The Midwest's European Christmas markets, an 11-day road trip

Sample itinerary. This plan shows the format and level of detail of a VanSledright Travel itinerary. Market dates, opening hours, prices and ticket rules change every year, so confirm the details with each organizer before you book. Each day ends with a breakfast, lunch and dinner pick near that day’s stops; price levels run from $ (inexpensive) to $$$$ (a splurge), and restaurants change too, so check before you go.

This route follows the ten stops of the Midwest’s European Christmas villages and markets, in the order that fits the 2026 market calendar. For a shorter holiday trip to one city, see our Christmas weekend in Chicago.

Where should you stay on a Midwest Christmas market road trip?

Plan ten nights in nine places, and book each night ahead. The bases, in order:

• St. Paul, downtown or Lowertown, walking distance from Union Depot (1 night).
• Des Moines, downtown near Court Avenue (1 night).
• The Amana Colonies, at an inn in one of the seven villages (1 night).
• New Glarus, at a Swiss-style inn (1 night).
• The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, where the market is held (1 night).
• Chicago, in the Loop (2 nights).
• Holland, downtown near 8th Street (1 night).
• Frankenmuth, at the Bavarian Inn Lodge or nearby (2 nights).

The last night is in Columbus, in or near German Village.

How do you get around on this road trip?

Drive. The route runs about 1,500 miles over 11 days, and only Chicago works without a car: park at the hotel and use the CTA trains, paying with a contactless card or phone. Most drives are two to three hours; the longest are St. Paul to Des Moines and Frankenmuth to Columbus, about four hours each.

Fly into Minneapolis–Saint Paul (MSP) and out of Columbus (CMH). A one-way rental usually carries a drop fee, so compare it with a round trip. December weather in the Upper Midwest can bring snow and ice, so leave room in each day and check road conditions before you set off. You cross from Central to Eastern time on day 8.

What does the route look like, day by day?

The route covers six states in 11 days. Drive times are approximate and don’t include stops, traffic or winter weather.

Day 1: St. Paul’s European Christmas Market

Morning. Arrive at MSP and pick up the car. It is about 15 minutes to downtown St. Paul. Check in, then walk Rice Park, where the Saint Paul Hotel, the Landmark Center and the Central Library face a small square that is lit for the holidays.

Afternoon. Walk down to the Mississippi riverfront and across to Lowertown, the old warehouse district around Union Depot, the restored 1920s railroad station.

Evening. The European Christmas Market opens at 3pm on Fridays on the Union Depot East Plaza, with wooden stalls selling ornaments, woolens and candles, and food stands for bratwurst, raclette and mulled wine. It is open until 9pm and entry is free. In 2026 it runs Friday to Sunday only, on five weekends from November 20 to December 20.

Where to eat on day 1

• Breakfast: Mickey’s Diner (downtown St. Paul, $). A 1939 railroad dining car on West Seventh Street, a short walk from Rice Park. Check the hours before you go.
• Lunch: Cossetta (West Seventh, $). An Italian market and eatery run by the same family since 1911, a few minutes from downtown. Order at the counter.
• Dinner: The St. Paul Grill (downtown St. Paul, $$$). A classic grill in the 1910 Saint Paul Hotel on Rice Park. Eat early and walk to the market afterward, or book a late table. Reserve in December.

Day 2: Christkindlmarket Des Moines

Morning. Leave St. Paul early and drive south on I-35 to Des Moines, about 245 miles and four hours.

Afternoon. Check in downtown, then walk to Principal Park, the minor-league ballpark at the edge of downtown, where Christkindlmarket Des Moines fills the grounds with German-style stalls, food and warm drinks. It is open 11am to 9pm on Saturdays and free to enter. In 2026 it runs only on the first two December weekends, Thursday to Sunday, December 3 to 6 and 10 to 13.

Evening. Go back to the market after dark, when the lights are on, then have dinner on Court Avenue, a short walk away.

Where to eat on day 2

• Breakfast: The Buttered Tin (Lowertown, St. Paul, $). A bakery and brunch cafe open since 2011, near Union Depot. It opens at 7am, so you can eat before the drive. Expect a line on weekends.
• Lunch: Hessen Haus (downtown Des Moines, $$). A German beer hall in a restored railroad depot on SW Fourth Street, a few blocks from Principal Park.
• Dinner: Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing (Court Avenue, $$). A brewpub open since 1996 in the downtown entertainment district, a short walk from the market.

