Europe festival tours
Europe, we get it. You’re good at stuff. You’re good at art and wine, beaches and mountains. You have some rather lovely buildings and you make a mean spaghetti carbonara. Unsurprisingly, you’re also great at festivals, many of which revolve around food – tomatoes and cheese, gelato and white truffles – and we’re not complaining. Whether you’re here for the beer, the cheer or you just want to visit Dracula’s castle on the eve of Halloween, we’re your entry to the Old Continent’s best celebrations. And when December rolls around, there’s no more festive place to be than a snowy German Christmas Market. Fact.
Europe festival highlights
Halloween, Transylvania
Multiple countries celebrate the spooky traditions of Halloween, but none do it better than Romania – the birthplace of Count Dracula. Listen to mythical legends about werewolves, vampires, and curses you can’t get rid of while visiting haunted castles steeped in centuries of eerie history and join your fellow travellers for a spine-tingling Halloween party like no other.
Christmas markets, Europe
No one does Christmas quite like the Europeans, so when time continues to tick closer to December 25th, there’s no better place to be than the festive stalls of Central Europe’s Christmas markets. From listening to traditional songs in Munich and looking over trinkets in Vienna to sipping on forralt bor (boiled wine) in Budapest, you’ll be wrapped up in the magic of the silly season in no time.
ANZAC day service, Turkey
Marking the day Allied troops from Australia and New Zealand landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April during World War 1, the ANZAC Day dawn service allows each attendee the time to pay their respects to the soldiers who fought and reflect on their greatest sacrifice for their country. As part of this unique commemoration, wander ANZAC Cove, walk through the trenches and listen to tales of bravery and camaraderie.
La Tomatina, Spain
With origins dating back to 1945, La Tomatina is a tomato-throwing festival (yes, you read that right) with approximately 20,000 people joining the crazy and memorable food fight every year in Bunol, Spain. Participate in this crazy celebration in honour of the city’s patron saint, and quite literally paint the town red while making memories to last you a lifetime. P.S. You may never look at a tomato the same way again.
Carnival of Venice, Italy
Picture this: packed streets full of mysterious figures wearing ornately decorated masks, merry-makers calling out to one another from street-side café tables, boats whizzing through canals ferrying partygoers to the next hotspot - it’s February, and you’re in the middle of the Carnival of Venice. From dancing in the street to feasting on traditional Italian food, this crazy celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you don’t want to miss.
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Carla · Traveled December 2023
Our group leader, Lilla, provided us with a memorable trip, imparted so much knowledge about each beautiful city we visited, and fostered relationships between tour participants in a fun and easy manner.
Review submitted 26 Dec 2023
Johanna · Traveled December 2023
This is a great tour for an intro to Europe around Christmas. The groups are small and the guide Lila was wonderful. It strikes the perfect balance between guided and self exploration of the cities you go through. Highly recommend.
Review submitted 01 Apr 2024
Terri · Traveled December 2023
This trip was a magical experience that is a must do for anyone who wants to experiment the Christmas spirit the Eastern European way. This trip was well organized with enough free time to allow you to do whatever you pleased in the cities. Our lead Dani did an excellent job about keeping our group together and informed of the daily activities. Or things to do in our down time. Our group was a fabulous bunch of individuals that started out a strangers in the beginning, and ended as life long friends.
Review submitted 01 Jan 2024
Joanne · Traveled December 2023
This Intrepid tour of the iconic Christmas places in Germany, Austria and Hungary was top notch, supported by a very efficient local Tour Leader who provided excellent recommendations for local eating places and attractions. The Intrepid approach and style of touring is authentic and responsible - exploring by train, public transport and walking tours is a fantastic way to experience new places, and see all the historical “picture postcard” sites and become immersed in the local culture - and the Christmas Markets are just magical!
definitely recommend
Review submitted 17 Dec 2023
Anne · Traveled December 2023
This was my first Intrepid trip and I would highly recommend. Excellent leader, well organised and a lovely group of like minded people
Review submitted 09 Dec 2023