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Day 3 • Annecy
Day 4 • Roman Amphitheatre
Day 7 • Zermatt/ St. Moritz
Day 8 • Saint Moritz
Day 9 • Passion Play
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
We start our journey as we board a plane for our flight to Geneva, Switzerland.
Day 2 • Geneva/Chamonix
We arrive in Geneva where we are met by our friendly Signature Tours International Manager who shows us to our awaiting motor coach that then takes us on a panoramic city tour. We travel on to Chamonix, France’s mountaineering capital, for dinner and the night.
Day 3 • Chamonix/Annecy/Chamonix
Today we embark on an excursion to Annecy where we take a guided city tour. We visit Palais de L’Isle, a former prison, which now houses the “musée de l’histoire d’Annecy”, or the town’s history. Lunch is on our own before we return to Chamonix for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 • Chamonix/Martigny/Zermatt
Departing Chamonix, we travel to Zermatt via Martigny. While in Martigny , we visit the Roman Amphitheatre, which has taken many years of excavation and restoration work to reinstate. One of the smallest amphitheatre’s in the Roman Empire history, it was able to seat only 6,000 people. We have free time for lunch on our own before we continue our travels to Zermatt for dinner and the night.
Day 5 • Matterhorn
Day 5 • Zermatt
We enjoy a full day at leisure in Zermatt, a mountaineering sanctuary and Switzerland’s premier ski resort. Our Tour Manager is available to give us direction. There is an optional excursion to Gornergrat, where we might ride the highest open-air railway in Europe, which offers fantastic sweeping views of the Alps, and a good view of the Matterhorn. We return to Zermatt for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 • Zermatt/St. Moritz
Today we leave Zermatt and travel via Lugano and the Maloja Pass to St. Moritz. We have free time for lunch on our way. St. Moritz is home to the most famous Swiss ski resort, Sankt Moritz-Dorf, which has the world’s oldest skiing school. Dinner and overnight are in St. Moritz.
Day 7 • St. Moritz/Tirano/St. Moritz
Today we embark on the Bernina Express Train, which travels along one of the most scenic railway lines in the world. On our way to Tirano, Italy, the train climbs one of Europe’s steepest rail ascents, out of the Engadine Valley toward the Bernina Pass. Enjoy the dramatic views of the Morteratsch Glacier and many others throughout the journey in the Italian Alps. We have free time for lunch en route to Tirano and transfer back to St. Moritz for dinner and the night.
Day 8 • Neuschwanstein Castle
Day 8 • St. Moritz/Neuschwanstein/Oberammergau
Departing St. Moritz, we board our motor coach to travel to Fussen for a tour of the Neuschwanstein Castle. This fortress of great stature is a mass of gray granite bristling with towers and pinnacles rising from a spur cut at its eastern end. The building was first started in 1869 for and by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the fairytale king. We have time for lunch before continuing our journey to Oberammergau for dinner and the night.
Day 9 • Oberammergau/PASSION PLAY
Today is the day we have all been waiting for! This small town of peasants and craftsmen, encircled by the wooded foothills of the Ammergau, owes its fame to the internationally renowned Passion Play. Performed only once every ten years, and involving 1,100 amateur actors from the local population, this play, re-enacting the final days for Christ, lasts an entire summer’s day. This is sure to be a day we will never forget. Dinner and overnight are in Oberammergau.
Day 10 • Oberammergau/Salzburg
After a day we won’t soon forget, we board our motor coach for the ride to Salzburg, Austria. Upon arrival, we enjoy a guided city sightseeing tour that includes an inside visit to Mozart’s birthplace. We also see St. Peter’s Cathedral and the famous Salzburg Fortress. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight are in Salzburg.
Day 10 • Salzburg
Day 11 • Salzburg/Berchtesgaden/Munich
Boarding our coach, we take a day trip to Berchtesgaden and Koenigsee, which includes a visit to the Eagle’s Nest and a cruise on the Alpine Lake of Koenigsee. We also visit St. Bartholomew Chapel, a pilgrimage church named for St. Bartholomew. The Eagle’s Nest was designed as a birthday present for Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday by Martin Bormann on behalf of the Nazi Party. Hitler, in fact, seldom visited the Eagle’s Nest. Today it remains in its original state and all proceeds are used for charitable purposes. Lunch is on our own before we travel to Munich for a Farewell Dinner and overnight.
Day 12 • Munich/Hometown, U.S.A.
Today we transfer to Munich Airport for our return flight to the U.S., bringing with us all our unforgettable memories to share with friends and family!