Austria in Winter: Christmas Markets, Skiing and Lakes
In this Travel Kinship live Q&A, Viktor Hošek, founder of Dream Tours, shows travel professionals how to plan Austria this winter and in 2027: the Christmas markets of Vienna and Salzburg, four very different ski areas, the Salzburg lakes and the private, after hours experiences his team arranges, with Kelly Tolliday hosting.
What you will learn
Why Austria sits at the heart of most Central Europe trips, and how it compares with Switzerland
Winter beyond skiing: Christmas markets, the Krampus tradition and private festive experiences
Choosing a ski area for each client: Zillertal, Kitzbühel, Lech Zürs and Sölden
New for 2027: five senses tours combining sightseeing, a tasting and a short workshop
Longer stays by the lakes near Salzburg, Austrian wine and cycling along the Danube
Four family and mountain hotels outside Vienna and Salzburg
Private experiences, from Vienna’s palaces after hours to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg
Planning Austria: key questions answered
How do Vienna, Salzburg and the Alps fit into one trip?
Austria is compact. Vienna to Salzburg is about two and a half hours by train, and the mountains are an hour or an hour and a half from Salzburg, so clients can combine imperial cities with nature without long transfers.
Which Austrian ski area suits which client?
Zillertal offers a huge ski area and year round snow on the Hintertux Glacier; Kitzbühel combines skiing with lifestyle and the Hahnenkamm race; Lech Zürs is the most luxurious, with Swiss standard chalets; and Sölden adds glacier snow and James Bond history.
What can clients do in an Austrian winter if they do not ski?
Viktor builds winter around the Christmas markets of Vienna and Salzburg, the Krampus tradition and private experiences in the cities, then adds snow activities as clients wish.
Are the Austrian lakes worth a longer stay?
Yes. Viktor recommends three to five nights by a lake near Salzburg rather than a quick visit, with day trips around the Salzkammergut from a comfortable base.
What is new from Dream Tours for 2027?
Five senses tours in the capitals: sightseeing, a stop at a local bistro and a short hands on workshop, such as a silversmith, all in one tour.
Questions travel professionals asked Viktor
What private experiences can Dream Tours arrange?
In Vienna, hundreds of sites can be opened after hours, including the Belvedere, Schönbrunn Palace and Liechtenstein Palace, plus pre opera visits. From Salzburg, clients can see Berchtesgaden’s Second World War sites with access usually closed to the public, or take a helicopter to lunch or sunset on a mountain top.
Does Dream Tours arrange hiking?
Yes. Most clients choose guided day hikes around the lakes, and multi day hikes with luggage transfers are possible too.
How does Dream Tours work with travel professionals?
Ideally Dream Tours handles the whole trip, including hotels, so it can manage everything smoothly. Viktor is open to splitting hotel bookings, can offer Virtuoso amenities where hotels provide them, and offers 24/7 WhatsApp support on complex bookings.
Is there a minimum spend?
No. Viktor prefers to stay flexible and find a way to help with each request.
Can Dream Tours look after clients before or after a river cruise?
Yes. About one in five enquiries is for pre or post cruise stays, often starting in Budapest or picking up in Germany and continuing to Prague.
Should clients still visit Hallstatt?
It is less crowded than before 2019 and a private guide plans around the crowds, but a full day around the other Salzkammergut lakes and towns can be even more rewarding.
Is it too late to book the Christmas markets?
No. Even the days around Christmas can still be arranged, although guides and New Year capacity are tighter. The main markets stay open into early January; smaller ones usually close after Christmas Eve.
Which smaller towns have lovely Christmas markets?
The towns around the Salzburg lakes all have their own markets, Vienna has charming smaller markets beyond the main one, and Český Krumlov, just over the Czech border, is full of them.
About Dream Tours
Dream Tours is a boutique luxury destination management company founded by Viktor Hošek, based in Prague and operating across Central Europe. Travel Kinship represents Dream Tours to travel professionals. Discover Dream Tours or contact Travel Kinship for an introduction.
Full Transcript
Kelly: Let's start with a little introduction to Travel Kinship. I'm Kelly Tolliday, Managing Director of Travel Kinship. We're a global representation company specialising in some of the world's most boutique, locally run DMCs, across Europe, North, Central and South America, and Asia, and we also have a collection of unique nature based properties around the world. You can find all our DMCs and properties on our website. Today I'm joined by Viktor Hošek, founder of Dream Tours, which is based in Prague and operates across Central Europe. We're focusing on Austria: the festive season, Christmas markets, the ski season and what's coming up for spring and summer. If you have questions, write them in the questions box and we'll take them first come, first served. Viktor will start with an introduction to Dream Tours as your destination partner across Central Europe, then go deeper into Austria.
