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Seiffen & The Christmas Markets Origins Tour 2026

Exploring the “Toy Village” of Seiffen, Germany and the Origins of the Christmas Markets! --- Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria & the Czech Republic.

• Visit Prague, Gorlitz, Dresden, Seiffen, Leipzig, Bamberg, Nuremberg, and Munich.
• Explore Seiffen, which is Carmel, Indiana’s Official Sister City.
• Enjoy the Traditional Culture, Products, Foods, and Beers of the Area.

October 18th – 28th --- 10 Nights

NOTE: This trip starts in Prague and ends in Munich. If you cannot do all 10 nights, you can make this a 9 night trip by skipping the last day in Munich and flying out that day. Contact me for pricing and more details if desired.

This incredible tour explores “The Toy Village” of Seiffen, Germany, as well as the beautiful surrounding area and cities. Seiffen is the Official Sister City of Carmel, IN, which hosts the “Best Christmas Market in the United States” (USA Today Poll). Seiffen is known as the Toy Village, as it is where many of the traditional wooden Christmas Market gifts have been made since the late 1600’s! The high quality, handcrafted Seiffen products were first sold at the Nuremberg Christmas Market in 1699, and as they say, the rest is history. The Seiffen products quickly spread to the oldest known Christmas Market in Europe, in nearby Dresden (est 1434). Hand crafting the wooden toys, arches, pyramids, nutcrackers, smokers, and other products, replaced the mining work that previously took place in this area. This transition coincided with the rising popularity of the Christmas Markets in Dresden, Nuremberg, Leipzig, and Prague, so this whole geographic area contributed to the origin story of the seasonal markets and traditions.

This incredible tour will explore this region, and visit all of the cities and places that influenced today’s modern Christmas Markets, including Herrnhut, where the famous Christmas Stars were first made! Taking place in Mid October, before the official Christmas Market season (and in much nicer weather) the village of Seiffen will be in full swing preparing for the busy season ahead. The workshops will be bustling, the shops will be full of handcrafted items, AND the Christmas Markets of Seiffen will already be open!

We will spend a couple days in the beautiful village of Seiffen, located along the Germany and Czech border, and the rest of the tour will explore the history, cultures, foods, beers, wines, music, and traditions of the area that influenced not only the early craftspeople of Seiffen, but the very first Christmas Markets as well.

It will be an amazing, fun, and educational journey! Join us! Prost und Na zdravi!

DAY 1 - Sunday, Oct 18 – Arrive in Prague:

• Fly into / arrive in Prague, and Taxi to the hotel (hotel included for 10 nights).
• Meet up around mid day for an Intro City Walk to Old Town.
• Your Tour Leader, Ron, will Discuss the City, as well as explain the Historic Beer Culture, Beer Styles, and the Traditional Foods of the area.
• Have an early Group Dinner of Traditional Czech Food and Beers at the Famous U Fleku Brewery (included).
• Free Time (and get some rest).

DAY 2 – Monday, Oct 19 – Prague Castle:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel (included the next morning for all hotel nights).
• Free Time in the morning.
• Meet up late morning, and do a City Walk across the river and up to Strahov Monastery and Prague Castle.
• Have Lunch and Beers at the Wonderful Strahov Monastery Brewery (included).
• Walk over to Prague Castle.
• Free Time from Prague Castle. Enjoy Prague.

DAY 3 – Tuesday, Oct 20 – Travel to Gorlitz:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach (included for all bus travel days).
• Travel to the small town of Herrnhut, Germany, where the Famous Christmas Stars were first made, for a tour of the Herrnhut Star Company (and maybe make your own star)!
• Continue on to the Beautiful Town of Gorlitz, right on the border of Germany and Poland, and check into the hotel.
• Enjoy a Tour and late Lunch at the Landskron Brewery.
• Free Time in Gorlitz, where you can walk across a small bridge and Enjoy Poland!

DAY 4 – Wednesday, Oct 21 – Travel to Dresden:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach.
• Travel to the Amazing Festung Koenigstein Castle for a couple hour visit here (admission included).
• Free Time at the Castle to explore on your own, grab a bit to eat, and/or a beer, etc.
• Travel on to Dresden and check into the hotel.
• Free Time in Dresden. Ron will discuss the City, the Beer Culture, Beer Styles, and Foods of the area on the bus before we arrive.
• Meet later for Dinner and Beers at the Famous Radeberger Brauhaus (included).
• Free Time in Dresden.

DAY 5 – Thursday, Oct 22 – Travel to Seiffen:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach.
• Travel to the Seiffen area and visit the Historic Besucherbergwerk Mine for a Short Tour (optional) and a Delicious Traditional Lunch (included).
• Continue on to Christmas Village of Seiffen, Germany and check into the hotel.
• As Seiffen’s Guests, we will visit multiple Toy and Craft Workshops and Museums (included).
• Free Time in Seiffen in the evening. Ron will discuss the City, the Beer Culture, Beer Styles, and Foods of the area on the bus before we arrive. It is a Small Village and everything is within walking distance.
• The Seiffen Sternenmarkt (Star Market) will be open every day in October.

