Day 1: Paris to Strasbourg
Your chauffeur will be waiting for you at your hotel reception, ready to take you to Gare de L’Est. The best way to reach Alsace from Paris is via the high-speed train, which takes just 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you would like our team to provide a Travel Companion service with a local English-speaking guide on hand to ensure a seamless travel experience, please let us know and we can arrange that for you.
The high-speed TGV arrives at Strasbourg station in the heart of the city, which is the Capital of the region known as the Bas –Rhin. This part of France is unique in that it has changed hands several times over the centuries between German and French territories. This is reflected in every part of life here, from their own language, Alsatian, to the unique architecture, and, of course, the local gastronomic delicacies available only in this part of France.
On arrival at the station in Strasbourg, your chauffeur will be waiting for you, ready to take you to your hotel in a luxury Mercedes V Class.
Strasbourg is christened the Capital of Christmas, and it is easy to see why. The most beautiful and elegant decorations adorn all parts of the city. Baccarat crystal stars and giant crystal snowflakes line the avenues and streets of Strasbourg, and elegantly decorated Christmas trees on every corner turn the city into a magical fairyland. Strasbourg is home to the oldest Christmas market, held since the Middle Ages, and to one of the largest in France. In fact, there are 13 separate Christmas markets in the city center.
In the evening, explore the city at your leisure and dine in one of the many pretty brasseries dotted throughout this beautiful city.
Day 2: Strasbourg Christmas Markets
This morning, your guide will be waiting for you in your hotel reception, ready to take you on a tour of the markets. There are over 350 stalls in total, with everything from hand-crafted arts and crafts – glass paintings, marquetry, music boxes, embroidered tablecloths, and earthenware pottery to traditional Alsatian gourmet treats such as kugelhopf, bredle cakes, mulled wine, and foie gras. Before your tour, your guide will discuss each market, and you can decide which ones you want to visit together.
‘Village of Sharing’ Christmas Market and Le Grand Sapin
We head first to the largest Christmas tree in Europe, found at Place Kleber in the ‘Village of Sharing’ Market. This stunning, beautifully decorated tree is over 100 feet tall and was donated by the National Forestry Office. The search for the perfect tree actually starts in March, and if you look closely, you will see additional foliage has been added to give the tree a fuller shape. This majestic tree is decorated with over 7km of sparkling lights, baubles, angels, and stars, and at 5 pm every night the lights are switched on, transforming the square. In the past, people used to put presents under the tree for the city’s more needy residents. This tradition has continued, albeit with a 21st-century twist – all the stalls in this particular market are charity stalls, meaning any profits raised will go to charity – hence the market’s name: Village of Sharing. Today, there are more than 60 charity stalls selling everything from hand-carved tree decorations to spicy, warm gingerbread and vin chaud. For those of you who are more adventurous, there is also a skating rink adjacent to the market.
Christkindelsmärik
Following lunch, we head to Place Broglie, which houses the oldest and most famous section of the Christmas market in Strasbourg, the Christkindelsmärik.
Over 100 stalls fill the tree-lined square in the city, with stalls selling locally produced food products – foie gras, choucrout, bretzels, along with vin chaud and hot chocolate. There are also lots of stalls selling all things Christmas, from Santa hats for your pets to delicate hand-blown glass baubles decorated with real gold. This market has something for everyone!
At the end of the day, head to one of the many beautiful squares in the city center and enjoy an apero of vin chaud with bretzels.
Day 3: Colmar & Selestat
Your chauffeur and guide will be waiting for you in your hotel reception, ready to take you to one of the prettiest towns in France, and indeed of Europe, Colmar.
“At the heart of the Christmas market magic’ is how Colmar markets itself to the world. This Alsatian village feels straight out of a fairytale – walking through the village feels like you are on a magical Disney movie set.
Situated right in the heart of the historic town center, Colmar’s six Christmas markets each capture the essence of the Festive Season, with every market having a different Christmas theme. Your guide will take you on a private tour of the markets and will also take the time to explore other parts of this beautiful Alsatian village.
Selestat
In the afternoon, we head for Selestat, said to be the birthplace of the Christmas tree (Sapin de Noel). The idea of the tree came from Alsace, then part of Germany, in the 14th century. Princess Hélène de Mecklembourg apparently introduced it on her marriage to the Duke of Orléans, heir to the French throne. The earliest recorded mention of a Christmas tree is in a document dating from 1521, on display at the Bibliothèque Humaniste in Sélestat.
The original decorations for a Christmas tree were fruit and nuts – mainly apples and walnuts. Legend has it that in 1858, the harvest failed, and the local glassmakers in Meisenthal made glass versions of the traditional fruit-and-nut decorations. The glass decorations were a great success, so the manufacturers continued production, and soon they spread across the world.
Today, Selestat is home to a beautiful Christmas market and a fantastic Christmas Tree exhibition that showcases the evolution of Christmas tree decorations over the last 5 centuries. Your guide will take you on a private tour of the town where you can see the incredible crystal Meisenthal baubles chandelier that comprises 173 Christmas baubles in various colors, the beautiful Jardin du Sapin – a secret Christmas tree garden illuminated with literally thousands of twinkling Christmas lights as well as visit the Annual Christmas tree competition and see who has the best Christmas Tree in Alsace.
At the end of your tour, relax in the back of your chauffeured car and head to Strasbourg for a dinner in one of the city’s many fine dining eateries.
Day 4: Transfer to Paris
Depending on the timing of your return transfer, you can start the morning with your guide exploring Petite France, Strasbourg’s most picturesque quarter. Wander past half-timbered houses decorated with lights and Christmas displays, and browse the artisan market where craftspeople sell carved wooden ornaments, festive tableware, and elegant linens — perfect for presents to bring home.
After soaking up the charm of this historic district, conclude your visit with a relaxed Alsace wine tasting. Your guide will take you to a local cellar where you can sample regional favourites such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Learn how the unique terroir of the Alsace region shapes each wine, and enjoy expert tasting notes as you savour a final flavour of Strasbourg.
Your private transfer will take you back to Paris, where your 4-day private tour will come to an end.
