Day 1 : Fly to Germany

Our wonderful European vacation begins with an overnight flight to Frankfurt.

Day 2 : Romantic Road

We meet our European guide on arrival in Frankfurt. Our sightseeing begins in Würzburg, a beautiful Baroque city on the scenic Romantic Road. Our accommodations for the next two nights will be in Rothenburg, one of Germany’s best known and preserved medieval cities. Tonight, we become acquainted with our new friends at a Holiday Vacations Welcome Dinner.

Day 3 : Rothenburg

Enjoy a European breakfast buffet before beginning each day. Learn the fascinating story of Rothenburg, from its origins as a stronghold at the crossroads of important trade routes to its downfall during the 30 Years’ War. Enjoy a walking tour of this wondrous medieval town, ringed with towers, walls and gateways that date from the 16th century. Tonight, we dine at a medieval restaurant and travel back in time with a Night Watchman for an atmospheric evening walking tour.

Day 4 : Munich

We visit Munich and see the famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel animated clock in the Marienplatz, the town square in the traditional city center. Today, we’ll enjoy lunch at Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s famous food and farmers market. This afternoon, our scenery changes from rolling green hills to the dramatic foothills of the Alps as we reach the 700-year-old village of Füssen where we stay for two nights.

Day 5 : Neuschwanstein Castle

Today we tour the inspiration for Disney’s Magic Kingdom Castle, the fairytale-like Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most recognized castles in the world. The castle sits high above the quaint village of Hohenschwangau. We return to Füssen for our last night’s stay on the Romantic Road with lunch and some leisure time early this afternoon. Later, we join a friendly local guide for a walking tour of Füssen.

Day 6 : Mirabell Gardens & Mozart-themed Dinner

This morning, we travel to Salzburg, Austria, the beautiful city featured in the movie The Sound of Music. A local guide joins us as we are charmed by the architecture and stroll through Mirabell Gardens before enjoying some free time. After checking in to our hotel in Salzburg, we are off to one of the highlights of the tour, a private dinner at St. Peter’s Stiftskeller accompanied by a string quartet performing selections by Mozart. Savor the superb three-course dinner as we fall under the spell of classical music in the town of Mozart’s birth.

Day 7 : Innsbruck

Today we depart for Innsbruck and stop along the way in Austria’s smallest city, Rattenberg, known for its Austrian crystal and Alpine vistas. During our visit to the famous ski resort town of Innsbruck, we view the Imperial Palace, former Olympic sites, and the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), built in 1500 as a royal balcony. Our overnight accommodations are in Innsbruck.

Day 8 : Switzerland

We continue along Alpine valleys to Liechtenstein, the smallest principality in Europe. Later we ascend 6,000-foot Mount Rigi by cog railway. Breathtaking panoramic views of the Swiss Mittelland greet us when reaching Rigi Kulm, the highest point. We descend the mountain by aerial cable car and travel along the shores of Lake Lucerne to the resort city of Lucerne where we enjoy two nights.

Day 9 : Lucerne

A local guide joins us to visit Lucerne’s world-famous sights such as the Chapel Bridge with the octagonal Water Tower, the Jesuit Church, and the Lion Monument of Lucerne. Enjoy an included lunch with music and a folklore show complete with yodeling and Alpine Horns at the cozy country Stadtkeller Restaurant. The afternoon is open for shopping for local handicrafts, Swiss chocolate, clocks, and watches.

Day 10 : Black Forest & Baden-Baden

Traveling north, we cross back to Germany into the legendary Black Forest. We visit Hofgut Sternen to see some of the area’s beautiful, handcrafted cuckoo clocks. We then arrive at Baden-Baden and check in to our accommodations. Tonight, enjoy this scenic resort city nestled in a wooded valley where artisanal springs and thermal baths have attracted visitors since the Roman Empire.

Day 11 : Rhine River Cruise

We tour the delightful town of Rudesheim before our afternoon cruise on the Rhine River to the Lorelei Rock. This area of the Middle Rhine is known for its castles and fortresses and the many vineyards spilling down the hillsides to the river. This evening we relive memories of our European vacation at a Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner as we overnight in Weisbaden.

Day 12 : Fond Farewells

Returning to Frankfurt, we board our flight home with lasting memories of our Central Europe visit.