Alpine Countries - 15 days land only

Be prepared for breathtaking views. This 15-day journey starts in Frankfurt and travels via medieval Rothenburg and Munich, where guided sightseeing includes the Marienplatz, to Austria, where you have sightseeing with Local Guides in Salzburg and Vienna. Then drive over Semmering Pass into the popular mountain resorts of Carinthia and enjoy an overnight stay in pretty St. Veit. The Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, and the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol are scenic highlights. St.Moritz, Lake Como and Lake Lugano are next. Proceed to Lake Maggiore and over Simplon Pass back to Switzerland, where you board a mountain train to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn, for your two-night stay. Then follow the Rhône Valley to Lake Geneva and enjoy stops in Berne and Interlaken on your way to Lucerne, for a relaxing two-night stay in this picture-book town. Your vacation is topped off by visits to the Rhine Falls, the Black Forest and Heidelberg, Germany.

Day 1
Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. Time to rest or to explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Day 2
Frankfurt-Rothenburg-Munich. The day is dedicated to Germany’s Romantic Road leading from the flat country towards the Alps. Spend time in spectacular Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes and 16th-century houses. From here it’s an easy ride towards the Danube Valley and Munich. Tonight you may want to tackle a stein of beer at the Hofbräuhaus. (BB,D)
Day 3
Munich. Sightseeing with a Local Guide in Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight is your chance to sample hearty Bavarian fare in one of Munich’s typical restaurants. (BB)
Day 4
Munich-Salzburg, Austria-Vienna. Through southern Bavaria to the Austrian border and on to Salzburg. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the historic center of Mozart’s hometown, exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Evening arrival in Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight you may wish to try out local specialties and a typically Viennese form of entertainment. (BB)
Day 5
Vienna. Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions to Schönbrunn Palace and, in the evening, to Grinzing, for a taste of Heurigen wine, are available. (BB)
Day 6
Vienna-St. Veit. Scenic Semmering Pass, peaceful baroque crossroad towns in Styria, and then the mountains, lakes, and popular resorts of Carinthia are on today’s agenda. Overnight in St. Veit. (BB,D)
Day 7
St. Veit-Italian Dolomites-Innsbruck. An unforgettable drive via the Iselsberg Pass to the Italian border and to Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites. Then via Tre Croci Pass and Lake Misurina to Brunico and the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Stroll through its medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Why not join an optional Tyrolean song-anddance show? (BB,D)
Day 8
Innsbruck-St. Moritz, Switzerland. From the Inn Valley into beautiful Swiss Engadine, see deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon free in ritzy St. Moritz. (BB,D)
Day 9
St. Moritz-Lugano. Descend towards the Italian Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland to the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano, with plenty of time for an espresso on the flower-festooned Piazza Riforma and a refreshing walk in the shade of Parco Ciani’s magnificent old trees. (BB,D)
Day 101
Lugano-Stresa, Italy-Zermatt. From Lake Lugano to the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. Weather permitting, an optional boat ride to the enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. On over the lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its great mountain resorts. To reach the most famous of them, leave the coach behind in Täsch and board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (BB,D)
Day 11
At Leisure in Zermatt. Full day at leisure to ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat, to explore the town on your own or to just simply relax. (BB)
Day 12
Zermatt-Berne-Interlaken-Lucerne. Through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley towards the terraced vineyards on Lake Geneva and the verdant dairy country of Gruyère, to the Swiss capital, Berne. See the monumental Federal Palace and the BEAR PIT before continuing via Interlaken, a Bernese Oberland resort beneath the towering Jungfrau and across Brünig Pass to Lucerne. (BB,D)
Day 13
Lucerne. On your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT, the ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car; take a cruise on the fjord-like lake; sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (BB)
Day 14
Lucerne-Heidelberg, Germany-Frankfurt. On the way back to Germany visit the thundering RHINE FALLS at Schaffhausen, a 70-foot cataract of the River Rhine. From here head north into the pine-clad hills of the BLACK FOREST, famous for its cuckoo clocks. Afternoon break in Heidelberg, well-known for its red-walled castle, before returning to Frankfurt. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner with the friends gained during your exciting two-week vacation. (BB,D)
Day 15
Tour ends. (BB)
Meals:
14 buffet breakfasts (BB); 9 three-course dinners (D), including welcome and farewell dinners in Frankfurt
City Highlights:
FRANKFURT Welcome and farewell dinners ROTHENBURG Orientation MUNICH Guided sightseeing; visit Marienplatz SALZBURG Guided sightseeing; visit Mirabell Gardens and St. Peter’s churchyard VIENNA Guided sightseeing; visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral CORTINA D’AMPEZZO Morning stop INNSBRUCK Orientation including the Golden Roof TÄSCH-ZERMATT-TÄSCH Mountain train BERNE Orientation including the Bear Pit INTERLAKEN Afternoon stop LUCERNE Orientation walk including the Lion Monument and the Chapel Bridge SCHAFFHAUSEN Visit the Rhine Falls BLACK FOREST Afternoon stop HEIDELBERG Picture stop of the castle