Family Tour of Austria & Germany

(12 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Baden-Baden

This private family tour of Austria and Germany offers the perfect combination of important cultural sights, educational touring and activities, and leisure time and relaxation.

Begin in Vienna. During private touring, your expert local guide will take you to the most interesting neighborhoods, upscale shops and food 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 or performance. See the highlights of world-renowned palaces and museums such as the MuseumsQuartier, Kunsthistorisches, Albertina, Schönbrunn (including the Bergl Rooms), the Jewish Museum and the Freud Museum. Tour architectural monuments that exemplify the best in Vienna's Gothic, Baroque and Secessionist styles including St. Stephen's Cathedral and Otto Wagner-designed buildings. 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 daily opportunities to visit Vienna's leading coffee houses and patisseries.

One day, if desired, enjoy a private pastry lesson or a cooking class focusing on the highlights of typical Viennese cuisine.

Next, tour the Wachau, the beautiful wine-growing region along the Danube River. Tour Melk's famous abbey and take a cruise on the Danube, passing castles, vineyards and villages. Also, enjoy wine tasting at one of Austria's leading wineries.

Continue to Salzburg, a charming Baroque town famous for Mozart and The Sound of Music. 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. Tour markets, art museums, Sound of Music sites and other historic highlights. 

One day, take a private excursion through the Salzkammergut, a stunning region of mountains and lakes in the Austrian Alps. Tour the salt mines, go for a hike, visit film sites from The Sound of Music or perhaps visit Hallstatt, a beautiful lakeside town that's considered the oldest settlement in Austria.

Next, take a private excursion into the beautiful Bavarian countryside to visit Neuschwanstein, the fairytale castle built in the 19th century for King Ludwig II. The model for Disneyland'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 private tour. Visit Marienplatz to see the neo-Gothic city hall and its famed Glockenspiel. Stroll interesting shopping streets, see local gardens and browse the Viktualienmarkt outdoor food market. Visit the Frauenkirche—the symbol of the city—and the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, if desired. Depending on your family's interests, other touring options include the Residenz (the former royal palace) or the Alte Pinakothek art museum. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange a private tour of the BMW factory and museum or of the Nymphenburg porcelain factory.

Conclude in Baden-Baden, an elegant spa town in the Black Forest, and stay at an elegant hotel with extensive grounds in the center of town. One day, enjoy a private excursion into nearby Alsace (in France) to visit the picture-perfect town of Colmar. During free time in Baden-Baden, enjoy the hotel’s many facilities, including a swimming pool, renowned spa and excellent restaurants. Also explore the town’s beautiful parks, quaint shops, excellent museums such as the Museum Frieder Burda, and beautiful walking paths.