Day : 1
Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany
Number of Days : 1
Welcome to Frankfurt! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Day : 2
Frankfurt–Rothenburg–Munich
Number of Days : 1
Drive along the Romantic Road to medieval Rothenburg—a picturesque, medieval walled town that is famous for Christmas ornaments. Continue to Munich, Bavaria’s proud capital. (B)
Day : 3
Munich
Number of Days : 1
Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “Secret Capital” features the Olympic Stadium, built for the 1972 Olympics; the 1,000-foot-high Television Tower; Königsplatz, used for Nazi rallies during World War II; and the column with the eternal flame, dedicated to the Holocaust victims. Drive along the Ludwigstrasse, and see the Bavarian Arch of Triumph and Field Marshall Hall. Also visit lively MARIENPLATZ with the Old and the New Town Halls and the gothic Frauenkirche. An optional excursion is available to romantic Linderhof Castle, built by King Ludwig II, and the famous Passion Play village of Oberammergau. (B,D)
Day : 4
Munich–Salzburg, Austria–Vienna
Number of Days : 1
Arrive in Salzburg, where your walking tour with a Local Guide includes the historic center, Admire MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, St. Peter’s Monastery, and magnificent RESIDENZ SQUARE, where some scenes of The Sound of Music movie were filmed. Then, continue through the scenic Salzkammergut lakeland and along the Danube River to Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight, you may wish to try out local specialties and Viennese entertainment. (B)
Day : 5
Vienna
Number of Days : 1
Guided sightseeing features vistas of Prater park with its giant Ferris wheel, then drive along the Ringstrasse, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards, famous HELDENPLATZ, and awesome St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For those who wish to “see it all,” there is a chance to join an interesting optional excursion to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. (B)
Day : 6
Vienna–Piber–Villach
Number of Days : 1
Start this morning with a visit to magnificent SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE. Leave Vienna and enter Styria. [LF] Enjoy a special visit to the world-famous LIPIZZANER STALLION STUD FARM in Piber, the place where these magnificent horses are bred and raised before they go to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Stay overnight in Villach. (B,D)
Day : 7
Villach–Italian Dolomites, Italy–Innsbruck, Austria
Number of Days : 1
Cross the Italian border and arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites, the Italian “Rocky Mountains.” Then, via Tre Croci Pass and Lake Misurina to Brunico and across Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Stroll through its medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Why not join an optional Tyrolean song-and-dance show? (B,D)
Day : 8
Innsbruck–St
Number of Days : 1
Moritz, Switzerland. Today’s focus is the Swiss Engadine. See deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon is free in ritzy St. Moritz. (B,D)
Day : 9
St
Number of Days : 1
Moritz–Lugano. Descend towards Italy’s Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland to the resort town of Lugano, with time for an espresso on Piazza Riforma and a refreshing walk in the shade of Parco Ciani’s magnificent old trees. Tonight, a special treat: [LF] enjoy a BOAT CRUISE across the sparkling lake and dinner with wine at the traditional “grotto” Roccabella restaurant. (B,D)
Day : 10
Lugano–Lake Maggiore, Italy–Zermatt, Switzerland
Number of Days : 1
From Lake Lugano to Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. An optional boat ride to enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. Across lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its great mountain resorts. In Täsch, board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (B,D)
Day : 11
At Leisure in Zermatt
Number of Days : 1
Today is your chance to enjoy an exciting optional ride on Europe’s highest rack railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat Mountain for a spectacular view of the Matterhorn and the surrounding Alps. (B)
Day : 12
Zermatt–Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne
Number of Days : 1
Through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to Lake Geneva and via the dairy country of Gruyère to the Swiss capital, Berne. See the monumental Federal Palace during your orientation and stop at the BEAR PARK before continuing via Interlaken, a Bernese Oberland resort beneath the towering Jungfrau, and across Brünig Pass to Lucerne. Tonight, an optional Swiss dinner party with yodeling and alphorn blowing is available. (B)
Day : 13
Lucerne
Number of Days : 1
On your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen’s impressive LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. (B,D)
Day : 14
Lucerne–Frankfurt, Germany
Number of Days : 1
On the way back to Germany, visit thundering RHINE FALLS at Schaffhausen. Enter the pine-clad hills of the Black Forest, renowned for its cuckoo clocks, and enjoy a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION on your way to Frankfurt. Tonight, [LF] a special farewell dinner with wine at Schwarzer Stern restaurant awaits you to celebrate the success of your Alpine vacation. (B,D)
Day : 15
Frankfurt
Number of Days : 1
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
