TUE, Day 01 - Depart New York

 JFK via regularly scheduled airline

WED, Day 02 - Arrive BERLIN

Transfer with assistance to your hotel. BERLIN is a city that never stands still and is forever becoming. The capital of Germany is dynamic, cosmopolitan and creative allowing for every kind of lifestyle. Germany's largest city, BERLIN is a city of opportunities just waiting to be seized in all areas, like sightseeing, entertainment, shopping and recreation. In the afternoon, following a tradition of Berlin inhabitants exploring their city by walking, you will be doing likewise with your local English speaking guide. You will discover small alleys and backyards offering a variety of activity and sights. This evening you will enjoy a Welcome dinner in the private home of a local host. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (D)

THU, Day 03 - BERLIN

A full day will be spent visiting museums and art galleries. Lunch will be served in a typical local pub and before returning to the hotel, a stop will be made at a pastry shop for coffee and to enjoy a variety of freshly baked goods. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,L,S)

FRI, Day 04 - BERLIN

After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a panoramic tour visiting the Brandenburger Tor, Berlin's greatest landmark. Once situated right on the Berlin Wall, it now represents the city's reunification. On the east side of the Gate lies Pariser Platz. This square was redeveloped after the opening of the Wall and restored more or less to its original layout in which the Brandenburg Gate was surrounded by buildings of various architectural styles. Taking a stroll eastwards you will pass such prominent buildings as the Hotel Adlon and the Russian Embassy. Half way down and turning right you will come to the legendary Friedrichstrabe. Since the 'Wende' (German term meaning 'turn' and expressing the turnabout in German history when the Wall came down) Friedrichstraße has become an exclusive shopping street with elegant boutiques and shopping malls such as Quartier 205 and 206 and the French department store Galleries Lafayette known for its outrageous architecture. A few blocks further along Friedrichstraße you will come to the site of the famous Checkpoint Charlie, the one-time border-crossing point for the Allied Forces between East and West Berlin. Next on the tour is the Gendarmenmerkt, the most beautiful of the city's squares. On one side stands the Konzerthaus (Concert Hall) and this is flanked on two other sides by the German and the French Cathedral respectively, the whole forming an harmonious architectural balance. Lunch will be served in a typical local restaurant. After lunch, continuing the panoramic exploration of this historical city, you will pass through Bebelplatz. This town square was originally intended as the core of the Forum Fridericianum, a cultural centre planned by the architect Knobelsdorff, but never actually completed. Bebelplatz is dominated by the curiously-shaped Dome of St.Hedwig's Cathedral, which was designed along the lines of the Pantheon in Rome. Set in the middle of the square is a memorial to the Nazi 'book-burning' campaign. Next to the State Library, the marble statues of the Humboldt brothers Wilhelm and Alexander adorn the entrance to Humboldt University. Many famous thinkers and scientists including Albert Einstein, Rudolf Virchow, Fichte, Hegel, and Heinrich Heine have studied within these walls. Next, you will visit The Zeughaus (Armoury) which is the best example of baroque architecture in the whole of northern Germany and contains a particularly interesting inner courtyard Potsdamer Platz, the newly created inner city centre with its fascinating variety of high-rise buildings. The fastest express elevator in Europe whizzes you up to the viewing platform in the Kollhoff Building. From here you can see the towering yellow heights of the debis-Building with its green cube and the equally impressive Arata Isozaki office block. The Potsdamer Platz Arcades contain more than 120 shops and are one of the city's most popular shopping venues. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,L)

SAT, Day 05 - BERLIN POTSDAM BERLIN

After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a full day excursion to POTSDAM, a city surrounded by water and one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. The capital city of the State of Brandenburg is a fascinating destination. Today's excursion includes visits to Schloß Sanssouci palace located in the park to which it gives its name, the former summer residency of Frederick the Great, the Russian Colony Alexandrowka created in 1826-27 upon the request of Frederick Wilhelm III in memory of his deceased friend Czar Alexander I., the Holländisches Viertel (the Dutch quarter) and Weberviertel - the Weavers Quarter a cluster of Romantic weavers' cottages and streets named Tuchmacher (Clothworker street), Garn (Yarn street) and Spindel (Spindle street), the historic sections of the city providing the flair of a city steeped in European tradition and The Babelsberg Film park where classic movies like Around the World in 80 Days, The Blue Angel, and The Pianist were shot.  Lunch will be served in a typical local restaurant. Return to your hotel in Berlin for OVERNIGHT STAY. (B,L)

SUN, Day 06 - BERLIN

Breakfast at the hotel. Remainder of the morning at leisure. After lunch, proceed to Weimar arriving there in time for dinner. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,D)

