An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Ferry to Calais and overnight stay in Germany.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Continue on to our hotel in the Vienna area, arriving in time for dinner.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

We enjoy a guided city tour of Vienna, where we take in the main sights, including the Opera House and the Imperial Palace. Afterwards, we take a guided walking tour that introduces us to Vienna’s beautiful Old Town. This historic centre is rich in grand buildings and monuments, and is especially pretty at Christmas when the streets are brightly illuminated. Afterwards, we shelter ourselves from the cold in a traditional Viennese cafe where we enjoy some festive treats including coffee, liqueur and Sachertorte.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Today we indulge in a Christmas Day lunch at our hotel and spend the day at leisure. Perhaps join a morning service at the local church or enjoy an afternoon stroll, before returning to the hotel, where a light evening meal is served.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

We head off on a scenic tour of Vienna Woods, a pretty forested area outside Vienna. Our tour includes visits to Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Mayerling Hunting Lodge and an evening meal in a traditional wine tavern (Heuriger) that includes wine and live Viennese music.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Today, we travel to Klosterneuberg along a scenic route above Vienna for a guided tour of the 900-year-old Klosterneuburg Abbey, famous for its sacred art treasures. We take part in a Waltz dancing class and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine at Palais Pàlffy. Owned by a noble family in the 17th century, it was once visited by Mozart himself and the halls have been filled with his music ever since.

There’s free time to explore the Schonbrunn Palace New Year Market, an annual fixture filled with festive lights and a wide selection of stalls in an elegant setting and there’s the option to book entry into the palace for a self-guided tour with audio commentary.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Travel to our overnight hotel in Germany, with a light evening meal included.

An Imperial Christmas in Vienna

Continue on to Calais for our return ferry home.

Discover Austria’s capital on a guided city tour of Vienna, taking in landmarks including the Vienna State Opera and Hofburg Imperial Palace. A guided walk brings the streets, squares and grand facades of the historic centre into closer view.

Vienna’s Old Town reflects centuries as the seat of the Habsburg Empire. At Christmas, illuminated streets and decorated buildings lend warmth to its monumental architecture.

Settle into a traditional Viennese café for coffee, liqueur and a slice of Sachertorte, the city’s chocolate cake layered with apricot jam and finished with a smooth chocolate glaze. It is a welcome pause from the winter streets.

Vienna’s coffeehouse culture has long encouraged lingering conversation over newspapers and cake. Enjoy these festive treats in a setting that remains a distinctive part of the city’s social life.

Share a traditional Austrian-style Christmas Eve dinner at the Hotel Marienhof in the Vienna Woods. This included festive meal offers a chance to gather around the table in the quiet countryside outside Vienna.

Christmas Eve is a central moment of the Austrian holiday season, marked by family gatherings and cherished traditions. The dinner brings a local festive custom into the tour’s celebrations without the formality of a city restaurant.

Gather at the Hotel Marienhof for an included traditional Christmas Day lunch in the Vienna Woods. This hosted festive meal gives travellers a shared occasion to celebrate, with the winter landscape providing a peaceful contrast to Vienna’s busy streets.

Christmas lunch is the centrepiece of a relaxed day at the hotel. Its appeal lies in the simple pleasures of good food and company, with the arrangements taken care of during the holiday.

Travel through the forested Vienna Woods on a scenic tour of the hills outside Austria’s capital. The route reveals a quieter landscape of wooded slopes and small settlements, far removed from the imperial boulevards of central Vienna.

Known locally as the Wienerwald, this landscape has long been a place of retreat for Viennese residents. The tour offers a broader sense of the region surrounding the city, as well as the setting for its historic abbeys and estates.

Explore Heiligenkreuz Abbey on a guided tour in the Vienna Woods. Founded in 1133, this Cistercian monastery remains an active religious community, making it more than a preserved historic site.

Discover the abbey’s long history and its place in the spiritual life of the region. Centuries of monastic tradition are reflected in its architecture and enduring sense of purpose, offering a distinctive perspective on Austria beyond its imperial palaces.

Visit Mayerling Hunting Lodge on a guided tour in the Vienna Woods. The former imperial retreat is closely associated with the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera in 1889, an event that shook the Habsburg court.

Hear the history behind the Mayerling tragedy at the place where it unfolded. The visit offers a more intimate, sombre view of imperial life than Vienna’s ceremonial palaces and grand public squares.

Dine in a traditional Viennese Heuriger, with wine and live Viennese music included. These convivial wine taverns are part of the culture of Vienna and its surrounding wine-growing districts, offering an informal setting for an evening meal.

Enjoy the atmosphere as music fills the room and wine is poured at the table. The experience captures a social tradition distinct from the capital’s palaces and concert halls.

Take a guided tour of Klosterneuburg Abbey, a historic religious complex just outside Vienna. Founded in the early 12th century, the abbey is celebrated for its sacred art and its long association with the region’s rulers.

Explore the story of this 900-year-old foundation and its artistic heritage. Klosterneuburg is home to the renowned Verdun Altar, a masterpiece of medieval enamelwork, illustrating the cultural importance of the abbey across the centuries.

Learn the steps of Vienna’s signature dance in a waltz dancing class at Palais Pálffy, accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine. Taking part makes this an active introduction to a tradition closely tied to the city’s ballroom culture.

The historic palace has associations with Mozart and Vienna’s musical past. In its elegant surroundings, practising the waltz offers a more personal connection to the city’s enduring love of music and dance.

Browse the Schonbrunn Palace New Year Market at your own pace, with time to explore its festive stalls and lights. The market’s setting provides views of the grand exterior of the Habsburgs’ former summer residence.

Seasonal decorations and the palace backdrop give the market a distinctly Viennese character. This included visit covers time at the market; entry to the palace interiors is a separate optional experience at additional cost.

Step inside Schonbrunn Palace with an entrance ticket and self-guided audio commentary. Explore the former summer residence of the Habsburg dynasty at your own pace, learning about the imperial family and the palace’s ceremonial rooms.

Schonbrunn offers a closer look at court life beyond its imposing exterior and festive market setting. This experience is optional, costs an additional £29 per person and is bookable on tour.