Impressions of Germany
11 Days Escorted Tour from Frankfurt, Eisenach, Weimar, Zwickau, Dresden, Meissen, Leipzig, Wittenberg, Potsdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Celle, Hamlin, Hofgeismar, Heidelberg, Rudesheim, Rhine Valley, Koblenz, Cologne & Mainz

Features and Inclusions

  • 10 nights at specially selected first class and tourist superior hotels

  • Tax, service charges and baggage handling (one piece per person)

  • All rooms with private bath or shower and toilet

  • Transportation by air-conditioned motor-coach with WC

  • Professional English/Spanish speaking guide throughout the tour

  • All excursions and city tours not marked as optional

  • Welcome dinner including welcome drink

  • 10 breakfast buffets

  • Entrance fees to the following:

  • Wartburg Castle

  • Eisenach Green Vault

  • Dresden Meissen Porcelain Manufactory

  • Spree River Cruise

  • Berlin Harbor cruise

  • Hamburg Renaissance Palace

  • Celle Sababurg castle

  • Hofgeismar Goethe House in Frankfurt

  • Heidelberg Castle inner courtyard and wine cellar

  • Rhine River Cruise from Ruedesheim to St. Goarshausen

  • Chocolate Museum in Cologne

  • Gutenberg Museum in Mainz

.

Preferred Hotels

Zwickau:

Achat

Leipzig:

Mercure

Berlin:

Express By Holiday Inn

Hamburg:

NH

Celle:

Tryp

Frankfurt:

Express by Holiday Inn

Cologne:

Jolly Media Park

.

Departures and Prices 2008

Starting Dates

Terminating Dates

May 18

May 28

June 08

June 18

June 29

July 09

July 27

August 07

August 24

September 03

September 21

October 01

Rates

Per Person In Twin

$ 2750.00

Single Room Supplement

$ 658.00

 

 

 

 

ITINERARY

Day 1: Sunday - Frankfurt - Eisenach - Weimar - Zwickau 
Depart from Frankfurt in the morning and drive to Eisenach, dominated by the Wartburg Castle. Visit one of the most important edifices of German history and see the room where Luther used to live and work for many years and spent the last years of his seclusion. Continue to Weimar, one of Germany's greatest cultural treasures. Poets like Schiller and Goethe, musicians like Liszt and Richard Strauss, writers like Nietzsche and Gropius have lived and worked there. On to Zwickau were in times of the German Democratic Republic the popular car, the Trabbi was built. In the evening enjoy your 3-course welcome dinner. (D/O)

Day 2: Monday - Zwickau - Dresden - Meissen - Leipzig 
After breakfast we go on to Dresden. On a city tour you will see one of the loveliest cities of central Europe – “Florence of the Elbe” it was called – and see the important sights like the just restored Frauen-kirche, the Semper Opera House, Green Vault, the Baroque Zwinger and many more. Continue to Meissen, where we will pay a visit to the world famous porcelain manufactory and museum before we go on to Leipzig. (B/O)

Day 3: Tuesday - Leipzig - Wittenberg - Potsdam - Berlin 
This morning enjoy an city tour of Leipzig, including St. Thomas Church, where J.S. Bach has spent many years as leader of the choir, Auerbachs Cellar and so on. Continue via Luther's Wittenberg, where reformation started when he pinned his 95 thesis to the portal of the church. Onward we go via Potsdam and Sanssoucis Castle to Berlin. (B/O)

Day 4: Wednesday - Berlin 
Today we visit all the main sights of Germany's most important and most exciting city. See Brandenburg Gate, Check Point Charlie, our Parliament Reichstag, Berlin cathedral and the former seat of the communist government of East Germany. After the city tour take the opportunity of doing a trip by boat optionally, which gives you a view to some important sights from the channels. Rest of the day is free for own activities like exploring the numerous, well known museums, or roam around the many boutiques and department store like the KaDeWe. (B/O)

Day 5: Thursday - Berlin – Hamburg
In the morning we are heading north. Next stop is Hamburg. Enjoy a city tour including all the main sights of this impressive city like the Michel, Reeperbahn, Alster and many more, before discovering Germany's largest seaport on a harbor cruise. In the evening you can optionally enjoy an excursion to Hamburg's Reeperbahn. This amusement quarter originally was for homecoming sailors only, who were able to spend a whole 6 month pay in only one happy night… Today of course we will see some more “civilized” areas only. (B/O)

Day 6: Friday - Hamburg - Bremen - Celle 
In the morning departure for next stop – Bremen - the Free Hanseatic City, with an old tradition of trade and seafaring. See the picturesque market place, with the statue of “Roland”, the old town, the city hall and the cathedral. Continue down south to the well preserved city of Celle. See the market square with its beautiful half-timbered houses, and the duke's castle which roots back to the 12 century and has been restored to a beautiful Renaissance palace in the 15th century. (B/O)

Day 7: Saturday - Celle - Hamelin - Hofgeismar - Frankfurt 
Today we’ll drive along the German Fairy-Tale Road and start in Hamelin, the city of the pied piper. We continue south to old city of Hofgeismar, where the Sababurg – castle will be visited. This place was the home of the sleeping beauty - another of the Grimm's brothers famous fairytale collection. In the afternoon we reach Frankfurt, where after a tour through the traditional and modern city will have a farewell dinner in one of the local restaurants, where you may try the local specialty - cider or Apfel-wein as the locals call the rather sour stuff. (B/O)

Day 8: Sunday - Frankfurt - Heidelberg - Frankfurt 
After breakfast depart for a city tour of Frankfurt incl. Goethes House, our city-square named Roemer where German emperors were crowned in the medieval time. Continue your tour along the skyscrapers and banking towers, that gave Frankfurt the nick-name “Mainhattan”. Continue to Heidelberg, home of the student-prince. Visit the famous castle, stroll through the picturesque old town and enjoy lunch in the famous Ritter, a restaurant built in the 15th century. In the afternoon head back to your hotel in Frankfurt. (B/L/O)

Day 9: Monday - Frankfurt – Rüdesheim – Rhine-valley – Koblenz – Cologne 
In the morning your coach will take you to the famous Rudesheim, where – after a stroll through the world - famous Drosselgasse you board a steamer to take you along wine yards and castles, some of them more than 1000 years old to St. Goarshausen, just beyond Loreley – Rock. Maybe you see the blond maid combing her hair from the deck of your steamer. Continue by coach to Koblenz, the city, where Moselle river meets the Rhine, and from there you drive on to Cologne. Evening at leisure to explore some local breweries, where the “Kölsch” (light beer served in small glasses) can be sampled. (B/O)

Day 10: Tuesday - Cologne 
Starting at the cathedral of Cologne, which is one of the largest gothic churches in Europe, your city-tour will lead you through small old-town alleys and splendid avenues to the Rhine-River with its bridges and parks. 
For the sweet-lovers we have planned a visit in the Chocolate Museum, where you can learn all about chocolate and then sample from the large chocolate fountain as much as you can. Take your time in the afternoon to explore Cologne on your own. (B/O)

Day 11: Wednesday - Cologne – Mainz - Frankfurt 
After breakfast you will drive to another famous city along the Rhine: Mainz, Old Town, Cathedral and the Museum of Gutenberg (the man who invented the printing press) will be visited before you reach Frankfurt again, where your tour ends in the late afternoon or you check in to your optionally booked post – tour hotel. (B/D)



B=Breakfast; D=Dinner; O=Overnight    ditst10