Country Roads of Bavaria, Switzerland & Austria
Experience Overview
From the famed beer taverns of Munich to the Disney-inspiring turrets of Neuschwanstein Castle among the Alps, this 12-day tour will delight and awe. In Switzerland, a funicular transports you from the scenic shores of Lake Lucerne to a mountaintop Stanserhorn Dinner, at the roof of Europe. Enjoy a delicious meal at 6,000 feet, with stunning views from the Drehrestaurant Rondorama, which slowly rotates to ensure you don’t miss a thing. A journey aboard the Glacier Express offers vistas of ice capped mountains, dramatic valleys and frozen waterfalls.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 5 Dinner (D)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Dinner with Wine (DW)
Choice Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Munich: Visit the Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria.
- Munich: Embark on a culinary walking tour in the heart of the city.
Additional Included Highlights
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
- Vienna: Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a drink, followed by a pleasant dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
- Innsbruck: For your dining pleasure, you are offered a selection of Innsbruck's vibrant restaurants. With drinks, a delicious 3-course dinner and Glühwein in abundance, your Dine-Around evening is a culinary experience not to be missed.
- Stanserhorn: A spectacular journey by cable car and cogwheel railway takes you to the summit. Enjoy expansive mountain views over Lake Lucerne for your dinner. Fill your glass with wine and toast to newfound friends.
Insight Choice
- Munich: Visit the Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria.
- Munich: Embark on a culinary walking tour in the heart of the city.
Insight Experiences
- Salzburg: Visit the house where Mozart was born in 1756. Enjoy a pianoforte demonstration and examine letters, memorabilia, and musical instruments of the great composer, plus a fascinating collection of portraits.
Make Travel Matter
- Stans: Taste a refreshing seasonal juice at a renovated Capuchin monastery producing sustainable crops from the alpine region. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Summary
- See Feldherrnhalle in the Odeonsplatz, Palace of the Dukes of Wittelsbach, English Garden, Hofbräuhaus and Marienplatz in Munich • the church featured in ‘The Sound of Music' in Mondsee • Hofburg Imperial Residence and Opera House in Vienna • Old Town, Imperial Palace and Golden Roof in Innsbruck • St. Moritz • Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge in Lucerne.
Top Rated Highlights
- Melk Abbey: Visit Melk Abbey where the Benedictine monks have been living and working since 1089.
- Vienna: During your orientation led by your Travel Director, travel along the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
- Vienna: A guided exploration of Schönbrunn Palace will have all your senses tingling. Stand beneath frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers and gilded Rococo frames where Mozart performed as a child prodigy.
- Neuschwanstein Castle: Visit the archetypal fairy-tale castle that allegedly inspired many of Walt Disney's castles. Led by a local historian, walk through the magnificent halls, take in the lavish decoration and enjoy spectacular views.
- Oberammergau: Explore the town and see the theater where the Passion Play has been performed since 1634.
- Innsbruck: The host for your visit to the Bergisel Ski Jump is a local Ski Jumper who will show you a trick or two (weather permitting).
- Innsbruck: Nestled amidst majestic mountains, Innsbruck is a beautiful city offering a unique combination of nature, history, and culture. Stroll the streets of the picturesque Old Town, with your Local Expert, learn about its history and admire the Baroque and Gothic architecture.
- St Moritz: See the spa quarter and glacial lake of this charming alpine resort.
- St Moritz: Travel along the route of the world-famous Glacier Express, through looping tunnels and dizzying viaducts, in the scenic heart of the Swiss Alps, on a regional train fully powered by hydroelectricity.
- Lucerne: See the emotive Lion Monument, Jesuit Church and Chapel Bridge.
- Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit.
- Salzburg: Join your Local Expert to visit the formal gardens of Mirabell Palace and Residence Square - both locations used in 'The Sound of Music.' You will also see the imposing fortress, the immense cathedral and Mozart's birthplace on the lively Getreidegasse.
- Dachau: Experience a powerful and moving visit to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site with a Local Expert.
Well-being
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Trip Details
Product Code: 28146
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Insight Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 303.1585B
Starts: Vienna, Austria
Finishes: Zurich, Switzerland
Duration: 12 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $6,073 ($506 /day)
Itinerary
Welcome to Vienna! Enjoy your afternoon before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travelers to enjoy dinner served with wine at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: InterContinental Vienna.
Meals: Dinner
Join our Local Expert on a private tour of Maria Theresa's magnificent Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Be transported to a time of opulence and extravagance, as you marvel at the intricacies of gilded Rococo frames, frescoed ceilings and crystal chandeliers. See the city's many highlights, including St. Charles' Church, the Hofburg Palace, Parliament and State Opera House.
Accommodation: InterContinental Vienna.
Meals: Breakfast
A short drive through wonderful Austrian countryside leads us to Salzburg. En route, visit Melk Abbey and Mondsee's Basilica St. Michael, easily recognizable due to its appearance in 'Sound of Music'.
Accommodation: Wyndham Grand Salzburg Conference Center
Meals: Breakfast
Join your Local Expert, who will show you the formal gardens of Mirabell Palace, Residenzplatz, the city's imposing fortress, and the immense cathedral in the Old Town. Visit Mozart's birthplace where you will enjoy a pianoforte demonstration and examine letters, memorabilia, and musical instruments of the great composer. In the evening, relish the authentic experience of Farm-to-Table dining.
