Tour Description

San Antonio at Christmas is a fairyland of twinkling lights as they celebrate their “Fiesta de las Luminarias” on the River Walk. Historic missions, River Walk restaurants, and Spanish architecture make this a beautiful city any time of year, but with its thousands of Luminarias and Christmas Lights, it is truly magnificent. Add to this the Hill Country, and you will have a memory making tour guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas Spirit.

Day 1:

The excitement of Christmas is in the air as we board our coach for a travel day that begins this totally awesome Christmas Tour! Our overnight will be in Sherman, Texas.

Day 2:

We continue south to the spectacular city of San Antonio, dressed up in Holiday Finery. We will arrive plenty of time to get checked into our hotel and to check out the River Walk with its many shops and restaurants. As soon as it is dusk, they will light the thousands of Luminarias that line the river, a tradition that began in the 1500’s. Candles are placed along the River Walk to light the way for Joseph and Mary on their way to Bethlehem. Making Memories will furnish you with tickets to ride the barge on the Paseo del Rio (San Antonio River) so you can get the full pleasure of the beauty of San Antonio. Stroll the River Walk and listen to the many caroling groups as they either cruise the river or walk the River Walk. The sights and sounds of the holiday celebrations are sure to immerse you in the spirit of the season. Lodging will be in San Antonio for the next 3 nights. (B)

Day 3:

A really exciting day will be yours to enjoy as you have a pre-paid, full day excursion on the City Sightseeing San Antonio Red Double Decker Buses. This is a hop-on, hop-off tour where you can get off at an attraction or restaurant you want to see. Stay as long as you wish, or go back to the place you got off and catch the next bus to continue your tour. You may return to the Alamo any time you choose. You do need to return to the hotel by 4:00 PM to prepare for an included dinner at the Chart House Revolving Restaurant at the top of the Tower of Americas. Be sure and check out the observation deck for a breathtaking view of San Antonio at night. (B.D)

Day 4:

In honor of the Christmas Season, we are offering an (optional) Worship & Praise Service at Community Bible Church. We will return to the hotel by 10:30 AM to give you free time and time to enjoy lunch. For those who choose not to go, your time is free until 12:30 PM at which time we will board our coach and head for the Hill Country of Texas. We will travel through Lyndon B. Johnson country before arriving at Fredericksburg, TX. The holiday season is a fabulous time to visit Fredericksburg, located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, with decorations flavored by German heritage. With 150 shops plus over 700 historically significant structures in the historic district, shopping and history literally surround you. Early evening, we will depart for Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of the World” for a Texas Christmas cowboy dinner and entertainment at an authentic dude ranch, beautifully decorated for the holiday season. After this lovely experience, we return to San Antonio. (B.D)

Day 5:

Our beautiful time in San Antonio has come to an end, but before we depart, a Step-On-Guide will board our coach for a two-hour guided tour to include SAS (San Antonio Shoe) General Store. These comfortable handcrafted shoes have been made in San Antonio since 1976. We will also tour the San Jose Mission, the second mission established by Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus in 1720. These are fabulous venues that were not on the double decker bus route. After our tour, we will depart San Antonio for the short drive to Austin, Texas where we have a picture stop at the Capitol building and drive around the Governor’s Mansion. We will have lunch before we depart Austin and head for Sherman, Texas for our last night’s lodging. (B)

Day 6:

We travel back home today, but we are certain you will agree the history, people and the sights and sounds of San Antonio create wonderful holiday memories. Making Memories has one more treat for you before we say our goodbyes. A farewell Christmas lunch with the Amish in Chouteau, Oklahoma cooked and served as only the Amish know how! Um-m, good! (B.L)