MON, Day 07 - WEIMAR

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a full day guided excursion to WEIMAR a wonderful town in the Green Heart of Germany. You will visit several places of interest including, German National Theatre - after being destroyed by bombs during WW2, the theatre re-opened in 1948. It was the first German theatre that was reconstructed after the War. From 1791 to 1817 Goethe directed the theatre and form 1700 to 1805 Goethe and Schiller worked together in the theatre. In 1919 it was the seat of the national assembly which adopted the constitution of the first German Republic on 31 July 1919. In front of the German National Theatre there is the famous Goethe and Schiller Monument. The monument by the sculptor Ernst Rietschel was dedicated in 1857. Copies of the monument stand in San Francisco, Cleveland and Milwaukee in the USA. Next, you will visit the the Bauhaus Museum which is situated across from the German National Theatre. In 1919 Walter Gropius established the Staatliche Bauhaus Weimar. He brought some significant artists to Weimar, e.g. Lyonel Feininger, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Georg Muche, Oskar Schlemmer and others. The Goethe House on the Frauenplan was home to the poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe for 47 years. He moved into the house in 1782, before he had lived in the Garden House, first as paying tenant, later as its owner. The house was turned into a museum in 1885 and later on two extensions were added to this museum. Next on your tour is the house of Friedrich Schiller. In 1799 Friedrich Schiller moved to Weimar. He had moved into a house in the Windischengasse (where he wrote among other things "Maria Stuart"), before he purchased the house in the present Schillerstrasse. The house is the oldest one in the Schillerstrasse and it was turned into a museum in 1847. It was lovingly restored in 1988 and a new museum building was added. Lunch will be served at Schwarzer Bär, built in 1540, it is the oldest restaurant in Weimar. After lunch you will proceed to the Herder Square, the central point of the old town. It only became known as Herder Square with the installation of the Johann Gottfried Herder Monument in 1850. The City Church of St. Peter and Paul, also called Herderkirche, is the most important building on the square. The church was built from 1245 to 1249 and today numerous art treasures can be seen in the church, e.g. the three-winged altar painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder. In the building behind the church, there is Herder House, where Herder worked. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,L)

TUE, Day 08 - WEIMAR HEIDELBERG

After breakfast drive to Heidelberg (360 kms/4-5 hours). Transfer with assistance to your hotel. HEIDELBERG is home to the world-famous Castle. It is a picturesque Old Town in breathtakingly beautiful surroundings. It boasts of Germany's oldest university and modern research facilities, its historic streets and a lively university atmosphere. Heidelberg offers beautiful walks along the longest and one of the most attractive pedestrian zones in Europe. In the afternoon proceed on a guided, short walking tour of this historical and charming city and discover its many facets that are steeped in tradition. This romanticized German town is home to contrasting worlds with its narrow, cobblestone streets flanked with intricate Baroque architecture; market squares edged with outdoor cafes; densely wooded mountains threaded with trails; and picturesque castle ruins overlooking it all. This evening enjoy a special dinner in the Black Forest region, at an old mill situated in a picturesque setting.  OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,D)

WED, Day 09- HEIDELBERG

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a fascinating guided tour to visit Heidelberg Castle (Schloss Heidelberg).Construction on this regal castle, the symbolic heart of the city, began in the early 1300s, Museum of the Palatinate (Kurpfalzisches Museum), Student Jail (Studentenkarzer), Guttenberg Castle (Burg Guttenberg) and Old Heidelberg University (Alte Universitat) founded in 1368, this famous university is one of Germany's oldest and most prestigious.

Lunch will be served in a typical local restaurant. Afternoon at leisure. OVERNIGHT AT YOUR HOTEL. (B,L)

THU, Day 10 - HEIDELBERG FRANKFURT WIESBADEN HEIDELBERG   

Breakfast at the hotel will be followed by a full day excursion to Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. FRANKFURT offers many sightseeing attractions. Visits today will include the historical Römer, Frankfurt Cathedral, St. Paul´s Church and the Goethe-House within very close proximity to one another. Close by, Frankfurt´s museum landscape is on show along the Main River on the unique museum embankment. Lunch will be served at a street side café - it´s the perfect way to take in the charm of the city and enjoy Frankfurt's very own apple wine which is a local beverage of preference, also known as "Ebbelwei" or "Stöffche". After lunch you will proceed to Wiesbaden located 25 miles west of Frankfurt. This sheltered valley, between the Rhine and the Taunus mountains, has held a spa since Roman times. Wiesbaden competes with Baden-Baden for the title of Germany's most fashionable resort. Its success is based partly on its hot springs. Wiesbaden is also a major cultural center. You will visit the major concert halls that are in the Kurhaus, a multi roomed structure centered on a cupola-crowned hall. In addition to concerts, the complex hosts plays and ballets, plus a variety of social gatherings. It also holds a casino, a lively restaurant, and an outdoor cafe. Next, you will stop at the Kurpark, which has a lake surrounded by old shade trees. It's especially beautiful at night, when the water reflects the lights of the spa and the huge fountains are lit. You will see this spectacle either before, or after dinner in Wiesbaden before returning to your hotel in Heidelburg for OVERNIGHT STAY. (B,L,D)

FRI, Day 11 - HEIDELBERG MUNICH