Switzerland, Germany & Italy

Board your overnight flight to Zurich today.

Welcome to Switzerland! Transfer to your hotel in the Swiss Alps. Later, get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.

Set out into lakeside Lucerne (one of Switzerland’s most populated cities) for a guided sightseeing tour and enjoy a taste of Alpine life—complete with unbelievable views of Pilatus, Rigi, and other neighboring mountains.

• View the Lion Monument, a tribute to the Swiss Guards who sacrificed their lives in Paris during the French Revolution
• Pass the hand-painted facades that line the cobbled streets of the Old Town—the traditional core of the city that dates back to medieval times
• Cross the famous Kapellbrücke, a covered wooden footbridge spanning the Reuss River, and view the Water Tower—a 13th-century work that’s one of the oldest structures in all of Lucerne
• See the Jesuit Church, the first large Baroque building of its kind to be built north of the Alps in Switzerland

Enjoy a free afternoon in the Swiss Alps or add an excursion.

On your way to Munich, cross through Liechtenstein, a tiny Alpine principality that dates back to the Holy Roman Empire.

• Visit the Liechtensteiner capital, Vaduz, and pass the royal family’s namesake castle. Perched atop a hill, Vaduz Castle has watched over the region since the 12th century, and serves as the royal residence to this day
• Enjoy free time in the town (and be sure to get your passport stamped!)

After, pass through the Bavarian Alps, making stops along the way.

• Pause for photos of Neuschwanstein Castle’s unique mix of Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine architecture, and marvel at the fairytale retreat of “Mad” King Ludwig II
• Revel in scenic views of the Alps as you relax and explore during free time, or grab lunch in Schwangau, the town below Neuschwanstein

Then, continue on to Munich and sit down for an included dinner, served with beer or wine.

Today, embark on a guided tour of Munich and experience daily life like one of its nearly 1.5 million inhabitants. Founded in the 12th century and boasting traditional and cosmopolitan appeal, the capital of Bavaria is the third-largest city in all of Germany. It’s also home to the original Oktoberfest—a massive Volksfest that, to this day, remains the largest beer festival in the world.

• Travel past the 18th-century Englischer Garten—one of the largest urban parks in the world—and the fashionable Schwabing district, formerly home to Munich’s bohemian residents
• Enter Nymphenburg Palace, the Baroque home to past Bavarian royalty
• Walk from Odeonsplatz—Munich’s large central square, named after an adjacent former concert hall—through the well-manicured grounds of the Hofgarten to view the Residenz, once home to the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria
• Explore Marienplatz, Munich’s medieval heart, and see the famed Glockenspiel clock before heading to the Frauenkirche—a Gothic cathedral and the seat of the local archdiocese
• Take some free time to explore the Viktualienmarkt, where you’ll find fresh food, flowers, and other delicacies

Spend a free afternoon in Munich or add an excursion.

Enjoy a free day in Munich or add an excursion.

Bid Bavaria ade (that means “farewell”) as you travel through the Austrian Alps en route to Italy’s mountainous Dolomites, also known as South Tyrol.

• Visit Novacella Abbey, a prestigious Augustinian monastery and an important cultural landmark that has existed for almost 900 years
• Explore the abbey alongside a guide and stroll through its cloisters, museum, and famous library hall
• Learn about the monastery’s history as one of the world’s oldest active wineries
• Sit down for a light lunch of South Tyrol specialties, along with a wine tasting

Continue to your hotel in The Dolomites and enjoy a free evening.

En route to Venice, stop in Verona with your Tour Director for a walk along its historic streets. Situated on the shores of the Adige River, this UNESCO-recognized city traces its origins back over two millennia and still shows well-preserved vestiges of its Roman heritage.

• Stroll through the city’s Old Town and explore a rich heritage tracing back to the first century B.C.
• Admire the 2,000-year-old Roman arena; the Piazza delle Erbe, which functioned as the town’s forum during Roman times; and the Gothic villa (complete with a balcony) that inspired William Shakespeare’s timeless Romeo and Juliet.

Enjoy free time in Verona before continuing on to Venice, where you’ll have free time for the rest of the evening.

Today, meet up with your local guide and explore the heart of Venice on foot and by vaporetto, or water taxi. Admire historic churches, winding waterways, and storied piazzas on a tour of this UNESCO World Heritage site of a city, which was established in the fifth century and is known as the Queen of the Adriatic.

• Step onto iconic St. Mark’s Square and enter St. Mark’s Basilica—an opulent, domed church built in the 11th century to house the body of St. Mark the Apostle
• View the stately Doge’s Palace, a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic style that was built in 1340 and served as both the residence of the Doge (the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice) and the seat of the Venetian government
• Marvel at the Bridge of Sighs (or Ponte dei Sospiri in Italian), now a famous Venetian landmark that was built in 1600 to connect the Doge’s Palace to a prison situated just across the canal
• See a Murano glassblowing demonstration and learn about Venice’s most celebrated art form, whose roots in the city date back to the 10th century

Then, enjoy a free afternoon in Venice or add an excursion.

Please note: Travelers should feel comfortable getting into and out of the water taxi.

Later, celebrate your trip at tonight’s farewell dinner, served with beer or wine.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or continue on to explore the Italian Lakes.