CHRISTMAS MARKET TIME: "GERMANY, FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND"
FRANKFURT (1 NIGHT ACCOMMODATION) – STRASBOURG (2 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION) – RIQUEWIHR – EGUISHEIM – COLMAR – ZURICH
NO EXTRA TOUR FEE! - ALL TOURS INCLUDED
Meeting at 05:00 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at Istanbul Airport's international departures terminal. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we will fly to Frankfurt on Turkish Airlines flight TK1587 at 08:10. Arrival at Frankfurt Airport at 09:30 local time. Following our passport and baggage procedures, we will head from the airport to Heidelberg, a fairy-tale city dating back to the Middle Ages, located approximately 1 hour from Frankfurt by vehicle. Upon arrival, we begin our panoramic tour of Heidelberg. The city welcomes us with its red-roofed houses. In this city where history and nature intertwine, places we will see include Heidelberg Castle, the Main Bridge and its famous Monkey, Hercules Fountain, Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Spirit Church), and Studentankarzer (Student Prison). During the free time provided, guests can enjoy the Heidelberg Christmas Market. Afterwards, we proceed for the panoramic Frankfurt tour. On our city tour, places we will see include Goethe's birthplace, St. Bartholomew Cathedral, the 600-year-old town hall Römer, Eiserner Steg bridge, the Commerzbank Tower standing 260m high, Zeil Street, Alte Oper (Germany's oldest opera house), and the Frankfurt Christmas Market. At the transfer time announced by our guide, we will move towards Frankfurt and our hotel. Upon arrival, we will complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Frankfurt.
After having breakfast at our hotel, we will complete our check-out procedures and depart for Strasbourg, one of the most beautiful cities in France. After approximately 3 hours of travel, we begin a panoramic tour of Strasbourg. The Grande Ile (city center), an island located in the historic center of the city and listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the main highlights where we can see Romanesque and Gothic architecture together, along with the Strasbourg Notre Dame Cathedral. We will also visit Petite France, known for its houses dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Our final stop is the Strasbourg Christmas Market, established in 1570 and one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. More than 2 million people visit the city each year to see this famous market and go shopping. After the city tour, we have free time to enjoy the Christmas Market. We will meet at the time announced by our guide and proceed to our hotel in Strasbourg. After completing our check-in procedures, we settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Strasbourg.
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our panoramic tour of France's most fairy-tale cities: Riquewihr, Eguisheim, and Colmar. Our first stop will be Riquewihr, reached after approximately 30 minutes of travel. Today, Riquewihr captivates visitors as a village that has remained unchanged since the 16th century. Additionally, Riquewihr is famous for its Riesling and other exquisite wines produced in the village. Free time to enjoy the Christmas Market. After our walking tour here, we proceed to Eguisheim, selected as France's Favorite Village in 2013. Eguisheim, a warm and charming medieval village surrounded by vineyards, is also renowned for producing high-quality Alsatian wines. Free time to enjoy the Christmas Market. After our walking tour here, we head to Colmar, the final destination of the day. The city stands out with its well-preserved historic buildings and attracts visitors with its diverse architectural masterpieces and museums. Located along the Rhine River, its streets and historic buildings adorned with colorful lights for Christmas and New Year will enchant us. During our tour, we will visit some of the main highlights including Colmar Old Town, St Martin's Church, the Pfister House—one of Colmar's iconic architectural landmarks—the Old Customs House (Koifhus), and Tanner's District, whose wooden houses today seem to mesmerize visitors. Afterwards, free time to enjoy the Christmas Market. Following the free time provided at the end of the tour, we return to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Strasbourg.
After having breakfast at our hotel, we will complete our check-out procedures and depart for the panoramic Zurich tour. Upon arrival in Zurich, we begin the panoramic tour of the city. Among the sights to be visited during our city tour are Grossmünster Monastery, one of the city's impressive structures with its twin towers; Fraumünster Church, known for its 19th-century stained glass windows; Bahnhofstrasse, a shopping street adorned with showcases of famous Swiss brands; the Limmat River, which flows through the city into Lake Zurich; and the beautiful bridges spanning the river, connecting both sides of the city; as well as St. Peter's Church, home to Europe's largest clock face. After the city tour, there is free time to enjoy the Christmas market. At the transfer time announced by our guide, we will head towards Zurich Airport. Following ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we will fly to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK1910 at 18:10. We will land at Istanbul Airport at 23:35 local time, marking the end of our tour. We bid farewell, looking forward to meeting again on our next enjoyable journey.
Abbreviations explanations >>> (K): Breakfast | (A): Dinner | (Ö): Lunch
Foreign departure tax
Schengen visa fee
All services not explicitly included in the tour program
Personal expenses
Travel health insurance
Tips (3 EUR per person per day, to be collected by the guide)
Round-trip economy class air tickets on the Istanbul-Frankfurt/Zurich-Istanbul route with Turkish Airlines scheduled flights
Airport taxes
Total 3 nights accommodation in 4-star hotels specified or similar, including 1 night in Frankfurt and 2 nights in Strasbourg
Morning breakfasts as specified in the program
Airport-hotel-airport transfers
Panoramic city tour of Frankfurt
Heidelberg city tour (valued at 75 EUR)
Strasbourg city tour (valued at 95 EUR)
Tour of Riquewihr, Eguisheim and Colmar (valued at 120 EUR)
Zurich city tour (valued at 110 EUR)
Professional Turkish-speaking guide service
Professional liability insurance (as required by Law No. 1618)