Day 1

Let the excitement build on your overnight flight to begin your tour adventure.

Day 2

After arriving in Germany and joining the YMT group, you’ll enjoy an afternoon city tour of Berlin. The largest city in Germany, best known for its historical associations as the German capital, Berlin offers a wonderful combination of history, night life, architecture and culture. Visit the famous Brandenburg Gate, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Cathedral, the Reichstag building, and the lively boulevards. After your tour, enjoy an included dinner before overnighting in the Berlin area. (D)

Day 3

After your included breakfast, continue touring more of Berlin’s highlights, including the Berlin Wall Museum and Checkpoint Charlie. During the Cold War years, Checkpoint Charlie was the only crossing point between East and West Berlin for Allied force members. Berlin’s Wall fell in 1989, but Checkpoint Charlie remains a constant reminder of the “Iron Curtain” and an important symbol of the tension, conflict, and competition characteristic of the Cold War years. In the afternoon, your tour continues to Potsdam, Germany. Palaces, gardens, parks, and lakes combine to form a total work of art–a charming picture of courtly elegance and Baroque playfulness more than 1,000 years old. Overnight in Berlin area. (B)

Day 4

Once finished with your included breakfast, travel to Wittenberg, Germany to see the Castle Church on whose door Luther nailed his famous 95 theses. Without doubt the town’s most famous building, it was redesigned in the 19th century as a monument to the Reformation. The graves of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon are inside the church. After, you’ll visit the Luther House, a building which functioned formerly the Augustinian monastery before becoming Luther’s home. In the afternoon, travel to Leipzig, Germany for a city tour that includes the St. Nicholas’ Church, the home of the faithful “Pray for Peace” Christians who were a powerful force in transforming Germany’s East and West. Another stop is St. Thomas Church, the location where Luther preached and introduced the ideas for the Reformation to the people as well as where Johann Sebastian Bach performed and directed the world famous St. Thomas Boys Choir. Included dinner and overnight in the Leipzig area. (B,D)

Day 5

Enjoy your included breakfast before traveling to Eisleben, Germany. Commonly associated with the lives of Martin Luther and his fellow-reformer Melanchthon, enjoy a city tour that includes a visit to Luther’s Birth House on the Langen Gasse (Long Alley), where Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. Next, head into Erfurt, Germany to see the University of Erfurt, where Martin Luther received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Luther lived there as a student from 1501 to 1511 and as a monk from 1505 to 1511. Today you can walk the same medieval cobbled streets that Luther, Goethe, and Bach walked. Included dinner and overnight in Erfurt area. (B, D)

Day 6

Once finished with your included breakfast, you’ll make your way to visit the Luther House and Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, Germany. The Luther House is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Eisenach, built in half-timber style and home to the “Lutherkeller,” a traditional German restaurant, since 1898. Next, get the opportunity to explore Wartburg Castle. This imposing medieval fortress, built by Count Ludwig I in 1067, stands atop a mountain on the outskirts of Eisenach and is best known as the place where Martin Luther sought refuge following his excommunication in 1521. It serves as one of Germany’s most prolific national symbols. A tour of the castle includes the Knight’s Hall, the Chapel, the Hall of Songs (which inspired Wagner), the Landgrave’s Hall, and the Festival Hall. The Luther Room (Lutherstiege) is well worth a visit. You’ll be able to see period furnishings and an original copy of Luther’s translation of the Bible. Included dinner and overnight in the Frankfurt area. (B, D)

Day 7

After your included breakfast, a city tour of Worms, Germany awaits you, including St. Peter’s Cathedral, Site of the Diet of Worms, and Luther Memorial. St. Peter’s Cathedral (Dom St. Peter) was begun in 1181 and completed in 1230. It is a “Kaiserdome,” or “Imperial” cathedral, along with the romanesque cathedrals of Mainz and Speyer Site of the Diet of Worms. After exploring Worms, travel to Heidelberg, Germany lies on the river Neckar at the point where it leaves its narrow, steep valley in the Odenwald to flow into the Rhine valley. The name stands for the world famous castle, a picturesque old town and lively university atmosphere. Included dinner and overnight in Heidelberg area. (B,D)

Day 8

Once done with your breakfast, your coach will drive you along the Romantic Road, passing such picturesque places as Dinkelsbuehl, Noerdlingen, and Donauwoerth, en route to the high-gabled houses and cobbled-stone streets of Augsburg, Germany. A metropolis during the Roman times and famous for old trade dynasties during the Middle Ages, Augsburg offers a plethora of interesting sights, including the unusual Dom (cathedral); St. Anne’s Church, where Martin Luther took refuge; the Romisches Museum (housed in a baroque church); and the shining Renaissance Golden Room in the Rathaus (Town Hall). On clear sunny days, you can climb the Perlachturm (256 ft/78 m) for a great view of the Alps. Be sure to see the Fuggerei, the world’s first social housing project for the poor. Included dinner and overnight in the Augsburg area. (B,D)

Day 9

Finish your included breakfast, then begin your scenic travel day to Munich, the capital city of Bavaria, the largest federal state of Germany. The third-largest German city–by population, not by area–is noted for its architecture and culture as well as its annual, world-famous Oktoberfest beer celebration. Overnight and dinner at the hotel in Munich area. (B, D)

Day 10

Enjoy an included breakfast before your ride into the Bavarian Alps to picturesque Oberammergau. After an included light brunch/lunch, you’ll attend for the highlight of this vacation: the original Oberammergau Passion Play. Created in the 1600s, the play depicting the life and death of Jesus found its origins after the villagers made a vow to God that it would be held every ten years if they were spared from the disasters of the bubonic plague. Performed by over 2,000 performers, musicians, and stage technicians–all of whom are Oberammergau inhabitants–the passion play draws more than 500,000 visitors over the 5 months the nearly 7-hour play is performed. Dinner will be served during the play’s 3-hour intermission in a restaurant in Oberammergau. After the play is finished, you will return to your hotel for the evening. (B,L,D)

Day 11

Today, depart picturesque Oberammergau for the Munich Airport, beginning your trip home. Special note: because of the transfer time between Oberammergau and Munich, guests planning their own air arrangements should not schedule flights that depart prior to 1:00 PM.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations.

The Motor Coach Experience