We meet up at Munich airport and depart by 11:00 AM. The exact time will be set after we have received everyone's flight itinerary. We'll drive directly to our hotel in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the lovely Hotel Glocke.

Located next to the Plönlein Tower, you'll be transported back to the Middle Ages. Join in a fun tour of the city with Night Watchman after dining on the house specialty: Sauerbraten

Sleep in and enjoy a hearty breakfast in our hotel. Our local tour guide, Martin, will meet us at our hotel and take us for a walk around this walled medieval town. As Martin tells you about the history, you'll feel transported back to the Middle Ages.

After our tour, enjoy the small Christmas Market and the famous Christmas store of Käthe Wohlfahrt.

In the evening, we will enjoy another great franconian meal at Hotel Glocke. If there is interest among our group members, we can ask for a wine tasting. The owner makes his own wine from the Silvaner Grape of the region - he was even featured in a Rick Steves video. His passion for his craft is contagious - if you love wine, this is a memorable selection!

Awake to another traditional German breakfast, complete with fresh baked goods and strong, dark coffee. Our luggage will be transported to our next hotel in Bamberg, while we spend the day in the city of Nuremberg.

Nuremberg offers the largest of the Christmas Markets and it is filled with shoppers and holiday cheer - this is the place to sample some real delicacies: Nuremberg Lebkuchen/Gingerbread and Nuremberger bratwurst to name just two.

In addtion to the massive market, Nuremberg offers some great historical items to consider: We can visit the Nazi Party Rally grounds and Dokumentation Center or the Palace of Justice where the trials took place. Alternatively, you can explore the rich medieval history: The Albrecht Duerer Haus or the Nuremberg Castle.

We'll have dinner in Nuremberg and then board the train to Bamberg, less than an hour away.

Our favorite Bamberg guide, Eric the Storyteller, will meet us for breakfast and take us on a tour of his city. We visit the Bamberg Cathedral and its famous "Bamberg Knight" and Cathedral Square before visiting the heart of the city. Virtually untouched in WWII,  Bamberg maintains it status an UNESCO World Hertiage City.

Enjoy a free afternoon browsing the Chistmas Markets in Bamberg or opt for its famous 9 breweries - or a little of both!

This evening's dinner will be the famous Bamberg Stuff Onion at Schlenkerla. Enjoy with Bamberg's Rauchbier for a culinary treat.

We'll leave Bamberg around 10:00 AM and will travel about 2 hours to the small town of Abensberg. Abensberg is a cute little town and is dominated by the most beautiful and unusual brewery in the world: Kuchlbauer.

After lunch at Kuchlbauer's main restaurant in the heart of town, we will visit the brewery. Usually the brewmaster himself takes us through the brewery. Kuchlbauer's owner, Herr Salleck, mixes his love of art with this love of brewing. In fact, he even has a new tower behind his brewery which was designed by the master, Hunderwasser and he has a copy of the Last Supper in one of his unused beer cellars.

A tasting session follows the tour and then well drive on to Regensburg. We'll check in at the Hotel zum fröhlichen Türken. Dinner is planned at Kneitinger am Arnulfsplatz - a great restaurant where its manager, Matthias, will ensure we are well provisioned.

After breakfast a city guide will meet with us and tell us about the rich history of Regensburg. You'll enjoy the stories from Roman times as well as from the middle ages as we tour this medieval city which survived the war.

Once our tour is complete, you'll feel comfortable navigating through the narrow, winding medieval alleyways in this well preserved UNESCO World Heritage City. Enjoy the Christmas Markets or visit the Palace of Thurn and Taxis. Since Regensburg is the home of the Händlmaier company, this is your chance to try their magical mustard and stock up at their factory outlet store in town. 

After another hearty breakfast, our luggage will be transported directly to our hotel for us while we take the train to downtown Munich. 

Once downtown, we'll enjoy Munich's famous Glockenspiel before a bit of free time to enjoy the open air market: Viktualienmarkt. Meeting back together after lunch, we'll walk through Munich's old town to highlight the history.  

After the tour, you are free to enjoy the many Christmas markets that Munich has to offer. In addtion to the largest one at Marienplatz, there is a medieval market near Odeonsplatz, and many others scattered throughout the city. Or, opt for a visit to Munich's City Museum, the Residenz, or visit the concentration camp at Dachau. We will ensure you have a plan that appeals to your personal interests.

Dinner will be at the Augustiner Grossgaststaette in downtown Munich. Enjoy this famous Munich haunt and watch the outdoor skating nearby before returning to our hotel.

You will love the 100% organic breakfast at the Alter Wirt - it's a buffet for all the senses!

After breakfast we will take the tram downtown an visit more of the sites in downtown Munich. Lunch is planned at the Weisses Brauhaus before turning you loose for an afternoon of free time. Again, we will offer you a schedule of highlights and special events: Listen to the band at the world famous Hofbräuhaus

OPTION 1: Departure for Munich airport for return flights to the USA. Although the tour ends at the Alter Wirt in Grünwald, getting to the airport is easy. We will assist you in making your personal departure plans! Figure in a 60-90 minute travel time from our hotel to the airport when making your airline reservations

OPTION 2: Extend your trip and visit Kloster Andechs, Oberammergau, the royal castles near Füssen, and Salzburg.  For just  an extra $ 500 per person, double occupancy or $ 750 single occupancy, you can stay on with us through Dec 20. We will help you take the train back to Munich airport on Dec 20. Book an afternoon flight on Dec 20, or stay near the Munich Airport on 12/20 and fly back early on Dec 21.

If you to choose to extend... It's time to leave Munich after we enjoy our last organic breakfast at Alter Wirt. From Alter Wirt, we will travel due south towards the Alps. Our first destination is the famous Kloster Andechs , near Lake Ammer. This beautiful monastery is famous for its alpine views, Doppelbock bier, Schweinehaxe, and cheeses. Then we’ve planned a short stop in the village famous for the Passion Play: Oberammergau. Finally, we’ll take an afternoon break at Kloster Ettal near Garmisch before making our way over to Füssen. With a little luck the weather will be clear and we can take in the beauty of the royal castles lit up in the evening.

After checking in at Hotel Ruchti, we'll gather for a private dinner in at the hotel. Featuring the best Wiener Schnitzel in Bavaria, you're sure to enjoy the evening!