Swiss Alps and Christmas in Bavaria
14 Spectacular Days
- Longer stays with 2, 3 and 5 night stays
- Stay in authentic, character style hotels
- Genuinely inclusive, no additional on tour costs
- Guaranteed 'My Time'
- Designed for Australians & New Zealanders
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Small group size - just 10 to 28
Tour Overview
New for 2020
At Christmas, relax over 5 nights in the beautiful 'Passion Play' village of Oberammergau and spend your days visiting romantic 'fairytale' castles, Bavarian villages, and Christmas markets, and a trip to the top of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze. See Zurich's massive Christmas tree with 40,000 Swarovski crystals. Relax on the famous Glacier Express as it cuts through Switzerland's mightiest peaks and explore Luzern, Montreux on Lake Geneva and Innsbruck. Stay 2 nights in chic ski resort of Klosters and relax over 3 relaxing nights in a spa resort perched high in the snow clad Alps, surrounded by massive, jagged peaks. Visit Zermatt and ride high on a train to the top of Gornergrat mountain for staggering Matterhorn views. What fun!
Highlights
- Stay 2 nights in stylish Zurich and enjoy a welcome drink
- Enjoy ‘My Time’ amongst Zurich’s fabulous Christmas Markets and see the famous Swarovski crystal covered Christmas tree.
- Visit historic lakeside Luzern, with its ancient covered wooden bridges and Christmas Markets
- Stay 3 nights high in the mountains in the ‘spa town’ of Leukerbad
- Explore Byron’s Chateau de Chillon & Montreux’s fabulous lakeside Christmas markets
- Experience the spectacular scenery of ‘Le Valais’
- Visit the stunning village of Zermatt, ride the funicular train up to the Gornergrat for extraordinary mountain views to the Matterhorn
- Enjoy a mountain ‘My Time’ day, and pamper yourself in your spa hotel
- Stay 2 nights in a beautiful chalet style hotel in the chic mountain resort of Klosters
- Take a thrilling ride in panoramic carriages on the Glacier Express, passing over chasms and through the mighty Alps to Chur
- Explore and play with ‘My Time’ amongst high snowy peaks
- Stay 5 nights and celebrate Christmas in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau
- Enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve dinner & Turkey lunch on Christmas Day
- Relax on a horse drawn carriage ride on Christmas Day
- Drive down the Inn valley and explore medieval Innsbruck and see the ‘Golden Roof’
- Visit Neuschwanstein Castle & the picturesque Wieskirche
- Experience the incredible funicular train & cable car ride up to the summit of the Zugspitze
- Visit extravagant Linderhof Palace, Kloster Ettal & the Oberammergau Passion Play Theatre
- Stay 1 night in Bavaria’s capital, Munich, and enjoy a farewell meal
- Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Zürich
Your tour commences this evening in Zürich. Tonight a welcome drink and dinner are included. This is an ideal opportunity to meet your fellow travellers.
Meals:
D
Hotel:
Hotel Glockenhof
Day 2: Luzern sightseeing, ‘My Time’ and Christmas markets
We will spend the morning in the pretty lake side city of Luzern, with its quaint covered bridges and ancient houses with decorative painted facades. Your afternoon is free to explore Zurich. The shopping is excellent and there is so much to see. Make sure you visit Zürich’s Christkindlmarkt market in the main train station. Featuring 150 stalls, it is one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe and the absolute highlight is a 15 metre tall Christmas tree decorated with thousands of sparkling Swarovski crystals.
Meals:
B
Hotel:
Hotel Glockenhof
Day 3: Château Chillon and ‘My Time’ in Montreux
First stop will be in Montreux for a guided tour through the beautifully preserved Château Chillon. Made famous in Byron’s poem ‘The Prisoner of Chillon’, this 13th century fortress juts out imposingly into Lake Geneva. Lunchtime is at leisure to explore Montreux’ excellent Christmas markets that stretch all along the grand lakeside promenade and foreshore. Look out for the statue of Freddie Mercury, who spent his last years here. Later we drive along the scenic Swiss ‘Valais’ before dramatically winding our way high up into the mountains to the Alpine Spa town of Leukerbad, where we stay three nights.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Le Bristol
Day 4: ‘My Time’ in Leukerbad
Enjoy a totally free day. The mountains surrounding you are staggering and the whole town is famous for its giant spas fed by natural steaming hot spring water drawn from deep in the mountains. Maybe relax and enjoy the hotel’s excellent spa and pampering treatment programme, explore the wonderful Alpine village, go on winter walks or catch cable cars up to the restaurants and bars perched high above on the pristine white, snow-covered ski fields. Wonderful!
