Escape to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria Tour

Your plane will ascend into the contemporary architecture of Frankfurt, a city that embodies modernity with glinting skyscrapers made of glass, steel, and concrete. The city holds the title of Germany’s most important commercial and economic center, with a skyline dominated by high-rises in the banking district. Your private transfer will meet you at the baggage claim of the Frankfurt Airport and escort you to the beautiful heart of Romerberg, which is Frankfurt’s old town center. The Justice Fountain stands at the center of the oddly shaped square adorned by the goddess Justitia watching passersby.

In the morning, visitors of Frankfurt make their way to the home of one of Germany’s greatest writers, Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe. His family home includes a collection of rooms that are filled with elaborate décor, including a dining room and a writer’s room where Goethe penned some of his early works. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby for your journey to Munich. En route to Bavaria’s capital city, you will stop at Rothenburg, considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in all of Europe.

A zipline and architectural tour will provide fun and insight into the grounds and its repurposing over the years. The Olympic Tower stands 951 feet tall and contains two pods, one of which has a revolving restaurant with a platform that provides a sensational view of Munich’s sprawling design. Tour groups bring children from all over to learn about the 1972 Olympics and the act of terror that marred the games. Make your way next to the Old Town to stroll the cobbled streets of the city’s renovated center to take it all in.

The English Garden in Munich was designed in the late 18th-century and is one of Europe’s grandest parks as it reaches a length of over three miles. Paths meander around the mature oak and maple trees before they reach the meadows bathed in sunlight. Locals jog and stroll around the country atmosphere to play soccer or picnic on the grass. After breakfast, you will leave Munich behind to cross the border into Austria and enjoy the baroque charms of Salzburg. The movie The Sound of Music, with star Julie Andrews, took place in Salzburg, based on the story of the Von Trapp family.

Wake up in glamorous Vienna, a city that both celebrates its history and looks forward to its future. The city’s illustrious past is the center of commerce and culture as the Austro-Hungarian Empire remains apparent in the architecture along the streets and outside of the city in the grandeur of the presidential palace. The aroma of freshly baked strudel drifts out of the side-street cafes to blend with a hint of strong Viennese coffee. Horses pull buggies and clop down the cobbled walkways of the older neighborhoods as the sound of their hoofs on the stone echoes off of the surrounding facades.

In the morning, you will find the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans emanating from Frauenhuber on Himmelpfortgasse, which is one of the oldest cafes in the city, having opened its doors in the late 18th-century. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and escort you to the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace. The 18th-century structure contains magnificent architecture in a park-like setting as the Baroque edifice contains more than 1,400 rooms and apartments with a history spanning more than 300 years.

Today you will travel into the unbelievable beauty of the Dolomite Mountains that create a physical border between Italy and Austria. The scenic drive takes you along the winding mountain roads as streams meander down the rugged hills to pass beneath the street. Evergreen roots emerge from the soil and cling to craggy boulders. You will stop in the Italian ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo for a look at the remarkable stone church spires, delightful cascading piazzas, and the soaring alpine peaks piercing the sky.

In the morning, the sunlight washes over the Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse arcade, a series of handsome merchant houses topped with a gilded roof to create the famous Golden Roof. More than 2,600 gilded copper tiles from the rooftop and lead your eye to the richly decorated coats of arms on the balustrade. After breakfast, you will ascend the mountains en route to St. Moritz, Switzerland. The River Inn travels through the Engadine Valley to give rise to villages filled with traditional houses, Gothic churches, and views of the mountaintops, some of which reach a height of approximately 12,000 feet.

In the morning, the rising sun brings the emerald trees and jade grass to light. Fish cause ripples in St. Moritz Lake as the rich aroma of hot chocolate drifts along the street. You will make your way across the Italian border once more to visit the stunning town of Lake Como. The stone-paved streets follow the original path set by the Romans two millennia ago. The Porta Pretoria, old Roman gate, continues to stand at the heart of the historic city center. Enjoy a moment walking around the charming city located on the lakeshore.

Your day will begin outside of Lugano on the edges of Lake Maggiore that straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy. Fig, olive, and pomegranate trees flourish in the mild climate of the region and contrast with the pine and evergreen trees of the mountains. A cable car travels to the top of Monte Mottarone at 4,891 feet above sea level for views of the entire city and edging mountains. You will see the islands that speckle the lake, filled with historical villas and lavish gardens.

In the morning, the aroma of hot chocolate fills the hotel and provides a comforting start to your day. Intermittent clouds pass the Matterhorn peak to remind you of where you are in the world and at what altitude you currently stand. The day is yours to enjoy the mountain passes, valley pastures, and abundant trails around Zermatt. Cycle along the meandering roads or travel the cog railway that takes you up to Gornerrat at more than 10,100 feet above sea level to provide unparalleled views to the Matterhorn and Monte-Rosa massif.

Today you will board the railway and return to Tasch to watch the peak of the Matterhorn fade behind the mountain-clad horizon. The road descends into the lower Rhone Valley, to replace the pine trees and craggy cliffs with apricot groves and vast vineyards. You will reach the shores of Lake Geneva and Switzerland’s capital city of Bern. The city stands atop a sandstone ridge surrounded by the Aare River on three sides, and a series of bridges connect the oldest neighborhoods with the contemporary districts that reach across the riverbanks. Stroll along the streets of Old Town as you watch over the aquamarine river waters.

In the morning you will wake up in the exciting city of Lucerne, situated along the cobalt colored lake of the same name. Beautiful music emanates from the sunny plazas and candy-colored buildings as the 14th-century town wall consists of nine towers and provides views of the lake and surrounding countryside. The earlier Roman city fell to the Germanic peoples of Alemannic. You will pass through the history of the town as you walk along the cobblestone streets and beneath the 14th-century covered wooden bridge. The passage runs across the Reuss River and was once the centerpiece of the city.

In the morning, the sunlight spreads across the stoic waters of Lucerne Lake. The city fills with the aroma of fresh pastries and decadent chocolates. The glacier garden consists of relics from the Ice Age, from polished glacier rocks to boulders dropped by the receding ice offering visual support to the changing climate and its effects on the earth. After breakfast, you will make your way back to Frankfurt. En route to the border, you will stop at Schaffhausen to view the momentous Rhine Falls. The powerful water echoes across the countryside with loud uproar as the waterfall reaches a width of 450 feet with a height of 75 feet to produce a torrent too powerful for fish to climb.

The Old Opera House frames the open space of Frankfurt’s Opera Square as the plaza was constructed in the 19th-century with an Italian Renaissance style. A large fountain in the heart of the plaza flickers with light instead of water. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and escort you to Frankfurt Airport for your flight home.