Discover Alsace, the Christmas Capital

Amica Vina Christmas Wine Retreat to Alsace France

December 1st–5th, 2026

A girl's trip you can join solo (or with your bestie).

Over five days, you’ll follow the Alsace Wine Route through storybook villages that inspired Beauty and the Beast, enjoy tastings of the region’s celebrated range of wine varietals, wander the twinkling Christmas markets in Colmar, and slow down with cozy evenings and shared meals.

More than just a holiday getaway, this retreat is an invitation to experience Alsace’s wine, culture, and festive spirit, all while creating new friendships.

Fully Booked! Register Interest for 2027 retreats below

If you missed out on this retreat but still want a Christmas themed girls’ trip this year, join our Paris & Champagne Christmas retreat (November 25th–29th)

Your Alsace Itinerary

Here’s a glimpse of what your five festive days in Alsace will look like.

Welcome drinks at women only wine retreat in Alsace France

Day 1: Welcome to Alsace

Arrive at the holiday home, get settled, and gather with your fellow travellers for welcome wines and a shared dinner; the moment where a group of strangers starts to feel like friends.

Wine tour women group trip to Alsace France

Day 2: Alsace Wine Route

Spend the day exploring two of Alsace’s most charming wine villages, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. Stroll through half-timbered streets adorned with seasonal décor and enjoy three winery visits and tastings.

Day 3: Alsace Wine Route

Continue the Alsace Wine Route with the villages of Kaysersberg and Ammerschwihr. Enjoy another three winery visits and tastings before heading to Colmar in the evening for Christmas markets and dinner.

Christmas markets in Alsace France - Colmar girls trip

Day 4: Colmar Markets & Spa

Begin the day back in Colmar, experiencing a guided boat tour of Colmar's Little Venice, stroll the decorated streets in the daylight, and have more free time to shop. In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a spa experience to warm up and unwind, followed by our final dinner together.

Alsatian Christmas cookies and coffee

Day 5: Farewells

Wrapping up our trip with an ornament exchange over our final breakfast before saying goodbye (or rather, à bientôt) to Alsace and your new travel friends.

Pricing & Inclusions

£1,650 per person (your own room included)

or £1,500 per person if you opt to share

Included in the price:

Private holiday home near Colmar (4 nights)

Daily continental breakfast

All transport throughout the retreat (transfers from Colmar Station, private minibus & taxis)

Welcome dinner & drinks at the villa

6 Winery visits/tastings along the Alsace Wine Route

Visit the Alsace villages of Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Ammerschwihr (including time at Christmas markets of course!)

Lunch in Kaysersberg (with wine)

Dinner in Riquewihr (with wine)

Guided boat tour of Colmar's Little Venice

Afternoon at Les Violettes Spa (pools, saunas, hammam, salt cave & more) + dinner

French goodies bag

Founder-hosted (Samantha is there every day of the retreat)

Not included in the price:

Flights

Trains to Colmar

Travel insurance (required)

All other meals and drinks

Spa treatments & massages (optional add-ons available)

Who is this trip for?

Girls wine trip in Alsace

This retreat is designed for women who want more than just a vacation; they want an experience that blends discovery, connection, and a touch of indulgence.


You’ll love this trip if you are:

  • A woman in your 20s – 40s looking for meaningful, social, & unforgettable travel experiences.

  • A solo traveler looking for a safe, welcoming, and fun group to explore with.

  • A wine lover, whether you’re a casual sipper or a budding connoisseur (no need to be an expert)!

  • Excited to meet new people and share laughter, stories, and adventures.

  • A curious explorer eager to experience France beyond the tourist highlights.

  • Ready to treat yourself to a getaway that’s as much about connection as it is about travel.

Here’s what makes Amica Vina retreats special:

Why join Amica Vina?

  • Amica Vina retreat itineraries are tested first-hand by the research trips I take - making sure the wineries and activities are as wonderful as imagined.

    Blending delicious wine, aesthetic atmospheres, and great hospitality so that everyone enjoys themselves (newbies to wine aficionados all welcome!).

  • Designed with solo female travellers in mind, so you can feel safe and supported - surrounded by like-minded women. Friend duos also welcome!

  • Built-in friend group for a dream girls’ trip. You may arrive solo, but you’ll never feel alone.

  • Taste, learn, and enjoy French wines with local experts, from world-famous châteaux to hidden gems.

  • I handle the details (accommodation, activities, and transportation) so you can simply relax and enjoy. And as a registered member of the Travel Trust Association (TTA), your payments are always fully protected.

  • I keep retreat group sizes small so everyone feels included, supported, and part of the group.

Meet Your Host:

Samantha

A woman in a navy blue top, white shorts, and white sneakers standing on a stone pathway at a marina, with white boats docked in the water and Mediterranean-style white buildings in the background.

In my 20s, I lived in Canada, France, the UK, and Australia; always eager to meet new people and discover new places. I built a career in advertising and dedicated my free time to travel; chasing experiences and collecting stories, including solo trips and visiting beautiful vineyards around the world.

