CHRISTMAS MARKETS OF POLAND,
PRAGUE & GERMANY
December 1 - 8, 2024
Highlights
- 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Prague: Stroll through the Jewish Quarter with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Prague.
- Prague: Visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral and explore the atmospheric courtyards of the historic Prague Castle with your Local Expert.
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you will never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Kraków: Enjoy getting to know your fellow guests over a fabulous Welcome Dinner.
- Prague: At the Christmas Market, meet a local stallholder and savour a steaming mug of Svařák, traditional mulled wine, along with the local Trdelník pastry.
- Kraków: Take in the ambience with a walk around the magnificent Cloth Hall in the Market Square to see the Christmas Market.
- Kraków: The medieval heart of Krakow is rich in legend, a kind of Polish Camelot. Join your Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of this historic Holy Grail.Cross the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to Podgórze and see the Ghetto Square.
- Kraków: Visit the cathedral atop Wawel Hill, see the castle and look for the iconic dragon, accompanied by your Local Expert.
- Wrocław: Rated as one of the finest in Europe, Wrocław’s Christmas Market offers a delightful, fairy-tale charm. Enjoy an orientation of the market, located in Rynek, the historic main square which is surrounded by Baroque splendour and adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. Spend time exploring the vast array of stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats.
- Prague: Stroll through the Jewish Quarter with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Prague.
- Prague: Visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral and explore the atmospheric courtyards of the historic Prague Castle with your Local Expert.
- Dresden: Your guided tour with a Local Expert shows you the Frauenkirche, the colossal 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace. You'll also learn about the traditional German Christmas Pyramids.
- Berlin: You Local Expert provides a tour of this vibrant city. Drive along the Ku'Damm, passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and through Tiergarten to the Reichstag building. See the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House and visit Alexanderplatz.
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
- We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Day 1 | Welcome to Kraków
- Transfers for your hotel depart Kraków airport at 12:30 and 15:00.
- Meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers at 17:00 for a Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Afterwards, get your first taste of Polish old-world charm with a walk around the magnificent Cloth Hall in the Market Square. Wrapped in romantic gabled townhouses and Gothic spires, the festive Christmas Market stalls are a Disneyesque dream, covering all sorts of delicacies and delights - from Highland woollen slippers to amber jewelery from the Baltic. Maybe try the traditional oscypek cheese with cranberries, a delicacy from the Tatra mountains?
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Hotel: Vienna House Andel's Cracow, Kraków
Day 2 | Kraków
- Ascend Wawel Hill with your Local Expert to see the Renaissance castle and visit the cathedral – the final resting place of the Kings of Poland.
- Then cross the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to Old Podgórze, the Old Town, to see Ghetto Square and remains of the Ghetto Wall.
- The rest of the day is at leisure or perhaps choose to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine? There is time to explore the traditional Christmas Market located in the Old Town's historic district. You'll find yourself immersed in festive spirit as you shop for authentic Christmas decorations, gifts, toys and tasty treats.
OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Salt Mine Excursion - Visit the 700-year-old UNESCO World Heritage listed salt mine, located on the outskirts of Krakow. On a guided tour, learn about the mine’s long history, and explore the vast underground labyrinth of chambers filled with unique salt sculptures carved by the miners themselves.
Adult: 56.00 EUR
*This optional involves reservations and entrance prepayments. Should you decide to cancel the optional, a 50% cancellation fee will be incurred.
Polish Karczma Dinner & Polka Party - Enjoy a generous selection of traditional Polish cuisine and drinks in the countryside outside Krakow. A local, beautifully-dressed folk group and live band will entertain you with songs and dances and you might even get to join them for a polka or two! Don't miss this enjoyable evening.
Adult: 65.00 EUR
Day 3 |Wrocław, the Venice of Poland
- Perhaps spend some reflective moments and visit Auschwitz concentration camp?
- Later, continue to the city of Wrocław, known as the Venice of Poland, made up of five rivers, 12 islands and over 150 bridges. Rated as one of the finest in Europe, Wrocław’s Christmas Market offers a delightful, fairy-tale charm. Enjoy an orientation of the market, located in Rynek, the historic main square which is surrounded by Baroque splendour and adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. Spend time exploring the vast array of stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats.
Top Rated Highlights
Rated as one of the finest in Europe, Wrocław’s Christmas Market offers a delightful, fairy-tale charm. Enjoy an orientation of the market, located in Rynek, the historic main square which is surrounded by Baroque splendour and adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. Spend time exploring the vast array of stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats.
