Dates
July 1st, July 18th, and August 2nd 2012
Itinerary
Munich, Germany drive to Salzburg, Austria
We'll greet you at the airport, then, drive to Salzburg, Austria, for a day of sightseeing. Dinner will be at Wildeman's, famous for its authentic Austrian dishes. Hotel Goldene Ente will be our hotel for the next two nights. It's ideally situated on a quiet pedestrian street in the heart of the historic quarter. D
See Video
Salzburg, Austria
Sightsee during the day, shopping, listen to street performers, see Mozart's birth house, then, Mozart dinner concert in the evening at the HohenSalzburg Fortress, the castle above the city. B,D
Salzburg, Austria to Lindau, Germany
Lindau, with it's unique location, is an island village situated on the Bodensee. Spend the day strolling the harbor promenade, walk around the island, or, in the spa at our hotel. Hotel Helvetia, situated perfectly on the harbor side of the island, has a complete European health spa located within the hotel. Pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, massage, you name it! Dinner this evening is on your own at one of the many fine restaurants. B See Video
Lindau, Germany to Murren, Switzerland
After breakfast, it's off to the Swiss Alps! Our drive through Switzerland will take us past alpine lakes and pastoral countryside. Our destination of Murren is a pedestrian only village that can only be reached by either gondola or by train. We'll take the more dramatic route and take the gondola. Be sure and bring a small backpack for this night, it's so much easier to deal with on the gondola. Spend the day exploring the village, or even take a hike on one of the many walking trails starting in the village. Dinner tonight is on your own at one of several restaurants in the village. Hotel Alpenruh is our home for the night. B See Video
Murren, Switzerland to Zermatt, Switzerland
Breakfast this morning will be at the revolving Piz Gloria Restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn, one of Switzerland's most beautiful tram rides! This is truly the "Top of Europe" with stunning views over the Swiss Alps, including views to the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Black Forest in Germany and to Mont Blanc in France. After breakfast, we'll have a short drive to Zermatt via a very unusual train ride in which we'll drive the van right onto the train then travel through a tunnel for 15 minutes to the other side of the Swiss Alps! Zermatt, which is also a pedestrian only village, can only be reached by train. So, we'll take the train from Tasch up to the town of Zermatt. Bring that backpack again for ease of travel. Our accommodation for the next two nights will be Hotel La Couronne, situated in the heart of the village. Zermatt is the ultimate Swiss alpine village experience, filled with charming atmosphere, quaint cafes, and loads of shopping. Either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon, depending upon the weather, we'll take another amazing gondola ride up to either the Gornergrat or the Rothorn. These are both wonderful vantage points to view the Matterhorn. You can't get any closer without climbing it! We'll have lunch at the top of the mountain and dinner in the village. B,D See Video
Zermatt, Switzerland
Enjoy the day sightseeing, shopping, or strolling around the town. There's plenty to see and do in Zermatt! Once again staying at Hotel La Couronne. Dinner will be at a lively Swiss Stuebli, a cozy small restaurant where they play live traditional Swiss music. B,D
Zermatt, Switzerland to Bellagio, Italy
Another extremely scenic drive as we cross the Swiss Alps and head south to Italy's Lake District. Our destination of Bellagio is the gem of the region. Situated on a peninsula in Lake Como, Bellagio is the perfect location to explore Italy's Lake District. We'll be staying at Hotel du Lac for two nights, one of Bellagio's premier hotels and situated directly on the waterfront. Upon arrival, we'll have a very nice wine and appetizer reception on the hotel's rooftop garden overlooking Lake Como. La Dolce Vita!! B
Bellagio, Italy
Today we'll take a boat cruise on Lake Como. Leaving from Bellagio, we'll visit the towns of Mennagio and the fishing village of Varenna. Lunch in Varenna, then back on the boat to Bellagio where we'll have an amazing wine tasting and dinner in the very romantic wine cellar of Enoteca Cava Turacciolo. Truly a night to remember, as the owner, Norberto, will be our guide for a wonderful wine tasting which is paired with traditional Italian appetizers and primi piattis. It's awesome! B,D See Video
Bellagio, Italy to Verona, Italy
Just a short drive takes us past Lake Como and on to the historic town of Verona. Famous for its summer opera performances and the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliette. Our hotel, Hotel Giulietta e Romeo, is situated in the heart of the historic center and within a few minutes walk of all the major sights in Verona. Spend the day sightseeing then, dinner perhaps in the Piazza Erbe. B See Video
Verona, Italy to Venice, Italy
After breakfast, another short drive to the island of Venice! We'll park our van in Mestre, on the main land, and water taxi over to Venice. Bring that backpack again for ease of travel. Spend the afternoon exploring this renaissance masterpiece with its many canals, bridges, and piazzas. Our hotel for the next two nights will be Hotel Rialto, situated right on the Grand Canal and next to the famous Rialto Bridge, the perfect location! Dinner tonight will be at one of the many charming ristorantes on the Grand Canal. B,D See Video
Venice, Italy
Spend the day shopping, exploring, and getting lost in this amazing island town. Visit St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, and many more historical sights, all within walking distance of our hotel. Dinner tonight will once again be along the Grand Canal. B,D
Venice, Italy to Munich Germany
After breakfast, we'll water taxi back to our van, then, enjoy an incredible drive through the Italian Dolomiti Mountains on our way back to Munich. Breathtaking scenery and regarded one of the most scenic day drives in all of Europe! We'll stay at the Isar Hotel and have dinner at the Weissbrau Huber. B,D
Price $3940 per person based on double occupancy, single supplement is $500
Wanderlust Bike Tours reserves the right to change the price based upon the euro/dollar exchange rate.
Fly into and out of Munich Germany
What's Included
12 nights, 5 Italy, 3 Switzerland, 2 Austria, 2 Germany
Cultural accommodations at historic hotels, 3 and 4 star
All transportation by private van(s), water taxis, trains, gondolas
8 dinners(D), 11 breakfasts(B)
Mozart dinner concert in Salzburg at the HohenSalzburg Fortress
Schilthorn gondola trip to Piz Gloria at Murren
Gornergrat or Rothorn gondola trip in Zermatt
Boat cruise on Lake Como out of Bellagio
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