Viktor: Thank you, Kelly, for the introduction and for organising this, and thank you everyone for your time. I know it's the most valuable thing we all have, especially before the festive season. Let me dive into my slides. First, the territory we cover. Dream Tours is a boutique luxury DMC, and most of our clients come from the US, North America and Latin America. Almost everyone who comes to our region combines countries, so our goal is to provide the same level of experience everywhere, throughout the whole trip. You don't have to switch to a different DMC and a different provider for every country. What I'd love you to know is that you don't have to worry every day while your clients are travelling, because we cover all these destinations and you can leave your clients with us the whole time. Across the territory we focus on collecting exclusive and unusual experiences. We started years ago in Prague and in Vienna, collecting after hours visits and very tailor made experiences, and now we can offer them across the whole territory. Of course we also handle all the general requests. We are with your clients all the time. Our 24/7 WhatsApp support and the care we give clients during their trip is something we really rely on, and for me it's the most important thing we offer: your clients are in good hands the whole time they're travelling. But today we're here to talk about Austria. As you can see, the country is full of mountains, and I always compare it with Switzerland, which is very famous in Latin America and North America. I would say Austria has even more to offer, because here you have Vienna and Salzburg, two cities steeped in history. You don't just have nature and landscape; you can combine a historic trail and then go straight into nature, and it's all very compact. Vienna to Salzburg is two and a half hours by train, and from Salzburg the mountain areas are an hour or an hour and a half away. We can even organise a day trip from Vienna to Salzburg and back. I don't really recommend it, but it's doable. In terms of service, Austria is very good. Across our territory, Austria and the Czech Republic are where we can do the most exclusive things. There are the most places that can be privatised, where we have direct access, and the service is at the very best level, even compared with Germany or Switzerland. So I would say Austria is the leader of our territory, and almost all our clients cross Austria at some point, so it's very important for us. As Kelly said, we're here to talk about the winter season and then about 2027. In winter, Austria isn't just a ski destination; you can combine the cities and nature beautifully. In Central Europe the most important thing in the festive season is the Christmas markets, and the most famous are in Vienna and Salzburg. We always try to add other experiences to the itinerary too, something that belongs to the snow, or private visits while clients discover the cities and the markets. The Krampus tradition is very interesting, and it's coming up in November; we've already had three or four requests to be there. Even a ski holiday can be combined with the cities, because you always fly somewhere, usually Vienna or Munich as the closest airports, and then continue to the mountains. On skiing, I've chosen four ski areas, and each is a little different. My personal favourite, as a skier myself, is Zillertal, one of the largest ski areas, with the Hintertux Glacier at the end of the valley, so there's snow all year round. Even when other resorts can't offer good conditions, you can be sure you'll be able to ski there. Kitzbühel is the most famous, because of the Hahnenkamm race, one of the hardest downhills in the world, which gets the whole world's attention every year. The town of the same name is lovely, with very nice five star properties, and it's more of a lifestyle destination than a strictly skiing one. Lech and Zürs are very close to Switzerland, and they feel a little more Swiss than Austrian, full of chalets and luxury shops. They're for clients looking for Swiss standards of accommodation and chalets; elsewhere you rarely find really good chalets, but in Lech you can find perhaps fifteen of them. So the most luxurious area is definitely Lech Zürs. And Sölden is one of my favourites, because it's not just about winter but summer too. A James Bond film was shot there and there's a really nice exhibition at the top of the mountain. There's also a glacier, so there's snow all year, and in summer we organise trips there for clients who are very into James Bond. I have one more slide on Austria in 2027, because we've tried to come up with something extra for next year. In each core destination, in each capital, we'll add tours we call five senses tours. They'll include the sightseeing, but also a short workshop and a tasting of something nice. People ask for food tours, but nobody wants to eat all day, and sometimes a workshop is very long. So in each destination I'm putting together a combination: sightseeing, then a stop at a local bistro, then a silversmith's shop for a short workshop where you learn something directly, all in one tour. I hope this will bring attention to our services next year. The lakes are, I would say, the best part of the whole Central European region. I go to the Austrian lakes myself for a week every year, and there's now a really good range of lovely properties, so clients can stay longer. It's not just about going to see the places; you can stay close to Salzburg, for example, do lovely trips around the area and stay by the lake for three, four or five nights. Austria is also a wine country, which is very important to mention. And for active clients who'd like a really nice walk or a bike ride along the Danube, that's something to keep in mind. Lastly, these hotels are top of our list. Everyone knows the hotels in Salzburg and Vienna, but I want to mention these four for family stays and for staying close to the mountains, and each is different. Das Edelweiss is a big property with wonderful activities for children. Moar Gut is what they call a Bauernhof hotel; Bauer means farmer, so they have great farming activities for children, getting in touch with the animals and learning how a farm works, but at a five star level. Krallerhof has a beautiful spa, as you can see in the picture. And Rosewood has just taken over Schloss Fuschl, which is legendary and probably one of the best hotels in Austria, just outside Salzburg. That's the most luxurious version of a lake hotel. I know there will be questions, and I'm ready to answer them.
