7 Day Germany Christmas Markets Itinerary

Most Christmas market itineraries start with a route: fly into Munich, train to Nuremberg, carry on to Dresden. That order is fine. The trouble is that it is only half the plan, because in Germany the calendar decides which route you are allowed to take.

Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, the one most people have in mind, runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026, and on Christmas Eve it closes at 14:00. Munich's Marienplatz market and Dresden's Striezelmarkt also end on 24 December. So a trip built for the week between Christmas and New Year, which is when a lot of people have time off, misses all three. Nuremberg's own city portal lists a separate winter village that runs on into January and a children's Christmas that runs to 30 December, but the famous market itself is gone by then.

This post is a seven day plan through Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden, and it is organised around dates first and cities second. Every opening time, closing time and rail disruption below comes from an official page fetched while writing it: the city of Nuremberg, the city of Munich, the city of Dresden, and Deutsche Bahn. Where I could not confirm something from an official source, such as the price of a mulled wine mug or its deposit, it says so instead of guessing.

The dates come first

Here is what the official sources say about when each market is open in 2026.

Three things in that table decide the trip.

Nuremberg is the latest to open. It does not start until Friday 27 November 2026, with a ceremonial opening by the Christkind at 17:30. The city's press sheet says the market always opens on the Friday before the first Advent. Any trip that touches Nuremberg before that Friday sees a city with no market in it.

Munich opens the earliest, and earlier than usual. The city of Munich says the Marienplatz market starts on the Friday before Totensonntag for the first time this year, where it used to start on the Monday before the first Advent. The stalls stay closed on Totensonntag, 22 November, and reopen on Monday 23 November. If you have read an older guide that says Munich starts in late November, it is out of date.

All three close on Christmas Eve at 14:00. Dresden, Munich and Nuremberg each end the season at 14:00 on 24 December. If your plan reaches Nuremberg on the 24th, you get four hours of market, and the last proper evening is 23 December.

So the usable window for a trip that includes all three is 27 November to 23 December. Inside that window there is a second question, which is the one most guides skip, and it has nothing to do with markets.

The rail works that move the whole route

Munich to Nuremberg is the first rail leg on this route, and Deutsche Bahn has a construction period on it. DB's own notice runs from 30 October (7:00) to 12 December 2026 (23:59) and covers the Nuremberg to Munich corridor.

What the notice says:

• ICE line 29 (Munich, Ingolstadt, Nuremberg and on to Berlin) is diverted between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg, and the travel time grows by about 30 minutes. Arrival and departure times between Munich and Nuremberg change as a result.
• ICE line 28 (Munich, Nuremberg, Erfurt, Leipzig, Berlin, Hamburg) runs only between Nuremberg and Hamburg, which means it no longer stops at Munich Hbf.
• Munich to Berlin keeps at least hourly direct connections, but the journey is about 45 minutes longer, at around 4 hours 50.
• Nuremberg to Berlin runs without restrictions.

You can see this in the timetable. The bahn.de page for Munich to Nuremberg, in a snapshot dated 2 November 2026 with connections listed for 8 November, shows ICE trains taking 1 hour 41 and 1 hour 42, and a regional train at 1 hour 51, all direct. Other travel sites and older DB data quote about 1 hour 10 for the fastest ICE, which fits the normal timetable before the works. Both numbers are real. They are from different periods.

For you the consequence is simple. If your Munich to Nuremberg day falls before 13 December, allow more time than the old guides suggest, and do not stack a timed entry or a restaurant booking soon after you arrive. If it falls on or after 13 December, the notice no longer applies, and you should check bahn.de for the normal timetable.

Three windows, and which one to pick

The works end date and the Christmas Eve closing give three natural windows for a seven day trip.

Window A: Saturday 28 November to Friday 4 December

This is the earliest you can see Nuremberg, and it starts the day after the market opens. All three markets are open for the whole window. The rail works are running, so the Munich to Nuremberg leg is slower. The upside is that all three markets are already running, and Dresden's has been open since 25 November. Its opening day is a short one, 16:30 to 21:00, so do not plan around the 25th.

Window B: Sunday 13 December to Saturday 19 December

The works finished the night before, the markets are fully running, and Munich has a fixed event on the first day: the Krampuslauf on Sunday 13 December, from 15:00 to 17:00. The city of Munich describes it as more than 300 Krampusse, Perchten and Klause in about 25 groups, with up to 50,000 spectators. It runs through the Marienplatz and Rindermarkt area. If crowds are the problem for you, that is a day to be somewhere else. If a procession of costumed figures is the point, it is the date to build around.

Window C: Monday 21 December to Wednesday 23 December and Christmas Eve

This is the tightest. Nuremberg's market has its last full day on 23 December, with the Sister Cities market (the Markt der Partnerstädte) also ending on the 23rd and the Sternenhaus on the same day. Everything closes at 14:00 on the 24th. A seven day trip that has to include Nuremberg's last full day and also Dresden leaves you almost no slack. I would not plan a first Germany Christmas market trip around this window. The compression costs more than the Christmas atmosphere gives back.

