DAY
1: Arrive Berlin, GERMANY
You are met on arrival and taken to your hotel. This afternoon see
the historic highlights of Berlin. Visit the Brandenburg Gate and
the Reichstag, the seat of German government, the Berlin Wall and
infamous ‘Checkpoint Charlie.’ ►Some suggested Berlin hotels (in alphabetical order): Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin (V) Hotel de Rome,
Berlin (V) Regent Berlin (V) Ritz-Carlton Berlin (V) ►Together, we will find the best choice for you!
DAY 2: Potsdam, GERMANY
Today explore Potsdam, starting with a visit to Sanssouci Palace,
built by Frederick the Great of Prussia in 1740. Stoll through the
palace interior and its grounds to see the wonderful collection of
Berlin and Meissen porcelain. Enjoy lunch at Cecilienhof Palace,
built about 1913 in the style of an English country manor. Explore
the palace, then tour through Potsdam’s Russian Colony and the Dutch
Quarter. ►For Berlin hotel suggestions, see above.
DAY 3: Berlin, GERMANY
This morning tour Berlin's Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage
site. Visit the Pergamon Museum, with its reconstructions of
Pergamon Altar, the MarketGate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate, using
pieces from the original ancient sites. After lunch on the rooftop
terrace of the Reichstag, take a tour of its famous glass cupola,
before driving to Hohen Dezmin. ►Suggested hotel: Burg Schlitz,
Berlin
DAY 4: Mecklenburg Stralsund to Rugen, GERMANY
This morning drive to Teterow, a small medieval town in the heart of
the charming "Mecklenburgish Switzerland" area. Explore this
historic town, then have a traditional German lunch at Ulrichshusen,
a medieval castle, before heading north to the Baltic coast. Stop in
Stralsund, a major trading center during the 14th and 15th
centuries, whose architecture reflects its history and its 200 years
of Swedish occupation. Arrive on Rugen Island, on the Baltic Sea by
late afternoon. ►Suggested hotel:
Ostseebad Binz
DAY 5: Rugen Island, GERMANY
Today explore Rugen Island, Germany‘s largest, starting with a short
walking tour of the seaside village of Binz. Next drive to Prora, a
Nazi-planned resort with striking examples of 1930’s Third Reich
architecture, and then to the chalk cliffs at Cape Arkona, a rock
plateau over 150 feet high. Have lunch along the scenic coastline,
and in the afternoon, ride the “Rasender Roland,“ a narrow-gauge
steam railway that ends in Putbus, a small town full of
neo-classical buildings. ►Suggested hotel: Ostseebad Binz
DAY 6: Hiddensee to Sylt, GERMANY
This morning take a short ferry ride to Hiddensee, a car-free island
off Rugen’s coast. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage tour around the
island, followed by a delicious lunch of local specialties in the
charming village of Kloster. This afternoon board a chartered flight
to Westerland on Sylt Island, where you will be transferred to your
hotel in Kampen.
►Suggested hotel:
Hotel Village Kampen, Kampen
DAY 7: Sylt Island, GERMANY
Your tour of Sylt Island starts in the pleasant village of Kampen
with its white sandy beaches and unspoiled natureland. Continue past
the wildlife sanctuary of Listland before stopping in Keitum, the
“Jewel of the Island.” With its thatched roofed houses and cottage
gardens, Keitum presents wonderful examples of typical Frisian
architecture; visit the Severin Church dating back to the 12th
century.
►Suggested hotel:
Hotel Village Kampen, Kampen
DAY 8: Sylt Island & Hamburg, GERMANY
After a morning at leisure, and lunch at a popular seafood
restaurant, board the train to Hamburg, arriving by late afternoon.
Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city, and Germany’s gate to he
world. ►Suggested hotel: Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg
DAY 9: Hamburg, GERMANY
This morning’s sightseeing starts at Landungsbrücken, an area of old
hanseatic brick houses by the historic banks of the river Elbe. View
the Speicherstadt, the 100-year-old warehouse district on the
harbor, the fish market, the Town Hall and the old Elbe tunnel. A
must-see is Reeperbahn, Hamburg‘s famous red light district where
the Beatles started their career. Next, enjoy a one-hour boat trip
on the Alster Lakes to see one of the biggest harbors of the world
and sail underneath the romantic bridges. Enjoy a traditional lunch
at Groninger, a working, family-owned brewery. In the afternoon,
take a walking tour along famous Elbchaussee, with its fine examples
of Baroque and Renaissance architecture, leading into the exclusive
suburb of Blankenese. Explore the narrow alleys and stairs, passing
by galleries, boutiques and antique shops. ►Suggested hotel: Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg
DAY 10: Lübeck, GERMANY
Today, travel outside Hamburg to Lübeck, for a full day’s look at
this well-preserved medieval town. Founded in 1143, Lübeck has kept
its original image as an old Hanseatic town, with narrow cobbled
streets, brick stone churches and steeples. Take a walking tour to
the impressive Holsten Gate, with walls over 10 feet thick. See the
13th century Town Hall, one of the oldest of Germany, the Almshouse
Court, the Buddenbrook House, and visit inside St. Mary‘s Church,
the third largest church in Germany. After lunch at
Schiffergesellschaft, stroll through the town, perhaps stopping for
a coffee and Marzipan cake at the world famous Niederegger Café.
►Suggested hotel: Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg
DAY 11: Depart Hamburg, GERMANY
Today you are taken to the airport for your flight home or on to
your next destination.