Winterfest on the Wisconsin

MARS HOLIDAY TOUR WELCOMES SMALL GROUPS WITH PRICING FOR 20 MINIMUM

Celebrate the holidays at Nauticus! This season will shine even brighter as WinterFest on the Wisconsin returns with more than 1 million lights! Explore nine dazzling light trails throughout the Battleship Wisconsin, and experience Mistletoe Marina—an immersive, all-new waterfront wonderland. Explore all-new interior spaces aboard the battleship, enjoy two new shows nightly by the mischievous Grinch, come aboard a polar train journey, and enjoy sweets and treats.

Duration
3 Days /2 Nights

Group size
20

Customization
Available!
Estimated Tour Pricing Inclusions: 2 nights’ accommodation; 2 breakfasts; 2 dinners;  admissions, entrance, and guide fees as stated in the itinerary, including taxes, and gratuity. Except gratuity for guide fees is not included on adult tours unless otherwise requested.
Highlights:
  • Oceanfront Hotel
  • Holiday Lights on The Boardwalk
  • Hunter House Victorian Museum
  • The Chrysler Museum of Art
  • The Market on the Water
  • The Hermitage Museum & Gardens
  • Winterfest on the Wisconsin!
  • Spirit of Norfolk Christmas Dinner Cruise
  • Historic Cavalier Hotel
  • Distillery Tour & Tasting

Sample Itinerary:
Day 1 - Holiday Lights on The Boardwalk & Hot Chocolate
  • Arrive at Virginia Beach and check in to Oceanfront hotel.
  • Enjoy welcome dinner included this evening at local’s favorite restaurant overlooking a picturesque inlet. Relax and Enjoy the incredible view of Rudee Inlet in a relaxed beach cottage style.
  • Depart and drive through to see Holiday Lights on The Boardwalk. This festive drive-through light show features a twinkling journey into nautical, holiday, and adventure lands – all along the beautiful Virginia Beach Boardwalk, from 8th Street to 22nd Street.  Guests can tune their car radio in to hear holiday music synced with the light show, as they drive through festive fish, jumping dolphins, and frolicking porpoises, as well as Santa and his elves and much more. The Holiday Lights Merry Mile is open nightly 5:30pm-10pm, Sunday through Thursday, and 5:30pm-11pm, Friday-Saturday.
  • Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while we return to the hotel. (Meals: D)
   
Day 2 - Hunter House, Winterfest on the Wisconsin!, & Spirit of Norfolk Christmas Dinner cruise!
  • Enjoy a full breakfast before our touring today.
  • First up is the Hunter House Victorian Museum for Winter time delights!  Beautifully decorated in Victorian style, the house was built in 1894 as the family home for Mr. James Wilson Hunter and his wife Lizzie Ayer Barnes Hunter and their three children.
  • Tour The Chrysler Museum of Art. The New York Times described the Chrysler collection as "one any museum in the world would kill for." Comprising over 30,000 objects, the collection spans over 5,000 years of world history. American and European paintings and sculpture from the Middle Ages to the present day form the core of the collection.  The museum is home to the final sculpture of the Baroque master Gianlorenzo Bernini, a marble bust of Jesus Christ, and houses one of the world's greatest collections of glass (including outstanding works by Louis Comfort Tiffany), distinguished holdings in the decorative arts, and a fine and growing collection of photography. The arts of the ancient world, Asia, Africa, and Pre-Columbian America (particularly Maya ceramics) are also well represented.
  • Enjoy lunch on own at The Market on the Water featuring ten curated culinary and beverage experiences, The Market is the living room of Norfolk and the region where everyone comes together.
  • Tour The Hermitage Museum & Gardens, consisting of an early 20th century historic house museum with a world-wide art collection and contemporary exhibition galleries, surrounded by twelve acres of formal gardens and natural woodlands; educational wetlands; and a Visual Arts Studio.
  • Have a magical time at Winterfest on the Wisconsin!
  • Amazed by running a dazzling light trail with over 250,000 lights. Interior “WinterFest” tour, Santa sightings, lighted sailboat parade, and holiday beverages and delicious bites.
  • Enjoy a Spirit of Norfolk Christmas Dinner Cruise! Aboard the Spirit of Norfolk. Dressed in Holiday Fashion, enjoy delicious food and festive music to get in the spirit of the holidays!
  • Dock, depart, & return to hotel. (Meals: B, D)
 
Day 3 - Historic Cavalier Hotel, Distillery Tasting & Tour, and Depart
  • Enjoy breakfast at leisure this morning prior to checking out.
  • Tour the Historic Cavalier Hotel decked out for the Holidays.  Some say that The Cavalier Hotel may be what put Virginia Beach on the map. Regardless, no one can dispute the rich history found in the halls of this historic landmark. Construction of the luxurious East Coast destination hotel began in 1926.  It was named The Cavalier as a result of a local newspaper contest.  Originally, There were originally 195 guest rooms on 350 acres of land, including a golf course stretching 290 of those acres. A sunken garden graced the south side of the hotel, a naturally stunning backdrop for events, whose groves of flowers were used to adorn rooms, dining rooms and the lobby.  Among other notorieties who visited, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his wife, Zelda, enjoyed long vacations at The Cavalier.
  • Tour and Tasting at The Tarnished Truth Distillery located inside the Cavalier Hotel.
  • Enjoy lunch on own and holiday shopping along the boardwalk before departing for home. (Meals: B)
 

Base rate does not include motor coach transportation, airfare, airport transfers, driver gratuity, guide gratuity, (student groups exempt) or any upgrades or add-ons unlisted from itinerary as stated. Pricing may vary based on day of arrival or other conditions. Personalized itineraries with custom pricing and/or additional transportation can be created and added based on client needs and upon client’s request. MARS will customize quotes or personalize itineraries for FREE.
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