Picturesque Germany

Your specialist guide will meet you for a full day tour of Germany's capital city. View the city's main attractions, the German Dom and the French Cathedral, the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie, the former crossing point between the East and the West.  

Your visit to Berlin will not be complete without a visit to Potsdam, with its rich cultural landscape and the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany. The best known palace is Sanssouci, the magical summer palace of Frederick the Great. Enjoy a tea or coffee at the Dutch Quarter.

Transfer to Berlin's Central Train Station to board the ICE train to Frankfurt. 

Frankfurt, known as the German Manhattan, has grown to be the financial capital of Germany. Visit the Romer Square, a well-preserved area, home to the Christmas Market. The many restaurants serve traditional Eisbein, sauerkraut and cider. Nearby stands the English Theater, Goethe's Birthplace and the Modern Art Museum.

Meet your driver guide in you hotel lobby. Visit the town of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum, where the Bible was printed for the first time in the world. Drive along the Rhine Valley, admiring wood framed houses with flowered balconies to the town of Rudesheim.

Time at leisure to walk the narrow cobbled streets or enjoy lunch in one of the many Mosel wineries. After lunch, board a riverboat cruise on the Rhine and glide past romantic castle ruins, hear the stories of the Lorelai and the legends of Giants. Disembark in the town of St Goar to return to Frankfurt.

Today drive south along the 'Castles Road' through typical villages to the enchanting medieval town of Heidelberg. Check in to your hotel, drop your luggage and explore the Old Town at your own pace with your private guide.

Cross the bridge to admire the city from the other bank. Take the funicular to the ruins of the Gothic castle, inspiration of poets and painters and St. Peter's Church. Visit the Heidelberg University, the oldest in the country, the museum, the Alte Aula and the University prison. Your guide will depart mid afternoon, but you will be able to enjoy Heidelberg at sunset, when the streets are emptied of tourists and noise.

Today you will be taking the train to the heart of Bavaria - home of the fairy-tale castles and lederhosen. 

Once in Munich, opt to join a tour of the Baroque Nymphenburg Palace or just stroll around Germany's most livable city. Visit Marienplatz, peek into the Marienkirche church or return later for the Evensong. Nearby you will find the Viktualienmarkt, an open air market where one can buy flowers, vegetables, fruit, exotic tea or just sit alongside locals and enjoy a beer and a sausage.

Meet your driver guide after breakfast for a private tour of Neuschwanstein. This grandiose fairy-tale castle was inspired by legends and themes from the operas of Richard Wagner. The view from the castle courtyard is stunning. If you still have the energy, visit the castle of Hohenschwangau and the small town of Obermmergau before returning to Munich. 

Join a tour to visit the infamous concentration camp of Dachau. The area of the camp is divided into two sections - the former concentration camp with the headquarters, crematorium and the living quarters for the guards and the SS training camp with barracks and classrooms. Return to Munich for your last overnight in Bavaria.

Drive to Chiemsee Lake to visit another castle built by King Ludwig, this time inspired by the French Versailles Palace - the Herrenchiemsee. The setting is again superb, in the heart of a small island, framed by fountains and manicured lawns. 

Continue your journey to the town of Salzburg, Austria. This is the perfect town for a walking tour filled with souvenirs and chocolate shops decorated with wrought-iron signs, baroque churches and museums. The rest of your days is at leisure to explore Salzburg's magnificent gardens, hiking up the fortress hill for a panoramic view of pedaling into the countryside.

Today you will join a different tour of Salzburg to visit the places made famous by the classic movie 'The Sound of Music'. The tour will take you from Mirabell Palace into the heart of the old town with the Horse Pond, the Festival District and the Salzburg Cathedral. Continue with the Leopoldskron Palace and Hellbrunn Palace. On your journey back, you will pass by Nonnberg Abbey and Mozart's Residence.

Private transfer to airport and flight back home.