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Dresden
Christmas activities

Christmas activities

Our most recommended Dresden Christmas activities

Dresden: Semperoper Tickets and Guided Tour

1. Dresden: Semperoper Tickets and Guided Tour

Visit the Semperoper in Dresden with its long history and elegant architecture. Embark on a guided tour through this historic opera and uncover the prestige and history behind each turn. Begin at the beautiful Semperoper in Dresden and admire the magnificent architecture in the style of the Italian Renaissance. Explore ornate rooms, reconstructed in the original style. Discover the great acoustics in the elaborate auditorium and learn about the rich history of this grand building. Experience the atmosphere in one of the most beautiful and prestigious opera houses in the world, a truly unforgettable experience.

Hamburg: 1-Hour XL Port of Hamburg Cruise Tour

2. Hamburg: 1-Hour XL Port of Hamburg Cruise Tour

Discover Hamburg on a harbor cruise and admire views of the warehouse district and HafenCity. See the city with the most bridges in Europe, with approximately 2,400 structures over water, canals, channels, and docks. Climb aboard the boat and discover the many different attractions and sights in the city, depending on the tides and the day's events. Explore the historical Speicherstadt (warehouse district) with its canals, the modern HafenCity, the numerous bridges over the Elbe River, busy locks and container terminals, the Köhlbrand Bridge, and much more. Along the way, learn more about the city, its history, the incoming and outgoing ships, and anything else that interests you. Sit back and admire the views of the city on the sun deck or in the air-conditioned lounge with large panoramic windows.

Dresden: River Sightseeing Boat Cruise

3. Dresden: River Sightseeing Boat Cruise

Discover Dresden's charm and history on a boat cruise down the Elbe River. See the Elbe Valley's most beautiful landmarks and the historic old town of Dresden on this sightseeing boat cruise. Begin at the Terrassenufer and discover the three Elbe palaces: Albrechtsberg Palace, Eckberg Palace, and the Lingner Palace. Travel to the Loschwitz Villa Quarter and pass four of the famous Elbe Bridges, including Loschwitz Bridge, affectionately known as the "Blue Wonder".

Dresden: The Original Night Watchman Tour in Lantern Light

4. Dresden: The Original Night Watchman Tour in Lantern Light

Explore the beautiful Old Town of Dresden with a historical night watchman. Sip on Schlummertrunk, a small alcoholic drink before visiting the main highlights like Semper Opera House, Dresden Frauenkirche, and more. Begin your tour with rings of the watchman’s horn in narrow alleys, and the light of his lantern which penetrates the darkness. With his halberd, he protects the honorable citizens from vagabonds and shady characters even in the darkest corners. Look forward to an entertaining tour with spooky stories and juicy anecdotes from centuries past. Furthermore, take a look at the beautiful sights of the city. See the Semper Opera House and the famous Zwinger, walk over the palace square, and get a glimpse of the Brühlschen Terrassen.

Dresden: Tour of VW's Transparent Factory

5. Dresden: Tour of VW's Transparent Factory

Look forward to an insight into our production and world of experience! When was the first electric Volkswagen built? How far can you go with one charge? And how many production steps does it actually take to complete an electric car? You will get answers to your questions in our 45-minute overview tour from an expert guide.

Dresden: Zwinger Museum Entry Ticket

6. Dresden: Zwinger Museum Entry Ticket

Pre-book your entry ticket to the Zwinger in Dresden and gain access to the Zwinger’s Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Sculpture Collection, the Porcelain Collection, and the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments. Explore Dresden Zwinger’s various galleries and collections and marvel at an ensemble of gardens and a fountain, considered one of Germany’s most important Baroque architectures. The name Zwinger refers to the original position of the complex, between the inner and outer fortress wall.

Dresden: Elbe River Cruise to Pillnitz Castle

7. Dresden: Elbe River Cruise to Pillnitz Castle

Discover the historic old town of Dresden aboard a ship and admire the most beautiful sites of the Elbe Valley. Start off at Terrassenufer and see the three famous castles: Albrechtsberg, Eckberg, and Lingner Castle, along the Elbe on the way to the villa quarter Loschwitz. Pass the 4 famous Elbe bridges, whose histories affect the city up until now. The most memorable bridge is called Blue Wonder, which gets its name because of the color. Soak up the views of the impressive Pillnitz Palace as your boat drops anchor for roughly twenty minutes. It was built in the 18th century under the Elector of Saxony August the Strong and is now the site of the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Arts and Crafts) as well as the Schlossmuseum (Castle Museum).