Meals:
B
Hotel:
Le Bristol
Day 5: Zermatt and the Matterhorn
Driving deep into the mountains we reach Taesch, where we catch a cog railway train up to world-famous Zermatt. At an altitude of 1,620 metres (5,315 ft), the village is surrounded by huge peaks and dominating all is the mighty Matterhorn. Petrol-driven vehicles are banned from the village and as such the peace and quiet enhances the wooden chalets and small winding streets. Stunning! As a highlight we have included the Gornergrat funicular train to the highest open air railway station in Europe. On the restaurant terrace we will enjoy a warming hot drink while taking in the astounding views across 28 magnificent peaks all over 4,000 metres high!
Meals:
B
D
Day 6: The scenic Glacier Express train to Chur
At Brig we board the famous Glacier Express train which takes us along the ‘Valais’ through Switzerland’s finest mountain scenery to Chur. We have reserved seats in the panoramic carriages. Ranked as one of the world’s top train trips you will cross some of the 291 bridges, the 2,033 metre Oberalp Pass and 91 tunnels. After a little free time to explore Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city, we continue to the exclusive ski resort of Klosters, where we stay the next two nights.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Alpina
Day 7: ‘My Time’ in Klosters & the mountains
A magnificent day to enjoy ‘My Time’ in the stunning scenery which surrounds you, and do as much, or as little, as you want! Whether you are a ‘super active snow sports’ person or a ‘take it easy and relax’ person there are numerous activities you can enjoy, and your Tour Manager will be at hand to assist and advise you. You can easily access all the main peaks by funicular trains, cable cars and chair lifts. At all ‘drop off’ points there are restaurants, cafés and restroom facilities – usually with extraordinary panoramic views. Maybe try your hand at Nordic skiing, snow shoe walking or simply stroll along winter footpaths? Alternatively enjoy your hotel’s indoor pool and spa facilities.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Alpina
Day 8: ‘My Time’ in Innsbruck, Christmas Markets & Oberammergau
Driving into Austria’s Tyrol region we stop to enjoy lunchtimein the Winter Olympic resort of Innsbruck. You will have time to explore the old town with its famous ‘Golden Roof’ and picturesque Christmas Markets. In the afternoon we will drive over the incredibly scenic Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain pass into Bavaria to the historic village of Oberammergau and our Christmas hotel, where we stay the next five nights. Famed for its ‘Passion Play’ performances which have been staged every 10 years since the 1600’s, Oberammergau is set in the picturesque Ammer Valley beneath snow-capped mountains. The town itself is also famous for its beautifully painted houses and chalets. On arrival we will be greeted with a welcome drink. All dinners, including traditional Christmas Eve dinner and a Christmas Day Turkey lunch are included over the next five days.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Parkhotel Sonnenhof
Day 9: Neuschwanstein Castle, ’My Time’ in Füssen & Wieskirche
This morning we take you on a picturesque drive to the village of Hohenschwangau. After a brisk walk uphill, you will enjoy a visit to one of the most inspiring and famous castles in the world – ‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s romantic Neuschwanstein Castle. At the Castle we have included a guided tour inside the King’s apartments, staterooms, halls and throne room all reminiscent of a Wagner operatic saga. Lunchtime is at leisure in nearby Füssen. Füssen is delightful! Stretches of the original Roman defensive walls are still in place, and the cobblestoned,pedestrianised centre of town is filled with shops, restaurants and historic houses, many elaborately painted. High above, the old castle of the Prince-Bishops of Augsburg dominates the town. On our return journey we make a special stop at the richly decorated Wieskirche (Church in the Meadows) with its incredible painted ceilings.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Parkhotel Sonnenhof
Day 10: Christmas Eve at the top of the world–the mighty Zugspitze!
In nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen we board a funicular train which takes us across snow laden fields to the base of the mighty Zugspitze. At this point the train enters the mountain and tunnels its way up to Zugspitzeplatt station at an altitude of 2,600 metres. Here you can be entertained by the alpine hustle and bustle and marvel at the acrobatic stunts of the freeskiers and snowboarders in Terrain Park Zugspitze. There is also the marvellous SonnAlpin Glacier Restaurant to enjoy a relaxing brunch. Later we will catch the cable car to the summit of the Zugspitze Mountain, Germany’s highest peak. At an altitude of nearly 3,000 metres the views are quite stupendous. Take in the unmatched 360° panorama with a view of more than 400 peaks in Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, or enjoy lunch in the Gipfelalm rustic summit lodge. We then catch the Eibsee cable car all the way down to the lakeside where our coach meets us and takes us back to our Christmas hotel. The warm glow will continue as we enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve Dinner.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Parkhotel Sonnenhof
Day 11: Christmas Day – ‘My Time’ in a Bavarian village & a horse drawn carriage ride
Christmas Day as it should be – relaxing, eating, drinking and definitely no Indiana Jones repeats, washing up and unwelcome long-lost relatives! Highlight of the day will be your ride in a horse drawn carriage through the local countryside. Enjoy a Christmas Day Turkey lunch at your hotel.
The rest of the day will be free in this delightful Alpine location. Perhaps go for a winter walk or take a cable car to the top of the ski fields.
Meals:
B
L
D
Hotel:
Parkhotel Sonnenhof
Day 12: Linderhof Palace, Kloster Ettal and Oberammergau
Boxing Day! This morning we visit nearby Linderhof, an extravagant French Rococo Palace – yet another of King Ludwig’s amazing creations. Later we stop at Kloster Ettal. This monastery in a lovely shaded valley dates back over 700 years and is one of the finest examples of Rococo architecture in existence. This afternoon we return to Oberammergau where we have included a guided tour through the amazing Passion Play Theatre.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Parkhotel Sonnenhof
Day 13: Munich Sightseeing and 'My Time'
After a leisurely start we travel to Munich. On arrival we have included a panoramic drive around the city, which will orientate you with the main sights, such as the neo-gothic town hall, and the wonderful church known as the Frauenkirche. Your afternoon is at leisure to explore this cosmopolitan city. This evening we have included a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Maritim Hotel Munich
Day 14: Munich
This morning it is time to say farewell as your tour ends. For those of you joining one of our wonderful New Year Tours that begin in Luzern or Milan, the good news is, we have arranged complimentary Group transfers.
Meals:
B
Hotel:
Maritim Hotel Munich
Incredible Value Inclusions
- Over $1,500 value of extras already included
- All excursions, scenic drives, sightseeing and entrances as described
- Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
- Travel in a first class air conditioned touring coach
- 13 nights authentic, specially selected hotel accommodation
- Hotel porterage (1 suitcase pp)
- Welcome drink in Zurich
- 25 Meals – Buffet breakfast daily (B), 1 lunch (L) and 11 evening dinners (D)
- A complimentary wine, beer or soft drink with all included dinners
- Tea and coffee with all included dinners
- Local guides as described
- Personal audio system whilst on tour
- Free WiFi on most coaches and at hotels
- End of tour tips to Tour Manager and Driver, tips for local guides
- Albatross Tours App
Your Hotels
Hotel Glockenhof Zurich - 2 Nights
This modern 4 star hotel is located in the heart of the city, within easy walking distance of Zürcher Bahnhofstrasse (main shopping street) and the waterfront of Lake Zürich.
Le Bristol, Leukerbad - 3 Nights
This 4 star hotel is ideally located near the cable cars & mountain restaurants and boasts the largest private Wellness & Spa centre in the region, with indoor and outdoor thermal baths.
Hotel Alpina, Klosters - 2 Nights
Set in the centre of town, this family run, chalet style hotel offers traditional Alpine ambience.
Park Hotel Sonnenhof Oberammergau - 5 Nights
This 4 star, family run hotel is located within easy walking distance of both the centre of town and the mountain lifts. Built in the pretty, wooden Alpine chalet style, it makes a perfect ‘home away from home’ to enjoy a delightful festive Christmas.
Maritim Hotel Munich - 1 Night
This 4 star hotel is in a superb location in the city centre near the central railway station, and just a few minutes’ walk from the main pedestrian shopping mall.