Day 3: The Amana Colonies

Morning. Drive east on I-80 to the Amana Colonies, about 110 miles and under two hours. The seven villages were founded in the 1850s by German settlers who lived communally until 1932, and the main village, Amana, still has its brick and stone shops, a woolen mill and a furniture shop.

Afternoon. In 2026 the Amana Colonies hold Prelude to Christmas, a weekend of holiday events across the villages, on December 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 20. The Tannenbaum Forest, a barn full of decorated trees at the Festhalle Barn in Amana, runs Friday to Sunday from November 27 to December 20, for a free-will donation. The barn isn’t heated, so keep your coat on.

Evening. Have an early family-style German dinner in Amana and stay in the villages.

Where to eat on day 3

• Breakfast: Drake Diner (Drake neighborhood, Des Moines, $). A diner open since 1987 that serves breakfast all day, about two miles from downtown on your way to I-80.
• Lunch: Ox Yoke Inn (Amana, $$). A family-style German restaurant open since 1940. In winter it serves a Sunday brunch until 2pm, so time the drive for it.
• Dinner: Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, $$). Family-style German food in a former communal kitchen, a restaurant since 1950. It closes at 6pm on Sundays, so eat early.

Day 4: Across the Mississippi to New Glarus

Morning. Drive northeast through Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, crossing the Mississippi into Wisconsin, to New Glarus, about 190 miles and three and a half hours. The town was settled in 1845 by emigrants from the Swiss canton of Glarus, and its downtown still has chalet-style buildings, Swiss flags and carved signs.

Afternoon. Walk the few blocks of downtown, with its Swiss gift shops, cheese and sausage shops and the bakery. New Glarus holds its own Christkindli Market on one weekend, in 2026 the weekend of December 4 to 6. On this route you arrive just after it, so if you would rather see it, start the trip a week earlier and skip a stop.

Evening. Have a Swiss dinner and stay at the Chalet Landhaus, an inn on the edge of town.

Where to eat on day 4

• Breakfast: Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, $$). It opens at 8am, so you can have breakfast before the drive. It is closed on Tuesdays.
• Lunch: New Glarus Bakery (downtown New Glarus, $). A Swiss bakery since 1910, open daily until 5pm. Try a pastry and pick up holiday stollen for the road. The Swiss restaurant Glarner Stube is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Dinner: Chalet Landhaus Restaurant (New Glarus, $$). Swiss dishes in the inn’s chalet dining room. Dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 4:30pm; book ahead.

Day 5: New Glarus Brewing and the Osthoff’s Old World Christmas Market

Morning. New Glarus Brewing’s gift shop, tasting room and self-guided tour at the Hilltop brewery open at 10am, Tuesday to Saturday. Pick up beer that is sold only in Wisconsin, then drive northeast to Elkhart Lake, about 140 miles and two and a half hours.

Afternoon. The Old World Christmas Market at The Osthoff Resort, on the shore of Elkhart Lake, has vendors selling European crafts, ornaments and food, plus German music. In 2026 it runs daily from December 4 to 13, 10am to 5pm. Tickets are $8 per adult, and children 14 and under get in free with an adult.

Evening. Stay at the Osthoff and have dinner at the resort.

Where to eat on day 5

• Breakfast: Chalet Landhaus Restaurant (New Glarus, $$). Breakfast is served daily from 7am to 10am at the inn.
• Lunch: Otto’s (The Osthoff Resort, $$). The resort’s casual restaurant serves lunch until 3pm, so you can eat as soon as you arrive and go straight into the market.
• Dinner: Concourse Restaurant & Lounge (The Osthoff Resort, $$$). The resort’s lakefront restaurant, open from 4pm. Book ahead, because it is busy during the market.

Day 6: Milwaukee and Christkindlmarket Chicago

Morning. Drive south to Milwaukee, about an hour. Old World Third Street, at the north end of downtown, has the city’s best-known German restaurant and beer hall.

Afternoon. After lunch, drive to Chicago, about 90 miles. Allow two hours, and more at rush hour. Check in to a Loop hotel and leave the car parked for two days.

