BEST OF GERMANY

• Welcome to Frankfurt and savour an opportunity to see the sights on your own before meeting your Travel Director this afternoon for an orientation of Römerberg and the financial district.
• This evening, we enjoy a Welcome Reception with our fellow travellers, including a light meal and welcome drink to kick off our discovery of the best of Germany.

Arrival Transfer: Depart the airport at 09:30, 12:00, 14:30

Included Experience: Explore Frankfurt

• Resist the alluring calls of Loreley and board your leisurely cruise along the Rhine.
• Glide past vineyard-clad hills, stopping to Connect With Locals over lunch at a Be My Guest experience in a 13th century castle perched high above the river valley.
• Share stories of knights and feuding lords and ladies over lunch before continuing to Cologne, where we’ll view the Gothic spires of its magnificent cathedral during our orientation of the city.

Included Experience: Lunch in a Medieval Castle High Above the Rhine River Valley, Explore Cologne and Rhine Valley Cruise

• Journey through the lush green landscape of Lower Saxony as we make our way to the international trade centre of Hamburg, where we’ll join our Travel Director for an orientation tour of the city’s iconic sights.
• Spend some time at leisure exploring the city’s seafaring heritage.
• Visit one of the city’s brewhouses or consider a guided cruise through the city’s harbour and discover why Hamburg is called Germany’s ‘Gateway to the World’. Tonight, we will dine at our hotel.

Included Experience: Admire Hamburg

Optional Experience: The Fab Four and Hamburg Harbour Cruise

• Follow the picturesque Elbe Valley from Hamburg, crossing the former ‘Iron Curtain’ to the historic city of Berlin.
• Join your Local Specialist to explore the iconic landmarks of unified Berlin.
• See the Neo-Renaissance Reichstag, the Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden.

Included Experience: Berlin City Tour

Optional Experience: Berlin by Twilight with Dinner

• Ascend the iconic Berlin TV Tower for 360° views of the city and Spree River.
• You’ll learn how this landmark changed from being a symbol of the communist regime of East Germany to a symbol of a reunited Berlin before enjoying some time exploring Berlin your way.
• You could choose to join an Optional Experience to delve into the secrets of Berlin’s past, including a visit to the site of Checkpoint Charlie.

Included Experience: Berlin TV Tower Visit

Optional Experience: Berlin’s Secret Past Revealed / Bridges, Lakes & Prussian Royalty

• A short drive south brings us to Dresden, the ‘Florence on the Elbe’
• See the Semper Opera, Zwinger Palace and the fully reconstructed Frauenkirche.
• Consider delving into the treasures of Dresden, joining an Optional Experience to explore this elegant city.

Included Experience: Explore Dresden

Optional Experience: Dresden Royal Treasury and Moritzburg Castle

• Visit the village of Mödlareuth.
• Gain insights into a divided Germany at its open-air museum and see a section of the original wall with its security features.
• This afternoon, arrive in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg.
• During your orientation see the mighty castle ramparts and stand in the Hauptmarkt main square which is dominated by the impressive Frauenkirche, a great example of the Gothic brick-style architecture of the region.
•  Spend the rest of your day at leisure indulging in the local specialties.

Included Experience: Explore Mödlareuth and Nuremberg Orientation

Optional Experience: Nuremberg Rally Grounds and Golden Hall / Nuremberg’s Medieval Secrets Uncovered

• Stroll through the narrow lanes of Rothenburg.
• Admire the beautiful market square, lined with half-timbered houses, and the Old Town Hall before travelling through the Bavarian countryside to Munich.

Included Experience: Visit Rothenburg

Optional Experience: Bavarian Evening

• During your time in Munich, see the distinctive towers of the Cathedral as well as Marienplatz.
• The 13th-century St. Peter’s church, the Viktualien food market square and a beerhall are only a short walk from here.

Included Experience: Munich Orientation

Optional Experience: The Dachau Memorial Site

• This morning, we tread in the footsteps of shy King Ludwig II and visit his Neuschwanstein Castle (Subject to Availability)
• Continue through the magical countryside to the Black Forest, whose mystical landscape inspired fantasy and fiction from the famous Brothers Grimm.
• This evening over dinner, we learn from a local expert about Hofgut Sternen’s innovative design and the traditions of the Black Forest on MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®  Experience.

Included Experience: Neuschwanstein Castle Visit and Hofgut Sternen

• Witness a Black Forest treasure as you Dive Into Culture and learn about the centuries-old craft of cuckoo clock making.
• Later, travel to Heidelberg and perhaps have the chance to capture views of the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, as well as the Baroque-style Old Town.
• Spend the rest of the afternoon finishing up some last-minute shopping before continuing on to Frankfurt.
• Tonight we enjoy a Farewell Dinner with your newfound friends, reminiscing over the iconic and unexpected highlights of our trip.

Included Experience: Visit the Black Forest and discover the centuries’ old craft of clock making and View Heidelberg Castle

• After breakfast, we say a fond farewell after a memorable holiday.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 08:00, 10:00