12 Festive Food Experiences Around the World to Book Before December

1.Christmas Traditions & Food Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 141 reviews · 2 hours · from $54Our pick

Meet your English-speaking guide at the Nobel Prize Museum for a two-hour walk through Gamla Stan, Östermalm, and Kungsträdgården. Taste roasted almonds, reindeer, crispbread, saffron buns, candy, and alcohol-free mulled wine while learning about Lucia, the tomten, and Swedish Christmas customs. Groups are limited to 10 people.

“Our guide was awesome and very knowledgeable. We got to see so much in a short time.”

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2.Christmas Markets Food Tour in Munich

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 110 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $66

Spend three hours walking Munich’s Old Town with an English-speaking guide such as Thomas, Leon, Elizabeth, or Maria. Visit markets at Stachus, Marienplatz, the Residenz, and Odeonsplatz while tasting Glühwein, Feuerzangenbowle, lebkuchen, almonds, and chestnuts. Expect cold weather, busy streets, and a small group of up to 15 people.

“Visted several markets and found some that you may not see otherwise. There are different types of markets which make it interesting. We were given a little time to explore the markets on our own.”

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3.Original Munich Christmas Market Tour with Festive Wine and Food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $162Top rated

Spend three to four hours visiting Munich’s Marienplatz, Residenz, Wittelsbacherplatz, and Theresienwiese markets with an English-speaking guide. Sample glühwein, festive snacks, and unusual drinks such as mulled beer, browse stalls, and use the subway between central Munich and the Oktoberfest grounds. Groups are capped at 15 people.

“Hugo was awesome! He was very pleasant and informative, smiling all throughout the tour. He kept checking on everybody, very accommodating. Glad to have made our first day of our Christmas market trip with him!”

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4.Style Holiday Hike: Festive Food and Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · from $84

Join Bobby’s Bike Hike at 11:30 a.m. for a three-hour winter walk through central Chicago. You’ll see Millennium Park, Cloud Gate, State Street, and Christkindlmarket while sampling deep-dish pizza, a Chicago-style hot dog or Italian beef, Palmer House brownies, and holiday cider. Guides such as Mickey, Brooke, Julia, and Lillian lead groups of up to 15.

“Loved the option to have a beer tasting from the local brewery and our tour guide was awesome. The food was delicious and the pizza from Lou Malnati’s pizzeria was the best deep dish we’ve ever had.”

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5.Munich Christmas Market Food Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $181

Spend about three hours walking Munich’s Christmas markets with a small group of up to 12 people. Guides such as Patrick, Kevin, Iain, Liam, and Daniel combine city history with traditional tastings, alcoholic drinks, mulled wine, sausages, pastries, and sweets. You’ll visit Marienplatz, Residenz, Wittelsbacherplatz, and Viktualienmarkt, with food choices changing slightly by day.

“Kevin was an amazing tour guide. I had a wonderful time trying new German Christmas foods and of course the wine!”

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6.New Year’s Eve Party Cruise with Food & Live Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 52 reviews · 6 hours · from $341

You’ll spend six hours aboard the elegant Gróf Széchenyi, starting at Akadémia 2 dock. Expect a five-course dinner, unlimited beer, wine, prosecco, and soft drinks, Rajkó Ensemble folk dancing, live music, a midnight buffet, and a DJ. The boat passes Parliament, Chain Bridge, Buda Castle sights, and several illuminated bridges.

“Repas n’est pas raffiné! Cher pour rien!!!! Pas beaucoup d’ambiance.”

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7.Christmas Markets Food & Drink Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 50 reviews · 3 hours · from $64

Follow an English-speaking guide through Munich’s Old Town, from Marienplatz to the Rezidenz Christmas village, Crib Market, and Medieval Market. You’ll sample mulled wine, Lebkuchen, and sugar-roasted almonds while learning about German Advent customs. Guide Leon has earned special praise, and public transport tickets are included.

“Learning anout the Christmas markets at the beginning of our trip was great, so we knew where to go during the rest of our stay.”

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8.The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Palli, Paul, Einar, or Pauly, stopping for smoked lamb, laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, herring, Christmas drinks, and more. You will also visit the Little Christmas Store and hear Icelandic holiday tales. Tell the company about allergies before booking.

“Paul did an excellent job guiding our group around the city. He was very welcoming and and even took pictures of the group with all the Christmas decor around town (his idea!). The food was delicious.. smoked salmon and smoked reindeer were my favs. If you’re looking for an activity with great value and an entertaining guide don’t hesitate, book this one today! I’m tempted to do it again 🤣”

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9.Paris Christmas Gourmet Food Small Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $251

Meet your guide at Saint-Sulpice for a three-hour Christmas food walk through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Sample seasonal sweets, hot-spiced wine, nougat, candied nuts, and chocolate, then finish with tea or coffee in a Parisian tearoom. Guides including Roberto, Sabine, Aniko, and Stefani have led this intimate experience.

“Fantastic tour, completely different to what I thought it would be, I was expecting to go around Christmas Markets and see Christmas decorations, food etc - the tour was teaching you about Christmas traditions through Europe and tasting of the food and the meaning behind that actual piece of food, eg a special Christmas chestnut sweet.”

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10.Stockholm Christmas Tour and Food Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59

Walk through Stockholm’s Christmas sights with a guide such as Loredana, Ana, or Frankie. In about two hours, you’ll hear about Swedish holiday customs, sample traditional sweets, enjoy mulled wine and gingerbread, and finish near Kungsträdgården’s ice rink. The small group has a maximum of 10 people.

“This was a fantastic experience. One of the best Viator tours I’ve ever been on. It was fun, informative, and all around a great time.”

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11.Christmas Market Food and Drinks Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $140

Join English-speaking guide Gloria for a 3 to 4 hour food walk through four lesser-known Vienna Christmas markets. Start near Am Hof, then use trams and metro to reach markets in the 7th district and near the old university campus. Expect Käsespätzle, Baumkuchen, Kaiserschmarrn, Glühwein, Punsch, and non-alcoholic drinks.

“We leave bed our tour, it was great to see some lesser known markets and Gloria provided lots of insights and history of the markets and surrounding areas. She expertly guided us thru Metro and street cars leaving us ample time to explore. The food and drinks were chosen to reflect the culture and nature of each market. Thank you Gloria for an great afternoon and experience.”

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12.All-You-Can-Eat Christmas Buffet Cruise Livemusic

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 7 reviews · 3h 30m · from $95

Spend 210 minutes aboard M/S Vindhem with an all-you-can-eat Swedish Christmas buffet, seafood, desserts, coffee or tea, and live troubadour music. The route passes Stockholm’s islands, islets, and skerries. Vegetarian and vegan diners can request a specially prepared meze at least three days ahead.

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