Accommodation: Wyndham Grand Salzburg Conference Center
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, board a boat to explore the sites of picturesque Herrenchiemesee. Visit the palace and the Fraueninsel. Enjoy time at leisure in the gardens over lunch before continuing by boat to Gstadt. Journey by coach to Munich, home of the world-famous Oktoberfest. This evening, revel in a truly Bavarian experience as you dine at a local beer hall.
Accommodation: Munich Marriott
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy an orientation of Munich's sites including the university, Victory Arch and the Marienplatz, where crowds gather at the Town Hall to watch the antics of the Glockenspiel. Afterwards, explore with Insight Choice. Choose to join a Local Expert for a culinary walking tour in the city center. Alternatively, visit the Munich Residenz, Germany's largest inner-city palace and former seat of Bavarian royalty. Travel to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site for a moment of commemoration and remembrance. Reflect on the weighty history that marks the site and observe the importance of its preservation.
Accommodation: Munich Marriott
Meals: Breakfast
Embark on an exciting visit to Neuschwanstein Castle (subject to availability), bristling with turrets and pinnacles and built as a retreat for the wildly eccentric King Ludwig II. See the extravagantly decorated apartments, including the Throne Room and Lohengrin courtyard. Continue to Oberammergau, home of the Passion Play since 1634. See the immense theater and admire the colorful painted chalets before driving on to the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck, set in a valley of snow-capped mountain peaks. This evening, for your Dine-Around experience, choose from a fantastic selection of restaurants.
Accommodation: Innsbruck
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Awake to the beautiful Alpine city of Innsbruck. A Local Expert will guide you through the city to see the 14th-century houses of the Old Town, the impressive Imperial Palace and the delightful Golden Roof. Visit a nearby ski jump, set against staggering mountain vistas. Meet one of the ski jumpers and observe a demonstration jump.
Accommodation: Innsbruck
Meals: Breakfast
Take in the stunning views of the beautiful Engadine Valley, as you enter Switzerland headed for the chic Alpine resort of St. Moritz. Enjoy the town's marvelous scenery, fresh air and maybe visit its many museums or shop for souvenirs. Perhaps experience one of Europe's outstanding train journeys over the Bernina Pass.
Accommodation: Crystal, St. Moritz, Steffani, St. Moritz
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Embark on an iconic train journey onboard the Glacier Express, taking in vistas of ice-capped mountains, stone-built villages and lush meadows. Ascend through the spiral tunnels of the Albula Pass and cross the Landwasser Viaduct before heading down through the Oberalp Valley to rejoin the coach at Andermatt. Continue north, following the staggering Schöllenen Gorge through William Tell country. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a seasonal juice tasting. Onwards to Lucerne, join your Travel Director to see the sorrowful sculpture of the dying lion, cut out of a limestone cliff to commemorate the Swiss Guards who died at the Battle of the Tuileries.
Accommodation: Astoria Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the morning at your leisure to explore the city's 14th century covered wooden bridge, painted gables, old walls and watchtower of the medieval fortifications. Stroll across the Chapel Bridge to the Jesuit Church, or use your free time to shop. Later, head to the town of Stans where you'll embark on a scenic journey by funicular railway and cable car, to the summit of the stunning Stanserhorn. On a clear day, there are views as far as Alsace in France and the Black Forest in Germany. Here amid true Alpine majesty, your journey literally peaks with an unforgettable dinner, hosted in Drehrestaurant Rondorama, located atop the mountain. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and admire the stunning panoramic views as the restaurant slowly rotates throughout the evening, ensuring you don't miss a thing.
Accommodation: Astoria Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your Alpine adventures end this morning with a transfer to Zurich airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Insight Vacations (CA)
Part of The Travel Company (TTC) family of brands, Insight Vacations began operations in 1978 and is based in Cypress, CA. Journeys are featured to destinations, such as the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland. The company offers are a variety of tours under the classifications of Regional Journeys, Country Roads, Discovery Journeys, Easy Pace trips, and Special Interest tours. Insight is the ideal name for the tour operator, as the journeys provided by Insight Vacations allow travelers to gain further insight into whatever destination they wish to explore. For example, Discovery Journeys are the ideal choice for first-time visitors to Europe. Itineraries include Dine-at-Home or Farm-to-Table experiences so travelers can learn more about how locals live and dine. Regional Journeys allow trip-goers to see a specific location in Europe that they have always wanted to see – Poland, Switzerland, Italy, etc. The carefully planned trips enable customers to immerse themselves in one specific region or country and to become acquainted with its culture, traditions, and people. For anyone seeking travel off the beaten track, Insight Vacations offers Country Roads – trips that lead travelers off the well-tread tourist trail to explore hidden gems where visitors can savor the local produce with Farm-to-Table dining. Some trips are offered under the Easy Pace travel style – the ideal trip choice for trip-goers who wish to slow their pace during their vacation. During these tours, vacationers stay at least 3 nights at each destination, giving them some additional time to explore a place and enjoy it. Regardless of the travel style, many of the vacations offered by Insight Vacations begin with Relaxed Starts – giving travelers time to sleep in a little, spend more time at breakfast, or explore an area on their own. The tour company prides itself on providing business class tours that features luxury coaches with 40 seats. While most coach touring operators provide vehicles with 53 seats, Insight Vacations has re-configured its motor coaches to hold up to 40 guests. This gives passengers extra leg room while traveling and offers them more space and privacy.
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