Marvel at Germany's time-tested ability to maintain its traditions while transforming into a modern cultural center. Explore the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, the momentous decisions made in Potsdam and the festive culture of Bamberg and Munich before watching the Passion Play in Oberammergau.

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 USD

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 USD

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, as well as the entire Bauhaus architectural movement. 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)

$45 USD

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, travel to Munich, a city renowned for its festive and charming traditions. Stop in Nuremburg along the way to see the legacy of the World War II military tribunals. Upon your arrival, embark on an expertly led guided tour of the Bavarian capital. Travel past the Olympic Stadium, the fashionable Schwabing district and the Residenz, once home to the Wittlesbach dukes of Bavaria. Pay a visit to Nymphenburg Palace and continue to Marienplatz, Munich’s medieval heart, where you’ll see the city’s famed Glockenspiel. (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 USD

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 - Oberammergau

Travel into the Bavarian mountains to the castle of Neuschwanstein, the fairytale palace of Mad King Ludwig. From there, you’ll travel to the scenic town of Oberammergau, known throughout the world for its open-air staging of the Passion Play, Germany’s oldest festival. Enjoy an included dinner this evening. (B, D)

Day 12 - Oberammergau

Nestled high in the Bavarian Alps, the village of Oberammergau is a favorite destination for those seeking respite and rejuvenation. With the gorgeous surrounding scenery, its houses painted with scenes from legends and fairy tales and its plethora of woodcarving shops, Oberammergau is a peaceful oasis that every ten years achieves mystical proportions. It all began in 1632, when woodcarver Kaspar Schisler inadvertently brought the plague home to Oberammergau. Within a year, the plague had taken nearly a quarter of the town’s inhabitants. The following October, the town council vowed to perform a Passion Play every ten years if God would spare them from the plague. They survived, and kept their promise. Today, after a free morning to explore the village, you’ll watch the villagers perform the play for the 41st time. Enjoy this sweeping—and profoundly moving—epic of a play, lunch and dinner included. (B, L, D)

Day 13 - Munich

Extend your stay with three nights in Vienna or transfer to the Munich airport to board your flight home. (B)