| 1 | FRANKFURT, GERMANY.
After arrival check into your hotel. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D) |
| 2 | FRANKFURT - ROTHENBURG - MUNICH.
The day is dedicated to Germany's Romantic Road leading from the flat country towards the Alps. Spend time in spectacular Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes and 16th-century houses. From here it's an easy ride towards the Danube Valley and Munich. Tonight you may want to tackle a stein of beer at the Hofbrauhaus. (BB,D) |
| 3 | MUNICH.
Sightseeing with a Local Guide in Germany's "secret capital" includes the Olympic Stadium, 305-metre-high (1,000-feet) Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. Afternoon at leisure. An optional excursion to Linderhof Castle and Passion Play town of Oberammergau is available. (BB) |
| 4 | MUNICH - SALZBURG, AUSTRIA - VIENNA.
Through southern Bavaria to the Austrian border and on to Salzburg. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the historic centre of Mozarts hometown, exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER'S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Evening arrival in Vienna, once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight you may wish to try out local specialties and a typically Viennese form of entertainment. (BB) |
| 5 | VIENNA.
Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions to Schonbrunn Palace and to Grinzing, for a taste of Heurigen wine, are available. (BB) |
| 6 | VIENNA - VILLACH.
An optional excursion to Schonbrunn Palace is possible before continuing south, across scenic Semmering Pass, and through peaceful crossroad towns in Styria to the popular resorts of Carinthia. Overnight in Villach. (B,D) |
| 7 | VILLACH - ITALIAN DOLOMITES - INNSBRUCK.
Drive via the Iselsberg Pass to the Italian border and to Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites. Then, via Tre Croci Pass and Lake Misurina to Brunico and across Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Stroll through its medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian's GOLDEN ROOF. Why not join an optional Tyrolean song-and-dance show? (B,D) |
| 8 | INNSBRUCK - ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND.
Into the Swiss Engadine. See deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon free in ritzy St. Moritz. (B,D) |
| 9 | ST. MORITZ - LUGANO.
Descend towards the Italian Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland to the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano, with plenty of time for an espresso on the flower-festooned Piazza Riforma and a refreshing walk in the shade of Parco Ciani's magnificent old trees. (BB,D) |
| 10 | LUGANO - STRESA, ITALY - ZERMATT.
From Lake Lugano to Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. An optional boat ride to the enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. On over the lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its great mountain resorts. In Tasch, board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (B,D) |
| 11 | AT LEISURE IN ZERMATT
Full day at leisure to ride Europe's highest rack-railway to 3131 metre (10,272-foot) Gornergrat, to explore the town on your own or to just simply relax. (BB) |
| 12 | ZERMATT - BERNE - INTERLAKEN - LUCERNE.
Through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhone Valley to Lake Geneva and via the dairy country of Gruyere to the Swiss capital, Berne. See the monumental Federal Palace and the BEAR PIT before continuing via Interlaken, a Bernese Oberland resort beneath the towering Jungfrau, and across Brunig Pass to Lucerne. (B,D) |
| 13 | LUCERNE.
On your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen's LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car, take a cruise on the fjord-like lake, or sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing. (B) |
| 14 | LUCERNE - HEIDELBERG, GERMANY - FRANKFURT.
On the way back to Germany, visit the thundering RHINE FALLS at Schaffhausen. Enter the pine-clad hills of the Black Forest, and enjoy a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION on your way to Heidelberg, well known for its redwalled castle. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your vacation. (B,D) |
| 15 | FRANKFURT.
Your tour ends with breakfast this morning. (B) |