DAY 6 – Friday, Oct 23 – Explore Seiffen:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• As Seiffen’s Guests, we will visit multiple Toy and Craft Workshops and Museums (included).
• Enjoy a Wonderful Group Lunch (included).
• Free Time in Seiffen in the evening.
• Some of Seiffen’s Workshops and Museums:
  • Erzgebirge Toy Museum
  • Richard Glasser Workshop
  • Schauwerkstatt Workshop
  • Freilicht Museum & Workshops
  • Seiffen Church

DAY 7 – Saturday, Oct 24 – Travel to Leipzig:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Enjoy some Final Free Time in Beautiful Seiffen in the morning.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach.
• Travel to the Incredible Monument to the Battle of the Nations (entrance included).
  • One of the two designers of this monument also designed the Indianapolis Circle monument.
• Continue on to Leipzig and check into the hotel.
• Free Time in Leipzig. Ron will discuss the City, the Beer Culture, Beer Styles, and Foods of the area on the bus before we arrive.
  • Bach’s Church and Museum are open until 6:00. He was the Choir Director here for most of his life.
  • Optional Dinner at a Famous Gose Brewery.

DAY 8 – Sunday, Oct 25 – Travel to Bamberg:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach.
• Travel to the Beautiful City of Bamberg and do an Intro City Walk.
• Go to the Famous Smoke Beer Brewery, Schlenkerla, for Lunch and Beers (included).
• Return to the Motorcoach, travel to the hotel, and check in.
• Free Time in Bamberg.

DAY 9 – Monday, Oct 26 – Travel to Munich:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet up with all luggage, and walk to the Private Motorcoach.
• Travel to the Historic City of Nuremberg, and to the Nuremberg Castle.
• Tour the Nuremberg Castle (entrance included) and/or explore Nuremberg on your own for a few hours. On your own for lunch, and meet back at the bus at a certain time.
• Continue on to Munich and check into the hotel.
• Have a Wonderful Traditional Bavarian Beer Hall Farewell Dinner and Beers (included).
• Free Time in Munich.

DAY 10 – Tuesday, Oct 27 – Explore Munich:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet late morning and do an Intro City Walk of the Marienplatz area. Ron will also discuss the History, Beer Culture, Beer Styles, and Foods of the area.
• Free Time in Munich (Toy Museum, BMW Museum, Art Museums, Englishergarten, etc.). Ron may lead a group somewhere if enough people want to do the same thing.
• Farewell Gathering at the hotel or at a nearby beer garden tonight.

DAY 11 – Wednesday, Oct 28 – Departure Day:

• Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel.
• Departure Day.
• Start Dreaming about Your Next Big European Adventure! :)

FAQs REGARDING THIS SEIFFEN & THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS ORIGINS TOUR

ADULT COST: The Price for the 2026 Seiffen & The Christmas Markets Origins Tour is $3,850 USD per person traveling as a couple / pair (i.e. Double Occupancy), or $4,550 USD for someone traveling alone (i.e. Single Occupancy). These prices should not change, unless the exchange rate or trip plans change dramatically. That is not expected.

SPECIAL NOTE ON COST: My pricing, and the value created, is unlike many tours in several important ways. Most travel industry tours expect the trip attendees to pay numerous tips, often multiple tips per day, including for guides, helpers, restaurant staff, bus drivers, etc. This is common in the tourism industry, but it can add up to hundreds of additional, and often unexpected, dollars over the course of a 10 day trip. I simply disagree with the industry on this approach, so I don’t ask my trip attendees to tip anyone during any included activities. Also, with some tours, the amount of beverages, beer, etc. included with the dinners may be limited, but I like to see my guests drink what they want, within reason of course, without worrying about extra costs. I also try to provide some extra beers and surprises along the way, when I can, and when the budget, exchange rate, etc. allows it. In summary, I do some things a bit different than the industry norm. This does not mean the industry norm is bad. It just means I have a different approach, which tries to create more value for my guests, and is something that needs to be considered in my prices.

WHAT IS INCLUDED: Basically, everything except the meals and beers specified above, your personal purchases, your airfare, and transportation from and to the airports. It includes all hotels, breakfasts each day, several meals, some with unlimited beers, train and bus travel, taxis, admission fees, all tips, etc.

COULD I SAVE MONEY DOING THIS ON MY OWN: Possibly, but it can require literally hundreds of hours of research and planning to make it happen as smoothly as what you will get on my trips. Also, you may have to drive yourself, or navigate foreign transit systems, to experience some of what we do, which puts a damper on being able to drink and enjoy yourself. Lastly, several things are just not options for people traveling alone. Either the group and / or my connections make some of the tours and things we do feasible. So yes, it is possible to save a little money, but I'm not making that much and the added value I offer is well worth it to most people. Lastly, when calculating costs on your own, many things are often overlooked, which add up to extra dollars spent, plus without the proper planning, mistakes can happen and they can add costs quickly.

I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD LIKE TRAVELING WITH A GROUP: This isn't a cruise ship or a high school field trip where every second of every day is planned. There are opportunities to do things on your own, there is no curfew, and few very early mornings. Also, the type of people that do a trip like this, are probably a bit like you, and are usually pretty good people. Lastly, these are relatively small group trips comparatively. So just relax and have fun with some like-minded people in a flexible and friendly environment.

