Exclusive Austria, Germany & Switzerland

(16 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Romantic Road & Stuttgart, Black Forest & Baden-Baden, Basel, Zurich

This is the ultimate private luxury tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Enjoy flexible private touring of the most interesting cultural attractions and scenic destinations, including the magnificent Austrian and Bavarian Alps; charming villages along the Romantic Road, in the Black Forest and along the Danube; historic castles and palaces; fantastic museums and art galleries in Vienna, Basel and Zurich; the Baroque splendor of Salzburg’s old town; visits to luxury car factories and museums in Munich and Stuttgart; the best local shops and restaurants; and time in Germany’s finest spa town. Visits to breweries and wineries will also be arranged if desired. Accommodation is at the most luxurious hotels in the region.

Begin in Vienna. During private touring, your expert local guide will take you to the most important palaces and museums, interesting neighborhoods, Viennese cafes and open-air markets, and help you navigate the overwhelming wealth of spectacular art, architecture and history in this former imperial capital. Visit the Spanish Riding School to see the Lipizzaner Stallions during a training session. See the highlights of world-renowned palaces and museums such as the MuseumsQuartier, Kunsthistorisches, Albertina, Liechtenstein, and Schönbrunn Palace. Tour architectural monuments that exemplify the best in Vienna's Gothic, Baroque and Secessionist styles. Visit our favorite shops selling exquisite linens, crystal, chocolates, gourmet foods and antiques. Visit up-and-coming neighborhoods known for their designers and chefs. Taste local culinary specialties at our favorite stalls in the enormous Naschmarkt food market. We'll also ensure you have opportunities to visit Vienna's leading coffee houses.

Continue to Salzburg. En route, tour the Wachau, the beautiful wine-growing region along the Danube River. Take a cruise on the Danube, passing castles, vineyards and villages. Visit Melk’s renowned Benedictine abbey, tour the charming village of Durnstein, and enjoy wine tasting at a heuriger (wine tavern) if desired.

In Salzburg, tour major cultural highlights such as the Cathedral, Mozart's birthplace, and sites related to The Sound of Music, such as the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. Walk down Getreidegasse, Salzburg's most famous shopping street, and visit select boutiques specializing in local products such as trachten fabric, loden coats, pewterware, Christmas decorations, gilded glass (verre eglomise), and of course Mozartkugel chocolate pralines. Also enjoy a short private excursion through the Salzkammergut, a stunning region of mountains and lakes in the Austrian Alps, for a cruise on Lake Wolfgang and to visit more Sound of Music sites.

Next, you'll be driven into Germany, through the beautiful Bavarian countryside, to visit Neuschwanstein, the fairytale castle built in the 19th century for King Ludwig II. The model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein is a romantic vision of towers and turrets that rises out of a rocky hilltop and offers panoramic views of surrounding mountains, lakes and farmland.

Continue to Munich, the dynamic capital of Bavaria. Explore the Old Town during a flexible walking tour with your private guide. See the famed Glockenspiel and watch its life-size mechanical figures dance and joust. Stroll interesting shopping streets and squares, and browse the Viktualienmarkt outdoor food market. Visit the Frauenkirche—the symbol of the city—and the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, if desired. Other touring options include the Residenz (the former royal palace) or the Alte Pinakothek art museum. Also enjoy a private tour of the BMW factory and museum. Alternatively, take an excursion to nearby Dachau; or to a rural monastery that brews its own beer for a private brewery tour.

One day, enjoy a private excursion along the Romantic Road. Pass through rolling farmland and villages, stopping to visit local attractions according to your interests. Among the many options are the exceptionally well-preserved medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, one of the most charming towns in Germany; Augsburg, notable for its Renaissance-era town center; and Dinkelsbuhl, a walled town filled with cobblestone streets, historic burgher houses and ancient towers.

Transfer to Baden-Baden, stopping en route in Stuttgart to visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum or Porsche Museum. Stay in Baden-Baden, an elegant spa town in the Black Forest, for two nights at a luxurious resort with a renowned spa and extensive grounds. One day, enjoy private touring according to your interests. Recommended options include visiting nearby Strasbourg and Colmar in France, hiking, biking, seeing modern art at the Museum Frieder Burda, or visiting villages along the Alsatian Wine Route.

Continue to Switzerland and drive through the scenic Black Forest, stopping as desired in towns such as Triberg and Titisee—both known for cuckoo clock production—or Freiburg, a renowned university town.

Arrive in Basel, home to dozens of excellent museums and one of the world’s most important contemporary art fairs. With your private guide, tour the highlights of the Old Town; visit the city’s best art spaces, such as the Kunstmuseum and Fondation Beyeler; and see architectural landmarks such as the Schaulager, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, and the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Also visit the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, one of Le Corbusier's most renowned designs, in nearby Ronchamp, France. En route to Zurich, visit Weil am Rhein, Germany to tour the Vitra Design Museum and factory, a remarkable collection of buildings by some of the world’s leading architects, including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando.

End the tour in Zurich, a city of renowned art and architecture. During private touring with your local expert guide, see highlights such as the Old Town, Kunsthaus, Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum), the Centre Le Corbusier-Heidi Weber Museum, and churches with stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall and Sigmar Polke. One day, take a private excursion to see the highlights of nearby towns, such as the Oskar Reinhart Museum in Winterthur and the UNESCO-inscribed abbey and library in St. Gallen or the historic town of Lucerne.