• Germany

Overview

Experience the best of Germany as you travel across the country’s beautiful landscape & through some of Europe’s most historic cities & sites. From gorgeous mountain ranges & romantic castles to busting & vibrant cities, Germany is a one-of-a-kind destination. Forget London & Paris; your next stop is Berlin, Munich & everywhere in between.
This program is only available for groups of 10 or more at this time.

Highlights

  • Bavaria – This modern German state dates back to the Middle Ages & is popularly known for being the home of Germany’s Oktoberfest celebration
  • Berlin – Now the capital city of Germany, this historic city has served as the capital & hub for the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, Weimar Republic & Third Reich.
  • Leipzig – Home to the composer Joann Sebastian Bach in the mid-1700s, the birthplace of composer Richard Wagner, as well as the residence of the Mendelssohn family, this German cultural hub is known for its role in music history.
  • Munich – Founded by Benedictine monks, this Bavarian city is located north of the Bavarian Alps & situated along the River Isar.

Itinerary

Day 1: U.S. - Berlin

Depart for Berlin.

Day 2: Berlin

On your first day in the capital city, you will then get to see first-hand remnants of Cold War history as you pay a visit to one of Berlin’s ghost metro stations. A ghost station refers to a former U-bahn station closed during the Cold War as movement was restricted between the West & East Berlin, an era of both physical & ideological divide for Berlin.  Then, onto the iconic Brandenburg Gate, a place where citizens literally pulled down the Berlin Wall in 1989. The tour finishes at the Reichstag, home to the German parliament.   

Day 3: Berlin

Today offers even more opportunity to hear about Berlin’s crucial role in German & European history. One of your first stops will be to Adolph Hitler’s Bunker, or Führerbunker. It is here that you will get an inside look into the last moments of Hitler’s life & reign. Learn more about WWII as you visit the controversial Holocaust Museum. The Museum contains a huge labyrinth of stelae,or monument commemorating those who lost their lives in the Jewish genocide. End the morning at Checkpoint Charlie & hear stories of miraculous escapes from East Berlin when the city was still divided. In the afternoon, visit Museum Island, a complex located on an island in the Spree River & home to 5 of the most famous museums in the Berlin State Museum system. Here you will see Nefertiti, the stunning depiction of the Egyptian Great Royal Wife from nearly 3400 years ago. You will be transported to Ancient Greece at the Pergamon Museum. Visit a temple from the 2nd Century with friezes of colossal giants locked in combat.

Day 4: Potsdam

Today, you will travel to Potsdam, the famous site of the Potsdam Conference in 1945. The conference was a gathering of the three heads of government from the USSR, USA & UK as they discussed conditions & stipulations of post-WWII transition.  Potsdam is also home to Frederick the Great's Schloss Sanssouci. You will explore the residence’s gorgeous terraced gardens before touring the New Palace of Sanssouci. The Palace, which has been compared to France’s Versailles, is beautifully designed & decorated. Your overnight this evening will be in Potsdam.

Day 5: Leipzig - Weimar

From Potsdam, travel on to Leipzig, where you can take in a concert of music composed by one of its former famous residents, Bach, Wagner & Mendelssohn. In Leipzig, you will also have the chance to visit the Statsi Museum, a museum dedicated to the Statsi, East Berlin’s secret police agency known for it brutality & repression. From Leipzig you will continue onto the storybook town. Weimar which dates back to 899 & was home to such names as Joann Wolfgang vonGoethe, Joann Christoph Frederich von Schiller & Franz Liszt. 

Day 6: Weimar

You are free to explore Weimer as you wish today. It is easy to fill a day in Weimar as it is rich in beautiful architecture, scenery, culture & history. Tour City Castle, Green Castle, Reithaus, or one of the other many castles in Weimar. Take in the wide range of architectural design from medieval to Baroque. You can walk along the River Ilm or you may chose to learn about the city & its seminal role in the German Enlightenment.

Day 7: Bavaria

Today en route to Bavaria, you will travel along the Romantiches Strasse, or Romantic Road. Along your route on Romantic Road, you will stop for photo opportunities in many medieval picturesque towns, fairy tale castles, & views of the awe-inspiring Alps. You'll be snap happy in what is easily the most scenic part of all of Germany.

Day 8: Munich

Munich is known as the “Paris of Germany” & is the heart & soul of the Bavarian state. You will have plenty options as you enjoy your time in the city. Visit one of Munich’s toy museums or see the world famous glockenspiel, a German percussion instrument similar in design to a xylophone. Stop by Munich’s New Town Hall or Olympic Park, the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics. Car fanatics may want to stop by BMW’s headquarters to learn more about famous German engineering. Whatever you decide, there is something for everyone; Munich is as modern as it is traditional.  

Day 9: Depart for U.S.

Return flight to U.S.

Includes

  • International flights
  • Entrance fees & one piece of luggage handling
  • Hotel accommodations proposed on itinerary
  • Local taxes & service charges
  • Sightseeing with licensed tour guides
  • Touring with air conditioned deluxe motor coach