Dreaming a cozy European Christmas? Fire up your holiday mood with the perfect Christmas Market Trip! We’ve curated the ideal balance of world-famous city markets like Frankfurt, Cologne, and Strasbourg, plus heart-expanding small village experiences, and we’ve minimized crowds, transport, and hotel changes.
December 1-11, 2026 (You will need to fly out from the USA by 11/30)
Included in every Saints & Sages trip:
- English-speaking, certified travel director offering 24/7 assistance, and expert local guides, certified by their countries
- Professional driver
- Hand-selected accommodations in 4- and 5-star hotels
- Full breakfast daily
- Internet access
- Entrance fees, taxes, and all gratuities except for the photographer (when offered)
- Laundry Liaison: if desired, we will arrange for your clothing to be laundered near the halfway point of the trip. (Notify us before trip start and we will schedule it and tell you the pricing.)
- Guaranteed departure with just four guests
Click on Notify Me to get pricing as soon as it’s released!
Cozy Christmas Markets
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📋 Overview
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📍 Itinerary
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📅 Dates & Prices
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📷 Photos
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❗ Essential Info
Set out on a holiday journey through the best big-city European Christmas markets as well as the charming fairytale villages, experiencing traditional holiday cuisine and local traditions. We'll fly into and out of Frankfurt International Airport, with overnights in Cologne, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Frankfurt.
S² Trip Highlights:
- Ten nights of accommodation in 4- and 5-star hotels: Cologne (2), Strasbourg (2), Colmar (4), Frankfurt (2)
- Award-winning fine dining as well as local "hidden gem" haunts
- Local, expert guides for city and culinary tours
- Alsace wine tasting
- Authentic raclette dinner
- Visits to the markets at Cologne, Trier, Strasbourg, Obernai, Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim, Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt
- All transportation including private airport transfers (airfare not included)
- All breakfasts, one lunch, and eight dinners (drink costs excluded)
- Small group: 16-person maximum
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 0 DEPART FOR FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Day 1 COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Day 2 COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Day 3 TRIER, GERMANY & STRASBOURG, FRANCE
- Day 4 STRASBOURG, FRANCE
- Day 5 OBERNAI & COLMAR, FRANCE
- Day 6 RIBEAUVILLÉ & RIQUEWIHR, FRANCE
- Day 7 KAYSERSBERG & EGUISHEIM, FRANCE
- Day 8 COLMAR, FRANCE
- Day 9 BADEN-BADEN & HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
- Day 10 FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Day 11 PRIVATE TRANSFER TO FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Want to see the full itinerary? Click on the itinerary tab above.
DAY 0 TRAVEL DAY
Fly from the US to Frankfurt, Germany. Let us know if you'd like to arrive a day or two early. We are happy to put an extension together for you. Frankfurt is a fun and do-able city where you can hit all of the highlights in 2-3 days.
Overnight: Flight Meals: In-flight
DAYS 1 COLOGNE, GERMANY
We'll have private transfer from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne with time to rest and settle in before dinner.
Overnight City: Cologne Meals: Breakfast, Welcome Dinner
DAY 2 COLOGNE, GERMANY
In the morning, we'll be joined by an expert local guide, and then we'll have the day for exploring, shopping, and resting (if needed!). Dinner together.
Overnight City: Cologne Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3 TRIER & STRASBOURG
Departing Cologne, we'll head to Trier, the oldest city in Germany. It was a Roman colony in the 1st century and has amazing Roman ruins. Gorgeous Christmas market that many aren't aware of! After that, we'll head to Strasbourg, France's self-declared "Capital of Christmas."
Overnight City: Strasbourg Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 4 STRASBOURG
Today we'll have a guided culinary market tour, free time in the afternoon, and a special raclette dinner. Not familiar with raclette? It's a wintertime tradition! A large cheese wheel is melted, and everyone scoops cheese onto plates heaped with meat, potatoes, and other veggies.
Overnight City: Colmar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5 OBERNAI & COLMAR
It's a quick trip from Strasbourg to the romantic village of Obernai, one of the most beautiful villages in France! After that, we head to achingly-beautiful Colmar, our home for the next four nights. And four nights won't be enough! Nearly everyone we know who visits Colmar wants to move there permanently! We'll have a guided tour and then dinner together.
Overnight City: Colmar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 6 RIBEAUVILLÉ & RIQUEWIHR
It's a short trip to Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr, two stunning little villages waiting to charm you with their sweet markets. We'll also have a special wine tasting. The Alsace is a highly-regarded wine region within France with dry Rieslings that are aromatic and crisp with minerality.