Kelly: Amazing, thank you so much, Viktor. If anyone has questions about Austria, put them in the question box at the top. Everyone listening will receive the recording and a PDF of the slides, so you'll have all this information. The first comment is some praise for Dream Tours: "I love Dream Tours. My clients travelled to Germany, Austria and Switzerland this past summer and had the best time. They raved about their guides and experiences." Thank you for that feedback. I can also personally say that previous clients of mine who travelled with Dream Tours had nothing but great things to say. Next question: can you give some examples of the special private experiences you can arrange for clients? I'm sure it's a wide range, depending on the season.
Viktor: Yes, depending on the season. The widest range is in Vienna, as the capital, where there are hundreds of sites that can be privatised after opening hours. Almost anywhere you can imagine can be opened after hours. The Belvedere with the Klimt paintings, or Schönbrunn Palace, are quite common requests. Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna can be yours alone with your guide, as if you have the keys. We also do pre opera visits in Vienna, and there are plenty of other things. I'd also mention Salzburg and Berchtesgaden, which is very famous. It's in a corner of Germany, but it almost belongs to Austria, because the tours there go from Salzburg. It's about 20 minutes from Salzburg, while from Munich it's two hours, so most people visit from Salzburg. It's a very important Second World War site, and we can give you access to places usually closed to the public, including the lift inside the rock, where you can see the machinery and go deep inside with your guide. Then there's the helicopter flight, but with lunch, or a sunset in summer, right at the top of the mountain before coming back. I know a helicopter can be done anywhere, but it depends on doing it smoothly with the right place to go, so it's not just point A to B but something special on the way. And as I mentioned, Sölden and James Bond: one client asked for something really tailor made around James Bond, so we're creating a whole trip with secret envelopes and surprises. He'd like to jump from a cliff, I mean paragliding, and he thinks it will come on the last day, but it will come the day before, because there will be a change. That's also part of our work. When someone asks for something special, it's more like creating an event. Even ordinary things, in the right order and with the right story around them, become extraordinary private experiences.
Kelly: Amazing, thank you. Do you offer hiking trips?
Viktor: Yes. People ask in two ways. We've done multi day hiking trips, which are definitely not for everyone, but most people ask for day hikes, which are very common. Multi day trips are doable too; we transfer the luggage, and once we did four days that finished with white water rafting, an adrenaline week in Austria. Usually, though, it's a day hike somewhere around the lakes with a guide, and that's a really lovely experience.
Kelly: Perfect. Next question: can you describe how you work? Do you only do full itineraries? Can you match or pass on Virtuoso amenities? Do you give a breakdown of pricing? Do you have a WhatsApp chat with clients? So maybe go through the process of working with Dream Tours, minimum spend and so on.
Viktor: The most important thing for us, and the core of our business, is that you trust us to handle the whole enquiry from the first point to the last, including the accommodation. Where hotels offer Virtuoso amenities, we can offer them as well. Sometimes we can even get a better price than the Virtuoso rate, so we can discuss what matters more to you or your clients, the amenities or the price. I understand that agents sometimes like to book hotels themselves, so there can be options where we do land services only. But I can tell you that right now we've had requests for four, five or six separate services over the New Year period, and I declined them, because in peak season I need to focus on the smoothest possible execution. We are not usually a DMC that offers just transfers or a single tour. The most important thing is that you give us the clients from beginning to end, so we're responsible for everything running smoothly. If you really want to book the hotels yourself, I'm always open to discussing it. If there are four hotels, you could book two and we could book two; there's always a way to find the right approach. Good relationships with the hotels in our territory also matter to us.
