Berchtesgaden, Bavaria & The Passion Play 2010

Day 1 - From Munich or Salzburg to Berchtesgaden
Meet your transfer early this morning for a spectacular drive into the Bavarian Alps, one of the most scenic regions in all of Europe. Your destination is the spectacular Alpine resort region of Berchtesgaden.

Enjoy lunch at your hotel, the 5-star InterContinental Berchtesgaden Resort & Spa. This contemporary retreat offers spacious, elegantly appointed guestrooms and superb views of the surrounding forested peaks. Relax in your room, take a stroll in the fresh mountain air, or indulge yourself at the Mountain Spa – one of the finest in Europe. We’ve made exclusive arrangements for you to enjoy complimentary access to the Spa and free use of your guestroom mini-bar.

Late in the afternoon, join your Tour Manager aboard a traditional wooden boat for a specially-arranged private cruise across Lake Königsee. Surrounded by rugged granite peaks and steep, towering cliffs in Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany’s deepest lake resembles more a fjord than a typical mountain lake. Your excursion brings you to St. Bartholomew’s Church, set on a peninsula and accessible only by water. You’ll have a chance to step ashore here and explore this historic pilgrimage church, capped by diminutive onion-shaped domes against a picture-perfect backdrop of forests and snow-laced mountain peaks.

This evening, you’ll enjoy a very special dinner in a pristine Alpine setting. The clear mountain air will invigorate your senses as you take in the sweeping views from this authentic, rustic high-mountain chalet. Enjoy a 3-course Bavarian dinner, fine regional wine, local beers and festive live entertainment. (B,L,D)

Day 2 - From Berchtesgaden to Oberammergau
After a hearty buffet breakfast, your sightseeing begins at the Obersalzburg Documentation Center. Built upon the old foundations of the second seat of the Nazi Administration, the museum offers a fascinating look into this chapter of Germany’s history. From the Center, you can descend by steep stairs into the veritable war rooms of the Third Reich. These bunkers were built in 1943 after the Battle of Stalingrad pierced the Nazi’s perception of their own invincibility. You’ll be awed by this vast underground network; carved into solid subterranean rock are miles of tunnels, offices, meeting rooms and special living quarters for Hitler.

Your sightseeing continues with a breathtaking drive that climbs nearly 2,000 feet in less than 4 miles. Carved into the solid rock face of a soaring 6,000-foot Alpine peak, with only one switchback, this seemingly impossible road was completed in only 13 months between 1937 and 1939. After this thrilling ride in specially-built panoramic coaches, a gleaming brass elevator transports you up a mountain shaft to the Eagle’s Nest, the infamous teahouse built for Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday. Perched on a mountain summit, its construction was an engineering marvel and the views from here are truly breathtaking.

Return to the InterContinental Resort for lunch and then continue along the picturesque Alpine Road toward Oberammergau. Check-in to your inviting hotel, the Schillingshof or Ludwig der Bayer Hotel, and then enjoy dinner and a peaceful overnight in this pastoral mountain region. (B,L,D)

Day 3 - Oberammergau & the Passion Play
You’ll enjoy a guided stroll through this enchanting village, set in a picturesque Alpine valley in the shadow of towering peaks. Visit the Oberammergau Museum to learn the inspiring history of this town, and delight in Oberammergau’s colorfully painted homes, centuries old and wonderfully preserved. Along the way, charming shops reveal the woodcarving skills of many of the town’s residents, whose families have perfected this craft over the past 800 years. Following lunch, you’ll be escorted to the historic Passion Play Theater, extensively renovated for the Millennium. This impressive venue now offers theater-style seating and a heated floor, ensuring your comfort as 2,000 actors take to the open-air stage, framed by a natural backdrop of spectacular Alpine scenery. The once-in-a-lifetime Passion Play is presented in two parts, including dinner in-town during intermission. Following the performance, you return to your hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 4 - Oberammergau / Munich Airport
Following breakfast, you’ll have an escorted transfer to Munich Airport for your homeward flight. Or, extend your stay here in Europe. Our travel planning experts can assist you and your travel agent with all arrangements including hotels, meals, sightseeing, and transportation. (B)

• More choice and flexibility… We offer departures from Munich and Salzburg throughout the season to complement your travels from the height of spring and the peak of summer into the early days of autumn
• Fully-escorted touring through the spectacular Bavarian Alps into the Berchtesgaden and an in-depth guided visit to the Eagle’s Nest, the breathtaking mountain top teahouse built for Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday
• Enjoy a delightful cruise on Lake Königsee and dine on hearty Bavarian fare at our specially arranged dinner in a rustic high-mountain chalet
• We’ve reserved guestrooms at the finest hotels in the Oberammergau region. The Ludwig der Bayer and Schillingshof Hotels promise a warm Bavarian welcome, Alpine charm and terrific locations close to the newly-renovated Passion Play Theater
• Enjoy a guided walking tour in the village of Oberammergau and the best available center orchestra seats for the 2010 Passion Play
• We include the attentive services of our professional Tour Manager, all meals, escorted sightseeing and scenic roundtrip transportation from Munich by luxury motorcoach

Our Fully-Escorted Oberammergau Tour… makes it so easy to complement your European travels with the Passion Play. Journey through the Bavarian Alps to spectacular Berchtesgaden for an unforgettable cruise on Lake Königsee, dinner in a rustic mountain chalet, a visit to the Eagle’s Nest and an overnight at the new InterContinental Resort & Spa. Then stay at the finest hotels in the Oberammergau region and enjoy center-orchestra seating for the Passion Play!

• Finest hotels available
• All meals
• Sightseeing
• Center orchestra seats for the Passion Play
• All on-tour transportation

Berchtesgaden: InterContinental Berchtesgaden Resort & Spa
Ettal: Ludwig der Bayer
Oberammergau Region: Hotel Schillingshof

For terms and conditions of this Oberammergau Tour, please click here.

* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land prices are guaranteed. Whenever air-inclusive tour prices are displayed, these prices do not include government taxes and fees, which are additional. Air prices are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Air-inclusive prices include air from a major U.S. gateway; air from other U.S. airports is available at an additional cost. Sorry, we are unable to offer air from countries other than the U.S. However, for those international customers who are able to arrange their own transportation to the tour origination city, we are able to offer the land portion of the package or tour, at the price quoted.