Day 4 | Onwards to Prague
This morning leave your hotel in Wroclaw and cross the Czech border, continuing your travels to the historic capital of Prague.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Hotel: Hotel Royal Prague
Day 5 | Prague, City of a Hundred Spires
- Explore Prague with Insight Choice.
- Choose to walk the courtyards of the Castle and visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral.
- Alternatively, join your Local Expert through the Jewish Quarter and hear about the history, traditions and legends of the Jewish people.
- Then, down at the Old Town Square, Prague’s colorful Christmas Market contrasts with the Gothic skyline. Beneath a giant Christmas tree, draped in a blaze of lights, locals browse the decorative wooden stalls. Meet a local stallholder and savor a glass of Svařák, traditional mulled wine, along with the local Trdelník pastry.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Hotel Royal Prague.
OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Magical Prague - Discover the hidden world of Prague's Malá Strana district on foot, accompanied by our Local Expert. Continue to the famous Charles Bridge, built in 1357, before enjoying a private cruise on the Vlatava. Enjoy a drink as you glide past the magical sights of Prague.
Adult: 44.00 EUR
Traditional Dinner & Folklore Entertainment - Hearty and delicious, Czech cuisine borrows heavily from its Central European neighbours, but also boasts a few unique twists of its own. In a local restaurant, enjoy a traditional Czech meal accompanied by the planet's most perfect pilsner. During dinner, lively musicians in traditional dress set the mood with songs and dances from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.
Adult: 61.00 EUR
Day 6 | Dresden and Berlin
Cross the German border to Dresden. Gaze up at the Frauenkirche, risen once again from
wartime ashes. Your guided exploration with a Local Expert will continue past the colossal'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace. During your free time perhaps seek out the delicious Christstollen, a Christmas cake recipe dating back to medieval times, or shop for a traditional Christmas pyramid. Then journey on to Berlin.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Crowne Plaza Berlin City Center
OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Berlin By Night And Dinner - This evening you are treated to traditional Berliner cuisine in a lively local restaurant with live music and drinks. Guten Appetit and Prost! Afterwards embark on a scenic illuminations drive through the centre of Berlin, with splendid views of the historic buildings and monuments, lit up in all their glory. See the Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate and more.
Adult: 63.00 EUR
Day 7 | The Spirit of Berlin
- Join a Local Expert to see the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Unter den Linden, and the beautifully-restored Reichstag building.
- Feel free to soak up the Weihnachtszauber, or Christmas magic, at the Gendarmenmarkt, which is Berlin’s most magnificent square.
- In the evening, join your friends for a festive Celebration Dinner with wine and good cheer at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Hotel: Crowne Plaza Berlin City Center
OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES:
Highlights of Former East Berlin - Explore the shadows of the past with our Local Expert and visit the staggering Holocaust Memorial. Stop for a photo at ‘Checkpoint Charlie', location of the tense stand-offs between U.S. & Soviet forces during the Cold War. Then a real highlight as we visit the Berlin Wall Memorial. The memorial contains the last section of the Berlin Wall with a guard tower and preserved grounds and is thus able to convey an impression of how the border fortifications developed until the end of the 1980s. Learn about this focal point of 20th-century history and of the fate of those who attempted to cross it.
Adult: 32.00 EUR
*If your hotel is located near Checkpoint Charlie you will visit East Side Gallery instead.
Day 8 | Auf Wiedersehen Berlin
Your journey draws to a close after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Berlin airport at 07:00 and 10:00.
Meals: Breakfast
- $2,125.00 per person = 2 People to a Room
- $2,475.00 per person = 1 Person to a Room
- $2,095.00 per person = 3 People to a Room
- $1,925.00 per person = Youth (only 1 per room)
- $200.00 per person deposit
- Final payment due by September 1, 2024
- $82.00 = You can add prepaid gratuities for the Tour Manager and Motor Coach Driver
What's Included
- 7 breakfasts and 4 dinners
- Audio Headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with WiFi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Hotel porterage of 1 bag per person.
- An expert Travel Director and separate Driver.
- Hotel tips, restaurant tips for included meals, and local taxes.
- A group airport transfer on the first and last day of your guided holiday.
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted (Hotels listed to be used as a guide only and are subject to availability. If the quoted hotel is unavailable, we will secure another hotel in the same category).
What's not included
- No early check in/late checkout included.
- International, domestic and internal airfares.
- Travel insurance, visas and items of a personal nature.
- Gratuities to Travel Director, Coach Drivers and local Experts.
- Expense of any required PCR or Antigen tests. (NOTE: Currently not required.)
