Day One - Departure: Today we depart on our flight to Budapest. Meals are served during our transatlantic flight.

Day Two - Budapest: On arrival at the Budapest airport, we will be met by our tour manager and directed to our waiting motor coach.    En-route to our hotel, we will have an introduction to our tour before check-in and dinner.
Meals: Dinner

Day Three - Budapest: This morning’s city tour will showcase the two parts of this magical city, which is divided and at the same time united by the Danube - Buda is the historic capital, with its Royal Palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion; Pest has the equally famous landmarks of the Parliament and Heroes’ Square. The afternoon and evening are free for shopping and further exploration.
Meals: Breakfast

Day Four - Budapest / Bratislava / Prague: Departing Budapest this morning, we will cross into Slovakia and to its capital of Bratislava, which since the country’s independence in 1992 has been transformed in just a few years into one of Europe’s most dynamic cities. The historic heart has been lovingly restored after decades of Communist neglect to rank as one of the most authentic in Central Europe - a true reflection of its Hungarian, Austrian and Slovakian past. Our walking tour will include views of the Castle Hill, Old Town, St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Primate’s Palace. There will be free time for lunch and shopping, before we continue into the Czech Republic and on to Prague for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Five - Prague: Known as the Golden City, the city of one hundred towers and the Jerusalem of Europe, Prague is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.  Today’s walking tour will take in all the highlights of this breathtaking city – the castle area of Hradcany with St. Vitus Cathedral, the Lesser Quarter, Charles’ Bridge and the Old Town Square. The afternoon and evening are free for individual exploration and shopping or enjoy the bustle of Wenceslas Square.
Meals: Breakfast

Day Six - Prague / Nürnberg / Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Following breakfast we will depart Prague and motor to the Czech border and into Germany.  Our first stop will be in Nürnberg, where our city tour will highlight all the historic landmarks of this great city, from its medieval heyday to the darkest hours of the Nazi rallies. We will walk through grounds of the mighty medieval Castle, which dominates the old town, past the birthplace of Albrecht Dürer, and see the exquisite Gothic churches of St. Lorenz and the Frauenkirche.  Our journey through history continues to the building where the Nürnberg Trials were held following World War II, and we will see the complex of buildings designed by Albert Speer for the Nazi Party Rallies. In the early evening we will arrive in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval jewel where time seems to have stood still for 400 years.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Seven - Rothenburg ob der Tauber / Heidelberg: Still completely surrounded by its medieval fortifications, Rothenburg takes us a step back in time.  This morning our walking tour reveals the old world charm of this unique town, with its impressive City Hall, Market Square and magnificent St. James’ Church with the exquisite Holy Blood Altar, carved in linden wood by Tilman Riemenschneider. There will be free time for lunch and shopping, perhaps at the famous Christmas Shops of Kaethe Wohlfahrt, before we continue to Heidelberg for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Eight - Heidelberg (Rhine River Cruise Excursion): This morning we will visit Heidelberg’s most iconic landmark, the 600 year old Castle, whose spectacular ruin dominates the city and embodies  the very symbol of German Romanticism. Following our guided visit, there will be a  little free time for an early lunch in the old town with Germany’s oldest university and the Church of the Holy Ghost. This afternoon we will drive to the banks of the Rhine River, where we begin our leisurely cruise along the most famous stretch of this mighty river from St. Goar to Rudesheim, past castles and ruined fortresses, which tell tales of medieval knights, robber barons and, of course, the legend of the Lorelei. You will have the opportunity to enjoy an early supper on your own during the cruise, before returning to Heidelberg later in the evening. Overnight in Heidelberg.
Meals: Breakfast

Day Nine - Heidelberg / Neuschwanstein / Oberammergau: Today we will journey south into the breathtaking scenery of the Alps to visit Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale castle of ‘mad’ King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was here that the ‘Fairytale King’ attempted to re-create his images of medieval chivalry - so successfully that you will recognize the result as the model for Disneyland’s Cinderella’s Castle. Later we continue to Oberammergau for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Ten - Oberammergau: The Passion Play has been performed in Oberammergau since 1634. It is a tradition which, although common throughout Europe at that time, largely disappeared over the centuries. Except in this small Bavarian farming village, it not only survived for more than 350 years, but became famous all over the world. Oberammergau is also well-known for the traditional craft of wood-carving and for the frescoes decorating the village houses. This morning will be free to absorb the unique atmosphere of this Alpine village, before the afternoon and evening performance of the Passion Play.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Eleven - Munich: This morning we will be transferred to the Munich airport to begin our journey home.