Royal Delights Private Tour

Munich, Salzburg and Vienna

Board your flight from your home destination to Munich (München / Muenchen), Germany's third-largest city.

This itinerary assumes this to be an overnight flight. 

Air fare independently arranged.

Arrival in MUNICH, Germany. 

You are met at the airport after your flight and taken your hotel in downtown Munich.

Tonight you'll enjoy an orientation drive of Munich followed by a welcome dinner at the Hofbrauhaus, the world’s most famous beer hall.

>  Your tour includes: Transfer from airport to Munich hotel, three-course dinner, overnight in Munich.

We go first to Mary's Bridge, to get a clear view and the best pictures of Neuschwanstein (weather permitting).  A short walk downhill takes us to the NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE for our inside guided tour.  Neuschwanstein is the first of Ludwig's three castle creations, and by far the most impressive.  The most lasting impressions will be of the wildly imaginative architectural design and the stunning elegance of the finished interiors.

We continue for a short ride to the famous WIESKIRCHE (The Church in the Meadow), the only monument in the region on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.  Time to survey the pastoral Bavarian meadow setting and to take pictures of the stunning interior.

Our next stop is OBERAMMERGAU, the beautiful below the mountains that's known for its Passion Play and its house frescos, woodcarvers, and Christmas shops.  You have free time to have a bite to eat, to explore on your own, and to shop for great souvenirs.

On to LINDERHOF, Ludwig’s beautiful palace tucked away in the mountains. We tour inside the palace with a local castle guide, and your have time to continue up to the Venus Grotto  and to go for a stroll in the formal gardens.

Return to Munich for dinner and overnight.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, entrance and guide fees for Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, three-course dinner, overnight in Munich

We leave Munich for a scenic mountain excursion.  We visit Königssee, truly one of the most beautiful Alpine Lakes, and follow the Kehlsteinstrasse (road and tunnels, weather permitting) to Obersalzberg, where we stop and you can see the remains of the Kehlsteinhaus (Hitler's EAGLE'S NEST, perched atop the Kehlstein mountain).

If the road is closed due to weather conditions we will visit Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's last castle on Lake Chiemsee, instead.  Herrenchiemsee was built on an island in the middle of the lake, and its design echoes the horizontal lines of Versailles.

From there it's a short ride to SALZBURG, where you visit the Mirabell gardens, Getreidegasse with Mozart's Birthplace, the beautiful Cathedral and take the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress for most stunning views over the city and surroundings.

Dinner tonight in one of the oldest restaurants of Europe, the Peterskeller.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, all entry and guide fees, three-course dinner, overnight in Salzburg

We say goodbye to Salzburg this morning and head east to VIENNA, the capital of Austria and at one time capital of one of the largest empires in Europe.

Upon arrival we visit SCHÖNBRUNN, Austria’s answer to Louis XIV's Versailles.  Schönbrunn evolved over centuries from a modest palace begun in 1696.  Queen Maria Theresa developed Schönbrunn into the imperial summer residence.  See her opulent summer palace and get a deeper insight during your guided tour.

You also have time to explore parts of the 190 hectares / 470 acres of gardens, which include the hilltop Gloriette, French and English style and botanical gardens, fountains, an artificial Roman ruin, a maze, an orangerie, a Palm House, and the Tiergarten, the world's oldest existing zoo.

We have an unforgettable dinner in a typical Heurigen (wine tavern-restaurant) tonight.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace, three-course dinner, overnight in Vienna

A drive along the Ring Road offers VIENNA’s most famous sights: the Opera, the Hofburg, the National Museum, Vienna's Town Hall, the Burgtheater, the University of Vienna (founded in 1365 and the oldest university in the German-speaking world), Austria's Parliament, and much more.

Afterwards join your local guide for a walking tour of the heart of Vienna, including an inside visit at St. Stephen's Cathedral, erected on the site of an 1147 parish church and seat of the Archbishop of Vienna.

Your afternoon is free for shopping on Kaertnerstrasse or Graben or more sightseeing.

The to do list is endless: Maybe ride the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater, visit the Opera or the Hofburg from the inside, relax in one of the beautiful parks, visit one of the many museums, spend time in a typical Kaffeehaus, watch the Spanish Riding school horses, or attend a classical concert tonight.

Dinner on your own tonight.  Your guide will be helpful with recommendations.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, guided sightseeing tour of Vienna, entrance to St. Stephen's Cathedral, overnight in Vienna

After breakfast we go west the scenic way – along the Danube’s famous WACHAU VALLEY, known for vineyards, castles and the picturesque villages that placed it on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  Enjoy a morning break in one of the pretty towns and try a glass of Wachau wine.

Visit MELK ABBEY, an Austrian Benedictine abbey, and one of the world's most famous monastic sites.  It is located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the river Danube in Lower Austria, adjoining the Wachau valley.  It was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks.

In his well-known novel The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco named one of the protagonists "Adson von Melk" as a tribute to the abbey and its famous library.

We continue west back to Munich, where a great dinner awaits you to celebrate a wonderful week.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, three-course dinner, overnight in Munich

Time to say "Auf wiedersehen".

One final breakfast and then transfer to MUNICH Airport for your return flight home.

>  Buffet breakfast, transfer to Airport

• Door-to-door transportation
• 6 breakfast buffets and 5 three-course dinners with menu choices, one beverage, and coffee or tea after dinner
• 6 nights accommodation in 4* hotels
• All entrance fees and local guides
• No hidden extras
• Private tour

Complete printable itinerary in PDF format:

          Royal Delights Tour Itinerary

This tour is planned and organized by European Castles Tours.

Your expert Tour Director for this tour is Bridget Sati Putre, who was born in Vienna and now lives in Munich.  Bridget lived in Colorado for many years and is obviously fluent in English.  She is looking forward to sharing stories of her hometowns with you and showing you the best of Bavaria and Austria.

Bridget is a licensed guide and a driver with a professional license, and has conducted tours for European Castles Tours since 2009.

Comments, experiences and recommendations from guests on the May and June 2009 Bavarian Castles and July 2009 Kids and Castles Tours are featured in the European Castles Tours  References Video .