My pick is Window B. It is the only one where the rail works are out of the way and nothing forces you to cut a city. If you are stuck with early December, Window A works, with a slower first rail leg and the buffer that implies.

The seven day route

The route below runs Munich, then Nuremberg, then Dresden. That order follows the geography, and also the timing: Munich opens the earliest, so it is the market you can see first in any window, and Dresden opens before Nuremberg but ends on the same day.

Days 1 and 2: Munich

The Marienplatz market is the one that fits a city break best, because it sits in the middle of town and not at its edge. The city page describes a main text of "over 130" stalls and an FAQ answer of "around 140" stalls. The two numbers do not match, so treat it as roughly 130 to 140 and not as a specific count.

The Kripperlmarkt, the nativity-scene market in front of the Alter Peter, keeps the same hours as the main market. The city calls it probably the largest of its kind in Germany. That is the city's own wording and I could not test it against anyone else's, so read it as a claim and not a ranking. It is still a good place to spend an hour, because it is a different kind of market, selling figures and scenes and not food.

The tree on the square is usually well over 20 metres, according to the city, and it stays lit until 6 January.

If you travel with children aged 6 to 12, the city lists the Himmelswerkstatt, a craft workshop, from 26 November to 13 December with two slots a day, 14:30 to 16:00 and 16:30 to 18:00. It stops on 13 December, so it only fits Window A and the first day of Window B.

There is also a plain scheduling point. The Munich market closes at 20:00 on Sundays and 21:00 on other days. A Sunday evening is the shortest night you will get anywhere on this route, so put the Sunday somewhere else if you can.

Day 3: Munich to Nuremberg

Pick a morning train and leave the evening empty. Nuremberg's market is open until 21:00, and an evening arrival gives you a first look at the Hauptmarkt after dark.

In Window A, expect the longer works-period timetable and check the exact departure on bahn.de or the DB Navigator app before you commit. In Window B, the notice has expired and the normal timetable applies.

Day 4: Nuremberg

The city of Nuremberg's press sheet describes the market as a "little town of wood and cloth" of approximately 180 stalls with red-and-white-striped canvas roofs, with a written record of the market going back to 1678. It says more than two million visitors are expected. The setting is the main market square with the Church of Our Lady, the Beautiful Fountain and a view of St Sebaldus.

The same sheet says visitors can buy Nuremberg gingerbread and fruit bread, confectionery, toys, Christmas and tree decorations and crafts, with mulled wine and grilled sausages for refreshment. The sister cities market is the part I would not skip: it sells handmade items and specialities from partner cities, with Nicaragua, China, Scotland and Ukraine named in the city's own list.

The city portal lists a children's strand with fixed times:

The Kinderweihnacht itself runs from 27 November to 30 December, longer than the main market. The Sternenhaus runs from 28 November to 23 December, and the sister cities market from 27 November to 23 December.

A note on mulled wine. I could not find an official 2026 price, or the deposit on the mug, for Nuremberg. One source puts the 2025 price at about €4.50 for a cup, but that is a past price from a third party and I did not find it on an official page. Expect to pay on the spot and ask the stall.

Day 5: Nuremberg to Dresden

This is the longest day, and the one where the sources are most useful. The bahn.de page for Nuremberg to Dresden, with a snapshot dated 2 November 2026 and connections for 9 November, says there is no direct train and that every listed journey needs one change. It lists:

• 08:36 to 11:43, about 3 hours 7 minutes, one change on an ICE
• 18:05 to 21:45, 3 hours 40, one change, ICE
• 06:36 to 11:07, 4 hours 31, one change (RJ and ICE)

The same page cites about 20 connections a day. Other timetable sites I checked agree with 3 to 4 hours and one change, but one of them claims a direct service. Since DB's own page says no direct train, I would trust that and plan for a change, and I would not rely on a site that disagrees with the operator.

Allow a full day, not a morning. If you take the 08:36 and arrive around 11:43, you still have an afternoon and the evening. If you leave later, expect to arrive in the dark with only the evening left.

Days 6 and 7: Dresden

Dresden's market is the Striezelmarkt, on the Altmarkt. The city's market tender names this year's edition as the 592nd, running from 25 November to 24 December 2026, with the daily hours in the table above. The opening day is shorter, 16:30 to 21:00, and the last day closes at 14:00.

I could not fetch the city's tourism page for the market, because it returned a server error when I tried. For that reason I am not giving the stall count, the giant stollen festival date, or any price here. All of those showed up in secondary sources, and none of them came from the city page I could read.

On Day 7, plan around your onward travel. The market opens at 10:00 every day, so a morning visit before you leave is possible.

Where this plan breaks

A wrong week is the biggest risk. Every other failure here is small next to this one. A trip built for 26 to 31 December sees none of the three markets, because they all end on 24 December. It is also a failure that can happen at the booking stage and only show up on arrival. Check the date before you buy a flight.

Christmas Eve is a half day, not a day. 14:00 closes everything at once, and 24 December 2026 is a Thursday. Anyone planning to wake up in Nuremberg on the 24th for the full experience gets four hours.

