Nuremberg Old Town Walking Tour

From the Square to the River Lane

The walk starts on the Hauptmarkt, where the Frauenkirche at Hauptmarkt 14 stands. The church was built in the mid-14th century on Charles IV's order. Its Männleinlaufen clock runs daily at noon: bells, trombones, drums and pipes sound, then the seven electors march past Emperor Charles IV. The clock dates from 1509, and one reviewer praised a guide who timed the walk to arrive for the show. If you can book a slot shortly before noon, you will catch it from the square.

From the Hauptmarkt the listed stops continue to the Old City Hall and St. Sebaldus Church, then Tiergärtnertorplatz, Albrecht Dürer's House and Weissgerbergasse. The Imperial Castle sits above Tiergärtnertorplatz, and you see it from outside on this tour. No entry fees are stated for this tour.

Inside Versus Outside

No entry fees are stated as part of this tour. If you want a guided visit that goes uphill into the castle, the Castle Tour with Lebkuchen Tasting is the add-on that covers it.

Kaiserburg Hours and Tickets

The Imperial Castle runs winter hours from October to March, daily 10:00-16:00, with last entry about 60 minutes before closing. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, so it does not compete with your market days at the end of the season. Tickets are $11.13 (€10) full and $10.02 (€9) reduced, the Palas and museum are $7.79 (€7) or $6.68 (€6), and the Deep Well and Sinwell Tower are $4.45 (€4) or $3.34 (€3).

Under-18s enter free, and an audio guide costs $2.23 (€2).

• Full ticket: $11.13 (€10), reduced $10.02 (€9)
• Palas and museum: $7.79 (€7), reduced $6.68 (€6)
• Deep Well and Sinwell Tower: $4.45 (€4), reduced $3.34 (€3)
• Under 18 free, audio guide $2.23 (€2)

What to Skip When Daylight Is Short

The castle gardens are closed 2 November to 25 March, so do not plan on them in winter. With the castle closing at 16:00 and the market running to 21:00, the sensible order is castle or museum first, old town walk in between, market last. No entry fees are stated for the tour itself.

Included and Not Included

The listing lists both "Food and drinks" and "Tips" under Includes, but these are the excluded items on this platform, not freebies. The tour page itself states that food and drinks are not included and that the included items are the 1.5-hour public walking tour and a German- or English-speaking guide. Treat food, drinks and tips as paid on top.

Only the walk and the guide are included. Check the booking page before you book if this matters to you.

What to Budget on Top

Stall prices are not published, so budget on the spot. Bring cash, with a card as backup since some stalls accept cards. The Christkindlesmarkt-Taler is a $5.57 (€5) token accepted at Hauptmarkt stalls and the side markets.

If you want a tour where tastings are part of the ticket, the Castle Tour with Lebkuchen Tasting includes gingerbread for $77.

Dates and the Meeting Point in December

The tour runs year-round. If you come during the Christkindlesmarkt, the square is busy and the Tourist Information sits inside the market area, so allow extra minutes to find it. Last season the Tourist Information at Hauptmarkt 18 kept counter hours of Sun-Thu 9:30-17:00 and Fri-Sat 9:30-19:00.

This season's hours are not published, and the listing gives no start time. Dress for the cold, because the whole 1.5 hours is outdoors, and December in Nuremberg averages a mean of 0.6 C with lows around -2.4 C.

Money at the Stalls

Cash and card are both accepted at the market. A single reusable mug system with a deposit applies at every hot-drink stand, and you can keep the mug as a souvenir by forgoing the deposit. The deposit amount is not published, so ask at the stand.

The Christkindlesmarkt-Taler, worth $5.57 (€5), is accepted at Hauptmarkt stalls, the Market of the Sister Cities, the Children's Christmas and Original Regional. Tips for your guide are not included in the $18 price.

Getting There and Access Rules

U1 Lorenzkirche is under 5 minutes' walk from the Hauptmarkt, and the Hauptbahnhof is 15-20 minutes on foot. Buses 36 to Hauptmarkt and 37, 46, 47 to Rathaus also stop close by. A VGN single ticket Preisstufe A costs $4.34 (€3.90) and is valid 90 minutes.

Bring comfortable shoes, since the listing asks for nothing else. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, visually impaired people or hearing-impaired people. The listing states no minimum age.

Meeting Point

Meet in front of the Tourist Information at Hauptmarkt 18, 90403 Nürnberg. The listing repeats the address. In December the square is full of market stalls, so allow a few extra minutes to find the office.

Arrive a few minutes early, and note that the minimum is 2 participants with a refund guaranteed if it is not met.

The Route

The guide leads you through the streets of the old town, covering its history as a former imperial palace city and trading centre. Stops are guided sightseeing, not interior visits. Itineraries are subject to change, the operator says.

End Point and Pace

The listing does not state an end point or a return time. One reviewer describes the walk as non-strenuous, and the only thing the listing asks you to bring is comfortable shoes. Bring them.

Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt

The Christkindlesmarkt runs 27 November to 24 December, daily 10:00-21:00, with 24 December closing early at 14:00. It fills the Hauptmarkt with around 170-180 wooden stalls, with more stalls toward the Rathausplatz and at the Lorenzkirche. The Market of the Sister Cities on Rathausplatz and Original Regional by the Sebalduskirche both end on 23 December, so both close a day before the main market. The Children's Christmas on Hans-Sachs-Platz runs longer, to 30 December.

An easy plan is the walk first, then mulled wine at the market afterwards. For a tour that is built around the stalls instead, the Christkindlesmarkt Senses Walk spends its whole 1.5 hours at the market.

What to Add Before or After

If your date falls outside the market season, this old town walk still runs. If you want the market itself covered by a guide with tastings included, the Christmas Market History & Tastings Tour costs $28 for 2 hours and includes Elisen gingerbread, a bratwurst roll and mulled wine. For the castle above Tiergärtnertorplatz, book the Castle Tour with Lebkuchen Tasting, a 3-hour walk at $77.

The full picture of dates and side markets is on the Nuremberg Christmas market homepage.

Getting to Hauptmarkt 18

From the Hauptbahnhof it is a 15 to 20 minute walk to the Hauptmarkt. The U1 to Lorenzkirche is under 5 minutes from the square, and on Advent weekends U1 service is doubled in the city centre between 09:00 and 20:00. Buses 36, 37, 46 and 47 stop nearby.

Driving is not recommended, and the city advises Park+Ride on Advent weekends. If you are coming from Munich, the ICE takes at least 1 h 41 and a Nuremberg day trip from Munich covers both market and old town in one 9-hour booking.

Underground Add-ons

The tourist board lists guided tours of the historic rock-cut cellars, which end with a red beer, the dungeons under the town hall and the Historic Art Bunker beneath the castle. Prices and times for these are not stated here, so check the tourist board's guided tours page. Since your walk already passes the Old City Hall, the dungeons are the closest add-on.

Tours That Pair Well

This 1.5-hour walk gives you history but no tastings. The Christmas City Culinary Tour at $60 covers the food side with sausage, Lebkuchen and hot wine across 2 hours. For a cheaper pairing, the Christmas City Tour with St. Nicholas at $28 adds mulled wine and a gingerbread cookie in 1.5 hours and views the Christkindlesmarkt from the outside.

Full comparisons are on the Nuremberg Christmas market tours homepage.