Day 1: Arrive Frankfurt (D)
Your tour commences this evening with a welcome drink before dinner in your hotel.
Day 2: Trier (B, D)
At the River Rhine you stop in delightful town of Rüdesheim where you can walk narrow cobblestoned avenues. Later enjoy a Rhine Cruise through the Rhine Gorge lined with vineyards and castles. After lunch in Boppard, cross over to the more dramatic Moselle River and enjoy a guided tour through Castle Burg Eltz. You reach Trier for a two night stay
Day 3: Trier (B)
A local guide will take you on a walking tour of this fascinating city. Trier is the oldest city in Germany and was once the northern capital of the Roman Empire. The city is adorned with sights including the Roman Basilica, Trier Cathedral and the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre and Baths. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Day 4: Chateau de L’île.Alsace (B, D)
Arrive in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in the world. Luxembourg city has a striking location built on a promontory overlooking deep valleys and precipitous gorges. After an orientation tour of the city, you have free time to explore the maze of cobbled streets that make up the pedestrianised Old Town around the Grand-Ducal Palace. Continue into the Alsace region to stay for the next four nights in a chateau hotel, five kilometres outside Strasbourg.
Day 5: Chateau de L’île.Alsace (B, D)
A local guide will lead you in exploring Strasbourg. Here there are massive fortified towers beside three bridges spanning the River Ill, and the pedestrian streets around the Place de la Cathédrale and Place Broglie are a delight. Enjoy a river cruise around the heart of the city, in a glass topped boat. The rest of the day is at leisure. In the evening you will dine in a local brasserie which dates back hundreds of years.
Day 6: Chateau de L’île.Alsace (B)
You reach postcard perfect Colmar and have an orientation tour. Brightly painted, half-timbered houses on narrow, twisting lanes make a perfect backdrop to the River Lauch that winds its way through the centre. In the afternoon you drive the famous Route Alsace du Vin through the pretty villages of Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg. There is a stop at one of the vineyards for a wine tasting then the remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.
Day 7: Chateau de L’île.Alsace (B, D)
Spend the day in the Black Forest. Crossing into Germany you follow the Black Forest High Road into the heart of the region and the old town of Triberg. After visiting the Black Forest Museum,, take time to wander amongst the cuckoo clock shops and local cafes. Your afternoon will be spent I the gothic city of Freiburg. A local guide will lead you through Freiburg which is one of the most charming of German cities, located where the Black Forest meets the Rhine Plain.
Day 8: Charmey in the Gruyere Region (B, D)
In Switzerland you stop to explore the medieval cobbled stoned streets of Bern. A UNESCO World Landmark, this capital city is set on a spectacular bend above the River Aare and boasts kilometres of sheltered arcaded shopping ways, an intriguing clock tower and the famous ‘Bärengraben’ bear pits. In the afternoon you take a short trip to the historic town of Murten by Lake Murten. You reach Charmey, in the foothills of the Alps, for a three night stay.
Day 9: Charmey in the Gruyere Region (B, D)
In Montreux there a guided tour through the 13th century fortress of Chateau Chillon which juts out imposingly onto Lake Geneva. The rest of the morning is at leisure on the foreshore of Montreux. In the afternoon a drive to Lausanne and a visit to the Museum of the Olympic Games on the quai d’Ouchy. Later drive along the scenic Lavaux wine road through steep, stone terraced vineyards that tumble down into Lake Geneva. There is a stop iin Vevay included.
Day 10: Charmey in the Gruyere Region (B, D)
An excursion on the famous Chocolate Train. After boarding the 1915 vintage, first-class Belle Epoque Pullman car in Montreux, you enjoy coffee and croissants en route to Gruyères. On arrival there is a tour of a cheese factory before driving up to the village of Gruyères. The broad cobbled stone main street, flanked by centuries old houses, is an astounding time capsule and one of the great sights of Europe. Later we drive to Broc and visit Maison Cailler-Nestle, Switzerland's first chocolate factory.
Day 11: Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland (B,D)
Make a morning stop in the chic ski resort of Gstaad then continue to Grindelwald where you have lunch at leisure. This world famous skiing village is full of restaurants, cafes and shops and the views are directly onto the north face of the Eiger. Continue to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and visit the unusual Trummelbach Falls. Take a funicular up inside the cliff face and then walk through the mountain caverns. The nearby village of Lauterbrunnen is in a spectacular setting with 305 metre sheer cliffs rising either side of it. The valley’s most famous landmark, the impressive Staubbach Falls, are several hundred metres high and right behind the village. Your stay is for four nights.
Day 12:Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland (B,D)
A day free to enjoy spectacular scenery. Perhaps catch the cog train up to Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg or even to the snowbound Jungfraujoch. At 3,450 metres high there is a large restaurant complex and the views are breath-taking.
Day 13: Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland (B,D)
You first visit nearby Interlaken between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Later you will catch the ferry along the length of Lake Thun to the town of Thun where you will enjoy time at leisure.
Day 14: Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland (B,D)
Catch the Grütschalp cable car to the top of the cliffs to enjoy an easy 1 ½ to 2 hour flat walk along the broad hiking path to the ski town of Mürren. The trails in Switzerland are very well marked and this one in particular is extremely easy to follow, with a refreshment stop part way along at a mountain restaurant. Those not wishing to enjoy the walk can easily catch a ride up to Murren and meet the group at lunchtime. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Day 15: Luzern (B,D)
Along Lake Brienz you will make a morning stop in Meiringen where the famous dessert ‘meringues’ originated. Enjoy coffee and a giant meringue. Continue to the lovely lake-side town of Luzern with its covered wooden bridges. Arrive about midday and theafternoon is at leisure to explore the old town. The final dinner is designed for you to enjoy traditional Swiss fare in a local restaurant.
Included:
- 15 nights accommodation
- Buffet breakfast daily plus 13 dinners
- Welcome drink in Frankfurt
- Personal audio system whilst on tour
- Porterage (1 bag per person)
- Sightseeing, scenic drives and excursions
- Services of a tour manager
- First class air-conditioned touring coach
- Local guides
- Rhine cruise, Strasbourg cruise, Alsace wine tasting, Lake Thun cruise, full day excursion on the famous chocolate train including a cheese factory visit and Nestle chocolate visit, Grütschalp and Mürren – Stechelberg cable car rides
- End of tour tips to tour manager, driver and local guides