Kelly: And how do you manage client communication during the trip? Do you have a WhatsApp chat?
Viktor: Yes, WhatsApp. Since COVID it's become standard and all clients have their WhatsApp chat. We think it belongs to the clients for whom we handle all the services. If you just book us for two or three tours, it's not really for questions about the hotel. I don't have a strict rule written down, but I'd say it belongs to complex bookings.
Kelly: Do you have a minimum spend, or a per person per day figure for Austria? I guess it changes by season.
Viktor: Right now we don't have a minimum spend, because you never know how a request will go. I remember a request for a short stay in Prague with quite a small budget, and we said yes and did it. Three weeks later the same agent sent us a much bigger enquiry. That's why I'm always open to cooperating and finding a way, rather than setting a minimum.
Kelly: And can you work with a pre or post river cruise stay?
Viktor: That's about 20 percent of the enquiries we receive. This year was very different, because many sailings were cancelled due to the low river level, and twice we had booked a pre and post cruise stay and ended up arranging the whole trip by land instead. Usually it starts in Budapest, or there's a pick up in Germany and then on to Prague. I sometimes also suggest clients check how the tours and experiences on the cruise are run, because the level of service can be quite different from private touring. If clients want the cruise, of course they go, but it's a small piece of advice.
Kelly: What do you recommend for clients who want to go to Hallstatt? Is there an alternative that isn't as overcrowded?
Viktor: Luckily, since COVID it has never returned to how it was in 2019. Back then I told everyone not to go, because there were buses standing everywhere. There's even a replica of Hallstatt in China, so many visitors wanted to see the real one. Now it's not as crowded as it was. But if you only have one day, the whole area has so much to offer. You can go around the other lakes and spend more time in towns such as Wolfgangsee; there are maybe ten different stops. If someone really wants to see Hallstatt, our private guide does it a little differently, not just the main car park and the same tour as everyone else, so you're not with the crowds all the time. Still, you lose time you could spend discovering something more. You can easily lose two and a half hours of your private guide's time standing in the queue. I know it's iconic and worth seeing, and it's easy for me to say, having been six or seven times. But we can do a really lovely tour around the Salzkammergut lake district without Hallstatt and clients will be very happy with the programme.
Kelly: Switching to Christmas markets and the festive season: is it too late to book?
Viktor: I don't know why everyone was sleeping in July and August, because September and the beginning of October were our busiest in maybe ten years. The trend is to do everything last minute. But it's still worth it, and there's still time to organise everything. Capacity around New Year can be complicated, and if you want one particular small hotel it may be difficult, but in general, even on the 24th or 25th of December, it's fine. The hotels aren't full and the experiences can still be done; it can just be harder to allocate guides everywhere. Last year our biggest booking of the whole year came in on the 15th of November for the 23rd of December to the end of the year, and we organised it within a month. So it's never too late. The main Christmas markets stay open until the end of the year or early January, while the small ones usually close after Christmas Eve. So from the end of November until Christmas Eve is the time for the Christmas markets, the best atmosphere and all the concerts. Then it becomes more about celebrating, and the markets quieten down between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Kelly: Are there any unique towns or villages beyond Vienna and Salzburg that give a really special experience of the festive season and Christmas markets?
Viktor: I know we're talking about Austria, but the Christmas markets are big across the whole region, and the Czech Republic and Germany have a lot to offer too. Český Krumlov, right on the border between the Czech Republic and Austria, is a UNESCO World Heritage town surrounded by the river, with the castle on top, and it's full of lovely markets, not one big one but markets everywhere and a wonderful atmosphere. Some of these smaller towns have more charm than the crowded ones. That said, I was in Vienna last year, and as well as the big market in front of the city hall there are smaller ones, with real animals and everything, and they were lovely. So even in Vienna there are markets and a festive atmosphere well worth visiting. Almost every small town has its own market. The smaller towns near Salzburg and in the lake district all have their own Christmas markets and are decorated for Christmas, so it's worth doing a full day tour around the lakes and visiting several towns on the way. I wouldn't say one is the best; they all have something to offer.
Kelly: Amazing. I think that's it for questions.
