Why this trip

You see the Christmas markets of three cities in five days, and you never plan a train or carry a map. You choose where you stay under Accommodations: 4-star hotels in the center of each city (Comfortable), or the Grand Hotel Wien, the Hotel Sacher Salzburg and the Bayerischer Hof (Superior). A local guide meets you in each city to show you the markets, and your trains have seats reserved.

Three cities, one easy routeTwo nights in Vienna, one in Salzburg and one in Munich, joined by fast trains with seats reserved.
A local guide in every cityGuided Christmas market walks in Vienna, Salzburg and Munich, timed for when the lights come on (booked).
No driving, no planningPrivate cars at both airports, taxis to and from each station, and a day-by-day plan.

Trip at a glance

Length: 5 days / 4 nights
Starts / ends: Starts at Vienna Airport (VIE), ends at Munich Airport (MUC)
Getting around: Private airport cars, trains with reserved seats, taxis to the stations, and your own feet at the markets
Pace: Lively: three hotels in five days, with short train rides
Best time to go: Starts November 20 to December 19, when all three cities’ markets are open
Great for: Couples, honeymooners, families and solo travelers
Accommodations: Comfortable: 4-star hotels in each city center
Flights: Not included. You book; timing tips in your pre-trip guide
Travel style: Culture, Holiday

Day by day

Day 1 and day 5 are travel days. Nights added at the start are in Vienna, and nights added at the end are in Munich.

Day 1Welcome to Vienna

A private car meets you at Vienna Airport for the 30-minute drive to your hotel (booked). In the evening, walk to the Christmas market on Rathausplatz, under the lit-up City Hall, for your first mug of punch.
Stay: Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna - MGallery (4-star), Vienna, superior room, breakfast included (night 1 of 4).

Day 2Vienna’s Christmas markets

A local guide walks you through the old town’s markets for about 3 hours: Spittelberg’s craft lanes, the Old Viennese market at Freyung, Am Hof and St. Stephen’s Cathedral (booked). In the afternoon the market at Schönbrunn Palace is a short subway ride away. Add the Christmas concert for your evening.
Stay: Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna - MGallery (4-star), Vienna, superior room, breakfast included (night 2 of 4).

Day 3Railjet to Salzburg

A taxi takes you to Vienna Central Station for the Railjet to Salzburg, about 2 hours 22 minutes, with seats reserved (booked). The optional Sound of Music tour leaves at 2 PM. At dusk a local guide walks you through the Christkindlmarkt on Cathedral Square and Residence Square and the lanes of the old town (booked).
Stay: Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt (4-star), Salzburg old town, standard room, breakfast included (night 3 of 4).

Day 4On to Munich

A morning train takes you to Munich, about 1 hour 30 minutes, with seats reserved (booked). In the afternoon a local guide walks you through the Christmas market on Marienplatz, the Kripperlmarkt for nativity figures and the medieval market at Wittelsbacherplatz (booked).
Stay: Hotel Torbräu (4-star), Munich old town, comfort room, breakfast included (night 4 of 4).

Day 5Home

Breakfast at the hotel, then a private car to Munich Airport, about 40 minutes, timed to your flight (booked).

What’s included

Included

4 nights in 4-star hotels: 2 at the Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna - MGallery, 1 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt in Salzburg and 1 at the Hotel Torbräu in Munich, breakfast daily, with taxes
Private cars from Vienna Airport and to Munich Airport
Second-class train tickets, Vienna to Salzburg and Salzburg to Munich, with seats reserved
Taxis between your hotels and the train stations
Guided Christmas market walks in Vienna, Salzburg and Munich
A day-by-day plan, and one point of contact from booking to landing

Not included

Flights
Travel insurance
Lunches and dinners
Drinks and market treats
Tips
Personal spending

Getting around: no driving. The Railjet trains are fast and warm, taxis take you between the stations and your hotels, and the markets in each city are close together on foot.

Optional add-ons: Original Sound of Music Tour ($139 per person), Christmas Concert in Vienna ($189 per person), First-Class Rail Upgrade ($179 per person). Add them in the booking box.

Choose your accommodations

The same trip with two hotel choices. You pick one under Accommodations in the booking box, and the price updates right away.

Accommodations	ComfortableFrom$2,299per person, 2 sharing	SuperiorFrom$4,599per person, 2 sharing
Where you stay	4-star hotels in the center of Vienna, Salzburg and Munich.	5-star Grand Hotel Wien, Hotel Sacher Salzburg and Bayerischer Hof Munich.
Hotel nights	4 nights in 4-star hotels: 2 at the Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna - MGallery, 1 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt in Salzburg and 1 at the Hotel Torbräu in Munich, breakfast daily, with taxes	4 nights in 5-star hotels: 2 at the Grand Hotel Wien, 1 at the Hotel Sacher Salzburg and 1 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, breakfast daily, with taxes
Tours and transfers	Included, as in the day-by-day plan	The same tours and transfers
Add-ons	Optional, in the booking box	Optional, in the booking box
	Choose Comfortable	Choose Superior

Questions

What’s the difference between Comfortable and Superior?

