Prices guaranteed for bookings until 30 November 2026
Book by 30 November and your price is locked in – no surcharges later.
Early bird 2027
Advent 2027 at 2026 prices
Book by 24 December 2026 and travel any time between 15 November and 24 December 2027 at today's price.
Look forward to Advent in Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne
This trip is for everyone who wants to see snow in Advent. It starts in Munich, where the Christkindlmarkt around the neo-Gothic City Hall has been a tradition for centuries, and leads via Mozart's city of Salzburg to Innsbruck, where the Nordkette peaks rise right behind the colourful houses of the old town.
Then comes the day you will talk about for a long time: the train crosses the Arlberg, runs through the Rhine Valley and along Lake Walen all the way to Lucerne. There the lights of the old town are reflected in Lake Lucerne, and a little Christmas train takes you to the prettiest corners of the city.
Highlights
Panoramic ride over the Arlberg to Lake Lucerne
Two nights in Lucerne with a ride on the Christmas Train
Hohensalzburg Fortress and the market in front of the cathedral
Residenz and Christkindlmarkt in Munich
Easy journey home by train straight to Zurich Airport
At a glance
RouteMunich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Lucerne
Train timeabout 9 hours, including a good 4 hours of panoramic railway
For whomfor everyone who wants mountains, snow and cities in one trip
Travel datesArrival any day, 14 November – 19 December 2026
LanguageTours in English, other languages on request; from 20 guests your own tour leader
Your route
4 cities, one week, all by train
Munich · Christkindlmarkt on MarienplatzSalzburg · the fortress above the old townInnsbruck · the city beneath the NordketteLucerne · Chapel Bridge
Day by day
Day 1
Munich
Grüß Gott in Munich
Pick-up at the airport and transfer to your hotel. In the evening you dive into the Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz, beneath the towers of City Hall.
Day 2
Munich
Royal Munich
On a tip-based tour a guide leads you through the old town with the Frauenkirche and the Viktualienmarkt. Afterwards you visit the Residenz, the city palace of the Wittelsbachs. In the evening a local takes you to the finest stalls in the city centre.
Day 3
Salzburg
To Salzburg
In an hour and a half you are in Salzburg. A tip-based tour of the old town shows you Mozart's birthplace and Getreidegasse; in the evening the Christkindlmarkt at the cathedral awaits.
Day 4
Salzburg
Salzburg Advent
In the morning the fortress funicular takes you up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. Then a guide tells you about the customs of the region. In the afternoon the Advent market in the park of Hellbrunn Palace is well worth a detour.
Day 5
Innsbruck
Innsbruck
The train brings you through the Inn Valley to Innsbruck. A walk through the old town with the Golden Roof, a visit to the Hofburg and, in the evening, a Christmas stroll with a view of the illuminated mountains.
Day 6
Lucerne
Over the Arlberg to Lucerne
Today the journey is the destination. The train climbs over the Arlberg, follows the Rhine and Lake Walen and reaches Lucerne via Zurich. In the evening you cross the wooden Chapel Bridge, the city's landmark.
Day 7
Lucerne
Lucerne by the lake
A tip-based tour leads through the old town with its painted façades. You visit the Bourbaki Panorama, a giant circular painting, and in the evening the little Christmas Train takes you through the festive city.
Day 8
Lucerne
Goodbye
By train in one hour directly to Zurich Airport.
What's included
Included
7 nights in central hotels with breakfast (3★ or 4★)
All train journeys between the cities, 2nd class, seats reserved
Airport transfer on arrival and departure
Tip-based tours with a local guide, tip already included
Entrance to the most important sight in every city
A guided Christmas market tour in every city
Day tickets for tram, bus and metro for every day in a city
City taxes and digital travel documents
From 20 guests: your own tour leader for all 8 days at no extra cost
Not included
Flights
Lunch and dinner
Drinks and personal expenses
Optional concerts, dinners and excursions
Optional, prices on request
Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle
Salzburg Advent singing or a trip to Hallstatt
Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens
Mount Pilatus or Rigi, fondue evening by the lake
Seats reserved on modern long-distance trainsYour evening market walk with a localAdd an Advent concertChristkindlmarkt in Vienna
Book online
Book Best of the Alps now
Choose your arrival day, hotel category and number of travellers – you see your price straight away. We confirm within 24 hours and send your invoice with a payment link.
Xmas deal: prices guaranteed for bookings until 30 November 2026
Early bird: Advent 2027 at today's price when you book by 24 December 2026
20% deposit, the balance 60 days before arrival
Payment by secure payment link – card or bank transfer
Start or end your trip in Vienna, our home city, three hours by train from Munich, Salzburg or Prague. We add the nights, and you book our Christmas tours and concerts online.
Join our pub crawl Vienna tour: 4 hand-picked pubs, fun drinking games and a big club finale with a local guide, all for 22€. Party responsibly, Vienna-style.
On days without a market your guide shows you the city's most beautiful Advent lights instead.
Good to know
Rest days. Some museums close on certain weekdays, for example the DomQuartier in Salzburg on Tuesdays, the museums at the Golden Roof in Innsbruck on Mondays in winter and several Dresden collections on Mondays. We plan the days so you find everything open, or choose an equivalent house.
Christmas holidays. Most markets close on 23 or 24 December, and from 24 to 26 December many sights have shorter opening hours. For these days we plan your programme individually.
Tip-based tours. In most cities you discover the old town on a tip-based tour with a passionate local guide. We already pay the tip for you.
Luggage. One medium-sized suitcase per person fits easily in the train's luggage racks. Luggage transport between hotels on request.
Not the right trip?
Tailor-make your own trip
Different cities, more nights, a family or a group, a different season? Tell us your wishes – our Vienna team plans your own route by train, with hotels, guides and Christmas markets, and sends you a proposal by email.
Your first trip idea instantly on screen and in your inbox
Any route through Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy
Your dates, your pace, your hotel category
Planned by the same Vienna team since 2016
Thank you – we're on it! 🎉
Your request has reached our Vienna team. We'll get back to you by email shortly.
For travel agents & tour operators
Sell our Advent rail trips – with commission
Every trip runs daily and is guaranteed from 2 guests, so you can sell it without risk. Download the brochure for this trip in your clients' language, send it on and earn commission on every booking.
Commission on every booking – ask for your partner rates
Brochures in English, German, Spanish and Italian, ready to forward
Your client books online or we send them a payment link – you choose
Groups from 20: own tour leader in your language at no extra cost
One contact in Vienna, replies within 24 business hours
Brochures to download
Prices, day-by-day programme and conditions – ready to send to your clients.
€2,190 per person in a double room with 3★ hotels, €2,390 with 4★ hotels. Single room supplement: €705 (3★) or €855 (4★) for the whole trip. Prices guaranteed for bookings until 30 November 2026.
Which cities does Best of the Alps visit?
Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne, in 8 days and 7 nights. You arrive at Munich Airport and fly home from Zurich Airport.
How long are the train journeys on Best of the Alps?
In total about 9 hours, including a good 4 hours of panoramic railway. You travel in modern long-distance trains in 2nd class with reserved seats.
When can I start?
Any day between 14 November 2026 and 19 December 2026. Ideal: arrival between 27 November and 16 December 2026, when all markets on the route are open.
How do I pay?
After your booking you receive an invoice with a payment link by email: 20% deposit on booking, the balance 60 days before arrival (the full amount if you arrive sooner). Bookings are non-refundable; travel insurance from our partner Faye is recommended.
Is the trip guaranteed?
Yes, from 2 guests. From 20 guests your own tour leader in your language joins you for all 8 days at no extra cost.
