The Christmas Markets of Austria

Written By Claudia Royston

About this trip

In this carefully curated tour I will lead you on a unique tour of Austria’s Advent and Christmas markets. Special foods (from seasonal lebkuchen to savory snacks) and unique gift shopping await the traveler at entrancing advent markets in both vibrant city and charming rural markets, with a magnificent castle thrown into the mix. 

Add a generous helping of art and music (not to mention warming drinks, spiked or not), and you have the perfect recipe for a pre-holiday trip. Throughout your journey, don’t forget to collect each market’s specially decorated mug as a memento. 

We’ll participate in a Krampus Parade in a mountain village, a uniquely Austrian tradition. This is not your average Christmas market tour, and you will return loaded down with singular gifts for friends and family (and yourself!)

 

DATES & PRICES
December 1-10, 2026

Cost:
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Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Vienna (D)

Upon arrival in beautiful Vienna, perhaps the ultimate European capital for savoring the holiday season, check into the centrally located Hotel Indigo Naschmarkt.  Tonight we’ll enjoy a dinner at a nearby local favorite restaurant. 

Day 2: Vienna (B, L)

We will explore Vienna’s diverse history in the old city center and see the main highlights of the city: The Vienna State Opera, Parts of Vienna’s Ringstrasse, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, The Graben and “Plague Column”stopping at the Christmas Market at St Stephen’s Square (with a short tour of the Stephansdom Cathedral).

 Lunch will be at a special restaurant serving Austrian “tapas” which provide a unique panorama of Austrian delicacies. Afterwards we will continue to two historic markets in the squares of Am Hof and the Freyung.  From there it is a short walk to the Rathaus, a large and lively marketplace with its own ice rink. 

Dinner at leisure.

Day 3: Vienna (B, L)

Today we’ll visit the Leopold Museum in the center of Vienna’s Museum Quarter. During a private guided tour, we’ll see the most eminent Egon Schiele collection and major works by Gustav Klimt, including his beautiful square-shaped landscape paintings.

Lunch begins with a cooking class - Austrian favorites of course! The best Schnitzel you will ever eat is always someone's grandmother's. In this workshop, you will learn the art of the perfect Schnitzel — golden, crispy, and light — and the secrets behind it so that you can make it at home. Served with parsley potatoes or homemade potato salad, its natural companions. The workshop rounds off with a classic Apple Strudel — because no Austrian table is complete without something sweet.

The rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Day 4: Vienna (B, D)

After breakfast, proceed to Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum for a food-in-art themed tour. The collection is full of remarkable food-related imagery. The Flemish and Dutch masters painted peasant feasts, bustling markets, and laden tables with extraordinary detail and wit. Still life paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries turn humble loaves, game, and fruit into meditations on ingredients. This tour traces food through the museum's collection, revealing what people ate, how they celebrated, and what they valued.

After lunch we’ll make our way to Karlsplatz in the afternoon to explore the city’s great art market. We will also visit the Wien Museum, Vienna's city museum, recently reopened after an extensive renovation and home to a remarkable collection spanning the city's history from prehistoric times to the present day. Dinner follows at the museum's own restaurant.

The highlight of the evening is a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons inside Karlskirche — St. Charles' Church — one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the world. Built in the early 18th century. Vivaldi moved to Vienna three years after the church was completed and sadly died the following year.

Day 5: Bad Ischl (B, D)

Today, we depart Vienna and travel to Bad Ischl. En route, we’ll visit a small traditional market in Lower Austria at Castle Grafenegg. Only open for four days a year, Advent at Grafenegg creates a special kind of Christmas magic only found in rural communities. It unfolds in a variety of experiences: a rich selection of exquisite handicrafts - from the winter-proof knitted vest to the fine Christmas tree ball. The "Tastes of Lower Austria" delicacies delight with regional specialties ranging from rustic to delicately melting. Round off your visit to Advent with one of our Christmas concerts.

