PLEASE NOTE: Price is per person and based on two people sharing a twin/double room. Single room supplements and upgrades are not included.
Itinerary
9 Day Itinerary
Day 1
Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Belgium for an overnight stay.
Day 2 - Rüdesheim
We continue our journey into Germany and the Rhine Valley to the ever-popular ‘wine town’ of Rudesheim. Home to the vibrant ‘Drosselgasse’, a narrow alley lined with restaurants, shops and bars, many playing traditional Rhineland music and the perfect place to enjoy a glass of local wine or beer. Why not join our optional ‘Exploring Rudesheim’ excursion. We travel by road train to the cellars of Adolf Störzel where there will be the chance to sample some of the local produce. From here we continue to Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, where you can see one of the largest collections of self-playing mechanical musical instruments. Your guide will tell you about the various instruments and you will have the chance to listen to many of the instruments and fairground organs play their different tunes. We continue to our hotel where we stay for the next two nights.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Rhine Valley & Rhine Cruise
Marvel at the beautiful scenery of the Rhine Valley on today’s included excursion. We visit Boppard with its splendid Rhine promenade and St. Goar, home to the world’s largest cuckoo clock. During the day there will be the chance to join an optional cruise along the Rhine gorge, famous for its ancient castles, picturesque villages and vine clad slopes and is a perfect way to view the splendour of the Rhine. The cruise will last for approximately 2 ½ hours during which time you will be served lunch on board.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Romantic Road
Leaving the Rhine Valley we travel along the scenic ‘Romantic Road’ visiting the charming medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, then on to Reutte in Austria or Southern Bavaria for a three-night stay.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Neuschwanstein & Linderhof
Today we visit the village of Hohenschwangau and King Ludwig II’s famous Neuschwanstein castle (entrance included). Built in the 19th century, the fairytale castle is dramatically perched on a hilltop. King Ludwig encouraged plans for this German gothic castle but unfortunately died before the end of its construction. The panoramic views from each side of the castle are truly breathtaking. (During the tour of Neuschwanstein castle you will be required to climb 165 steps and descend 181). This afternoon we travel to Linderhof Castle, the smallest of King Ludwig’s Palaces. Here you can see inside the castle or simply visit the Palace's beautiful grounds.Please note: Due to urgently required restoration work taking place in the Linderhof palace park, visitors may experience some noise disruption from construction machinery.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Chiemsee
Today’s optional excursion takes us to Chiemsee, Bavaria’s largest lake, also known as ‘the Bavarian Sea’. We take a boat from the first class spa resort of Prien over to Herreninsel and to Herrenchiemsee, the largest and most expensive castle built by King Ludwig II. In 1873 Ludwig acquired Herreninsel as the location for his Royal Palace but the actual building work didn’t start until 1878. From plans drawn by Georg Dollmann the palace was built as a ‘Temple of Versailles’ for King Louis XIV of France whom the King greatly admired. Unfortunately Ludwig never saw his Royal Palace finished and after his death in 1886 only the sections along the main axis with their famous fountains and waterworks were complete. Nowadays a visit to the most famous part of the palace is the 98-metre long “Hall of Mirrors“ and a visit to the royal bedchamber, in which no one ever slept, is also a must.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Lake Titisee
We head west for an overnight stay in the Black Forest, spending time en route in the beautiful lakeside resort of Titisee.
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Black Forest Scenic Drive
We journey through more of the delightful Black Forest, where traditional timbered buildings blend into the beautiful rolling landscape of wooded hills and green meadows, spending time in the charming town of Triberg, and later continue to Belgium for an overnight stay.
Meals - Breakfast
Day 9
Return home.
Meals - Breakfast