Highlights of Germany (6040)

12 Day Tour from Frankfurt to Frankfurt

2018 Tour Details View 2019 Tour Details »

Spectacular scenery, medieval towns, fairytale castles, a fascinating history, and world-class beer…this is Germany! On this Germany tour, you'll see Germany's highlights and visit its most famous cities, as well as its medieval towns and scenic areas. Your vacation begins and ends in Frankfurt with overnights also in the Rhineland, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Nuremberg, Munich, and the Black Forest area.

Magnificent scenery awaits you on this Germany vacation. Enjoy a cruise on the Rhine River, passing castle-crested hills, terraced vineyards, and pretty wine towns. In Bavaria, visit King Ludwig II's 19th-century Neuschwanstein Castle, nestled high in the Alps. Drive along the Romantic Road with its charming villages, cobblestone streets, walled cities, half-timbered houses, and scenic countryside, and stop in Rothenburg, a walled town that has retained its medieval character. Finally, enjoy Germany's lush Black Forest region, named because the forest is so thick, people called it black.

A tour highlight is the famous gothic cathedral in Cologne—known for its twin-steepled towers—that was started in 1248 and completed in 1880. Enjoy Lübeck, a Hanseatic city and UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in the 12th century. Visit Veste Coburg Castle, built in 1225 and one of Germany’s largest castle complexes. Today, the complex houses the former art collections of the dukes of Coburg.

You’ll also enjoy sightseeing of the must-see sights in the cities, including Munich’s Marienplatz, the main square in the city that hosts the Oktoberfest beer festival. In Dresden, see the Zwinger Carillon Pavilion, where the 40 bells of the glockenspiel sound every quarter of an hour.

From the beautiful scenery and exciting cities to the historic sights and fun experiences, this Germany tour has it all!
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 Tour Highlights

Sightseeing:

Rhine cruise, visits to Cologne Cathedral, Hamelin, Hamburg orientation drive, Lübeck, Leipzig, Weimar, Coburg Castle, Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Neuschwanstein Castle, Heidelberg

Guides:

Local Guides for city sightseeing in Berlin, Dresden, Munich; professional Tour Director while touring

Scenic Highlights:

Rhine Valley, Romantic Road, Bavarian Alps, Black Forest

Individual headsets

Notes:

September 14, 16, 21, 23 & 28 Departures – Oktoberfest
November 30 & December 7 Departures – Include visits to Cologne, Lubeck, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg, and Munich Christmas markets
December 27 Departure – New Year's Eve in Berlin including special dinner

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:

  • Cologne Cathedral
  • Hanseatic city of Lübeck
  • Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin

Transportation:

Transportation:
Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach; Rhine cruise

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

Buffet breakfasts daily; 5 dinners

 Itinerary

Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.

Day 1 ARRIVE 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.

DinnerDinner

Day 2 FRANKFURT–RHINE CRUISE–COLOGNE–RHINELAND

Today’s highlight is an included RHINE CRUISE from Oberwesel to Boppard to enjoy scenic views of the Rhineland, 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.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 3 RHINELAND–HAMELIN–HAMBURG

Journey into Niedersachsen to visit Hamelin. Admire its town center with its colorful historical buildings and magically fancy gables echoing the story of the Pied Piper. Continue to Hamburg, where you may want to join an optional harbor cruise.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 4 HAMBURG–LÜBECK–BERLIN

Start the day with an orientation drive in Hamburg, one of Germany’s greatest maritime cities. Later, leave for Lübeck, formerly a free Hanseatic city and independent state. Lübeck, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 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. Later, arrive in Berlin and enjoy your first evening in the capital of Germany.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 5 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. Maybe join an optional excursion this afternoon.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 6 BERLIN–DRESDEN–LEIPZIG

Travel southwest to Dresden, the old capital of Saxony and at one time rightly called the “Florence on the Elbe.” See the ZWINGER CARILLON PAVILION and much more on your included sightseeing. Then it’s on to Leipzig, where composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn lived the last years of their lives. It was Mendelssohn who founded the Leipziger Conservatory in 1843.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 7 LEIPZIG–WEIMAR–COBURG–NUREMBERG

Leave Leipzig to visit 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. Continue to Nuremberg for a visit to its famous town center, dominated by the imperial castle.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 8 NUREMBERG–ROTHENBURG–MUNICH

Drive along the Romantic Road, through towns and villages protected by medieval towered gates and battlements, with squares of half-timbered houses and richly decorated fountains. Visit a fine example of this architecture in the quaint medieval center of Rothenburg. Overnight in Munich.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 9 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, do some shopping, and sample its most famous product—beer!

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 10 MUNICH–NEUSCHWANSTEIN–BLACK FOREST AREA

Leave Munich and drive into the heart of the Bavarian Alps to visit the most famous 19th-century, neo-romantic castle of the world, King Ludwig II’s fairytale NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE. Enjoy more idyllic scenery on your way through the Black Forest.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 11 BLACK FOREST AREA–HEIDELBERG–FRANKFURT

The day starts with a visit to Heidelberg. This city is the location of Germany’s oldest university and became an inspiration and myth for the German Romantic movement. From here, continue to Frankfurt.

Breakfast Breakfast

Day 12 FRANKFURT

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With Cosmos, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of your Tour Director. Averaging over a decade... we’d like you to meet a Tour Director, who is representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

VJENCESLAV ZATKOVIC

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“I decided to become a Tour Director in order to see the world-and lose weight. Unfortunately, the latter is impossible in Slovenia and Croatia, because the food is incredible. Still, it was worth a try! Since those early years I've discovered that the reality of travel is better than I ever imagined. Every day is different, and there is always something new to see and learn.”

Tour Director - VJENCESLAV ZATKOVIC

 Accommodations

Frankfurt
Rhineland
Hamburg
Berlin
Leipzig
Nuremberg
Munich
Munich
Black Forest

 Optional Excursions

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Hamburg
Berlin
Munich

Hamburg

Evening Harbour Cruise

Evening Harbour Cruise

See one of the world's greatest harbours from the water on a fascinating boat cruise.

Price Range: $

Berlin

Ziko's Grill Dinner

Ziko's Grill Dinner

Enjoy a night of delectable food and lively atmosphere during this memorable dinner experience in the heart of Berlin.

Price Range: $

WWII and Cold War Icons in Berlin

WWII and Cold War Icons in Berlin

Get fascinating insight into the WWII and Cold War historical events that shaped Berlin as you visit the Wannsee Conference site, Allied Museum, and Glienicke Bridge, the infamous Bridge of Spies!

Price Range: $

Munich

Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp

Come face to face with the horrors of Dachau, Germany's first concentration camp and the model for the brutality of the Third Reich, during this moving guided visit of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.

Price Range: $

 Know Before You Go

These Know Before You Go travel tips are designed with you in mind, with helpful hints to help you prepare for and enjoy your escorted vacation. They are your guide to getting ready and contain general information on travel documentation, customs, and the country/countries you will be visiting, including budgeting, transportation, climate, languages, and much more. With Globus, you benefit from our experience.



* The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).

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