The Munich to Nuremberg leg is slower until 12 December. DB's notice gives the dates and the extra time on ICE line 29 (about 30 minutes), and notes that line 28 does not stop at Munich Hbf during the works. It also notes that Munich to Frankfurt has no direct service via Nuremberg during the period. Check the connection for your date, because arrival and departure times between Munich and Nuremberg change.

The Nuremberg to Dresden day has a change in it. One change is not much, but a missed connection on the day you also need to check into a hotel and see a market before 21:00 puts that evening at risk. Take an earlier train than you think you need.

Sources disagree on small things. Munich's own page gives two different stall counts. A travel site says there is a direct Nuremberg to Dresden train and DB says there is not. If a number on this page matters to a booking, check it against the operator for your date.

This plan has no prices. I did not find official 2026 prices for food, drink or mugs, and I have not guessed any. Budget for the stalls using the stall's own price list.

Opening times are the 2026 ones. If you read this in a future season, check the city pages again, because the dates move every year. Munich's start date has already changed this year.

Key Takeaways

How Planytera handles a trip like this

Planytera is an AI trip planner built by a solo developer, available on iOS, Android and the web. You describe the trip and it produces a day-by-day itinerary, ready in moments. A route where the dates matter more than the sights leans on a few things in particular.

Pacing around the transfer days. Days 3 and 5 are both rail days, and Day 5 has a change in it. Planytera plans the pace around travel days, so the evening after the Nuremberg to Dresden ride is a market and a meal and not a full sightseeing slot.

Re-pacing when a date moves. If you shift the trip by a week, or a train changes, you move the days around it and the rest of the trip resyncs, instead of rebuilding the itinerary from the top. That is useful on a route where moving one day can push a city past its closing date.

Offline access on the train. Recently opened trips keep the itinerary and notes available with no connection on the iOS and Android apps, which helps on a rail day with patchy signal.

To be plain about the limits: Planytera does not book trains, sell tickets or track live prices, and it does not know market opening dates or rail works. You have to check those against the city pages and DB. Use the itinerary to decide where the days fall once you know them.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt open in 2026?

It runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026 on the Hauptmarkt. The city of Nuremberg says the Christkind opens it at 17:30 on Friday 27 November. On opening day it is open 10:00 to 22:00, with a pause from 17:30 to 18:00 during the ceremony. From 28 November to 23 December it is open 10:00 to 21:00, and on 24 December it closes at 14:00.

Can I do the Christmas markets in the week after Christmas?

Not the main ones. Nuremberg, Munich and Dresden all end on 24 December, at 14:00. Nuremberg's city portal lists a Kinderweihnacht running to 30 December and a Winterdorf listed from 13 November 2026 to 9 January 2027, but the famous Christkindlesmarkt itself is over. If your only free week is after Christmas, build the trip around something other than these markets.

Which order should I visit Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden in?

Munich, then Nuremberg, then Dresden is the order used here. It follows the geography and the dates: Munich opens first, and the Munich to Nuremberg rail works end on 12 December, which makes the order easier to plan. If you reverse it, you finish in Munich, and the Nuremberg to Munich leg is the one with works until 12 December.

Is there a direct train from Nuremberg to Dresden?

According to Deutsche Bahn's own bahn.de page, no. Every listed journey needs one change. The fastest listed on a snapshot dated 2 November 2026 was 3 hours 7 minutes, with others at 3 hours 40 and 4 hours 31. Some third-party sites say otherwise, so check the operator for your date.

Are the Munich to Nuremberg trains slower right now?

Until 12 December 2026, yes. DB says ICE line 29 is diverted between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg, adding about 30 minutes, and ICE line 28 skips Munich Hbf. The bahn.de snapshot for 8 November showed direct ICEs at 1 hour 41 and 1 hour 42. After the works end, check the timetable again.

How much does a mulled wine cost at the market?

I could not find an official 2026 price for Nuremberg, Munich or Dresden, or the mug deposit, so I am not giving one. A third-party source put a Nuremberg cup at about €4.50 in 2025. Treat it as a rough past figure and check the stall board.

Useful sources and further reading

• City of Nuremberg: Christkindlesmarkt information sheet (English, PDF), for the dates, the 17:30 opening, the opening day and last day hours, approximately 180 stalls and the 1678 record.
• City of Nuremberg: Christkindlesmarkt portal, for the Christmas Eve 14:00 closing, the children's programme times, the Kinderweihnacht to 30 December and the Winterdorf dates.
• City of Munich: Christkindlmarkt am Marienplatz, for the 20 November to 24 December dates, the Totensonntag closing, the hours, the Krampuslauf and the Himmelswerkstatt.
• City of Dresden: Striezelmarkt 2026 market tender (PDF), for the 25 November to 24 December dates and the daily hours.
• Deutsche Bahn: construction works between Nuremberg and Munich (PDF), for the 30 October to 12 December 2026 works and the line changes.
• bahn.de: Nuremberg to Dresden, for the one-change journeys and the sample durations.
• bahn.de: Munich to Nuremberg, for the 1 hour 41 and 1 hour 42 sample ICE durations.

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