Germany - Switzerland

 
Itinerary

1. Day
Arrival
Arrival in Munich, the capital of Bavaria and welcome by the local tour guide who will accompany you throughout your stay. Visit the Nymphenburg Palace, baroque residence of the Bavarian kings. Accommodation for three nights. D

2. Day
Munich
Sightseeing tour by bus and on foot through Munich: Historic old city with its famous buildings and squares including the Marienplatz with the town hall and its "Glockenspiel" and the "Frauenkirche" (Church of our Lady) with its distinctive onion-topped towers. Visit to the Olympic Park and drive to Dachau: Visit to the site of Germany's first Concentration Camp, nowadays memorial site and museum. Guided tour in the museum with its reconstructed barracks and crematorium where the holocaust is documented. BD

3. Day
Herrenchiemsee (approx. 200 km/124 miles)
Drive to Lake Chiemsee, also known as the "Bavarian Sea" situated in the beautiful Bavarian Alps and surrounded by unspoiled nature. Take a short boat ride to the "Herreninsel" to visit the splendid Herrenchiemsee Palace. Never completed, this impressive castle, built by Bavaria's King Ludwig II, was intended to become the "new Versailles." Return to Munich. In the evening, enjoy a convivial Bavarian dinner with traditional music. BD

4. Day
Oberammergau (approx. 100 km/62 miles)
World-renowned, this quaint Bavarian town is the site of the extravagant Oberammergau Passion Play – performed only once every ten years. The permanent exhibition explains the tradition and history behind this spectacle. Take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Beginning in the afternoon and involving almost all residents of the village, the play has a running time of approx. five hours with a three-hour intermission. Accommodation for one night. BD

5. Day
Linderhof – Neuschwanstein - Meersburg (approx. 230 km/143 miles)
After a late breakfast, drive through the beautiful and scenic Bavarian countryside. Visit two of the most famous, delightful fairytale castles built by King Ludwig II – Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. Continue the journey to Meersburg located on the shores of Lake Constance, the largest lake in Germany and the third largest in Europe. Accommodation for one night. BD

6. Day
Meersburg – Rheinfall – Zurich (approx. 220 km/137 miles)
Ferry to Konstanz. Continue to Reichenau Island (World Heritage Site): visit the Benedictine Abbey of Reichenau. Today the island is also famous for its vegetable farms and wineries. Drive along the Rhine River and the foothills of the Alps through breathtaking scenery to Schaffhausen, Switzerland: Visit the Rhine Falls (Rheinfall), Europe's largest waterfalls. Drive to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland located on Lake Zurich: Accommodation for two nights. BD

7. Day
Zurich
uided city tour with Grossmunster Cathedral: It was here that Huldrych Zwingli began the Swiss Reformation; Fraumuenster Abbey with its stunning stained glass windows by Marc Chagall; St. Peter's Church boasting the largest clock face in Europe. In the afternoon, leisure time to shop or explore. In the evening enjoy a typical Swiss Fondue dinner. BD

8. Day
Bern – Lake Geneva (approx. 260 km/162 miles)
Drive to Bern, the capital of Switzerland: City tour through the medieval historic centre (World Heritage Site) with one of the longest shopping arcades in Europe; the Zytglogge – an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets, the gothic Munster Cathedral, the 15th century town hall and the Bärengraben or Bear Pit. Drive to Lake Geneva: Accommodation for three nights. BD

9. Day
Geneva
Full-day sightseeing tour through the stronghold of the Swiss Reformation, associated most closely with John Calvin an Huldrych Zwingli. Visit St. Pierre Cathedral, Temple de l'Auditoire, Collège Calvin, Reformation Monument, University, International Museum of the Reformation, town hall and several medieval "Bürgerhäuser." Visit Calvin's grave. BD

10. Day
Nyon
Walking tour through the well- maintained old city, situated on the banks of Lake Geneva. Visit the castle and the reformed parish church. In the afternoon, boat trip on spectacular Lake Geneva. BD

11. Day
Departure
In the morning, depending upon departure time, free time to shop and then airport transfer and return to the United States. B