15-Day Italy, Switzerland, Germany & Austria
OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2022
DAY 01: USA / ENROUTE. Depart USA for Europe. Breakfast and dinner will be served aloft.
DAY 02: ROME. Upon arrival at Rome Airport we are met by our tour escort and European motor coach. We transfer to our hotel in the Eternal City, and the balance of the day is at leisure for you to explore on your own. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
DAY 03: ROME. This morning we will drive around the Roman glories such as the famous Trevi Fountain, Forum of the Caesars, Coliseum, Quirinale Palace, Arch of Titus and St. Peter's Square with its immense Basilica designed by Michelangelo. The afternoon is at leisure forindependent activities - you may care to enjoy the views from the Janiculum Hills, browse around the Spanish Steps, or sip coffeein a sidewalk cafe in the Piazza del Popolo or Piazza Navona, or stroll along the elegant Via Veneto. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 04: ROME / FLORENCE. This morning we drive northward along the Autostrada del Sole to Florence, Dante's city, jewel of the Renaissance, center of art, architecture, and learning. Our afternoon sightseeing will show us Renaissance riches - the Baptistery's golden doors, the Medici Chapel and the Uffizi Gallery or Pitti Palace as well as the Ponte Vecchio. We will also visit the Academia to see Michelangelo's famous stature of "David." Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 05: FLORENCE / BOLOGNA / VENICE (MESTRE). Some time at leisure in Florence for last minute shopping or sightseeing before we drive via Bologna and along quiet rivers and through green mountains to the Venice area. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in nearby Mestre.
DAY 06: MESTRE / VENICE / MESTRE. Our morning walking sightseeing tour will include the bronze horses and Byzantine mosaics on St. Mark's Cathedral, the pink and white Doges Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Campanile. The balance of the day is at leisure in Venice before we drive the short distance back to nearby Mestre for dinner and overnight.
DAY 07: MESTRE / CORTINA / INNSBRUCK. We drive northward this morning through the Piave Valley to Cortina, jewel of the jagged Dolomites. Then over the imposing Brenner Pass and via the Europa bridge to Innsbruck, rococo capital of the Austrian Tyrol. Our sightseeing will show us the "Golden Roof" of the Emperor Maxmillian, famed Maria Theresiastrasse and other points of interest. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 8: INNSBRUCK / LIECHTENSTEIN / LAKE LUCERNE. Some time at leisure in Innsbruck before we drive across the mighty Arlberg Pass to the tiny principality of Liechtenstein, where we pause to view Vaduz Castle. Continue through beautiful mountain scenery and past charming small villages to Lucerne, set in an indescribably beautiful lake and mountain setting, and our hotel in one of the lakeside resorts for dinner and overnight.
DAY 09: LAKE LUCERNE / LUCERNE /LAKE LUCERNE. Our morning sightseeing in Lucerne will show us the beautiful Lion Monument, the Kappel bridge and the Spreuer Bridge as well as the beautiful flower-decked lakeside promenades.. The balance of the day is at leisure in this wonderful town - you may care to shop, sitin the sunshine sipping a refreshing drink, or perhaps take one ofthe many lake or mountain excursions available. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10: LAKE LUCERNE / ZURICH / CONSTANCE / OBERAMMERGAU. Drive this morning to Zurich, Switzerland's largest city and one of the world's most important financial centers.. We will see the Gross-Munster (Zwingli's Church), and the fine lakeshore district before driving in deep alpine scenery through the Toggenburg Valley, site of Ulderick Zwingli's early ministry, to Lake Constance and on to the tiny Bavarian village of Oberammergau for dinner and overnight.
DAY 11: PASSION PLAY. The entire day is devoted to attending a performance of the world famous Passion Play, performed once every ten years in this charming village. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 12: OBERAMMERGAU / LINZ / VIENNA. We drive swiftly today to the historic town of Linz in Austria, delightfully situated on the banks of the Danube River. Continue along the Danubian Place to the Imperial City of Vienna for dinner and overnight.
DAY 13: VIENNA. Baroque grandeur unfolds as our intriguing morning tours includes monuments to the great musicians of this city; we will also see intricately carved St. Stephen's Spire, the Imperial Hofburg Palace, Opera House and the National Museums. A highlight of our tour will be a visit to enormous Schoenbrunn Palace and it's wonderful treasures. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities, dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 14: VIENNA / SALZBURG / MUNICH. Drive swiftly this morning to the "Sound of Music" city of Salzburg. Our sightseeing here will include the Cathedral, Getgreidegass pedestrian shopping street, Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Mirabell Palace. We will also visit the birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, before driving to Munich, the lively capital of Bavaria, for dinner and overnight.
DAY 15: MUNICH / USA. Time permitting we will have a brief orientation tour of Munich seeing the Marienplatz with the gothic Town Hall, Frauenkirche, Residenz Palace and other points of interest before transferring to the airport for our return flight to the United States at the end of our enjoyable tour.