Dresden: 1-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour

8. Dresden: 1-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour

Experience Dresden, the capital of the beautiful state of Saxony, on a double-decker bus and get off as often as you like at any of the 22 stops to see the sights there. Take advantage of several activities included with your ticket, such as an evening cruise, a night watchman tour, or a children's city tour, as well as entrance fees to various monuments. Begin your journey at the main Postplatz/Zwinger stop or any of the other stops. Decide for yourself whether you would like to take part in a continuous 90-minute city tour past Dresden's most important monuments, or choose to hop off the bus at any point of interest and take a closer look at the respective attraction or monument. Visit the world's most beautiful dairy shop, Pfunds Dairy. Continue to enjoy a guided tour of the Dresden Zwinger, a baroque building complex with gardens that was one of the most important buildings of its time. Another highlight of your excursion is the visit to the Fürstenzug, a monumental image of a cavalcade on 23,000 ceramic tiles considered the largest porcelain image in the world. What's more, listen to interesting explanations about the famous Dresden Frauenkirche, which you will get to know during an outdoor tour. On sunny days, enjoy impressive views of historic Dresden and the Elbe from the open roof of the bus, a perfect position for taking dreamy souvenir photos.

Dresden: Church of Our Lady Guided Tour of Gallery

9. Dresden: Church of Our Lady Guided Tour of Gallery

After meeting your guide in front of the Church of Our Lady, or the Frauenkirche, you’ll head right into the marvelous structure for a thorough tour. After being all but completely destroyed by bombing during World War II, the ruins of the church were left standing for decades. However, after the reunification of Germany, an ambitious campaign was mounted to reconstruct it. After over a decade of construction based on George Bähr’s original plans from the 1720s, the Church of Our Lady was restored to its former glory in 2005. Ever since, its ornate interior and expansive cupola have beckoned visitors to see its glorious tale of rebirth. During your tour, you’ll gain exclusive access to the church’s gallery, and pick up countless insights into the structure that stands representative of Dresden’s progress as a whole.

Royal Castle Dresden: General Admission Ticket

10. Royal Castle Dresden: General Admission Ticket

Pre-book your admission ticket to Residenzschloss, also known as the Dresden Castle or Royal Palace, and get to know this historic site. Enrich your experience with a complimentary audio guide to help you understand the German history behind the castle. With a single ticket, gain access to Residenzschloss’ Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault), the Turkish Chamber, the Renaissance Wing, and the Armory. Entry to the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) is not included. Further explore publicly accessible places such as the extensive art library, various lecture and study halls, as well as the tower known as the Hausmannsturm (available in the summer months), which affords visitors who climb its 327 steps a spectacular view of Dresden.

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Frequently asked questions about Dresden Christmas activities

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Other Sightseeing Options in Dresden

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What people are saying about Dresden

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 52 reviews

Wonderful tour that gave us a different view of Dresden. Our guide Laura patiently answered our many questions about Dresden's eventful history and took time for everything - including a mulled wine at the Christmas market :-)! It was also great that the tour went ahead even though only my partner and I had signed up. So we practically got a private tour through the old Dresden, including lots of suggestions as to what we should see in the following days! So, anytime again!

The light installations were beautiful with different music along the way. We had read that the gardens could be very busy but at 5pm on a Wednesday in December it was relatively empty. Towards the end a number of groups arrived but we weren’t hampered by them at all. The refreshment stalls halfway around the route became busy but we waited until the end and didn’t need to queue. An excellent evening.

Laura was a super interesting guide, inspite of the cold weather, she kept us engaged throughout the tour and 2 hours just flew past. The tour provides a nice overview Dresden and it's history and is a great place to start for first time visitors. In terms of Christmas, much of the tour walks through or close to some of the Christmas markets, you could easily grab a cup of glühwein to go along. :)

Get a lot of interesting information about Dresden. Very personable guide! I didn't find the tasting in the basement of a passage quite as stylish and the mulled wine was also a little different. I might have wished for that at a stand at one of the markets. But it didn't hurt the lead in the end.

If you are Dresden during Christmas time. This is a must see. You can walk around with mulled wine and food and it’s all at a good price.