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Tour Info

Tour Length: WAIT LIST

Leave Fri.  Jul. 17
Return Thu. Jul. 30

$6,875 - Full Package
$379 - Travel Insurance

$100 - possible Sign-up Discount

* Oberammergau will be back in 10 years.

 


More Information


 
Questions?
alex@doldworldjourneys.com / (808) 732-9430

2020 The Swiss Alps & Oberammergau WAIT LIST

Switzerland - Liechtenstein - Italy - Austria - Germany

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 Honolulu Departure.

Our Oberammergau experience begins this evening with a departure for the east coast. The preliminary flight schedule is ready and displayed online at doldworldjourneys.com under the journey's page.

Day 2 Day use rooms in Newark.

We are scheduled to arrive into Newark in the morning and transfer to a nearby hotel where we have our own rooms to freshen up and relax. Then it is a non-stop flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Air schedule is subject to change!

Day 3 Arrival in Zurich, Switzerland.

Welcome to Switzerland! Our arrival is in the early morning. After clearing customs formalities, we are met with a smile by Dino Koftis, our amazing European Tour Director, and transfer to the Swissotel Zurich, where we spend the night. Our rooms will be ready for us to freshen up and rejuvenate. In the afternoon, all are welcomed to wander with Alex to help us acclimate. Tonight, celebrate the start of our journey with a welcome dinner at our hotel. (D)

Day 4 Via Vaduz, Liechtenstein to St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Medieval heritage every step of the way this morning. Discover the charm of Zurich's Old Town on an orientation stroll. Admire the guild houses and taste the traditional Chocolate Pralines at the famous Sprüngli Confectionery. Then a scenic drive following Lake Zurich and Lake Walen through the high Alps to the pocket-sized Principality of Liechtenstein, known for its fancy postage stamps. After a break in its capital, Vaduz, ascend the Rhine Valley into the mountainous Grisons, a canton where three of the country’s four languages are spoken.

The 7,504-foot Julier Pass, an important Alpine road since Roman times, leads us to the Engadine. This valley is considered by many as the most beautiful mountain area in the world, with deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon arrival in ritzy St. Moritz and our Laudinella Hotel. For a special treat, travel to the mountain village of Pontresina where our horse-drawn carriage awaits. We ride into the untouched Alpine forest through the fragrant Swiss pines and larch wood with an amazing view of the glacier. (B), (D)

Day 5 Via Lake Como, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland.

A gradual change of scenery as we descend towards the enchanting shores of Italy’s Lake Como and continue to the southern tip of Switzerland. The vegetation south of the Alps is Mediterranean: chestnut groves, vineyards, and olive and fig trees make us forget that earlier today we were within walking distance of glaciers.

Afternoon arrival in the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Time for shopping under the arcades of Via Nassa or an espresso on flower-festooned Piazza Riforma. This evening we cruise breathtaking Lake Lugano, followed by dinner at a traditional “grotto” restaurant. De La Paix Hotel. (B), (D)

Day 6 Via Stresa, Italy and Tasch, Switzerland to Zermatt.

Our coach takes us from Lake Lugano to the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore for a break in the elegant town of Stresa. Here we take a boat ride to the last privately-owned island, Isola Bella. Enjoy a guided visit of the Borromeo Palace and stroll into a traditional Italian Market. It's a taste of Italian elegance with its romance, art architecture and history in a Mediterranean setting.

Later we continue over lofty Simplon Pass, connecting the Pennine Alps to the Lepontine Alps, and head into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its excellent wines and majestic mountain resorts. To reach the most famous of them, we leave the coach behind in Täsch and board a Mountain Train to climb the last few miles up to car-free Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the shadow of magnificent Matterhorn, one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. Pollux Hotel. (B)

Day 7 To Lake Geneva.

This morning for a spectacular view of the surrounding Alps, take the exciting optional excursion by cable car to 12,739-foot-high Klein Matterhorn or savor some free time to wander the town and window shop for expensive Swiss-made watches, cuckoo clocks and cow bells.

Later we travel by coach through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley, the German speaking part of Switzerland. We arrive at beautiful Lake Geneva, one of the largest lakes in Europe, and our Eurotel Riviera Hotel in the late afternoon. (B), (D)

Day 8 Via Berne to Lucerne.

Begin our day in the stately capital of Berne with our guided visit of the Bear Park. Here we see the native brown bear living in a landscape where they can climb, fish and play. Then savor a panoramic view of the city from the Rose Garden and enjoy a guided stroll through the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town where we witness the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take pictures of ornate, flower-adorned fountains.

Our highlight of the day is a special lunch at a traditional Swiss working farm with a chance to see how people live in rural Switzerland. Then continue over Brünig Pass to picture-book Lucerne where we spend two nights at the Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann. How about joining a Swiss folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing? (B), (L)

Day 9 Discovering Lucerne.

Medieval heritage every step of the way this morning. Discover the charm of this city as we stroll with Dino through cobbled lanes to the city walls and listen as he explains its history. Admire Thorwaldsen's impressive Lion Monument, dedicated to the Swiss Guards who protected the Royal House of France during the French Revolution, and the ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town. Cross the famous covered Chapel Bridge to the Jesuit Church. Some free time to shop for Swiss watches before another true Swiss experience: a trip to the top of Mount Pilatus, the “Guard of Lucerne,” where we receive a special Souvenir Cap! A special dinner awaits us at our hotel for a proper auf Wiedersehen to Switzerland. (B), (D)

Day 10 Via Innsbruck, Australia to Munich, Germany.

A comfortable drive brings you via Zurich to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol mountains. Enjoy a walk through the Old Town to quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian's Golden Roof. Sumptuously decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles, all still original. Then, continue to Munich, capital of Bavaria and home of the annual Oktoberfest celebration. Our Holiday Inn Munich City Centre hotel is set within a shopping complex and a 30-minute walk to Munich's Old Town. (B)

Day 11 To Oberammergau.

Germany’s “Secret Capital” comes alive during our orientation drive featuring the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Olympic Tower, and Marienplatz, in the historic heart of the city. Then it is off to the lush Bavarian Alps and picturesque Oberammergau. A fantastic Globus highlight is our hotel is located in this quaint little village. This gives us the opportunity to wander at our leisure. The place will be crowded with tourists during the day, but at night we'll have this charming Bavarian village all to ourselves. (B), (D)

Day 12 Oberammergau and the Passion Play.

The Passion Play presents Christ's Passion, beginning with His entry into Jerusalem and ending with His resurrection and transfiguration. All participants in the Passion Play must be native to Oberammergau, no small feat since there can be up to 600 elaborately costumed actors and a chorus and orchestra of 100 strong on the open-air state at one time. There is so much involved the locals start getting ready and rehearsing over a year before the event.

The afternoon and evening are dedicated to the world-famous Oberammergau Passion Play, currently performed every 10 years. (See descriptive flyer / Cover). (B), (L), (D)

Day 13 Back to Munich.

After breakfast we have a little time to browse Oberammergau one more time. Be sure to savor the beautiful and colorful frescoes painted on the outside of many buildings, catch a glimpse of the woodcarvers at work, and/or pick up a few Christmas ornaments. A short drive back through the Bavarian Alps we return to Munich for the night. Perhaps hoist a few steins at the famous Hofbrauhaus. The evening is free to do as we please. Alex and Dino will be available with suggestions. (B)

Day 14 To Honolulu.

Vivid memories of an Alpine extravaganza and spectacular Oberammergau experience are with us as we return home. Our flight arrives in Honolulu in the late evening. (B)