Over time, my curiosity about wine grew. So much so that I now hold a WSET Level 3 qualification.

Though I’m grateful to have lived in different countries, moving around highlighted how challenging it can be to make new friends as an adult (and how many women feel the same).

These things together inspired me to create Amica Vina: curated wine retreats where women can travel together, explore beautiful wine regions, and build genuine connections that go beyond a single trip.

When you join an Amica Vina retreat, the hard work is already done; you just get to soak up the scenery, enjoy sharing wine, and meet inspiring women who may become lifelong friends.

I can’t wait to welcome you to Amica Vina in Alsace.

Discover the Alsace Wine Region

Located along the eastern border of France, Alsace is one of the most unique French wine regions, and potentially one of the most underrated. What makes it so special is the extraordinary range of wines produced in a relatively small area. From bone-dry to lusciously sweet, from crisp whites to elegant reds and festive sparkling wines, Alsace offers a diversity that’s rare in French winemaking.

Alsace is known for producing wines primarily from single grape varieties, making it one of the easiest French regions to understand and explore. The different Alsace wines you’ll get to try include: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Noir, and Crémant d’Alsace (sparkling wine blending different regional grapes).

Discover the Alsace Wine Region

What Guests Say

  • My weekend with Amica Vina in Kent was honestly superb from start to finish. Sam has this brilliant way of making everything feel effortless and welcoming — you can tell how much thought she puts into every detail. We arrived to a lovely gift bag full of personal touches, and from that moment it felt like we were being looked after. And when I say everything was included… literally everything other than the bottles we chose to buy at the vineyards. Food, transport, tastings, activities — all included. There was enough food and snacks to feed the 5000, so no one was ever left hungry or wondering what was next. One thing I really appreciated was that nobody expected you to be a wine connoisseur. You didn’t need to know anything beyond being open‑minded. I learnt loads just by listening and tasting, without ever feeling like I had to pretend to be an expert. It was relaxed, fun, and completely pressure‑free. The pub quiz was great fun (I’m saving my first‑place prize for a special occasion), but the real highlight was the group of girls and the atmosphere Sam created. Everyone gelled so quickly — by the end of day one it felt like we’d known each other for ages. It was relaxed, friendly, and full of laughs in that way you just can’t manufacture. I’m already looking forward to my next trip with Amica Vina because weekends like this are genuinely hard to beat. Thanks Sam!

    Aisling D. (Attended Kent Wine Weekend, August 2026)

  • I love the Kent wine weekend with Amica Vina. Everything was so well organised and thoughtfully paced, with fantastic wine and food, and lots of personal touches from Sam that made the weekend feel really special. It was also a great way to discover a part of the UK I hadn’t visited before and meet a lovely group of women. I’d definitely join another Amica Vina trip in the future!

    Marybeth H. (Attended Kent Wine Weekend, August 2026)

  • “Travelling through Bordeaux with Sam felt completely effortless. The city has such a cool yet elegant vibe, and the wineries (aka chateaux) were so glamorous. Every winery we visited was clearly chosen with care. The wineries were welcoming and never felt overly ‘wine-technical,’ but I still learned a lot and had fun doing it. I loved how everything flowed so smoothly (no pun intended!), without needing to think or plan at all. The trip felt like the perfect balance of structure and freedom to explore Bordeaux, and I already want to do another trip like it!”

    — Mairead D. (Travelled with Amica Vina on Bordeaux research trip)

  • “Samantha puts so much thought into selecting the best wineries. It was cool seeing her process during the research trip, making sure each winery had the right balance of quality wine, great hospitality, and also felt unique from the others. You can tell she’s in her element, and her love of learning about wine is infectious.”

    — Chantel D. (Travelled with Amica Vina on Alsace research trip)

  • “Travelling through Paris and Champagne was so fun, I couldn’t think of a better city combo for a girls' trip. As a Champagne lover, I found the tastings were elegant yet approachable. The whole experience felt social and celebratory, yet I learned more than I could imagine about the craft of wine. I loved that we could enjoy multiple wine tours without any stress or decision-making. While in Paris, you could tell Sam was so comfortable in the city, guiding us from sight to sight with fun wine and food pit-stops along the way. She curates the trip so it never feels overly touristy either. The care and detail she brings to Amica Vina, even on the research trip, makes you feel completely taken care of.”

    — Mairead D. (Travelled with Amica Vina on Paris & Champagne research trip)

  • “Alsace in December is like something out of a fairytale, and the way Amica Vina curates the experience makes it even more special. Everything felt thoughtfully paced. Pairing wine tastings with Christmas markets was such a fun mix. Many people say it’s the Christmas capital, and I can see why. The wine tastings were informative and still easy to digest. You get to try so many wine styles specific to the Alsace region (lots of them new to me, including my new favourite, Gewürztraminer!). I wouldn’t have thought to do a wine tour in the winter, but this trip made me realise how magical a winter wine retreat can be!”

