Oktoberfest: Grand Tour of Germany

Board your overnight flight to Hamburg today.

Welcome to Germany! Meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Join a local expert on a guided tour of Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city and an historic port on the Elbe River.

• Pass by the neo-Renaissance Rathaus, the city hall
• Admire St. Michaelis Church, the largest Baroque church in northern Germany
• Explore the Speicherstadt, the city’s historic harbor district

Later, explore Hamburg on your own or add an excursion.

Travel to Berlin and enjoy a full free day to explore on your own or add an excursion.

This evening, sit down to an included dinner with your group.

A local guide introduces you to the monuments of Berlin’s intricate past as well as the signs of its re-emergence as a vibrant cultural center.

• Discover the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of a reunited Berlin
• See the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall's East Side Gallery
• Journey down Unter den Linden, the city’s most elegant boulevard, passing the Reichstag and the UNESCO-listed Museum Island

Make your way to Dresden, stopping along the way to admire the city of Potsdam on a guided sightseeing tour.

• Step inside Cecilienhof Palace, which was the site of the Potsdam Conference’s iconic photograph of Truman, Churchill, and Stalin
• View Sanssouci, the former palace of Frederick the Great

Later, sit down to an included dinner with your group.

Set off on a guided tour of Dresden, once considered to be the most beautiful city in the world.

• Stroll through the Old Town and pass the renovated Semper Opera House, site of the Saxon State Orchestra
• Admire the Dresden Frauenkirche and statue of Martin Luther
• See the Zwinger Palace, a striking example of Baroque architecture, and walk through the palace gardens

Spend a free afternoon exploring Dresden on your own or add an excursion.

Drive to Leipzig, an important trading center, for a guided walking tour.

• Stroll past 16th-century buildings in the historic Market Square
• Visit Mädler Passage, a famous shopping arcade that was once a fair trade building
• Admire the Renaissance architecture of the Old City Hall
• Pass St. Nicholas Church, St. Thomas Church, and the Bach Museum

Then, continue on to Bamberg for an included dinner and Rauchbier tasting at a local restaurant.

(Please note: Some departures may overnight in Würzburg, Bayreuth, or Coburg instead of Bamberg.)

Set off with a local guide on a walking tour of Bamberg, a UNESCO-listed city.

• Admire the towering Bamberg Cathedral and pass the Baroque New Palace
• Stand in awe of Old Town Hall, built in the middle of the Regnitz River
• Visit the quaint fishermen’s village of Little Venice

Later, enjoy a free afternoon in Bamberg or add an excursion.

Travel to Munich, stopping en route in Rothenburg ob der Tauber for a sightseeing tour of the town's picturesque squares.

In Munich, sit down to an included dinner.

Get to know the Bavarian capital on a guided sightseeing tour.

• Travel past the Englischer Garten and fashionable Schwabing district
• Enter the Nymphenburg Palace, the Baroque home to past Bavarian royalty
• Walk from Odeonsplatz through 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

Later, join in on the legendary Oktoberfest celebrations, which take place on the historic Theresienwiese fairgrounds. Enjoy special admission to an Oktoberfest tent and sample Bavarian delicacies along with steins of Munich’s world-renowned beer.

Enjoy a full free day in Munich or add an excursion.

Transfer to the Rhine Valley today. Stop in Heidelberg along the way, where you'll get to know the romantic cityscapes and Baroque architecture on a guided tour.

• Wander through Heidelberg’s elegant Market Square in the city’s Old Town
• Explore the grounds of Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany
• Ride a funicular to enter the city’s rose-colored hilltop castle and enjoy panoramic views

Start your afternoon with free time for lunch in the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein. Then, take in the spectacular sights of the UNESCO-recognized Rhine River Valley on a scenic cruise to Sankt Goar, passing castles from the Middle Ages (seasonal, April–October.) After disembarking, say goodbye to your group during a wine tasting and farewell dinner at a local vineyard.

Transfer to Frankfurt Airport for your flight home, or continue your journey in the Black Forest region.