Christmas Garden Dresden at Pillnitz: dates, tickets and how to get there
5 min read
The answer first. The Christmas Garden is a lit evening walk through the park of Pillnitz Castle, and the entrance ticket costs €14.90 per person, rated 4.6 from 1,291 reviews. The listing gives about two hours. It is not a market with stalls to browse: there are food huts with mulled wine and snacks along the trail, and the ticket includes the ice rink, but no shopping. Decide first whether a lit trail is what you want. For the markets in the city centre, read our Christmas market guide.
Dates and hours
The organiser’s 2026 season: 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. It opens at 16:30 and closes at 21:00 on Sundays to Thursdays, with last admission at 19:30 and the last start on the loop trail at 20:00. On Fridays and Saturdays from 18 December to 3 January it closes at 21:30, with last admission at 20:00. It is closed on 22, 23, 24 and 30 November, 7 December, 24 and 31 December, and 4 and 5 January, according to the organiser’s visitor page.
Tickets and entry
The organiser sells timed tickets: your ticket shows an admission time, and you enter within the 30 minutes that follow. You may stay longer once inside. The organiser’s FAQ says the Christmas Garden goes ahead in rain, and that bad weather is no reason for a refund. Its rules for rescheduling apply to its own tickets; for the GetYourGuide ticket, check the cancellation and date terms on the booking page.
Children aged 5 and under are admitted free and children from 6 need a ticket, according to the organiser. Children under 14 may enter only with an adult.
The trail
The loop trail is about two kilometres long, and a visit usually takes about two hours, according to the organiser. The listing gives the same duration. The palace and its formal garden are lit in colour. The museum rooms of the palace are not part of the visit and are closed in the evening. Ice skates can be hired on site for €4, and there are signposted toilets along the trail, according to the organiser. Large bags, dogs (except assistance dogs), bikes, sledges and balance bikes are not allowed.
Getting there
Public transport is not included in the ticket. The organiser names these routes:
- bus lines 63 and 83 to Leonardo-da-Vinci-Straße or Pillnitzer Platz;
- the S-Bahn to Niedersedlitz, then bus 88 to Fährstelle Kleinzschachwitz and the ferry to Pillnitz;
- a free shuttle from Pirna Copitz on selected days until 2 January;
- paid parking at Leonardo-da-Vinci-Straße and Lohmener Straße, where spaces are limited. The organiser recommends the shuttle or public transport.
There is a daytime boat to Pillnitz, the Pillnitz cruise (€32), but it runs by day and is a different trip; see our paddle steamer guide. Do not count on a boat for the evening visit unless the booking page says so.
Strollers, wheelchairs and families
The organiser says all paths can be used with a stroller or handcart. For wheelchairs it says there are accessible paths, but the natural terrain can still be a challenge, and there are accessible toilets. Wheelchairs can be borrowed if you reserve one in advance by email, and a limited number of accessible parking spaces are at the ferry terminal. Dress warmly: the walk is outdoors for about two hours on a winter evening.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want to shop and browse; the Christmas markets in the centre do that better, and our Christmas market tours list guided options. Also skip it if you cannot manage a two-kilometre outdoor walk on uneven natural ground.
Our recommendation
Book the evening ticket for a date and time you can keep, check the closed dates, and plan the trip home before you arrive.
