Germany and Austria 11 days, 10 nights

Itinerary – Willkommen!  After your flight lands, clear customs and meet your tour manager.  Board your motorcoach and depart for central Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is one of the world’s largest financial centers, lending to the impressive array of skyscrapers that form the Frankfurt skyline, nicknamed ‘Mainhattan’ after the nearby Main River.  Frankfurt still contains many beautiful, timber-fronted buildings and impresses with its range of museums and cultural heritage, as it is also the birthplace of the world-famous writer Goethe.

After lunch, enjoy a panoramic tour of the city with a local guide, ending with a trip to the roof-top observation deck of the Main Tower to see Frankfurt from above. Watch for the Römer (City Hall), Frankfurt Cathedral, Wertheim House, and Eschenheim Tower.

Re-board your coach to travel to Heidelberg and check in to your hotel.  Heidelberg is famous for its romantic and picturesque setting. Located in one of the warmest regions of Germany, find almond, fig, and even some olive trees here.  There is even a wild population of African rose-ringed parakeets!

Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening.

Overnight:  Heidelberg

Meals:  Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – After breakfast, meet your local guide for a tour of Heidelberg.  You will see sights such as Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany, the Carl’s Gate, which follows the tradition of Roman triumphal arches, and the impressive Church of the Holy Spirit.

After lunch, take the Philosophers Walk to the world-famous Heidelberg Castle and see the breathtaking views.  It is located high up on the Koenigstuhl hillside, dominating the view from the historic center.  First mentioned in 1225, it became one of the grandest palaces of the Renaissance.

Overnight:  Heidelberg

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – This morning, you will check out of your hotel and board your coach to depart for Munich.

Make a stop at Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald to explore the tree-top walk – an elevated hiking path with breathtaking views of Munich.

After lunch, re-board your coach and continue to Munich (approx 4 hours).  On arrival in Munich, check in to your hotel.

Overnight:  Munich

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – After breakfast, meet your local guide and board your coach for a full day of exploring in Munich.  Munich is the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany. It offers a wide range of museums, art galleries, exclusive shopping streets, and a history of more than 850 years.

Your tour includes Maximilianstrasse, home to elegant shops, the Residenz – the winter palace of early royalty – and the Old Town Hall. See the city’s main sights, such as Marienplatz, Odeonsplatz, the restored National Theater, and Isartor.   Make a stop at the English Garden, one of the world’s largest urban public parks, created by the archduke and elector Carl Theodor in 1789.

Travel by coach to Dachau, a town about 12 miles north of Munich where, a few weeks after Adolf Hitler became chancellor in January 1933, he established the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany. It became the model and training center for all other SS-organized camps. Over 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned here during the Second World War. Today, tour the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site with a local guide.

Return to Munich late afternoon.

Overnight:  Munich

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Check out of your hotel and depart for Salzburg.

Known as Mozart’s birthplace and the setting for the famous Broadway musical “The Sound of Music,” Salzburg impresses with its historic city center and its beautiful Old Town, dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive Festung Hohensalzburg.

Upon arrival, enjoy a sightseeing tour of this famous city, including sights such as the Cathedral, St. Peter’s Abbey, and Mirabell Gardens.  Make an additional stop at Mozart’s House, where he lived from 1773 to 1780.  You will also visit the Geburtshaus, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756.

After lunch, enjoy a river cruise, where you will see the Old Town from your boat and glide past the impressive backdrop of the city and the natural landscape along the river Salzach.

Overnight:  Salzburg

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Start the day with a private Fräulein Maria Bicycle Tour of the filming locations for “The Sound of Music.” (weather permitting)

This afternoon, visit Hohensalzburg Fortress, the mightiest fortress of Central Europe. Take the funicular up to the fortress for a visit and to enjoy the fine views of Salzburg and its vicinity.

Dinner tonight is at the Augustiner Brau. Once an Augustinian monastery dating back to 1621, it is now a classic Austrian tavern serving traditional fare.

Overnight:  Salzburg

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – After breakfast, check out and depart for Vienna.

On the way, visit the Hallein Salt Mines.  A visit to the Salt Mine offers a compelling journey back through time to the very roots of Salzburg. Enjoy an exciting ride on the mine train, taking you deep inside a mountain where, more than 2500 years ago, the Celts were already digging for salt. Highlights include the miners’ slides, an exciting train ride, and floating across the salt lake accompanied by a fascinating multi-vision Show.

Following lunch, continue your journey to Vienna. (approximately 4 hours)

Overnight:  Vienna

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Spend today getting to know Vienna.   Over the years, many great classical composers, Austrian or otherwise, graced Vienna with their presence and compositions.  Grand opera houses and concert venues dot the city landscape.

Enjoy a guided tour of Vienna that will take you to prominent sights such as the State Opera House, Parliament, City Hall, the Imperial Palace, and the Cathedral.

Majestically gracing the Ring Boulevard, the Opera House is indisputably one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. Constructed in 1869 to plans by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll and reopened in 1955 following the devastation of World War II, it offers its international audiences top-caliber music theater 300 days a year.  (performances can be included – based on availability)

This afternoon, visit the House of Music.  From the earliest human use of instruments to the music of the present day, take an interactive journey through music history, its impact on our world, and more. Test your talent as a conductor for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra or become a composer for a day!

The remainder of the afternoon is free time to discover Vienna’s historic city center in your small groups.

Overnight:  Vienna

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is a full day of activity –  with two options.   Option one – spend the day in Vienna.  Or, option two – take a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia.

Itinerary – Vienna – Visit Schonbrunn Palace – the former summer residence of the Hapsburg monarchs.  Today, it is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria. Visit the baroque palace and marvel at the staterooms, botanical gardens, and much more.

This afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the Vienna Central Cemetery, where you will see the tombs and memorials of composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, and the Strauss family.

The remainder of the afternoon is free time in your small groups in the city center.  Enjoy a stroll along Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna’s longest shopping street, or stop for a coffee and a slice of Vienna’s famous Sacher cake in the Old City Centre.

Itinerary – Bratislava – Board your coach and cross the border to Slovakia to visit Bratislava, its capital city.

The city, originally known as Pressburg, was founded before the 10th century.  It is now a major industrial center known for shipbuilding and manufacturing various items such as furniture, chemicals, musical instruments, and leather products.

Enjoy a tour of the Old Town with a local guide who will show you the city’s highlights. You will see the Old Opera House, built in the Neo-Renaissance style, St Martin’s Cathedral, a three-nave Gothic church from the 15th century, the Primate’s Palace, a classicist building from the 18th century, the Main Square and The Old Town Hall which now houses the Bratislava City Museum.

This afternoon, visit Bratislava Castle, the former seat of the rulers and symbol of the city.

Late afternoon, optional return to Vienna by river cruise (pending availability).

Enjoy a farewell dinner before returning to your hotel.

Overnight:  Vienna

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Bid auf wiedersehen to Austria as you depart for the Vienna airport for your flight home.

Meals:  Breakfast (additional meals included based on flight time)