Best of Germany

Welcome to Frankfurt and savor an opportunity to see the sights on your own before meeting your Travel Director this afternoon for an orientation of Römerberg and the financial district. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Reception with your fellow travelers, including a light dinner and welcome drink to kick off your discovery of the best of Germany.

Resist the alluring calls of Lorelei and board your leisurely cruise along the Rhine. Glide past vineyard-clad hills, stopping for a Be My Guest experience. Share stories of knights and feuding lords and ladies over lunch before continuing to Cologne, where we’ll view the Gothic spires of its magnificent cathedral during our orientation of the city.

Journey through the lush green landscape of Lower Saxony as we make our way to the international trade center of Hamburg, where we'll join our Travel Director for an orientation tour of the city's iconic sights. Spend some time at leisure exploring the city's seafaring heritage. Wander along the trendy Mönckebergstrasse, visit one of the city's brewhouses or consider a guided cruise through the city's harbor and discover why Hamburg is called Germany's 'Gateway to the World'. Tonight, we will dine at our hotel.

Follow the picturesque Elbe Valley from Hamburg, crossing the former ‘Iron Curtain' to the historic city of Berlin, whose once-turbulent history has shaped its rebirth as a charismatic capital city. Join your Local Specialist to explore the iconic landmarks of unified Berlin. See the Neo-Renaissance Reichstag, the Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden.

Enjoy a full day to explore Berlin on your terms. You might choose to join an Optional Experience uncovering the city’s defining moments with a Local Specialist visiting the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie and what remains of the Berlin Wall. Later, you could head out of the city on another Optional Experience to Potsdam and Wannsee, cross the famous 'Spy Bridge', wander the UNESCO-listed gardens of Sanssouci Palace and dine lakeside.

A short drive south brings us to Dresden, the ‘Florence on the Elbe', where we'll hear about the city's restoration following its devastation during World War II as you admire its beautiful Baroque façades. See the Semper Opera, Zwinger Palace and the fully reconstructed Frauenkirche. Consider delving into the treasures of Dresden, joining an Optional Experience to explore this elegant city.

Visit the village of Mödlareuth, which inherited the moniker of 'Little Berlin' due to its wall separating 'east' and 'west' Germany. Gain insights into a divided Germany at its open-air museum and see a section of the original wall with its security features. This afternoon, arrive in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, once the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire and today the economic, social and cultural capital of Franconia. During your orientation see the mighty castle ramparts and stand in the Hauptmarkt main square which is dominated by the impressive Frauenkirche, a great example of the Gothic brick-style architecture of the region. Spend the rest of your day at leisure indulging in the local specialties.