DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Munich.

DAY    2            ARRIVE MUNICH (2 NIGHTS) - THERESIENWISE
We will be met at the airport by our tour manager/guide and transfer into Munich, Bavaria's magnificent capital city. En route we will stop in Theresienwise, the former fairgrounds on which the Oktoberfest festival began after the marriage of Ludwig I and Theresa von Sachsen-Hildburghhausen. We will visit the Neo-Classical Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame) built by Leo von Klenze. This open hall, fronted by 48 Ionian columns, contains the busts of 77 prominent Bavarians. In front stands a gigantic statue of a Bavarian Goddess, and those that choose can Ascend to the Head for a wonderful view of Munich. Our day continues into central Munich, where we will stroll down Maximilianstrasse, Munich's "Golden Mile," which is the equivalent of New York's Fifth Avenue. Here we will find the city's most elegant and expensive boutiques and restaurants.

DAY    3            MUNICH (THE HEART OF BAVARIA)
This morning we will explore the Aldstadt (Old Quarter) of Munich, beginning at the Karlstor, once a gate to the walled city. We continue with a stroll down Neuhauser Street, Munich's largest shopping street, with typical 19th century buildings, outdoor cafes and shops. Next we visit the Frauenkirche, the largest Gothic assembly building in southern Germany and the seat of the Archbishopric of Munich. With its twin towers, topped with onion domes, the church has become a symbol of the city. Next we will explore the area of Munich around the Marienplatz, dedicated to the patron of the city, the heart of the Altstadt. We will begin at the Neues Rathaus, where we will observe the Glockenspiel on the façade, the fourth largest chiming clock in Europe, which stages an elaborate performance twice a day. Those that choose will have the opportunity to climb the 55 steps to the top of its tower for a good overall view of the city center. After viewing Peterskirche and the Altes Rathaus, we will visit Asamkirche, a church designed by the Asam brothers, which offers the full effect of Gothic artistic expression and a mysterious theatrical illusion of another world. This afternoon we will visit the Alte Pinakothek, one of the world's great art museums. The museum houses a large and important collection that represents the greatest European artists from the 14th through the 18th centuries, including Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Durer, Holbein, Rembrandt, Rubens, Bruegel, Hals and El Greco. After dinner, we will attend a traditional Bavarian music and dance show at the world famous Hofbrauhaus.

DAY    4            MUNICH - NYMPHENBURG PALACE - DACHAU -                           NURNBURG AREA (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will travel outside of Munich to visit Nymphenburg Palace, once the residence of the Bavarian kings. We will explore the splendid palace including, the Rococo Banqueting Hall with its vivid frescoes based on mythological themes, and the Gallery of Beauties, which displays portraits of the loveliest women of the time of Ludwig I. Our visit will also include the Carriage Museum, which houses coaches, carriages and sleighs once belonging to the Bavarian rulers, and a stroll in the formal Gardens. We continue to Dachau Concentration Camp. In 1933, what had once been a quiet little artists' community became a tragic symbol of the Nazi era, the first German concentration camp. Our guided-tour will include: the three memorial chapels built in the early 1960s; Lagerstrasse, the main camp road; two barracks, which have been rebuilt to give visitors insight into the horrible conditions endured by the prisoners; and the Museum, housed in the large building that once contained the kitchen, laundry, and shower baths. We continue to our hotel in the Nurnburg area.

DAY    5            NURNBURG AREA - LEIPZIG AREA (1 NIGHT)
This morning we explore Nürnburg as we take a Walking Tour of the Altstadt, featuring the ruins of the ramparts that once surrounded the city. We will view: the Justice Palace, where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946; Bergstrasse; the Dürer Monument; St. Sebald Church; Hauptmarkt; the Albrect Durer House; Handwerkerhof; and Marktplatz. We continue with a visit to the Kaiserburg, the official residence of the German kings and emperors from 1050 to 1571. Our visit will include the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle), the Burgraves' Castle, the Municipal Buildings of the Free City and the new Kaiserburg Museum, which contains antique weaponry, armor, and paintings, and details the history of the castle. We will also be afforded magnificent views of the roofs and towers of Nürnberg from its terraces. We continue to the Leipzig area.