Evening. Walk to Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, Chicago’s German Christmas market, open daily in 2026 from November 20 to December 24, until 8pm on weekdays. Look for the yearly souvenir mug for the mulled wine. The city Christmas tree and the ice rink in Millennium Park are a ten-minute walk away.

Where to eat on day 6

• Breakfast: Otto’s (The Osthoff Resort, $$). Breakfast is served from 7am to 11am, before the drive south.
• Lunch: Mader’s (Old World Third Street, Milwaukee, $$$). A German restaurant open since 1902, filled with steins and suits of armor. It opens at 11:30am; book in December.
• Dinner: The Berghoff (the Loop, $$). A German restaurant on Adams Street since 1898, a few minutes’ walk from Daley Plaza. It closes at 8pm, so go before the market.

Day 7: Lincoln Square and Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville

Morning. Take the Brown Line north to Western, in Lincoln Square, Chicago’s old German neighborhood. Walk Lincoln Avenue, with its German deli, bakeries and the Maypole on the square.

Afternoon. Christkindlmarket has a second market at Gallagher Way, beside Wrigley Field. In 2026 it is open daily from November 20 to December 31, except Christmas Day, from 3pm to 9pm on weekdays. It is smaller than Daley Plaza, with views of the ballpark.

Evening. Have dinner at a German tavern in North Center, between Lincoln Square and Wrigleyville, then take the train back to the Loop.

Where to eat on day 7

• Breakfast: Ann Sather (Lakeview, $). Swedish pancakes and cinnamon rolls, served since 1945. Go to the Broadway restaurant; the Belmont flagship is closing. Check the hours before you go.
• Lunch: Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen (Lincoln Square, $). A European deli and market with sausages, cheeses and breads. Buy a carry-out lunch to eat on the way to Wrigleyville.
• Dinner: Resi’s Bierstube (North Center, $$). A German bierstube on Irving Park Road, with schnitzel, sausages and German beer. It opens in the afternoon; check the hours.

Day 8: Holland’s Kerstmarkt

Morning. Drive east around the bottom of Lake Michigan to Holland, Michigan, about 150 miles and two and a half hours. Michigan is on Eastern time, so you lose an hour.

Afternoon. Holland was founded by Dutch settlers in 1847. Drive to Windmill Island Gardens to see De Zwaan, a working windmill brought from the Netherlands in 1964. In winter you see it from the outside only. Then walk 8th Street, the main shopping street.

Evening. The Kerstmarkt, Holland’s Dutch Christmas market, is held at the 8th Street Marketplace. In 2026 it is open on Fridays from 3pm to 7pm and Saturdays from 9am to 7pm, on five weekends from November 20 to December 19.

Where to eat on day 8

• Breakfast: Lou Mitchell’s (West Loop, Chicago, $). A diner open since 1923, near the expressway out of the city. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; no reservations.
• Lunch: New Holland Brewing (8th Street, Holland, $$). The brewery’s downtown brewpub, open from 11am.
• Dinner: Butch’s Dry Dock (8th Street, Holland, $$$). A downtown restaurant run by the same owner for over 25 years, a short walk from the Kerstmarkt. Dinner from 5pm, Monday to Saturday; reservations recommended.

Day 9: Grand Rapids and ENLIGHTEN

Morning. Go back to the Kerstmarkt when it opens at 9am, then drive to Grand Rapids, about 30 miles and 40 minutes.

Afternoon. The Grand Rapids Christkindl Markt is held at the Downtown Market on Ionia Avenue. In 2026 it is open Wednesday to Sunday from November 18 to December 24, and from 10am to 9pm on Saturdays.

Evening. Drive about 15 minutes east to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for ENLIGHTEN, a light show through the gardens that runs from November 23 to January 10. Tickets are timed, about $32 for an adult, and the ticket also covers the indoor Christmas and Holiday Traditions exhibit. Book ahead. Then drive two hours to Frankenmuth, or stay in Grand Rapids and drive in the morning.

Where to eat on day 9

• Breakfast: deBoer Bakkerij (Holland, $). A Dutch bakery and restaurant, family-run since 1956, for Dutch pancakes and pastries. It is outside downtown, so drive over first. Check the hours.
• Lunch: Founders Brewing (downtown Grand Rapids, $$). The brewery’s taproom, open from 11am, a few minutes’ drive from the Downtown Market.
• Dinner: Bistro Bella Vita (downtown Grand Rapids, $$$). A Mediterranean restaurant downtown, open from 4pm on Saturdays. Eat before your ENLIGHTEN time slot, and book ahead.

