Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

We travel by coach to Dover and take the ferry across to Calais. On arrival in France, we continue to our overnight hotel in Germany.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

This morning, we travel into Germany, with a scenic drive to the elegant spa town of Wiesbaden, arriving around lunchtime. We have free time to explore the Wiesbaden Christmas Market, set in front of the city’s grand neo-classical buildings and centred around the Schlossplatz and Market Church. There is time for lunch at leisure before continuing by coach to Frankfurt later this afternoon. On arrival in Frankfurt, we check into our hotel with time to freshen up before enjoying dinner together in the hotel this evening.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

We leave Frankfurt and travel along the Rhine to Rudesheim. Set among half-timbered houses and cobbled lanes, Rudesheim’s Christmas Market – known as the “Christmas Market of Nations” – brings together festive traditions from across the world. We have time to browse the stalls, enjoy the seasonal atmosphere and find lunch at leisure, with a wonderful choice of local cafés, wine taverns and festive food stalls. Early this afternoon, we take the short ferry crossing across the Rhine to Bingen, before continuing by coach to the historic city of Mainz.

Mainz’s Christmas Market is set against the dramatic backdrop of the 1,000-year-old St Martin’s Cathedral and is one of the oldest and most atmospheric in Germany. Here we have free time to explore the stalls, enjoy dinner at leisure and perhaps pick up some final festive treats or handcrafted gifts before returning to our hotel later this evening.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

Today is a free day to relax and explore Frankfurt at leisure. The city offers a wonderful mix of history, culture and festive cheer. December is a lovely time to discover the city’s Christmas markets, museums, riverside walks and lively shopping streets. The Romerberg Christmas Market in the historic Old Town is particularly atmospheric, set among timber-framed buildings and overlooked by the city’s medieval town hall. Later on, enjoy dinner at your leisure in the city or close to the hotel.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

After breakfast, we travel south to the historic city of Speyer. Set along the Maximilianstraße and in front of its magnificent Romanesque cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Speyer’s Christmas Market is one of the most charming in the region. We have time to browse the stalls and enjoy the festive atmosphere before continuing to Heidelberg in the afternoon. Here, the Christmas Market is spread across several picturesque squares in the Old Town, set against the backdrop of the famous castle, the Old Bridge and elegant baroque buildings. We have the rest of the afternoon and early evening to explore, shop for gifts and enjoy dinner at leisure, before returning by coach to our hotel later this evening.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

After breakfast, we depart Frankfurt and travel towards the Netherlands, enjoying a scenic journey to Valkenburg. Famous for its atmospheric Christmas Market, Valkenburg is renowned for its festive streets, charming stalls and unique underground grotto markets. We have time to explore, soak up the seasonal atmosphere and perhaps enjoy a warming drink or a festive treat before continuing our journey.

In the early evening, we continue to our overnight hotel in Belgium, where there is time to freshen up before enjoying dinner together at the hotel.

Christmas Markets of Frankfurt & the Mighty Rhine

This morning, we check out of our hotel and begin our journey back to Calais. En route, we stop in Dunkirk, allowing time to stretch your legs and enjoy lunch at leisure. We continue to Calais, in time to board the early evening ferry for our return crossing.

Explore Heidelberg’s baroque Old Town as festive squares—Marktplatz, Universitätsplatz and Kornmarkt—fill with artisan huts, candlelit glassware and sweet, nutty scents. Views reach to Heidelberg Castle on its wooded ridge and the graceful arches of the Old Bridge spanning the Neckar.

Germany’s oldest university town blends Romantic-era ambiance with lively student spirit. Glide past carolers and an alpine-style rink at Karlsplatz, browsing woodcarvings and spiced pastries beneath turreted rooftops and softly glowing lanterns.

Venture beneath the hills of South Limburg to the underground grotto markets of Valkenburg. In the marlstone tunnels of the Gemeentegrot and Fluweelengrot, twinkling stalls line candlelit passages, where artisans sell ceramics, lace and seasonal treats in a uniquely atmospheric setting.

Centuries-old quarry galleries form a labyrinth beneath castle ruins, transformed each winter with nativity tableaux, soft choirs and the scent of cloves. It’s a distinctive, storybook finale to your market-hopping journey.

Stroll Speyer’s festive lanes along Maximilianstraße, where artisan stalls, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine create a cosy glow. The market unfolds with picture-perfect views of the UNESCO-listed Speyer Cathedral, its vast Romanesque silhouette anchoring the scene.

Once the burial place of Salian emperors, the Romanesque Kaiserdom tells a thousand years of history in sandstone arches and massive piers. Seasonal music drifts across the square, adding a resonant backdrop to your shopping and tasting moments.

Wander cobbled lanes and half-timbered squares at Rudesheim’s Weihnachtsmarkt der Nationen, where stalls from dozens of countries mingle aromas of gingerbread, smoked sausage and spiced wine. Stroll the famed Drosselgasse and, if you wish, sample a flaming Rudesheimer Kaffee infused with local Asbach brandy.

Set along the Rhine at the entrance to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, this market radiates folkloric music, carved nutcrackers and twinkling lights beneath steep vineyard slopes—an atmospheric showcase of global traditions in a classic river town.

Visit the market set beneath the 1,000-year-old St Martin’s Cathedral (Mainzer Dom), where rows of wooden chalets glow with candles and craftwork. Warm your hands around Gluhwein, browse for carved ornaments and nibble on Lebkuchen as the cathedral towers rise above the illuminated market.

Discover a city shaped by Gutenberg’s printing legacy and Roman roots. Choirs and brass ensembles heighten the season’s mood, inviting you to pause for photos and reflection beside the nativity pyramid and candlelit facades.

Explore the Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt, unfolding around the elegant Schlossplatz and the red-brick Market Church (Marktkirche). Follow star-topped huts for handcrafted ornaments, spiced almonds and steaming Gluhwein, framed by neo-classical facades and the market’s signature blue-and-gold illuminations.

Discover a spa town where Belle Époque grandeur meets festive warmth. Pause by the Kurhaus colonnades to pause for photos and reflection, as brass bands echo through crisp air scented with cinnamon and pine.