DAY    6           LEIPZIG AREA - LUTHERSTADT WITTENBERG - POTSDAM -                          BERLIN (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we will explore Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the capital of the Reformation. This small town was named after it most famous resident, Martin Luther, and enjoys a scenic position on the banks of the Elbe River. We will begin with a Walking Tour, which will highlight many of the important buildings and landmarks of the town, including Schloss Wittenberg, the Rathaus, Cranachaus, Marienkirche where Luther preached and Melanchtonhaus, home of Luther's greatest ally. During our walk we will also visit Schlosskirche, where Luther posted his thesis in 1517, before continuing to Potsdam, home to the famous World War II conference. We will explore Sanssouci Park, occupying an area of 287-hectacres, including a visit to Schloss Sanssouci, highlighted by the Bedchamber and Study of Frederick the Great and the Hall of Marble. We will also visit the Neues Palais ordered by Frederick the Great, including the Palace, the Grotto, and the Theater. We continue into the historic and modern capital city of Berlin. This afternoon we will take a Walking Tour of Breitscheidplatz and Ku' Damm, the center of the former West Berlin. The Ku' Damm is Berlin's showcase boulevard, renowned for its great cafes visited by famous writers, directors and painters. During our walk, we will see the Kantdreieck, a building containing only right angles, the Judisches Gemeindehaus, Fasanenstrasse, the Theater des Westens, the Ludwig-Erhard Haus, and the spectacular Europa Center. At the conclusion of our walk, we will visit the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche (Memorial Church), where you will see the destructive power of war. The church was damaged heavily during WWII and has been left in its damaged state as a reminder of war and its consequences.

DAY    7           BERLIN (EAST BERLIN: A NEW FREEDOM)
Our morning commences with a visit to the Reichstag, a building destroyed by the Allies in WWII, which today is again the home of the country's parliament. The building still evokes the neo-Renaissance style it had when it opened in 1894, though a new glass dome designed by Sir Norman Foster crowns the modern version. We will go through the west gate for an Elevator Ride up to the dome, where a sweeping vista of Berlin opens before us on the Observation Platform. We continue to Brandenburg Gate, a triumphal arch, which stood in no man's land between East and West Berlin during the Cold War and became a symbol of a divided Germany. We will enter the Room of Silence, built into one of the guardhouses, where visitors gather to meditate and reflect on Germany's past, before continuing with a Walking Tour down the famous Unter den Linden, one of Berlin's most fashionable and important boulevards. Along the walk we will view the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, the Equestrian Statue of Frederick the Great, Humboldt-Universitat and the Deutsche Staatsoper, before stopping for a visit to the Neue Wache, a monument to victims of Militarism and Fascism. The building houses the mortal remains of the Unknown Soldier from the battlefields and of an unknown prisoner from a concentration camp. This afternoon we visit the Pergamon Museum, where we will focus on the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, housed in the north and east wings of the museum. We will enter the central hall to view the Pergamon Altar (180-160 b.c.), which is so large that it has a huge room all to itself, and some 27 steps lead from the museum floor up to the colonnade. We will conclude the day with a visit to the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), a modern cathedral destroyed during WWII, but fully restored to its original beauty.

DAY    8           BERLIN (THE TREASURES OF BERLIN)
This morning we visit Schloss Charlottenburg, one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in Germany. Built by Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Friedrich I, the residence was begun as a summer palace, but eventually grew into the massive structure we will view today. Our visit will include the Historical Apartments, including the apartments of Friedrich and his "philosopher queen," the Reception Chamber, decorated with frieze panels, vaulted ceilings, and mirror-paneled niches, and the Porcelain Chamber, containing a fine collection of Chinese porcelain. We will also visit the new wing, known as the Knobelsdorff-Flügel, which contains the apartments of Friedrich the Great. We will have a bit of free time to wander and explore the extensive Royal Park, including the French style Baroque garden, before continuing to the Tiergarten, the largest green space in central Berlin, with more than 14 miles of meandering walkways, canals, ponds, and flowerbeds. Among the park's monuments we will view is the Victory Column, a golden goddess of victory perched atop a soaring red-granite pedestal. Those that choose can climb the 290-step spiral staircase to the 157-ft. Observation Platform. We conclude the day with a visit to the Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery), one of Germany's finest art museums. Several rooms are devoted to early German masters, including the Dürer collection, as well as many of the great European masters including Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Correggio, van Eyck, Bosch, Brueghel, and Rembrandt.

DAY    9           DEPARTURE FROM BERLIN
Our enjoyable and rewarding trip will come to an end as our guide accompanies us to the airport for the return flight home.