Family Tour of Germany

(8 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Munich (including Salzburg, Austria), Romantic Road, Heidelberg, Frankfurt

Germany is a safe, fun and family-friendly destination. This private luxury tour includes a variety of activities and destinations that are sure to appeal to every family member.

Begin in Munich, the dynamic capital of Bavaria. Explore the Old Town during a flexible walking tour with your private guide. See the famed Glockenspiel and watch its life-size mechanical figures dance and joust. Stroll interesting neighborhoods and squares, and browse the Viktualienmarkt outdoor food market. Visit the Frauenkirche—the symbol of the city—and the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, if desired. Depending on your family's interests, other touring options include the Residenz (the former royal palace), visiting a beer hall such as the renowned Hofbrauhaus, or touring the BMW factory and museum.

One day, take a private excursion into the beautiful Bavarian countryside to visit Neuschwanstein, the fairytale castle built in the 19th century for King Ludwig II. The model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein is a romantic vision of towers and turrets that rises out of a rocky hilltop and offers panoramic views of surrounding mountains, lakes and farmland. Also visit nearby Hohenschwangau, the neo-Gothic castle where Ludwig spent his childhood, as well as the Benedictine monastery of Andechs, renowned as a pilgrimage site and for its brewery.

Another day, take a private excursion to nearby Salzburg, Austria, a charming Baroque town famous for Mozart and The Sound of Music. Tour highlights such as the Cathedral, Mozart's birthplace, and the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. Walk down Getreidegasse, Salzburg's most famous shopping street, and visit select boutiques specializing in local products such as loden coats, Christmas decorations and Mozartkugel chocolate pralines. Also enjoy a short private excursion through the Salzkammergut, a stunning region of mountains and lakes in the Austrian Alps, and visit film sites from The Sound of Music.

Next, transfer along the Romantic Road to the well-preserved medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. En route, tour interesting towns. Options include Augsburg, notable for its Renaissance-era town center; Ulm, the birthplace of Albert Einstein and home of the Ulm Munster, whose ornate Gothic steeple is the tallest in the world; and Dinkelsbuhl, a walled town filled with cobblestone streets, historic burgher houses and ancient towers. In the atmospheric streets of Rothenburg, one of the most charming towns in Germany, see highlights such as the city walls, gate towers and St. James’s Church. If desired, browse the phenomenal selection of traditional German Christmas decorations at the renowned Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas “village”, which is open throughout the year.  

One day, enjoy a private excursion farther along the Romantic Road, a medieval trade route that connects over two dozen delightful towns. Pass through rolling farmland, stopping to visit local villages and attractions according to your interests. Among the many options are seeing the Wurzburg Residenz, a Baroque palace and gardens that’s a UNESCO site; visiting Nordlingen, a town encircled by medieval walls that lies in the crater of an ancient meteorite; or seeing the Stuppach Madonna painting by Matthias Grunewald. Above all, enjoy strolling the historic streets of these most quintessentially German towns.

Continue to the cosmopolitan city of Frankfurt for your final nights in Germany. During a private excursion, visit Heidelberg, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities and a favorite of the Romantic poets. Walk the narrow streets of the Old Town, see Germany’s oldest university, and explore the castle ruins that loom over the city and offer views of the Neckar Valley below.