Kick off the holiday season a little differently this year.
Head to Eastern Europe’s popular and festive Christmas markets to peruse stalls of handmade crafts perfect for everyone on your list. When you’re not shopping, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the streets of ancient Buda and modern Pest, get a taste for the Viennese cafe culture, and scan artsy Prague’s spire-studded skyline.
Your tour package includes
9 nights in handpicked hotels
9 breakfasts
3 dinners with beer or wine
3 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
Traditional Christmas markets from Budapest to Prague
Hungarian State Opera House
Matthias Church
Danube River
Belvedere Palace
Ringstrasse
Prague Castle
St. Vitus Cathedral
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Budapest today.
Budapest3 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Budapest
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Hungary! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This historic art nouveau hotel is located in downtown Budapest. Guests enjoy the fitness center, bar, and beautiful Palace Restaurant. Nearby, you’ll find the New York Café, the city’s famous ruin bars, and the Hungarian...
Vienna - Mercure Hotel Raphael Wien
This modern hotel is located in the Mariahilf neighborhood of Vienna. Guests enjoy a fitness center, sauna, and lounge. Nearby you’ll find the Zieglergasse subway station, Schönbrunn Palace, and Schlosspark Schönbrunn.
Prague - NH Prague City
This modern hotel is located in the Smíchov district of Prague. Guests enjoy a gym and sauna, restaurants with terraces, and a tennis court. Nearby, you’ll find Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and Petřín Tower.
Salzburg - Hotel Mercure Salzburg City
This elegant hotel is located in Salzburg. Guests enjoy a delightful on-site restaurant with a terrace, and a relaxing bar. Nearby, you'll find the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's Birthplace, and the beautiful Mirabell Palace...
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
This tour visits Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic (plus Germany on the tour extension). In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2026, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2026, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code VIM.
You will walk for at least 3 hours daily across mostly flat terrain with some cobblestone streets, hills, and stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Budapest and depart from Prague (or Munich on the tour extension). A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers. (Please note that on the extension, the travel time between Salzburg and Munich is approximately two hours, and should be considered for travelers purchasing their own airfare.)
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
Winters in the destinations visited on this tour are generally cold. To ensure you’re comfortable for outdoor sightseeing and celebrations, we recommend packing a coat, hat and gloves, as well as rainwear.
We also suggest packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes, sneakers, or winter boots is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code VIM.
Hungary claims goulash as its national dish, but is also known for excellent salamis, cheeses, nut-flavored pancakes, freshwater fish, and preserved fruits.
Austria is known for its savory Wiener schnitzel and excellent wild trout, carp, and crayfish. Save room for dessert—especially the strudels of fruit and nuts and elegant chocolate cakes, such as the world-famous Sachertorte.
Czech food is hearty, and you’ll find large portions of veal, beef, and potato dishes. Some of the world’s finest beers are produced here, including the original Budweiser and Pils.
German food, on the tour extension, is hearty and substantial. Among the specialties are dumpling stews, sauerkraut, sausages, smoked cheeses, and dark breads. Bavaria produces some of the world’s purest beers, and white German wines are exceptionally good.
All destinations visited on this tour operate on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
All destinations visited on this tour are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the Hungarian forint in Hungary, the euro in Austria (and in Germany on the tour extension), and the Czech koruna in the Czech Republic.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $4USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
It was a wonderful trip to the Christmas markets. Our guide, Kinga, was fabulous. She tried to ensure everybody had a great trip and a fun time. She was professional, knowledgeable, and very helpful in so many different situations. I would highly recommend this trip to...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for taking the time to review your tour! We are so happy to hear that you had a wonderful time exploring the Christmas markets....
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anonymous, travelled in Dec 2024
1st time. Great tour, Tour Leader, & Travelers.
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anonymous, travelled in Dec 2024
I loved this tour. We had time to be on our own and to be a part of guided tours. All of our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Our tour leader, Lala was the best. She watched over us like a moma bear. She made suggestions on sites to see. She helped us navigate the bus,...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for taking the time to review your tour! We are so glad to hear that you loved the balance of guided tours and free time to...
Christmas Joy!
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Anonymous, travelled in Dec 2024
The Christmas markets are only a part of this exceptional tour. The cities have history & art around every corner. I give a special shout out to our hotel in Prague: NH Collections. They were the most comfortable and well-appointed hotel I have ever stayed at in Europe.
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for taking the time to review your tour! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the history and art of the cities, in addition...
Wonderful experience
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Caroline, travelled in Dec 2023
As a solo traveler and an introvert, I was hesitant to join a tour group, but it was amazing. The other travelers were very friendly and our incredible Tour Director, Jürgen, made sure that everyone had a wonderful time. He took care of all the details and made the entire trip...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Dear Caroline,
Thank you for your amazing review! We're so happy you enjoyed your time on our Christmas Markets tour. It sounds truly...
Great tour
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anonymous, travelled in Dec 2023
Great tour for my first time in Europe. It’s was a great group of people , nice hotels and tour guide was amazing.
