This tour highlights the Christmas markets of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, beginning with a guided tour of Heidelberg’s charming town square and medieval castle. Continue on to the romantic lakeside town of Lucerne and the cultural landmarks of Munich before exploring Salzburg and Vienna. This year, ring in the Christmas season in Central Europe!

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Frankfurt aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Heidelberg Region

A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport in Frankfurt after you clear customs and then assists you with the transfer to your hotel in the Heidelberg region. The rest of the day is free to relax. Meet your fellow travelers at an included dinner this evening.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Heidelberg Region

Travel into Heidelberg for a guided tour. View the Renaissance grandeur of the city’s rose-colored, hilltop castle. Returning to the town center, see the grounds of the oldest university in Germany, dating back to 1386, and the elegant market square. With free time this afternoon, enjoy a stroll along the River Neckar or join an optional tour of Schwetzingen Castle and its 172 acres of gardens, which uniquely combine French formal and English landscape gardening styles and were recently named a candidate for UNESCO world cultural heritage designation.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Heidelberg Castle

$35 USD

Castle & Gardens of Schwetzingen Travel to Schwetzingen Castle and its internationally famed garden. Spanning 178 acres, the spacious and ornate gardens welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and feature a unique combination of French and English landscaping styles. Savor the sights of this exquisitely maintained compound on a tour led by a local guide.

Day 4 - Lucerne

Journey to the thundering Rhine Falls and through the Black Forest, the darkly mysterious setting for many of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales. Cross later into Switzerland to arrive in Lucerne. Dinner is included this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 - Lucerne

A professional local guide acquaints you with this Alpine town. Stroll down narrow streets and across the Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge whose history
dates back to medieval days. The murals lining its walls are nearly identical to those painted in the 14th century. Be on the lookout for the colorful hand-painted façades along the cobbled streets of the Old Town. You’ll also view the captivating Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), a sandstone
statue commemorating Swiss Guards slain in the 1792. This afternoon, join an optional excursion up nearby Mount Pilatus via cable car for gorgeous views of the surrounding Alps.
Included meals: breakfast

$99 USD

Mount Pilatus This scenic excursion begins with a cruise on Lake Lucerne. After docking, ascend the 7,000-foot Mount Pilatus on the world’s steepest cog-wheel railway. Legend holds that the mountain was named for Pontius Pilate, blown here by the devil after the Crucifixion. From the peak, the views of the Alps are stunning; on a clear day, you can see for 200 miles. Toward the end of your trip, you’ll return to the base of the mountain via gondola. Please note: The cruise and cog railway only run from mid-May through October. During the winter months, this excursion includes the cable car ride only. If the cog railway is unavailable, you will enjoy lunch at the summit.

Day 6 - Innsbruck

Leaving Lucerne, travel into Liechtenstein, a tiny Alpine principality dating back to the Holy Roman Empire. Pass the royal family’s hilltop castle, still in use as a royal residence, as you visit Liechtenstein’s capital, Vaduz. Next, return to Austria, arriving later in the day in Innsbruck. Site of two winter Olympics and capital of the Austrian Tyrol, Innsbruck is a mix of centuries-old royal splendor and modern allure. On a guided tour, you’ll see the Golden Roof with its 2,657 gold shingles and the Triumphbogen, built during the imperial Hapsburg reign to commemorate a royal marriage. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 7 - Munich

Departing Innsbruck this morning, return to Germany. You’ll journey through the mountains of Bavaria to Neuschwanstein, retreat of “Mad” King Ludwig. View the castle’s turrets and towers as you approach along winding roads. Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle was modeled on this same fairy-tale design. As you tour the castle, you’ll see many examples of the young king’s eclectic tastes. Within its chambers are a stalactite grotto, artifacts of all kinds and murals depicting his favorite scenes from Wagnerian operas. Arrive later in Munich and enjoy an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Neuschwanstein

Day 8 - Munich

On this morning’s city tour, a local guide introduces you to the landmarks of the cosmopolitan Bavarian capital. Follow the stately Ludwigstrasse, designed in Italian style and home to the famed University and National Academy. Pass through the Schwabing district, a favorite of students and artists, and on to the Olympic complex. Admire Nymphenburg Palace, the summer palace of the Bavarian kings, and stop in Marienplatz, the heart of Munich, to see the famous Glockenspiel. Your Tour Director will then introduce you to the sights and sounds of the Munich Christmas Markets. This afternoon is free for you to explore Munich, or you might consider joining an optional excursion to the former concentration camp of Dachau, now a memorial museum.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Nymphenburg Palace

