Classical Bavaria & Austria–Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna
Day 1
Travel through the night with meal service en route.
Day 2
We arrive at Munich International Airport where we’ll be met by your USIT tour conductor and your Austrian guide. Depending on arrival times appropriate touring will be included. After touring for the day, we’ll drive to our four-star air-conditioned hotel for check-in and dinner (incl.) before we retire from a long day traveling from USA.
Day 3
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we check out of the hotel and drive through the country towns on the way to the castle of Mad King Ludwig at Neuschwanstein near the small town of Füssen, Bavaria (adm. incl.). Probably the most famous castle in the world, it was the inspiration for Disney’s Magic Kingdom castle. We arrive at Neuschwanstein, organize to climb the trail up to the castle for an English tour of the castle at 1:25 PM. Lunch is on our own in Füssen. We then depart for Salzburg, Austria, traveling though the famous alpine Fern Pass to pass through Innsbruck. Shortly after Innsbruck, we come to the Swarovski Headquarters, where we will stop for a short tour and break (adm. optional). We arrive at our four star hotel at @ 6:00 PM, and prepare for dinner at the hotel at 8:00 PM (incl.). Possible rehearsal before dinner. Evening is at leisure. Hotel & dinner:
Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we’ll see some of the Sound of Music sites, Schloss Hellbrunn outside Salzburg where the famous gazebo stands, (gazebo and gardens) and then we’ll drive the short way up into the mountains to Berchtesgaden, Germany, where the Alps begin. At 10:30, we’ll enjoy a boat ride and tour of the famous deep green waters of the Koenigssee in the Berchtesgaden National Forest, the most photographed panorama in Germany, an alpine lake with forest and near vertical cliffs on its banks. The boat, with silent electric motor, crosses the lake and glides to a small peninsula where the ancient baroque chapel of St. Bartholomew has stood for 600 years, accessible only by water (adm. incl.). Then, we drive the short way back down into Berchtesgaden to ascend by special coach and elevator to the famous Eagle’s Nest—Hitler’s mountain retreat, from which you can see hundreds of miles of Alpine terrain—and learn why it wasn’t Hitler’s favorite place. Returning from Berchtesgaden, we depart for our first concert at the Parish Church of Faistenau, along with members of the local choir, “FOAST XANG”. We’ll participate in the Mass at 7:00 PM, followed by our concert there at 7:45. Dinner is on our own at restaurant reserved in Faistenau before the concert. We return to Salzburg after the concert
Day 5
7:30 AM Breakfast at the hotel. At 9:00 AM, we’ll start our walking tour of Salzburg at Mirabell Gardens, one of the Sound of Music sites. From there, we continue to tour through the Old City (Altstadt) on foot, the best way to see it. This is a very compact area between the jutting outcrop of the Moenchsberg and the Salzach River. The rest of the Old City belonged to the wealthy burghers: the old market, the town hall, and the tall, plain burghers’ houses like Mozart’s Birthplace (adm. incl.). The Moenchsberg cliffs emerge unexpectedly behind the Old City, crowned to the east by the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Across the river is the Steingasse, a narrow medieval street where the working people lived. Our tour will include the Mozartplatz with its cafes and candy stores, the Residenz at the heart of Baroque Salzburg, and nearby St. Peter’s Abbey. Afterwards you can walk up to the fortress, or take the funicular, and from the Fortress Hohensalzburg, you can see the whole city. On a clear day, you can see the nearby Alps in all their glory. Depending on the time, there is much more to see, and you have free time in the afternoon. Dinner is on our own tonight in Salzburg before returning to our hotel for the evening.
Day 6
6:30 AM Breakfast at the hotel. After an early breakfast at the hotel and check-out, we leave Salzburg at 8:00 AM sharp, and head towards Vienna. By late morning, we’ll be driving along the beautiful Danube River, winding through upper Austria towards Vienna. We’ll stop for lunch in the town of Krems, in the heart of the wine and apricot region, to stretch our legs and see a little bit of this river town. Then we reboard the coaches for our last leg of the day into Vienna. As we enter the city, we’ll stop at the royal summer home and at 1:15 PM, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Schoenbrunn Palace where Mozart played for royalty as a child, and we’ll have time to explore the extensive palace gardens. After the tour, it’s a short drive to our four-star hotel for check-in and dinner (incl.). Tonight is opera night! After check-in and dinner at 6:00 PM at the hotel, we depart for the State Opera House for a performance of Donizetti’s opera “L’elisir d’amore”, beginning at 8:00 PM
Day 7
8:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel. Today is our official introduction to the city of Vienna, city of art, history, literature, and of course, music, is a panoramic tour of Vienna by coach, including Vienna State Opera House, government center, and other important sights, and our guide will give us the background and history of Vienna as we go. The coach will drop us near the State Opera House and we’ll proceed on foot from there. At 11:00, we’ll all arrive at St. Stephen’s Cathedral to participate in the noon mass and sing a concert afterwards. After lunch on our own, the coach will come back to pick us up and we’ll see some of the sights that are a little further away from the Old City, to include the Hundertwasser House, the Central Cemetery with the gravesites of Schubert, Beethoven and other composers. Then we return to the hotel. Dinner is on our own tonight.
Day 8
8:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel. We depart at 9:00 AM to the north of Vienna about an hour through the countryside to Burg Kreuzenstein, a fairy tale fortress where we will see how the knights lived and one of the biggest private collection of medieval arms. We’ll attend a show featuring hunting birds–hawks, eagles, and falcons, at 11:00 AM, followed by a guided tour of the castle. Lunch is on our own in the area. From Burg Kreuzenstein we return to Vienna to enjoy some time on our own to shop and see sights of personal interest. Dinner is on our own tonight.
Day 9
7:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel. Today, we’ll check out of the hotel for our drive back to Munich, stopping for a tour of St. Florian’s Abbey (“Stift St. Florian”). We’ll enjoy a tour of the abbey at 11:00 AM, including its magnificent library and Baroque cathedral. The composer Anton Bruckner was the organist here for ten years, and his tomb in the catacombs, which we can visit and sing briefly, is directly under the organ he so loved, the famous Krissman organ. We can also sing informally in the sanctuary. After finishing our time at St. Florian’s, we stop for lunch at a Rosenberger or similar. Afterwards we finish our drive to Munich, where we will enjoy a short panoramic tour of the historic district, passing by the Olympic Stadium, the Frauenkirche, Munich’s twin-spired Cathedral, before checking in once again at the Mercure Perlach. Our final dinner is provided at the hotel at 8:00 PM.
Day 10
Based on your flight times, we will arrive at the airport at least 2 Hours prior to your flight for airport check-in.
Breakfasts are provided every day at the hotels, and dinners are as shown on the itinerary. Dinners do not include beverages; however water will be provided on the tables.
