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

DAY    2            ARRIVE MUNICH (3 NIGHTS) - THERESIENWISE
WWe 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.

DAY    4            DAY TRIP TO NEUSCHWANSTEIN, WIESKIRCHE
                          & LINDERHOF (THE LEGACY OF KING LUDWIG II)
This morning we will take a day trip into the heart of Bavaria to explore the former treasures of "Mad" King Ludwig II. We begin with a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, situated on an outcrop of rock towering over a gorge in the River Pollat. This is one of Germany's most famous castles, though the king himself only lived there for 172 days. The Throne Room, designed in Byzantine style, with gilded mural paintings, mosaics and a huge chandelier, will highlight our tour. Our day continues to Wieskirche, where we will visit the unique Church of Zum Gegeisselten Heiland. The church is the most resplendent example of South German Rococo and one of the finest Rococo churches in the world, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. Our day in Bavaria concludes with a visit to Linderhof Palace, another of Ludwig II's residences, which clearly shows his fondness for France and Louis XIV. After touring the extravagantly decorated rooms of the palace, we will explore the extensive Park, featuring French-style Formal Gardens, Italianate terraced gardens, a Moorish kiosk, with a lavish Peacock Throne, and the Grotto with a lake, a stage, a throne and colorful lighting. We return to Munich, where after dinner, we will attend a traditional Bavarian music and dance show at the world famous Hofbrauhaus.

DAY    5            MUNICH - DACHAU - REGENSBURG AREA (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will travel outside of Munich to visit 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 Regenburg, a city dating back to Roman times. Upon our arrival we will take a Walking Tour, where we will view the Steinere Brucke, a bridge across the Danube, the Wurstkuche, the Altes Rathaus, the Alte Kapelle, Schloss Thurn und Taxis, and St. Jakob Kirche. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to Dom St. Peter, which towers above the city and is a fine example of the Rayonnant style.

DAY    6            REGENSBURG - NURNBURG - DRESDEN (2 NIGHTS)
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, in addition to more modern sites. We will view: the Justice Palace, where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946, Bergstrasse, the Dürer Monument, St. Sebald Church, Hauptmarkt, the Handwerkerhof and Marktplatz. We continue with a visit to the Albrecht Dürer House, typical of the half-timbered burghers' houses of the 15th century. The structure is the only completely preserved Gothic house in Nürnberg. Exhibits inside the house are devoted to Dürer's life and works, and many of the rooms are furnished with important historical pieces and copies of Dürer's paintings. We continue to our hotel in Dresden.

DAY    7            DRESDEN
Today we will explore Dresden, a city decimated by the Allied bombings of World War II, which has been restored to much of it former glory. We begin with a City Center Walking Tour, highlighting many of Dresden's most important landmarks and monuments, including the Sachsische Staatsoper, the Hofkirche, the Residenzschloss, Furstenzug, and the Frauenkirche. We continue with a visit to the Zwinger, a massive, beautiful Baroque building, with a stunning inner courtyard surrounded by galleries. Our visit will include the Old Master's Gallery, one of Europe's most impressive and important collections of Western European painting, including Raphael's Sistine Madonna, and the Rustkammer, which exhibits armory and arms from the 16th century. There will be time to explore the brilliant architecture and gardens within the Zwinger, before concluding the afternoon with a visit to the Albertinum, where we will focus on the collections of the Gemaldegalerie Neue Meister. The collection features works from the 19th and 20th centuries, including magnificent landscapes by Caspar David Friedrich, canvases by the Nazarine Group and works by European masters such as Degas, Manet, Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh.

DAY    8            DRESDEN - POTSDAM - BERLIN (2 NIGHTS)
This morning we begin our journey to Berlin. We will stop en route for a visit 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 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    9            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    10          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.