$29 USD

Dachau Once a typical German village, Dachau served as one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Today, the camp is a Holocaust memorial museum and serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Day 9 - Salzburg

Leaving Munich this morning, cross the border into Austria and continue to the charming city of Salzburg. An included sightseeing tour takes you to Salzburg’s Renaissance cathedral and through the lovely churchyard of the Franciscans. You’ll see several sights familiar from The Sound of Music, as well as the abbey where the real-life Maria von Trapp took her vows. Then stop in Getreidegasse for a tour of the Mozart House. Dinner is included this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Mozart House

Day 10 - Salzburg

Discover more of Salzburg on your own today. Stroll down Getreidegasse, a long, narrow street running parallel to the river in the center of town, with lots of shops that are famous for their old-style signs. This evening, enjoy an optional Mozart Concert and a traditional Austrian meal.
Included meals: breakfast

$115 USD

Mozart Concert & Dinner Step inside the 1,200-year-old Stiftstkellar St. Peter inside St. Peter's Abbey for a night of food and the music of Mozart. Mozart composed over 600 works in his short life, and tonight, you'll hear his masterpieces as you dine. Please note: This excursion requires advanced reservations and payment at least 20 days prior to departure.

Day 11 - Vienna

On your way to the Austrian capital today, stop first in Melk, where you will have a guided tour of the town’s Baroque monastery, an architectural wonder perched high atop a cliff. Continue your drive through scenic Austrian countryside to Vienna, the city of the waltz and enjoy an included dinner with your group. After you settle in, your Tour Director will lead you to the magical Christmas Markets, which are sure to warm your heart and gladden your spirit. The afternoon is yours to peruse the wares at each stall. Be sure to taste the Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine that will keep you warm as you search for the perfect presents.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Melk Monastery

Day 12 - Vienna

Included this morning is a comprehensive tour of Vienna, led by a professional local guide. Highlights include the Opera House, the majestic monuments of the Ringstrasse and the Hofburg, once the hub of Imperial power. Your Tour Director leads a sightseeing tour of the Christmas Markets and then your afternoon is free to continue browsing. Or you could choose to take a stroll through the Stadtpark or a horse-drawn carriage ride to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. This evening, opt to attend our Traditional Viennese Heurigen Evening. At this optional evening event, you’ll take a ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel and dine at a local restaurant where you’ll enjoy wine made by the people serving dinner.
Included meals: breakfast

$99 USD

Traditional Viennese Heurigen Evening Enjoy a scenic drive to the picturesque village of Grinzing, where you'll savor traditional Austrian heurigen cuisine in a cozy Old World setting. Heurigen are traditional restaurants that serve their own wine, and you'll enjoy a festive evening of food, drink and music. Then, take a ride on Vienna’s Prater Ferris Wheel, which offers a one-of-a-kind view of the city.

Day 13 - Vienna

Spend the day at your leisure. You might wish to take a stroll through Vienna’s pedestrian zone, stopping at the Hotel Sacher for a taste of its world-famous Sachertorte, or view the elegant Lipizzaner horses in the Spanish Riding School. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to Bratislava join an optional excursion to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where you’ll walk in the footsteps of emperors on a guided tour of the city’s Old Town. Included meals: breakfast

$95 USD

Bratislava Walk through Bratislava’s Old Town on a guided tour of the Slovakian capital. Stroll along cobblestone streets in the shadow of Brastislavsky Hrad, the hilltop 18th-century castle overlooking the Old Town. Then, tour the famous Hall of Mirrors inside the pink Primates’ Palace, where Napoleon and the Austrian emperor signed the Peace of Pressburg of 1805. Lunch is included. Please note: Depending on the day of the week, you may visit St. Martin's Cathedral instead of the palace.

Day 14 - Vienna

Continue on our tour extension to Budapest. Otherwise, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In case of early morning departure, breakfast may not be provided.)