Itinerary

Day 1Thu. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT

Day 2Fri. ARRIVAL IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to see some of Frankfurt. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. (D)

Day 3Sat. FRANKFURT–RHINE CRUISE

The beautiful Rhine Valley

–COLOGNE

Pay a visit to Cologne’s awesome gothic cathedral

Today’s highlight is an included Rhine cruise from Oberwesel to Boppard to enjoy scenic views of the Rhineland

Germany’s amazing landscapes along the Rhine river

including the famous Lorelei Rock. The next highlight is Cologne and a visit to its impressive gothic cathedral, started in 1248 and completed in 1880. (B,D)

Day 4Sun. COLOGNE–HAMELIN–HAMBURG

Hamburg

Leave Cologne this morning and journey into Niedersachsen to visit Hamelin. Admire its town center with its colorful historical buildings and magically fancy gables. Also hear the story of the Pied Piper. Continue to Hamburg, where you arrive in time for an optional harbor cruise. (B)

Day 5Mon. HAMBURG–LÜBECK–BERLIN

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin serves as a symbol of peace and reunification of the city

Start the day with an orientation drive to see some of Germany’s greatest maritime cities. Later this morning a comfortable drive to Lübeck, formerly a free Hanseatic city and independent state. Lübeck, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

The World Heritage List includes over 800 properties with cultural and/or natural heritage of global significance

is considered the cultural capital of northern Germany. Thomas Mann, Günther Grass, and Willy Brandt—all Nobel laureates—were among the famous residents of this city. Continue eastwards on the autobahn to reach Berlin in time to enjoy your first evening in the capital of Germany. (B)

Day 6Tue. BERLIN

No longer divided but every bit as fascinating, Berlin was once the city of contrasts with the wall separating two different worlds. Now the city has developed into a harmonious blend of new and old, preserving its historical buildings and impressive boulevards as well as creating brand new buildings in the most daring architectural styles. See all of this on the included city sightseeing with a Local Guide. In the afternoon there is an optional excursion to historic Potsdam

Potsdam – Sanssouci

to visit Sans Souci Park, a marvel of landscape gardening and architectural wonders, and Cecilienhof Castle. (B)

Day 7Wed. BERLIN–DRESDEN

Dresden, Germany, situated along the River Elbe

–LEIPZIG

Bach's Leipzig

This morning, travel southwest to Dresden, the old capital of Saxony, at one time rightly called “The Florence on the Elbe.” See the Zwinger Carillon Pavilion and much more of this city on your included sightseeing. Then it’s on to Leipzig, where the great composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn lived the last years of their lives. It was Mendelssohn who founded the Leipziger Conservatory in 1843. (B,D)

Day 8Thu. LEIPZIG–WEIMAR–COBURG–NUREMBERG

Leave Leipzig for a stop in Weimar, home to many intellectuals of the past but mainly known for the name given to the historical period of the “Republic of Weimar.” This city is also famed as the home of the Bauhaus architectural movement in the 1920s. Next stop is Coburg. Visit the dominating and mighty Veste Coburg Castle, built in 1225. Enjoy some free time in the picturesque town center before heading for Nuremberg for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 9Fri. NUREMBERG–ROMANTIC ROAD

Watch Tower along the Romantic Road

–ROTHENBURG–MUNICH

"Munich, Germany's Secret Capital"

Start the day with an included orientation drive of Nuremberg to see some of its highlights. Later, travel west and then southwards through the beautiful scenery of the Romantic Road. Visit picture-postcard medieval Rothenburg by the Tauber River, then on to the Bavarian capital, Munich, for two overnights. (B,D)

Day 10Sat. MUNICH

With a Local Guide, take advantage of the included sightseeing tour of the city known as Germany’s “secret capital.” Time to admire the beautiful main square, Marienplatz

View Marienplatz in Munich, Germany

, do some shopping, and sample its most famous product—beer! Optional excursions are also available. (B)

Day 11Sun. MUNICH–OBERAMMERGAU

Oberammergau

–NEUSCHWANSTEIN

The 19th-century Bavarian Palace of Neuschwanstein Castle

–BLACK FOREST

The Black Forest in southwestern Germany

AREA

Leave Munich and drive into the heart of the Bavarian Alps to visit Oberammergau, home of the famous Passion Play which takes place every 10 years. Next, visit the most famous 19th-century neo-romantic castle of the world, King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

. Enjoy more fairytale scenery on your way through the Black Forest for an overnight here. (B,D)

Day 12Mon. BLACK FOREST AREA–HEIDELBERG

Mark Twain's Heidelberg

–FRANKFURT

The day starts by traveling to Heidelberg for a short visit. This city is the location of Germany’s oldest university and became an inspiration and myth for the German Romantic movement. From here, just a few more miles to Frankfurt. (B)

Day 13Tue. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)