Immerse yourself in the festive spirit of Christmas and delight in the Christmas Markets of Dresden, Nuremberg and Munich, where you’ll find handmade toys and ornaments to add to your own Christmas tree. On this tour, you’ll also wander through the charming streets and narrow alleyways of Bamberg, visit the Baroque palaces of Potsdam and relax with a stein of world-famous Bavarian beer. This year, ring in the Christmas season in Germany!

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Berlin aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Berlin

Touch down in the capital of reunified Germany. A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport in Berlin after you clear customs and then assists you with the transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or begin acquainting yourself with the city, a spectacular center of German culture. Meet your fellow travelers at an included dinner this evening.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Berlin

Since the Berlin Wall came down in late 1989, Berlin has continued to evolve into a thriving metropolis. A local expert guide introduces you to the monuments to Berlin’s intricate past as well as signs of its re-emergence as a vibrant cultural center. Arrive at the Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of the undeclared Cold War, and now the symbol of a reunited Berlin. See the site where Checkpoint Charlie once guarded the border between East and West Germany. As you see where the Berlin Wall actually stood, imagine the bleak watchtowers and piercing spotlights that guarded “the border.” Journey down Unter den Linden, once considered one of the world’s most elegant boulevards. Spend a free afternoon exploring Berlin on your own or take part in an optional World War II walking tour.
Included meals: breakfast

$69 CAD

World War II Walking Tour Take a walk through history on this insider’s tour of Berlin during World War II, detailing the rise and fall of Hitler and the Third Reich. You’ll start in the Wilhelmstraße area and see the building that once housed the headquarters of Hermann Goering’s Luftwaffe. You'll also view the former headquarters of the infamous SS and Gestapo, the massive Reich Chancellery and the Propaganda Ministry. Finally, stand directly above Hitler’s Führerbunker as your guide details the last days of World War II in Europe. Lunch is included.

Day 4 - Berlin

Travel to Potsdam, the pride and joy of former East Germany. Once the royal playground of Prussian king Frederick the Great, Potsdam was also the location where American, British and Soviet leaders drew up plans for the postwar administration of Germany at the Potsdam Conference in 1945. A local guide introduces you to the town then escorts you through Cecilienhof Palace, built by Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany in the early 1900s and the site of the Potsdam Conference’s iconic photograph of Truman, Churchill and Stalin.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Cecilienhof Palace

Day 5 - Dresden

Leave Potsdam for Dresden today. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour of Dresden, once considered by many to be the most beautiful city in the world. Pass the renovated Semper Opera House and a statue of Martin Luther. Visit the New Green Vault, as well as the gardens at the magnificent Zwinger Palace, now home to the works of such luminaries as Raphael, Dürer and Titian. You’ll also visit Striezelmarkt, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Dresden. Here, holiday fare and goodies that spruce up the Dresden city center during this time of year. Later, enjoy an included dinner with your
group.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrance fees: New Green Vault

Day 6 - Dresden

Today, explore Dresden on your own or embark on an optional excursion to Gorlitz including lunch.
Included meals: breakfast

$95 CAD

Görlitz On a guided tour of Görlitz, you'll visit St. Peter and Paul Church and The Holy Trinity Church, which houses the world's only perfect copy of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Continue on to Zgorzelec, located a stone’s throw away at the German-Polish border. Until 1945, the modern day towns of Zgorzelec and Görlitz were a single entity. In their current separated state, each town offers unique insights into their nations' shared history. Lunch is included.

Day 7 - Bamberg

Travel to Bamberg by way of Weimar, where you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the city. This intellectual hub nurtured the genius of Goethe, Nietzsche and Schiller, as well as the entire Bauhaus architectural movement. The city also gave rise to the Weimar Republic, the failed attempt to establish a liberal German democracy between the two World Wars. Reach the Bavarian town of Bamberg for this evening’s included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 8 - Bamberg

Today’s guided tour leads you through the plain, islands and seven hills of Bamberg. Wander through the historic Old Town, named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its well-preserved medieval buildings and feel, which was spared any destruction during World War II. See the Bamberg Cathedral, a Romanesque structure with four imposing towers, which ranks as Bamberg’s most famous landmark. Then pay a visit to “Little Venice,” an old colony of quaint fishers’ houses on the banks of the river Regnitz. This afternoon, delve into Germany’s medieval history with an optional excursion to Rothenburg.
Included meals: breakfast

$55 CAD

Rothenburg Visit Rothenburg, the best-preserved walled town in Germany. Enjoy a guided tour of the city, including stops at the Town Hall, the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum, and St. Jakob's Church, where you'll see a 500-year-old, hand-carved wooden altarpiece.

Day 9 - Munich

This morning, travel to Munich, a city renowned for its festive and charming traditions. Stop in Nuremburg along the way to see the legacy of the World War II military tribunals. You’ll also visit the Nuremburg Christmas Market, where you can shop for traditional wares like spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, Christmas tree angels, tree ornaments and candles, toys and crafts.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 10 - Munich

This morning, you’ll embark on an expertly led guided tour of the Bavarian capital, including a visit to another festive Christmas Market. You’ll also travel past the Olympic Stadium, the fashionable Schwabing district and the Residenz, once home to the Wittlesbach dukes of Bavaria. Pay a visit to Nymphenburg Palace and continue to Marienplatz, Munich’s medieval heart, where you’ll see the city’s famed Glockenspiel. This afternoon, join an optional excursion to the former concentration camp site at Dachau.
Included meals: breakfast

$29 CAD

Dachau Once a typical German village, Dachau served as one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Today, the camp is a Holocaust memorial museum and serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Day 11 - Munich

On a free day, stroll through the Englisher Gardens or explore the BMW Museum. Alternatively, opt to travel into the Bavarian mountains to the castle of Neuschwanstein, the fairytale palace of Mad King Ludwig. Next, visit the scenic town of Oberammergau, known throughout the world for its open-air staging of the Passion Play. Relive memories from your tour at tonight’s Farewell Dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 12 - Munich

Continue on our tour extension to Vienna. Otherwise, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be included.)