10 Day Tour: December 3-12, 2027
Pricing for Germany
- Base Pricing is always calculated for double occupancy.
- $1050 supplemental for Solo Travelers.
Tour Highlights
1 Perfect Way to Start the Holidays
4 Christmas Markets
3 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
- Berlin
- Eisenach
- Wartburg Castle
- Aachen Cathedral
- Heidelberg
- Munich
- Linderhof
- & the Beautiful Christmas Markets!
Tour Includes
- Round trip airfare from Chicago
- First Class Hotel Accommodations
- All Breakfasts and 5 Dinners
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Admissions to all listed Attractions
- Round trip airport transfers in the Chicagoland area
- Guided by Bill Ball
- Baggage Handling
- All Gratuities
- Limit 11
Tour Itinerary
Day One We fly, like Santa, to one of the most interesting countries in the world. It created many of the fairy tales that are a part of our collective conscious, its composers wrote many of our classic masterpieces and is responsible for the Reformation. Germany is not only the land of great castles, jaw-dropping cathedrals and scenic natural wonders but also Christmas central —Our Christmas tree tradition originated here.
Day Two We land in the enchanted land of cuckoo clocks and snow-capped mountains. Our first stop is the capital —Berlin. Once divided, it is now one of the leading cities of Europe. We will see the Reichstag (center of government), the Berlin Cathedral (largest Protestant Cathedral in the world), the remnants of the Berlin Wall and the Kaiser Wilhelm ruins (a reminder of WWII). We, of course, will visit the Christmas Markets here—one in the east and one in the west of Berlin. Christmas Markets are part Christmas craft sale, part lights and glitter and part food fest with a little entertainment thrown in for good measure.
Day Three Today we head to one of the most important sites in the post WWII world—Potsdam. Here the conference between the UK, Russia and the US basically divided up the world. This was the retreat for the German royalty and the gardens and palaces are astounding. One palace, in particular, will literally knock your socks off—Sanssouci. There is none like it anywhere. We return in the afternoon to Berlin with some free time to enjoy this world-class city.
Day Four We visit the Wartburg Castle next. The history of Germany is tied up in this masterpiece of architecture. Here Luther hid from prosecution and translated the Bible into German, Goethe inspired the unification of the many city-states into the modern Germany of today and Mad King Ludwig got his inspiration for his castles. Eisenach, the town below the castle, was where Bach was born and holds a small-town Christmas market that reflects yesteryear.
Day Five We head into western Germany today and we kick start our visit with a boat cruise along the Rhine on the UNESCO city of Cologne. From there we head to maybe the most important and beautiful cathedral in central Europe—Aachen Cathedral, another UNESCO site. Here, Charlemagne is buried and several of the kings of Germany were crowned. The city is also famous for its healing spa waters, and we will see the pavilion built for that. Then, the icing on the cake—we will visit the Lindt Chocolate outlet headquartered here.
Day Six Its on to one of the most romantic cities in Europe—Heidelberg—made famous by the musical The Student Prince. We will visit the medieval streets, the beautiful partially ruined castle and experience one of the brightest, most energetic Christmas Markets in Germany. This city is a fairytale city if there ever was one.
Day Seven We head into the Bavarian town of Nuremburg. Nuremburg has a mixed history. It was one of the first German cities to persecute the Jews and it was the seat of post WWII Nazi trials. The old town survived the war and is one of the finest examples of medieval Europe. The churches are perfect examples of Gothic architecture; its castle has Renaissance flairs and its winding streets date back to its earliest days. What an amazing time capsule.
Day Eight No trip into Bavaria is complete without visiting Munich. Here beer is king and it has enriched the city. The town hall and its famous glockenspiel, its magnificent over-the-top Renaissance churches and its beautiful parks speak to its wealth. We will enjoy its Christmas Markets, food and beer—especially when we dine in one of its famous beer halls.
Day Nine You can’t say Bavaria without thinking about Mad King Ludwig. His 3 castles will always be some of the most beloved tourist attractions in Germany. We are going to visit the most beautiful, but lesser-known ones—Linderhof. This was his favorite and his personal touches inside shown you why. He even designed a boat ride that puts you inside a Wagner opera that you can ride even today. Our visit of the countryside will open your eyes to the beauty of the Alps—a snow-capped gift of the gods. After, we will take a cable car to the top of the Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany. From there you can see 4 countries, the top of many mountains in the Alps and the most beautiful area in all of Europe.
Day Ten You return home today with visions of sugar plums, dancing in your head, magnificent historic castles, churches that rival any on earth and jaw-dropping scenic wonders. To top it all off is the cherry The Christmas Markets.
