Christmas markets
Get into the festive spirit with Christmas market breaks and enjoy an enchanting winter adventure. Wander around food stands, sip on something mulled and soak up the heart-warming atmosphere.
Our cheapest Christmas markets
'Tis the season to be jolly
Discover the best Christmas markets in Europe and get to see the big sights minus the summer crowds – filled instead with ultra-Christmassy stalls festooned with lights and decorations.
Pick out your favourite hand-crafted baubles in Austria, nibble some classic Bratwurst sausage at Christmas German markets and try the hot sugar-coated pastries in the Czech Republic.
Carefully selected European Christmas market hotels
Choose from a merry selection of Christmassy destinations, enjoy a city break and make the most of this magical time of year. Immerse yourself in the best traditional markets when you stay in Vienna, which date back to the thirteenth century. See miniature puppets, glistening lights and delicate handblown glass. Or go to Innsbruck for a romantic Christmas retreat – see Christmas tree lights bounce off the snow-dusted mountain backdrop and smell the aroma of sweet gingerbread. Visit the best festive food spot in Budapest. Stroll through the stalls and try kurtoskalacs (a cinnamon-pastry chimney cake), toki pompos (a Hungarian-styled pizza with bacon, onion and cream), home-made chocolates and honey cakes. Whether it’s cosy alpine themed lodges or twinkling fairground rides you're looking for, choose the festive destination for you.
Where are the best European Christmas markets?
A visit to Europe’s Christmas Markets is a chance to combine an indulgent city break with shopping for truly individual gifts. This is our pick of the continent’s best cities to soak up the fairy-tale festive atmosphere.
Budapest Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 15 November – 1 January
Wrap up warm and relish the winter chill of Hungary. See sparkling lights at the Christmas market by Basilica, nibble on scrumptious Hungarian pastries and soak up the charm.
Graz Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 21 November – 24 December
Discover Graz's festive charm as its Christmas markets fill the city’s historic streets. Discover handcrafted gifts, sip spiced wine, and enjoy the cozy magic of Austria’s holiday traditions, all within easy strolling distance.
Hanover Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 24 November – 22 December
Magical Hanover. Legend has it that if you make a wish at the fountain in the fairy-tale Wishing Well Forest it will come true.
Nuremberg Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 28 November – 24 December
Fall in love with Nuremberg where the world-famous Christkindlesmarkt has a range of stalls selling toys, treats and spiced wine.
Prague Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 29 November – 6 January
Enjoy festive magic in the Czech Republic. Stroll through the glistening markets of the Old Town Square, sip on hot mulled wine and purchase some Christmas glass ornaments for your tree back home.
Salzburg Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 20 November – 1 January
Feel the warmth of festivities in Austria. Salzburg is home to several Christmas markets, wrap up in big coats and soak up the wintery enchantment of the city.
Stuttgart Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 26 November – 23 December
Explore Stuttgart’s Christmas markets which boast around 300 stalls selling traditional gifts, mulled wine and irresistible cinnamon-star cookies.
Berlin Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 24 November – 31 December
With over 60 Christmas markets, feel mesmerised in Germany’s capital. Go to the Berliner Weinachtszeit, behind the Alexanderplatz and take in the Christmas spirit at the captivating Charlottenburg Palace.
Cologne Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 18 November – 4 January
Not only home to one of Europe’s most striking gothic cathedrals, Kölner Dom, there’s a thriving food scene developing along the riverside and six traditional Christmas markets to set the seasonal mood.
Krakow Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 28 November – 1 January
One of Europe’s biggest and best medieval squares, Rynek Glowny, is the perfect romantic backdrop to Poland’s most popular Christmas market. Browse quirky, crafty gifts and elaborate homemade cribs.
Riga Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 29 November – 2 January
Head to Riga's romantic cobbled streets and squares during this holiday season and see the Latvian capital sparkle with festive spirit.
Vienna Christmas markets
2025 Christmas market dates: 14 November – 26 December
Discover the traditions of Vienna’s Christmas markets. Revel in the aromas of roasting chestnuts, wander through the Christmas village of Belvedere Palace and ice skate through City Hall Park.
Why choose British Airways Vacations?
The British Airways experience is more than a flight.
We offer carefully chosen hotels, resorts and villas in the most amazing places, and car rental with no hidden extras. Our access to the extensive British Airways global network and oneworld® alliance puts us in a unique position to create packages with convenient flights across the globe. From start to finish consider your vacation taken care of.
