Dresden Christmas Market from Prague: How to Do It in One Day

Views from the Bastei Bridge in the morning, a stroll through Baroque Dresden in the afternoon, and mulled wine among the lit-up stalls at dusk. On a private trip from Prague you can combine all three and be back at your hotel in the evening. We take care of the driving and the planning.

When do the Dresden Christmas (Xmas) markets take place?

The markets usually start in the last week of November. The main market, the Striezelmarkt on Altmarkt, ends just before Christmas, while several smaller ones, such as the Augustusmarkt on Hauptstraße and the market on the Neumarkt by the Frauenkirche, continue until just after New Year. They are open from morning into the evening, so you can come at any time of day. Exact dates and hours change every year, so when you book we are happy to confirm which markets are open and plan your day around them.

The Striezelmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany, with a history going back to the 15th century.

The evening when Dresden lights up

The most beautiful moment comes in the early evening. When it starts to get dark around four o'clock, Dresden lights up with thousands of little lights, the scent of mulled wine and roasted almonds drifts over the stalls, and the Baroque facades around the Frauenkirche look like a fairy-tale backdrop.

What your day looks like

In the morning we pick you up at your hotel in Prague and head for the Bastei Bridge, one of the finest viewpoints in Saxon Switzerland. From there we go on to lunch in a typical German brewery restaurant: roast pork knuckle, sausages and beer, the way winter should taste.

On arrival in Dresden we take a short walk through the centre past the Zwinger Palace, the Semperoper, the Frauenkirche and Brühl's Terrace, and then it is time for the markets. In the evening we take you back to your hotel in Prague. With your own vehicle and guide, the pace is yours.

The price includes a private vehicle, a guide and lunch. Food, drinks and personal purchases at the markets are not included.

Staying in Dresden?

If you are staying overnight in Dresden, you can combine the trip from Prague with a Prague–Dresden sightseeing transfer. You stop at the Bastei Bridge, keep your luggage with you all the way and are dropped right at your hotel in Dresden.

What to taste and what to know before you go

Try the traditional Dresdner Stollen and the typical Pflaumentoffel figures made of dried plums. Mulled wine is usually served in a mug with a deposit: you can return the mug and get your deposit back, or keep it as a souvenir for the price of the deposit. The centre is busiest at weekends and calmer on weekdays. Bring warm clothes and euros in cash, as not every stall takes cards. For more to see in the city, read our guide to things to do and see in Dresden.

Enjoy Advent in Dresden your way

The Bastei Bridge in daylight, a walk through Dresden and the Christmas markets after dark: we plan the day around your wishes and take you back to Prague in the evening. Tell us when you would like to go and how many of you there will be. We will suggest a programme and send you the total price.

Send a non-binding enquiry for a Christmas trip →