Only the hotels. Comfortable is 4-star hotels in the center of each city: the Hotel Am Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt in Salzburg and the Hotel Torbräu in Munich. Superior is three of the grand hotels of each city: the Grand Hotel Wien on the Ring, the Hotel Sacher Salzburg on the river and the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. The guided walks, trains, transfers and day-by-day plan are the same. Want more? Add the Sound of Music tour, the Vienna Christmas concert or first-class rail in the booking box.

When do I pick my travel dates?

Choose your preferred start date in the booking box above, then check out. Right after checkout you'll get an email with a short form to confirm your dates and who's coming. Availability is checked and everything is confirmed with you before anything is booked.

What if I need to cancel?

We get it, life happens, and we're here to help. If you need to cancel, you'll receive trip credit toward another itsTripEasy trip: within 24 hours of payment, 100% trip credit, so you can swap to a different destination; 60 or more days before travel, 50% trip credit; less than 60 days before travel, no trip credit. Trip credits never expire. To cancel or change your dates, use our cancellation request form. For a date change, choose the reason "I'd like to change my dates".

When are the Christmas markets open?

The big markets in all three cities are open every day from late November until Christmas Eve, and the Vienna and Salzburg markets stay open into the days after Christmas. That’s why this trip starts between November 20 and December 19, so every stop is on market days. On December 24 most markets close early in the afternoon.

How many people can share a room?

Rooms on this trip hold 1 to 4 people (rooms for 3 or 4 are family rooms or suites). The booking box offers own room, 2, 3 or 4 per room. A larger group is booked into more than one room on one booking. The booking box shows the price per person for your group. For a larger group, use Plan My Trip.

Do I need a passport?

Yes. You need a valid passport. Austria and Germany are in the Schengen Area: US citizens can visit for up to 90 days without a visa, and your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave. The EU’s new ETIAS travel authorization is planned to start in late 2026, so check the official EU travel site for your passport before you travel. Keep your passport with you on the train to Munich, since there can be checks at the border.

How cold is it, and what should I pack?

Expect about 30 to 40°F in the daytime and colder after dark, with a chance of snow, and you’ll spend your evenings outdoors at the markets. Pack a warm coat, a hat, gloves, a scarf and waterproof shoes with a good grip for cobblestones. Your pre-trip guide has a full packing list.

Do I need a car?

No. Private cars meet you at Vienna Airport and take you to Munich Airport, the trains run between the cities, and taxis take you between the stations and your hotels. In each city the markets are close together and best on foot.

Are flights included?

Flights are up to you, and your pre-trip guide includes timing tips. You land at Vienna Airport (VIE) on day 1 and fly home from Munich Airport (MUC) on day 5, so book an open-jaw (multi-city) ticket; a flight after 12 PM on day 5 works best.

Can the trip be changed?

Want a day in Hallstatt by the lake, a night in Innsbruck, or Nuremberg’s famous market on the way home? Ask through Plan My Trip and the trip can be shaped around it.

Make it yours

Want a day in Hallstatt by the lake, a night in Innsbruck, or Nuremberg’s famous market on the way home? Ask through Plan My Trip and the trip can be shaped around it. Plan My Trip

Optional add-ons

Make your trip a little more special. Add one here or in the booking box. Add-ons are priced per person, and each one goes into your cart as its own item.

Original Sound of Music Tour

A 4-hour guided bus tour from Salzburg to the film locations: Mirabell Gardens, Leopoldskron, the gazebo at Hellbrunn, the lake district and the wedding church in Mondsee. Leaves at 2 PM on your Salzburg day.

$139 per person

Christmas Concert in Vienna

An evening of Mozart, Strauss and Christmas music by the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra in the palace Orangery, with reserved category B seats. On your second evening in Vienna.

$189 per person

First-Class Rail Upgrade

Ride both trains, Vienna to Salzburg and Salzburg to Munich, in first class: wider leather seats, more room for your bags and at-seat service on the Railjet.

$179 per person

Good to know

Weather and nature. Weather, road, ferry and natural conditions are outside anyone’s control and can change quickly. They may change the plan, close roads, delay or cancel ferries, or delay, shorten or cancel tours and activities, and the order of days may shift.
Your choices. You are responsible for your own decisions, safety and choices while traveling, including which activities you take part in, and following local guidance, posted warnings and your guides’ instructions.
Photos. Photos on this page are for inspiration. They may not show the exact location, hotel, season or conditions of your trip.
Not included. Flights aren’t included; you book those yourself.

Christmas Markets: Vienna, Salzburg & Munich: 5 Days