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- Flight only prices are updated every 24 hours and are accurate when published. Flights at these prices are limited and may sell out quickly.
- Package vacation prices (flight + hotel or flight + car) prices are updated every 24 to 48 hours and are accurate when published and may vary upon reaching subsequent pages. Availability may be extremely limited particularly during peak periods.
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- Additional charges will be applied for payments made using a corporate credit card.
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- Combine and save on Vacations: Guaranteed savings are only available when booking a Flight + Hotel or Flight + Car booking including one land product, it does not apply to a ‘Customise your trip’ vacation including more than one hotel and / or car.
- Standard British Airways terms and conditions apply.
1. Vacation Sale offers can be booked online at ba.com or through the British Airways call centre from January 6, 2026 and January 22, 2026 at 23:59 EST.
2. Vacation sale offers are valid on travel between January 6, 2026 and September 30, 2026. All travel must be completed by September 30, 2026. For travel from all British Airways operating airports in the US.
3. To qualify for the up to $400 discount per booking offer certain booking requirements must be met.
4. The savings are $50, $100, $200 or $400 and apply to new Vacation Package bookings only where a minimum spend is met:
a. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $8,000 per booking can save $400 per booking.
b. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $5,000 per booking can save $200 per booking.
c. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $3,000 per booking can save $100 per booking.
d. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $1,500 per booking can save $50 per booking.
5. The savings are per booking.
6. A Vacation Package booking means any booking including round trip flights and either a hotel, car or combination of both for the duration of the travel period. Hotels/cars added to flights only after a flight has been selected or booked will not be eligible. To be eligible for savings, we invite you to choose ‘Flight + hotel’ or ‘Flight + car’ when commencing a search. Quotes in our ‘Create your trip’ booking tool will not include this offer and are discounted in a different way.
7. Flight + car Vacation Package savings are applied before any Extras (insurance waiver, car seats etc.) are added to the booking.
8. Prices advertised on ba.com include the additional discount where applicable.
9. Vacation sale lead-in prices include all airline-related taxes, fees, and carrier charges.
10. Economy flight and hotel package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 5 nights for double occupancy accommodation.
11. Economy flight and car rental package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 7 days Avis or Budget car rental in a ‘Group A Economy Manual’ car. Prices are based on drivers aged 30-70 years. (Automatic car rental available at higher prices).
12. Car rental prices do not include fees charged locally such as airport charges, additional driver, insurance, navigation aids and similar options.
13. All prices are liable to change at any time and are subject to flight, hotel and car rental availability. Availability is strictly limited.
14. Offers are valid for new bookings only, made during the promotional period. Valid only when combined with British operated flights or BA code share flights departing from a US gateway.
15. Prices are based on travel during dates and board basis stated.
16. Limited availability of flights at these prices. Individual travel dates are subject to availability. Promotional travel is subject to availability and capacity control, and availability may be limited over holidays and peak periods. The number of seats available on each flight at a particular fare may be restricted and it is possible that seats allocated to a particular fare on a particular flight may be fully booked even though seats are still available for sale at a different fare or booking class in the same cabin.
17. Deposits can only be paid for bookings created as flight + hotel or flight + car packages. All flight only, hotel, car and experience only bookings, and any hotel, car or experiences added to a flight only booking are excluded from this offer. The following deposit levels apply based on the total spend per booking:
I. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $1000-$1999 - pay from $198 deposit per booking
II. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2000-$2499 - pay from $250 deposit per booking
III. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2500-$2999 - pay from $300 deposit per booking
18. The deposit balance will be due 28 days prior to your departure date. The actual payment date will be displayed on the payment details page. You can pay the balance in as many instalments as you want. This allows you to spread the cost of the vacation over a longer period. You will have full flexibility of when you make the payments and how much they are, the only requirement is that you must have paid the full balance by the balance due date.
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20. All travel on BA operated flights is subject to BA's General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage (see ba.com http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/british-airways/general-conditions-of-carriage) and the notice and conditions of contract contained on each ticket and itinerary. Passengers carried by code share services are subject to the ticketing carrier's conditions of carriage.
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22. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a hotel purchase apply.
23. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a car purchase apply.
24. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
25. This offer may be withdrawn or limited by British Airways without notice.
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