Marvel at Germany's time-tested ability to maintain its charming, nostalgic traditions, while transforming into a modern cultural center. See Berlin, Dresden, Munich and Bamberg on this memorable 12-day tour. In Munich, take part in one of the world's most well-known festivals, Oktoberfest.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - Berlin
Your vacation begins with an overnight flight to Germany.
Day 2 - Berlin
Touch down in Berlin. After hotel check-in, meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s included dinner. (B in flight, D)
Day 3 - Berlin
Today, a local expert guide shows you the monuments to Berlin’s intricate past as well as signs of its re-emergence as a vibrant cultural center. Visit Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of the undeclared Cold War, and now the symbol of a reunited Berlin. See the site where Checkpoint Charlie once guarded the border between East and West Germany. Journey down Unter den Linden, once considered one of the world’s most elegant boulevards. Spend a free afternoon on your own or take park in an optional World War II walking tour. (B)
$69
World War II walking tour
Take a walk through history on this insider’s tour of Berlin during World War II, detailing the rise and fall of Hitler and the Third Reich.
Day 4 - Berlin
Travel to Potsdam in former East Germany. Once the playground of Frederick the Great, Potsdam was where American, British and Soviet leaders met in 1945 to determine Germany's future. On your guided tour, see the palaces, pavilions and gardens of Frederick's residence before returning to Berlin for a free evening. (B)
Day 5 - Dresden
Journey to Dresden today, traveling through Wittenberg, where tonight's included dinner awaits. (B, D)
Day 6 - Dresden
Enjoy a guided tour of Dresden, once considered to be the most beautiful city in the world. Pass the Semper Opera House and visit Zwinger Palace. Destroyed by the Allies’ firebombing in 1945, the palace now houses masterpieces by Raphael, Dürer and Titian. Spend the afternoon at your leisure or embark on an optional excursion to Leipzig. (B)
$99
Leipzig
In Leipzig, you'll see one of Europe's well-known universities and the site of the world's oldest trade fair. Located north of the city, the fair is home to the world's largest levitated glass hall.
Day 7 - Bamberg
Travel by way of Weimar. This intellectual hub nurtured the genius of Goethe, Nietzsche and Schiller. The city also gave rise to the Weimar Republic, the failed attempt to establish a liberal German democracy between the two World Wars. Continue through the Weimar countryside for a visit to Belvedere Palace. Reach the Bavarian town of Bamberg in time for this evening’s included dinner. (B, D)
Day 8 - Bamberg
Today’s guided tour leads you through the plain, islands and seven hills of Bamberg. Wander through the well-preserved medieval Old Town, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Bamberg Cathedral, an impressive Romanesque structure with four imposing towers. Then pay a visit to “Little Venice,” a colony of quaint fishers’ houses on the banks of the river Regnitz. This afternoon, delve into Bamberg’s beer-brewing history with an optional brewery and museum tour. (B)
$39
Bamberg Brewery Tour
Bamberg, "The City of Beer," is famous worldwide for its various lagers. Enjoy a guided tour and beer tasting at the Fransconican Brewery Museum.
Day 9 - Munich
This morning, stop in Nuremberg on your way to Munich, a city renowned for its festive and charming traditions. On a guided tour of Munich, view the Olympic Stadium, the Schwabing district and the Residenz. Pay a visit to Nymphenburg Palace and continue to Marienplatz, Munich’s medieval heart. (B)
Day 10 - Munich
Revel in the friendly ambiance of Munich with a free day to explore on your own. Or join an optional excursion to the former concentration camp at Dachau. (B)
$29
Dachau
Dachau served as one of the most notorious concentration camps during World War II. Today the camp is a Holocaust memorial museum .
Day 11 - Munich
Take advantage of free time for a walk in the Englischer Garten or a visit to the BMW museum. Or head into the Bavarian mountains on an optional excursion to Neuschwanstein, the castle of “Mad King” Ludwig. The excursion includes a visit to Oberammergau. Reflect on your travels at this evening’s Farewell Dinner. (B, D)
$69
Neuschwanstein & Oberammergau
One of the most recognizable castles in the world, Neuschwanstein is a spectacular sight to behold. As you tour the castle’s interior, you’ll see many examples of the young "Mad" King Ludwig's eclectic tastes
Day 12 - Munich
Extend your stay with three nights in Vienna or board your flight home. (B)
Extend Your Stay
Add 3 nights,
$459 (Single room: add $115)
Proper citizens of Vienna, it has been said, waltz only from the waist down, holding their upper bodies ramrod straight while whirling around the crowded dance floor. The movement resulting from this correct posture is breathtaking in its sweep and splendor, and its elegant coupling of free-wheeling exuberance and rigid formality is quintessentially Viennese. The town palaces all over the inner city—built mostly during the 18th century—present in stone and stucco a similar artful synthesis. They make Vienna a Baroque city that is, at its best, an architectural waltz.