Brews & Views: Oktoberfest Germany to Austria

Your journey begins aboard at Chicago O’Hare, where you will board your overnight flight to Berlin.

On arrival at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport, you have one group transfer to your hotel. Your time is yours to explore.  Visit nearby Check Point Charlie, once the best known Berlin Wall crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. In the evening, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with your Travel Director and travel companions at the Kreuzberger Himmel restaurant (subject to availability). Discover how this establishment helps support refugees as they integrate into German society over a Welcome Dinner.   

Meals: Welcome Dinner with Wine 

Hotel: Crowne Plaza City Center Hotel Berlin or similar 

Join a Local Expert to see some of Berlin’s many highlights. Travel along the Ku’Damm past the Memorial Church. Drive through the Tiergarten to see Norman Foster’s glass dome that crowns the reconstructed Reichstag building. Continue with a visit to the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of the reunification, and down along the Unter den Linden, past the Humboldt University and State Opera. Stop on Museum Island before enjoying some time at leisure in this once divided city. Perhaps visit the KaDeWe department store, the shopping center of West Berlin which during 40 years of division, became the shop window of the West. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Crowne Plaza City Center Hotel Berlin or similar 

In Dresden, join your Local Expert to see the splendours of the city. From the Frauenkirche, which has risen again from the destruction of World War II, walk past ‘The Procession of the Princes’, a mosaic of colossal proportions on the Royal Palace facade. See the huge cathedral, Semper Opera House, and Baroque Zwinger Palace. Although the town was heavily bombed during World War II, it remains a treasure trove of early German history and baroque architecture. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Hotels: Hilton Dresden Hotel or similar 

In Nuremberg witness the charming blend of stone and timbered dwellings in the Old Town as well as the massive ramparts. Perhaps shop for delicious Lebkuchen (gingerbread)? Continue across the Danube to Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria, lying near the foot of the German Alps where you will spend the next three nights.  In the evening consider dinner at one of Munich’s famous ‘Bier Kellers’. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Marriott Hotel Munich or similar 

Be welcomed into fun-loving Munich as you join your Travel Director this morning for an orientation tour. Explore the  Feldernhalle on the Odeonsplatz, the Palace of the Dukes of Wittelsbach, the English Garden, Hofbrauhaus, St Peters Church, and the famous Marienplatz. Then this afternoon join the festivities of Oktoberfest, the most famous beer festival in the world! Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, amusement rides, entertainment, beer, and local Bavarian specialties for dinner. With tables reserved, your dedicated host will ensure you have a memorable time (tables subject to availability). 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine 

Hotel: Marriott Hotel Munich or similar 

After a relaxed start, take the opportunity to travel through time and experience the fascinating world of BMW, with a history spanning nine decades. See some of the most famous and valuable automobiles, motorcycles, and engines during a tour of the museum. The rest of the day is free. 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine 

Hotel: Marriott Hotel Munich or similar  

A short drive over the Austrian border leads to Salzburg, steeped in musical history. A Local Expert will show you the gardens of the Mirabell Palace, the cathedral in the old town, Mozart’s birthplace, and locations that brought the city alive with the Sound of Music. Visit the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress which sits high above the rooftops of Salzburg’s Baroque historical district.  

Meal: Breakfast 

Hotel: Arcotel Castellan/Hotel Salzburg or similar 

Our day trip today takes us into the heart of Alpine Bavaria. Drive over the German border, past picturesque farmhouses, and villages to Obersalzberg. Nearly 75 years ago, this small mountain paradise was the summer playground for top Nazi brass.  Take a scenic drive up the mountain to Hitler’s notorious “Eagle’s Nest”, used as a restaurant since the 1950’s. 

From here you can enjoy splendid views through the arches up to the “Hohen Goll” and across the snowcapped peaks. 

Soak up the picturesque scenery of the region as we continue past hill tops and mountain villages. Stop at the Maria Gern Church for a look inside, before looping back to Salzburg. Drive into the pretty Austrian countryside for a special evening. Learn about rural life over a homemade dinner in this cozy corner of Salzburg. In a unique experience, sip home-made beverages, feast on home-baked bread, succulent meat and oven baked vegetables. 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine 

Hotel: Arcotel Castellan/Hotel Salzburg or similar 

Cross the Austrian border and head east through the rolling countryside to stop in the shadow of the great Monastery of Melk. Join a river cruise along the stunning Wachau Valley, where the Danube meanders below forested cliffs, topped with picturesque churches and ruined castles. Pass the fortress of Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionheart languished in prison until discovered by his faithful Welsh minstrel, then alight beneath the vine laden cliffs of Krems. Immerse yourself in the vineyards and cellars of the local winery to learn about and sample the unique Wachau style wine. Finally, we head for the Austrian capital, and to our central hotel. 

Meal: Breakfast  

Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel Vienna or similar 

Much of Vienna’s present-day charm is due to the long reign of the Habsburgs, so in the morning, join a Local Expert for a guided visit of Maria Theresa’s Schönbrunn Palace and formal gardens. Then get your camera ready for a drive around the famous Ring Road. This grand boulevard, built along the lines of the old city walls, showcases many of the capital’s architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House, magnificent Hofburg Imperial Residence and Parliament Building. 

As night falls, experience an extraordinary concert of Viennese classical music. The best-loved works of Johann Strauss and Mozart, performed by highly acclaimed soloists and dancers, are combined with a delicious meal of traditional Austrian fare, with drinks included.  

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine 

Hotel: Intercontinental Hotel Vienna or similar

Your journey comes to an end with a group transfer to the Vienna airport. 

Meals: Breakfast