Munich is Germany's beer capital – and the Oktoberfest is a byword for beer all over the world. Join in the festivities this autumn on a leisurely vacation that also includes Tyrolean towns and cities in Switzerland and Austria. With several Oktoberfest beer tents and venues to choose from, you'll have plenty of chances to raise your stein, toast newfound friends and share in the good cheer!
Highlights include:
• Savor a true vacation as you change deluxe hotels just once.
• Enjoy a side of the Alps that can only be experienced by rail.
• Take the Bernina Express, one of the world's most exquisite train rides.
Nestled in an area that is now split among Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the ancient Alpine region of Tyrol was influential in forming the festive spirit of its people over the centuries. The most famous of these festivals is the iconic Oktoberfest in Munich. First held in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, nobody could have dreamt it would go on to become such a famous event. Since then, the world's biggest beer festival has been held every autumn, bringing smiles to people's faces in classic Bavarian style with oompah bands, beer fresh from the barrel and plenty of good cheer.
Begin your Tyrolean adventure with a three-night stay in the resort town of Davos. From here, visit the charming lakeside city of Lucerne, a shopping mecca that still manages to epitomize the storybook image of a Swiss village. Its covered bridges, cobbled streets and clock towers could be a stage set for the film Heidi. Travel by rail to the postcard-perfect Sertig Valley where breathtaking Alpine scenery will greet you at every turn. Board the Bernina Express, listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful train rides in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. You'll marvel at the changing landscape as switchbacks and spiral tunnels conquer 6,100 feet of steep mountains on the way to St. Moritz.
Then travel to the Austrian ski resort town of Söll. Learn about (and shop for) Swarovski crystals in Innsbruck before heading to Munich for a day at Oktoberfest. Bavarian oompah bands march through the street and you'll soon be hoisting steins of frothy beer with newfound friends who belt out German drinking songs. After Munich’s merriment, visit Hitler's Eagle's Nest and tour the world's oldest working salt mine in Berchtesgaden. Conclude your journey with a day in the magnificent city of Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace, where you'll explore its charming city center on a walking tour.
Price includes:
• 7 nights accommodations: 3 nights in Davos and 4 nights in Söll, Austria
• Daily breakfast and 7 dinners
• All on-tour transportation and English-speaking tour manager
• Admission to Munich’s Oktoberfest
• Sightseeing in Lucerne, the Sertig Valley, St. Moritz, Innsbruck, Munich, Berchtesgaden and Salzburg
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers
Day 1 - Arrive in Zurich / Lucerne / Davos
Arrive at Zürich International Airport (ZRH) no later than 8:30am to board a private motor coach for transfer to your hotel. En route, stop in the beautiful lakeside town of Lucerne, which personifies the storybook image of a Swiss town with its narrow cobblestone streets, slender spires and turrets, covered bridges, frescoed houses and bubbling fountains. Then continue on to your hotel in the mountain resort of Davos.
Accommodation: Hotel Morosani - 3 nights
Day 2 – The Sertig Valley
After a relaxing start to the day, depart for the nearby Sertig Valley. Your day takes you into the valley’s natural mountain landscape where you’ll see crystal clear mountain streams, thick forests, and possibly some native wildlife on your way to the impressive waterfall at the end of the valley. With over 250 miles of hiking paths that follow brooks, cross alpine meadows and go through small villages, the Sertig Valley is so beautiful that the Swiss government designated it a Swiss region worthy of special protection.
Day 3 - St. Moritz & the Bernina Express
Enjoy a most memorable day on Switzerland’s rails. Begin in St. Moritz, the “Fifth Avenue” of the Alps. From there, travel by train into the Bernina Pass to the village of Alp Grüm, overlooking one of Switzerland’s breathtaking glaciers. After time to explore, return aboard the Bernina Express, described by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of the “Top Ten Most Beautiful Train Rides In The World.”
Day 4 – Davos / Innsbruck / Söll
Bid farewell to Switzerland and head east into Austria and the city of Innsbruck. After lunch on your own, embark on a walking tour of this beautiful town that was once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. The day’s last stop will mesmerize you as you visit Swarovsky’s crystal fantasy world, Kristallwelten before continuing on to your hotel in the Austrian Alps in the ski resort of Söll.
Accommodation: Hotel Postwirt - 4 nights
Day 5 – Munich’s Oktoberfest
Today enjoy the famous Oktoberfest! After breakfast in Söll, cross into Germany to Munich, the capital of Bavaria. You’ll start your visit with a morning tour of Munich before heading to the Theresienwiese, the field where the Oktoberfest is held. Here, you’ll spend the afternoon enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of this world-famous festival before returning to Söll.
Day 6 – Berchtesgaden / Salt Mine Tour
Cross into Bavaria and spend the day in the mountain town of Berchtesgaden. In the morning, visit Hitler’s Eagles Nest, his mountain retreat. In the afternoon, head about two kilometers into the mountains in a 500-year old working salt mine, the source of much of the wealth you witnessed in Innsbruck and Salzburg.
Day 7 - Salzburg
Journey to Salzburg, the Baroque city that was the birthplace of Mozart. Enjoy a morning walking tour of the Altstadt (old town). The afternoon is yours to enjoy some shopping or to venture up to the massive castle overlooking the city.
Day 8 - Depart for home
After breakfast, depart Söll for Munich International Airport and your flight home. Departure transfers will be scheduled after 12:00 noon.
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