Day 1 - Depart U.S.
Depart your home city for Vienna.

Day 2 - Arrive Vienna
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Relax or explore the city on your own before a Welcome Reception at the hotel tonight.
Accommodation: NH Hotel Wien - 2 nights

Day 3 - Vienna Sightseeing
Depart on a panoramic tour of Vienna, including Schönbrunn Palace and Schubert's birthplace and see first editions of his works. Dinner is followed by a nostalgic trip to the Kaiser period with the Hat Parade. Decked out in hats from the days of the emperor and taken from the museum's exhibits, you will walk by candlelight in a “hat parade“ to the wine cellar for a wine tasting. This is followed by a ride on the Riesenrad giant Ferris wheel in Prater Park.

Day 4 - Vienna / Altötting
Enjoy a cruise on the Danube today. There are hundreds of castles and abbeys in the region, and the section between Krems and Melk is considered to be the most scenic, with wine-growing villages, forested slopes, vineyards, and fortresses at nearly every bend. Visit Melk Abbey and continue to Altötting, the spiritual center of Bavaria, where the “Black Madonna” is kept inside the Chapel of Grace. Located next to Altötting is Marktl, the birthplace of the current Pope, Benedict XVI.
Accommodation: Hotel Plankl Altötting - 1 night

Day 5 - Altötting / Salzburg
Travel to Lake Chiemsee and board a boat to the island of Herreninsel to visit King Ludwig II's Herrenchiemsee Palace, a replica of the Palace of Versailles, complete with a hall of mirrors, fountains, and state rooms. Ride on a horse-drawn carriage from Herreninsel Pier to the Royal Palace. Continue to Salzburg, the home of Mozart and The Sound of Music. Dinner and a Mozart concert are included.
Accommodation: Zum Hirschen Hotel - 2 nights

Day 6 - Salzburg
This morning, visit Mozart's home, where he lived with his family until 1780 and composed numerous symphonies, serenades, and divertimenti. This afternoon, enjoy an excursion into the Salzkammergut region, the Austrian Lake District, passing the picturesque lakes of Attersee, Mondsee, Fuschlsee, and St. Wolfgangsee, with stops in the pretty towns of St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen.

Day 7 - Salzburg / Innsbruck
Travel to Innsbruck today, stopping in Berchtesgaden to visit the Salt Mine, including a train journey underground, a boat ride across the underground lake, and a visit to the Salt Cathedral. Berchtesgaden, the so-called “Eagle's Nest,” was built as a 50th birthday present to Adolf Hitler. The tour includes a detailed account of the construction and a visit to the underground bunker system. Visit the Swarovski Crystal factory and continue to Innsbruck, a city surrounded by majestic alpine peaks.
Accommodation: Hotel Neue Post - 1 night

Day 8 - Innsbruck / Oberammergau
This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Innsbruck before departing for Füssen. Visit Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale hilltop castle of King Ludwig II, who lived there for only 170 days, and the inspiration for Walt Disney's castle in Walt Disney World.
Accommodation: Parkhotel Bayersoien - 2 nights

Day 9 - Oberammergau
Oberammergau, a small town hemmed in by the wooded foothills of the Ammergau, owes its fame to the internationally known Passion Play, which is only performed every 10 years. The play involves 1,100 amateur actors drawn from the local population and lasts an entire day. The tradition derives from a vow made by the inhabitants in 1633 after a plague epidemic was miraculously cut short. Full day at the Oberammergau Passion Play.

Day 10 - Oberammergau / Munich
Travel to Munich, one of Germany's most festive cities. Visit Nymphenburg Palace, one-time summer residence of the Bavarian rulers, and a wonderful example of rococo architecture.
Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Atrium - 2 nights

Day 11 - Dachau
Spend a morning at leisure or take an optional visit to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site for a guided tour. Visit Olympic Park in Munich. The park's showpiece is the stadium, capable of seating 69,300 spectators and topped by the largest roof in the world, made of tinted acrylic glass. Dinner tonight is at the famous Hofbräuhaus and includes a Bavarian buffet and a Tyrolean folk show.

Day 12 - Depart Munich
After breakfast, transfer to the Munich airport.