Overnight City: Colmar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 7 KAYSERSBERG & EGUISHEIM
Another short jaunt takes us to two more scenic villages with their local handicrafts and treats. We'll have the evening to enjoy Colmar's market as crowd-free as it'll be during the advent season!
Overnight City: Colmar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8 COLMAR
No travel today! We have a full, uninterrupted day of peace and merriment in our fairytale home of Colmar.
Overnight City: Bernese Oberland Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 9 BADEN-BADEN & HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
Crossing back into Germany, our sleigh will make market stops in Baden-Baden and Heidelberg. A local guide will give us a walking tour of the town and enjoy a special lunch with us. After this, we head to Frankfurt for a free evening at one of the largest and most impressive Christmas markets in the world.
Overnight City: Frankfurt Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 10 FRANKFURT
In the morning, we'll get to know the city, then have our last shopping day before heading home (yikes!). Not only are the Christmas markets incredible in Frankfurt, but it also has amazing shopping districts within easy walking distance of our hotel, if you'd like to purchase any special, non-Christmas-themed gifts for friends and family. Our farewell dinner together will be hosted by a real "Frankfurter" in an authentic German restaurant.
Overnight City: Frankfurt Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
DAY 11 DEPARTURE
We will have private transportation taking us from our hotel to Frankfurt International Airport for our return home
Meals: Breakfast
2026: September 19 - October 2, 2026
IMPORTANT: The trip starts on 9/19 in Frankfurt. You will need to depart the USA on or before 9/18.
Prices are in USD per person, based on double occupancy.
Price: TBD Single Supplement: TBD*
NOTIFY ME WITH PRICING
Indulgence Option: Want luxury hotels only? We are always happy to upgrade all your hotels to a 5-star (when we are staying in a 4-star). For this specific trip, the recommended upgrade is in Baden-Baden, to one of the most luxurious spa hotels in the world. This renowned luxury hotel includes daily unlimited spa time in a spa complex that is five floors high and includes a 5,000-square-foot sauna, indoor swimming pool, plunge pool, and a ladies sauna. Extra $1,519/person, double occupancy.
*The single supplement is a cost increase paid by solo travelers booking a room to themselves. Hotels charge the same amount per room, regardless of whether the occupancy is a single or a couple. S² firmly believes that group travel is the absolute best way to travel, especially for singles! If you are traveling alone and would like us to try and find someone to share a room with you, let us know! We do not mark up our single supplement!
Necessary Country Information: Passport, visa, and safety information
CDC Information: Health and vaccination requirements and recommendations from the CDC
Mobility Information:
S² trips may include walking tours, which you are free to join or to skip. If opting out of the walking tour, your travel director will give you excellent options. These may include cafés or wine bars to soak in the atmosphere of the city or the location of mini-trains that can take you on a riding tour of the city.
Saints & Sages is committed to helping guests of varying mobility enjoy and experience Europe. That said, guests do need to be able to walk minimal distances sometimes with uneven, cobblestone surfaces and may occasionally need to navigate steps. Every individual has their own mobility needs, and every location has its specific challenges. Please contact us, and we will help you determine if an individual trip is a good fit for you.
Highly recommend!
My husband and I have traveled extensively in the past 30 years and traveling with Saints and Sages was amazing. Lindie is the most organized delightful tour guide who anticipates our needs and makes sure we have amazing experiences. The Fairytale France tour was better than we could imagine. Strasbourg, Colmar, and the Alsace region had charming medieval villages, castles, cathedrals, incredible food, wonderful boutique, hotels, and incredible wines. We enjoyed traveling through the vineyards of Alsace and visiting a great winery. It was interesting traveling through the Black Forest to Baden-Baden with its thermal baths, casino, luxury hotels. and beautiful gardens. Heidelberg, with its castle was like going back in time. We are planning on going on the Bordeaux Bilbao tour next year and are anxious to go on future trips with Saints and Sages.
Jim & Vicki Hasty
Amazing
Just completed a fabulous trip to Germany, France and Switzerland. Lindie did an amazing job of organizing every detail of our trip. The best tours, the best transportation, the best hotels and of course……the Best restaurants!!!
Everything was handled for us!!
I highly recommend Saints and Sages!!!!
Bret Bakley
A True Professional
Lindie is a true professional, super organized, knowledgeable and attentive to the needs of her clients. We love her upbeat, positive energy!