PAYMENT TERMS AND CONFIRMATION: I need to confirm the trip as soon as I can to get hotels, buses, tours, etc. scheduled. Thus, if you are interested or certain that you want to go, contact me and/or pay your down payment / initial payment as soon as you can. See the instructions below for how to get registered. A trip can be confirmed as soon as I have enough people signed up. Airline tickets should NOT be purchased until the trip is confirmed.

To reserve your space, or communicate with me, send an email to BeerMBA@MarketWiseSolutions.com.

To officially register and pay your 25% down payment, also send me an email, and then either use the form below or go to www.Paypal.com and send any amount of money you want to this email address... "RonSmith -AT- MarketWiseSolutions -DOT- com". If doing this, please be sure to send me a follow up email to let me know how much you paid and what it is for.

NOTE: If the trip does not happen, this down payment amount will be refunded to you (minus any Paypal fees, usually around $30). Otherwise, as soon as I have enough people signed up to confirm the trip, I will notify you with that confirmation, and at that point the 25% down payment is no longer refundable. You will then be asked to pay the remaining 75%. This remaining 75% is due in full at least 3 months before the departure date (but sooner is better). After that 3 months prior to departure point, when all money must be received, no money can be refunded. All plans have been made at that point, things have been paid in advance, etc. In the event that I can’t make the trip, either another guide will be assigned to lead the trip, or all money not paid out will be refunded to you along with instructions and notes to allow you to still do as much of the trip as possible on your own (the same applies in the event of a complete cancellation of the trip for any reason). You can also consider travel insurance, but be sure to read the fine print and make sure it covers money paid to tour guides and expenses beyond payments directly to hotels and airlines. These terms are subject to change at any time, but they represent the general policies.

INSTALLMENT PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS: As a college educator, I know that money can be tight for some people, especially students, but I would like them to be able to do my trips if they really want to have these incredible life experiences. So, to help with that, people can basically add money to their Trip Account whenever they want and I will just keep it in their account until it is either needed or refunded. You can just go to www.Paypal.com and send any amount of money you wish to this email address... "RonSmith -AT- MarketWiseSolutions -DOT- com". If doing this, please be sure to send a follow up email directly to me, to let me know how much you paid and what it is for. These funds are subject to the same cancellation and refund deadlines and arrangements as any other funds (see above), so as long as deadlines are not passed, if you start adding to a fund, but cannot go on the trip, your money will be refunded (except any fees incurred). This unique payment option provides a way for people to pay a little at a time, on whatever schedule they want (i.e. even daily or weekly additions can be made). If you have any questions about this, contact me via email at BeerMBA@MarketWiseSolutions.com.

Additional Information

• The hotels are all very nice, safe, approx 3+ star type accommodations, with private baths and all the usual European amenities (i.e. possibly not air conditioning). More details can be provided upon request.

• The itinerary and plans may change. With travel plans like this, things out of my control can always occur. If / when that occurs, I will try to plan something else. It will always be a fun and enjoyable trip and I will always give you your money's worth.

• As the trip gets confirmed, I will provide various documents, including one for Trip Planning and Preparation, which covers lots of important issues for European travel, such as currency, mobile phones, internet access, power adapters, what to pack, and much, much more. I will also provide documents for How to Get to the Hotel, and for the Final Trip Itinerary, etc.

• If you need a roommate, I can try to pair you up with someone, but it is up to you to make it work.

• As with most European travel, these trips require A LOT of walking, standing and movement. You should be in reasonably good shape in order to participate in everything planned. However, there are certainly ways to make it easier and do less walking, etc. if you wish and don't mind not trying to keep up with the group.

• Also, as with most European travel in the summer or Fall, it could be VERY HOT at times and do not expect to find air conditioning everywhere. Hopefully, our hotels will have air conditioning, but this can't always be guaranteed, because most hotels simply do not have it, and even if they do, it may not work very well. Most restaurants and other public places do not have air conditioning either. In most cases, the heat is not too bad, but there are times when it could get extremely hot. If this occurs, we can not control the weather and we will survive, though it may not be comfortable for a little while. In these situations, you will truly get to experience what it is like to live in that part of the world where most people do not have air conditioning.

• Lastly, as with most European travel, expect things like hotel rooms and restaurants to be small and the quarters to be tight. Unlike the US or other parts of the world, space is often limited in Europe and many buildings are very, very old. This is part of the charm and the experience.

• I am only the coordinator of the trip. I charge a fee to assist you and guide you in your travels. I am not responsible for, or liable for, your health, safety, lost or stolen property, etc.

Click here to sign up, get on my email list and/or contact me!

Also, be sure to Like Us on Facebook!

Beer MBA 2026 Seiffen & The Christmas Markets Origins Tour

25% Initial Pmt - Double Occ Rate $963.00 USD 25% Initial Pmt - Single Occ Rate $1,138.00 USD 75% Initial Pmt - Double Occ Rate $2,887.00 USD 75% Initial Pmt - Single Occ Rate $3,412.00 USD

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