Day 10: Frankenmuth

Morning. Frankenmuth was settled by Bavarian Lutherans in 1845 and calls itself Michigan’s Little Bavaria. Walk Main Street, with its half-timbered buildings and the Bavarian Inn’s Glockenspiel tower, and cross the Holz-Brücke, a wooden covered bridge over the Cass River.

Afternoon. Visit Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland on the south edge of town, a Christmas store about the size of five football fields. It opens at noon on Sundays and closes at 6pm. Give it at least two hours.

Evening. Have a family-style chicken dinner, the meal Frankenmuth is known for, then walk Main Street under the lights.

Where to eat on day 10

• Breakfast: Anna’s House (East Beltline, Grand Rapids, $). A local breakfast chain, near the highway to Frankenmuth. Check the hours.
• Lunch: Zehnder’s (Main Street, Frankenmuth, $$). Meals have been served on this site since 1856. Known for family-style chicken dinners; book ahead in December.
• Dinner: Bavarian Inn Restaurant (Main Street, Frankenmuth, $$). Family-style chicken and German dishes across the street from Zehnder’s. Open until 8:30pm on Sundays; book ahead.

Day 11: Columbus, German Village and Wildlights

Morning. Drive south to Columbus, Ohio, about 250 miles and four hours.

Afternoon. Check in, then walk German Village, a neighborhood of 19th-century brick houses and brick streets just south of downtown, built by German immigrants. Its holiday evening, Village Lights, falls on one Sunday in early December, in 2026 on December 6, so this route misses it.

Evening. Drive about 30 minutes north to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for Wildlights, the zoo’s holiday light show, which runs from November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, from 5pm to 9pm on weeknights. Entry is included with zoo admission; buy tickets online ahead. Fly home from Columbus (CMH) the next day.

Where to eat on day 11

• Breakfast: Oma’s Restaurant (Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth, $$). The lodge’s restaurant, with German dishes on its breakfast menu. Check the hours.
• Lunch: Katzinger’s Delicatessen (German Village, $$). A deli open since 1984 on South Third Street, open daily from 10am to 6pm.
• Dinner: Schmidt’s Sausage Haus (German Village, $$). A family business since 1886, known for its Bahama Mama sausage and giant cream puffs. No reservations, so eat before Wildlights.

When is the best time for a Midwest Christmas market road trip?

The first half of December. Most of these markets open the weekend before Thanksgiving and close by Christmas, but the ones that run only on weekends, or only on a few dates, decide the route. In 2026 Des Moines runs only from December 3 to 13, and the Osthoff’s market runs from December 4 to 13. Starting St. Paul on Friday, December 4 is the only way to reach both, along with every weekend-only market, in one trip.

A trip that starts a week earlier, on Friday, November 27, reaches St. Paul, Amana, Chicago, Holland, Grand Rapids and Frankenmuth, but misses Des Moines and the Osthoff. Frankenmuth’s own Christmas season starts with a tree lighting on November 27.

What should you book ahead for this trip?

Book these before you go:

• Every night’s room, especially Frankenmuth and the Osthoff, which fill on December weekends.
• A one-way rental car from MSP to CMH, if you aren’t driving your own.
• ENLIGHTEN tickets at Frederik Meijer Gardens, for a specific time slot.
• Wildlights tickets at the Columbus Zoo, bought online.
• Dinner at The St. Paul Grill, Chalet Landhaus, the Osthoff’s Concourse, Mader’s, The Berghoff, Butch’s Dry Dock and the Frankenmuth restaurants.
• Parking at Union Depot in St. Paul, which the market suggests reserving.

Apart from the Osthoff’s $8 ticket, the markets in this plan are free to walk into or ask only for a donation.

Want a Christmas market trip built for your dates?

This sample is written for two adults with a car, timed to the 2026 market calendar. A custom plan starts from your own dates, budget and interests: one half of the route, a family with children, fewer hours in the car, or the markets that fall on the weekends you have free.

A custom itinerary for a trip of 8 to 14 days is $249. Send your details through the form below and we’ll confirm the plan and the price by email before you pay anything. See pricing for shorter trips.