg’s baroque Old Town with a Local Expert, seeing landmarks associated with Mozart and views of Hohensalzburg Fortress above the city. Explore the Christmas market by Salzburg Cathedral among decorated stalls and historic squares.

Taste warming Gluhwein with your Travel Director and learn how spiced wine became part of Austria’s Advent traditions. The cathedral setting and surrounding baroque architecture give Salzburg’s centuries-old market its distinctive character.

Visit Mozart’s Birthplace on Salzburg’s Getreidegasse, where the composer was born in 1756. Examine letters, portraits, memorabilia and musical instruments connected with his life and family.

Hear a musical demonstration on Mozart’s original pianoforte, bringing the sound of a historical instrument into the rooms associated with his early years. The visit offers a close view of the person behind Salzburg’s best-known musical legacy.

Explore Swarovski Crystal Worlds near Innsbruck, the art space conceived by André Heller to celebrate the Austrian crystal maker. Wander through the Chambers of Wonder, where artists and designers use crystal in installations, light effects and sculptural forms.

The experience connects contemporary creativity with Swarovski’s long tradition of craftsmanship in Tyrol. A special dinner at Crystal Worlds extends the visit beyond the exhibition spaces, making this a combined cultural and dining experience.

Stroll Innsbruck’s Old Town with your Travel Director, taking in its Gothic and Baroque facades beneath the surrounding Tyrolean mountains. See the Golden Roof, the landmark balcony commissioned by Emperor Maximilian I.

Explore the Christmas market set among the medieval streets, where festive stalls stand close to the city’s historic buildings. Innsbruck’s compact centre brings together imperial history, Alpine scenery and Advent traditions within a short walk.

Meet your coachman and ride by horse-drawn carriage in the Innsbruck area. Take in the mountain and valley scenery of Tyrol at an unhurried pace, with time to appreciate the landscape beyond the city streets.

The carriage offers a traditional way to experience a region where Alpine terrain remains part of daily life and local identity. It is a scenic, hosted outing distinct from Innsbruck’s Old Town walk and Christmas market visit.

Walk Lindau’s medieval streets with your Travel Director to its harbour on Lake Constance. See the Old Town Hall and browse Maximilianstrasse in this historic island town.

At the waterfront, look across the lake towards the Alps, whose peaks may rise beyond the winter mist. Lindau’s preserved townscape and harbour setting offer a close encounter with the cultural and natural landscape shared by Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Walk through Freiburg’s historic old quarter, starting near the medieval Freiburg Munster and continuing along cobbled streets lined with Christmas stalls. Browse seasonal goods and festive treats associated with the Black Forest region.

The cathedral’s Gothic architecture anchors a lively university city at the edge of the Black Forest. Freiburg’s market is woven into its everyday squares and lanes, giving visitors a chance to experience local Advent traditions within the old town.

Dine at a local restaurant in Germany’s Black Forest region, enjoying regional specialties accompanied by wine. This hosted dinner offers an opportunity to experience local cooking around a shared table.

The Black Forest has a culinary identity shaped by its wooded uplands, nearby farms and south-west German traditions. Rather than a routine hotel meal, the restaurant visit is a dedicated chance to taste the region’s food in a local setting.

Discover Zurich’s Old Town on a guided community-focused walk with Diana and her team. Explore its streets while learning about social issues, including food insecurity, and the work being done to support local people.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience connects a historic city walk with contemporary community life. The visit supports the team’s work to raise awareness and contributes to the aims of UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Explore the traditional Christmas markets in Zurich’s Old Town. Browse seasonal stalls amid the narrow lanes and historic buildings of Switzerland’s largest city.

The market visit gives travellers time to experience Zurich’s winter atmosphere at street level, where festive displays bring a seasonal character to the old quarter. Its setting offers a contrast between the city’s long-established centre and the contemporary Swiss metropolis around it.

Gather for a festive dinner with wine at a Zurich restaurant with its own microbrewery. Share a well-laden table with fellow travellers in a warm, convivial setting.

The meal is a hosted celebration of the journey, rather than an independent dinner. With good food, wine and a touch of the city’s historic Grossmunster atmosphere, it offers a sociable way to experience Zurich’s dining scene.

Explore royal palaces in the Bavarian Alps on an optional excursion from Munich. Discover the mountain setting and the palace heritage associated with Bavaria’s former rulers.

The outing offers a different view of the region from Munich’s city centre, pairing royal history with Alpine scenery. Specific palaces and admission arrangements are not detailed in the itinerary. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• Business class coach with extended leg room
• Top-rated dining, from farm-to-table to local restaurants
• 4 & 5-star stays