Winter Wonderland in Germany

You arrive in Germany today at the Berlin airport and take a private transfer to the exquisite Hotel Adlon Kempinski with its Michelin-starred restaurant and spectacular views of Brandenburg Gate.

Hotel: Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

Today, an expert guide will introduce you to fascinating Berlin on this first two-day tour, from west to east. Highlights today include Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin Center West with its Boulevard Ku’Damm and quaint side streets, and the Victory Column and Tiergarten, the city’s massive green space. You will also see The Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament, and the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity and the finest example of German classicism. A visit to the Holocaust Memorial is also included.

Your tour then heads through the famous streets of Friedrichstrasse, Wilhelmstrasse, and Unter den Linden, reaching Checkpoint Charlie – the well-known border crossing and a favorite film setting for spy movies.

Hotel: Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

Your Berlin tour continues today, moving eastward to explore the museum complex of Museums-Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alexanderplatz is next, the central square and traffic junction in Berlin’s Mitte district and the site of many attractions. Take in the Berlin Wall Memorial at the historic site on Bernauer Strasse and hear stories of Cold War events on Bornholm Bridge.

A visit to the East Side Gallery is a must-do. This former section of the Berlin Wall was transformed into the largest open-air art gallery in the world after the collapse of the Wall and features more than 100 murals. The Warschauerstrasse is the best place to take a picture of the Berlin skyline looking out over the River Spree.

Hotel: Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

A train journey this morning lands you in Munich, checking into the elegant Charles Hotel, set within the Lenbachgärten quarter. In the afternoon, a private guide will collect you for a tour of this unique city, highlighting some of Munich’s fascinating architecture. You will see renowned building complexes, such as the Fünf Höfe (“Five Courtyards”) and the Synagogue Ohel Jakob, as well as residential and commercial structures. The buildings created during the last 20 years have turned Munich into a metropolis of architecture, so much so that this point in time is being described as the new “Gründerzeit,” reflecting the prosperous time of cultural development at the end of the 19th century.

Hotel: Charles Hotel Munich

Your guided walking tour today takes in New Residence – the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian Dukes, Electors, and Kings from 1508 to 1918 – along with Palace Gardens, the Munich Opera House, and Odeons Square with the Feldherrnhalle: a remembrance of the Bavarian Army. Carry on to the Theater Church, a stunning church designed in the Italian Baroque style, as well as Karolinenplatz and Königsplatz: Built in the style of European Neoclassicism in the 19th century, this is the center of cultural life in the city.

Your personal guide will also connect you with cultural sights that include the Frauenkirche, Marienplatz, and both the New and Old Town Halls. The regal 18th-century palace of Nymphenburg is next on the agenda – a complex with enormous Baroque gardens and opulent rococo interiors.

Hotel: Charles Hotel Munich

Today, you will take a private transfer to Schloss Elmau, a luxury sanctuary in the Bavarian Alps via Aying, a municipality well-known for its brewing. Get a close look behind the scenes of some of Europe’s most advanced breweries, guided through the entertaining and interesting brewing process.

Later at Schloss Elmau, you can discover the wonders of this cultural hideaway, including the six different spas, various wellness classes, and unlimited outdoor sports year-round.

Hotel: Schloss Elmau

With a private guide and driver, a trip to the old town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen fulfills all your German fantasies. Half-timbered houses display murals typical of the area, particularly along Frühlingstrasse. Look for the Biedermeier frescoes on Gash of Husar and Polznkasparhaus, some of the town's oldest and most beautiful buildings. Enjoy the “Gemütlichkeit,” a feeling of warmth and friendliness, as you yodel along the River Loisach.

Hotel: Schloss Elmau

The unparalleled feeling of being at the top of the snow-covered Zugspitze is an experience fortunately not just for experienced mountaineers. Enjoy a private excursion to Zugspitze today with your driver and guide. The Eibsee cable car will whisk you quickly and comfortably up almost 10,000 feet above sea level. On the summit terrace vis-à-vis from the summit cross, you will encounter the peak at eye level and enjoy an enchanting 360° panorama, brought even closer by Viscopes and telescopes. See four different countries all at once, including 400 mountain tops.

Hotel: Schloss Elmau

Today, you have a private transfer to Baden-Baden via the restored 19th-century Hohenzollern Castle, situated within a storied mountain range south of the city of Stuttgart. Take in its private art collection, including a significant picture gallery, silver, china, and royal jewelry. Later, you check into the Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, which features one of the most advanced spas in Europe.

Hotel: Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa

“Belle Époque meets Instagram” is how The New York Times recently described Baden-Baden – the city’s rich history blending seamlessly with its contemporary lifestyle. The city was established more than 2,000 years ago as a place for people to relax and reconnect with themselves. Visitors delight in the extraordinary hot springs, hotels of unparalleled quality, and the lure of Germany’s oldest casino. Over the centuries, Baden-Baden has evolved into an enchanting destination, offering a diverse range of opportunities for both relaxation and excitement.

Hotel: Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa

Depart Baden-Baden today with your private driver and head towards Heidelberg. With its picturesque riverside, beautiful antiquated bridges, and castle ruins, Heidelberg is one of the most romantic cities in Germany. It is also one of the warmest, as evidenced by sightings of almond, fig, and olive trees and wild African parakeets. The city is chock-full of historic sites and attractions. Today, you will visit the famous Heidelberg Castle, the showpiece of German Romanticism, a complex of partially destroyed buildings in Gothic and Renaissance styles surrounded by beautiful gardens. See the medieval town center with its iconic Old Bridge, Germany's oldest university, the Church of the Holy Spirit, and the Knight's House with its precious Renaissance façade. From here, we transfer to Taunus, outside Frankfurt, checking into the Schlosshotel Kronberg, the former summer residence of Empress Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria.

Hotel: Schlosshotel Kronberg

Your private guide and driver will take you on a tour of Frankfurt today, beginning with City Hall, still serving the city since 1405. The Main Tower sports a rooftop observation platform from which you can see the whole of Frankfurt and the dome of the Emperor’s Cathedral rising high over the city center. Städel Museum is Germany’s oldest museum foundation. You will also visit the Goethe Museum and Goethe House, the birthplace of Germany’s most famous author and poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Frankfurt’s iconic Eiserner Steg iron and concrete footbridge is crossed by more than 10,000 people each day – and you will be one of them.

Hotel: Schlosshotel Kronberg

Today, we bid goodbye to Germany from Frankfurt Airport with your return flight home.