Then we continue to Bad Ischl, traveling through the Salzkammergut region, the location of some of Austria’s most captivating villages, with local traditions galore, and never more so than before Christmas. Bad Ischl, was the summer home to the Imperial Court, which will be our base for two nights. There we will see their indoor market and experience the unique Krampusaulf where St. Nicholas and his demon minions’ parade through town, perhaps spanking those of you who have been naughty (and hand out candy for the rest). A local dinner will be had at our inn, the Goldener Ochs. Advent is the most atmospheric time in Upper Austria, where customs are writ large. Here you will find all the events of the Advent season: Advent markets, Krampus parades, nativity scene displays, and carol singing.

Day 6: The Salzkammergut: Austria’s Lake District (B, D)

This morning visit the Trinkhalle, the main indoor market (there is a museum of Nativity scenes nearby), and then enjoy some free town in Bad Ischl. There are a large number of family-run businesses in Ischl offer a unique shopping experience - including an artisanal button shop, jewelry and art galleries, and of course, a folk dress store.

After lunch, we’ll drive up to three villages in the Lake District to visit Strobl, St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen. Devoutly Catholic, the Salzkammergut region in Austria has a long tradition of detailed, hand-carved nativity scenes, depicting not just the manger, but often local landscapes and the lives of people in the region

Our next stop is St. Gilgen to see the delightful Baroque interpretations of the St. Nicholas story on the church square. Hopefully, we will catch the traditional bellringers showcase (the time varies every year). We will enjoy dinner in St Gilgen and then return to Bad Ischl.

Day 7: Salzburg (B, L)

This morning, after check-out, we’ll make our way to Salzburg.

Our first stop is a cooking class where we will learn how to prepare apple strudel, the ultimate Austrian dessert. During this class you’ll be guided by your experienced chef in making and stretching out the strudel dough, which is not as hard as it looks. While the strudel is baking, we’ll prepare a favorite Austrian Christmas cookie, vanilla Kipferl, buttery, crumbly crescent cookies. We’ll also enjoy a light lunch of homemade soup. At the end of class, the whole room will be filled with Christmas fragrances, finishing with our handmade, delicious desserts.

For the rest of the afternoon, wander through Old Salzburg’s twisting streets to find your favorite shop.  We recommend two stores dedicated to the holiday spirit, Candela and Christmas in Salzburg.  Evening at leisure.

Day 8: Salzburg (B, L)

Few Christmas markets in the world can claim a history stretching back to the 15th century. Salzburg's Christkindlmarkt, in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, is one of them. Our tour begins on the Getreidegasse, Salzburg's most famous street, passing Mozart's birthplace at No. 9 before arriving at the Alter Markt, the city's historic marketplace. We stop for coffee and cake at Café Schatzi, founded in 1877, before making our way to the Christmas market. Over 100 traditional stalls fill the cathedral square and the adjacent Rezidenzplatz, offering Austrian specialties, mulled wine, handmade decorations, and festive music.

After lunch, enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure. Your city transport card (included) can take you back to the Mirabel Palace and its market, and perhaps up to the Fortress above the city to check out the views and its own little market. There is an optional dinner and concert you can enjoy there before returning back to the city center.

Day 9: Return to Vienna (B, D)

After checking out of the hotel, we'll board the train for the return journey to Vienna — a relaxed and comfortable way to ease into the day. We'll disembark just short of the city to spend some time at Schönbrunn, where the baroque palace provides a fittingly grand backdrop for one of the citys most elegant markets. We'll take a brief tour of the palace interior, getting a sense of Austria’s imperial heyday, before making our way back to the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure. In the evening, we'll gather together one final time for a farewell dinner.

Day 10: Departure

This morning, after check out, say goodbye to your new friends and to Austria as you head to the airport for your flight home, presents and packages in hand.

Merry Christmas!

Claudia Royston
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New Zealand: November 1-15, 2027