    — Chantel D. (Travelled with Amica Vina to Alsace)

  • “Truthfully, wine travel wasn't really on my radar before this trip. I joined Sam in the Loire Valley simply for the adventure of exploring a new place. As someone who doesn’t usually drink wine, I ended up loving all the winery tours and tastings (I even bought some bottles to take home with me!). I totally get the appeal of a wine tour now. The chateaux of the region were a stunning bonus on top.”

    — Roisin V. (Travelled with Amica Vina on Loire Valley research trip)

  • “It didn’t take much convincing to join Sam in the Loire Valley. She had it all planned out, so all I had to do was show up. We tasted wines from across the region and learned about the wine-making process in a digestible and entertaining way. I'd been vaguely aware of the Loire Valley before, but now I’d definitely recommend a trip to anyone interested in visiting chateaux and drinking delicious wine, and doing it as a curated retreat makes all the difference!”

    — Laura B. (Travelled with Amica Vina on Loire Valley research trip)

  • Had such a lovely weekend with Amica Vina on their Kent Wine Experience! 🍷🍇 The whole weekend was so relaxed and well organised, and it was really nice getting to explore the vineyards, learn more about English wine and, of course, taste some amazing wines along the way! 🥂 Sam thought of everything from transport, to food to fun activities to get to know the other girls! Such a gorgeous experience and definitely something I’d recommend if you’re looking for a fun weekend out in the countryside. We had the best time! 🤍

    – Caylee M. (Attended Kent Wine Weekend, August 2026)

Alsace Christmas

Retreat FAQs

    • You can fly into Basel Airport (EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg). From there, you take the shuttle bus (Line 11) to Saint-Louis Train Station. From the station, take the TER train to Colmar.

    • Or fly into Strasbourg Airport. From there, you take the shuttle bus to Strasbourg Entzheim Train Station. From the station, take the TER train to Colmar.

    • Or fly into Paris CDG Airport. In the airport, there is a train station where you can take a direct train to Strasbourg. From the Strasbourg train station, take the TER train to Colmar.

    • We will arrange group transfers to the villa from Colmar station.

  • Each retreat hosts 6-10 guests; small enough to stay intimate, but big enough to build a vibrant group dynamic.

  • Our retreats are designed for women in their 20s to 40s, creating a group of like-minded travellers at similar life stages.

    Amica Vina also offers retreats for women aged 50s+ (click here for more details).

  • Yes, every guest gets their own room as standard, no supplement required.

    If you'd like to share a room and save £100 off your booking, you can either book with a friend or opt to be matched with a roommate.

  • If you'd like to share and save but don't have a friend booking with you, let me know when you register and I'll pair you with another guest happy to share.

    If only two guests opt to share, you'll simply be paired together. If more than two are open to sharing, you'll each complete a short compatibility questionnaire beforehand (covering things like sleep habits and routines) so pairings can be made thoughtfully.

    You'll be matched on a first-come, first-served basis as guests register, so the earlier you let me know, the sooner I can confirm your rate. If you haven't been matched by October 2nd (60 days before the retreat), your booking will default to the £1,650pp own-room rate. If I do find you a match after you’ve paid, I'll refund £100.

  • Yes, and it comes with a saving. Book together and share a room and you'll both pay £1,550pp instead of £1,650pp.

    You can also each have your own space if you'd rather not share, just at the standard rate.

  • Yes! We’ll set up a WhatsApp group before the trip so everyone can connect ahead of time.

  • Payments are made securely by card or bank transfer at the time of booking. The first payment is a non-refundable deposit to secure your place on the retreat. The remaining balance can be paid in one or two instalments, and must be paid in full no later than 60 days before the retreat start date.

  • Yes, your money is fully protected. Amica Vina is a member of the Travel Trust Association (TTA), which means 100% of the money you pay us is held in a dedicated, independently managed trust account. Your funds are always safeguarded. Should Amica Vina ever be unable to continue operating, your money remains protected and not at risk.

  • Yes, travel insurance is required for all guests and must be arranged before the trip.

  • Yes, we include some free time in the itinerary for you to wander solo or with your new travel friends.

  • Not at all! The only requirement is getting yourself to and from Colmar. Once you arrive, we take care of all the details so you can fully enjoy the retreat.

  • Let us know your requirements when booking. We’ll do our best to accommodate, though some restrictions may be more challenging in France.

  • Some areas of France can be challenging for travellers with accessibility needs. Please contact us with your requirements, and we’ll work with you to explore what’s possible.

  • Yes! We can customise this retreat for your own group of friends (without an Amica Vina host). Reach out to samantha@amicavina.com to discuss private bookings.

  • If minimum numbers are not met, and a retreat can’t proceed, all deposits will be refunded in full (or may be transferred for another retreat if preferred).

    We kindly ask that you wait to book flights or non-refundable travel arrangements until you receive written confirmation that the retreat is guaranteed to run.

Questions before you commit?

Alsace 2027 Retreats

Expression of Interest

If you want to join Amica Vina in Alsace in 2027, fill out the form to register your interest and be first told when bookings open.