Itinerary

This tour starts at 3PM in Vienna.

Day 1: Upon arriving at the Vienna International Airport, you will be met by a private chauffeur for your transfer to our centrally located, boutique Vienna hotel. After some time to rest, join the rest of the group for a guided walk through the medieval heart of Vienna's Inner City with St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Imperial Courts of the Habsburgs who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The walk will end at a traditional beisl, a 500-year-old inn and a favorite of Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Strauss and Mark Twain, now a gourmet Viennese restaurant.
Meals: D

Day 2: Following a lavish breakfast at the hotel, we'll continue our exploration of Vienna with a tour of Schonbrunn, the Habsburg summer palace, which along with its enchanting gardens has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll enjoy an extended tour of the palace, followed by a ride through the gardens. For lunch, we'll have a chance to savor the original Sacher torte and other flavors of Vienna at the opulent Sacher Coffeehouse, and in the evening we'll experience the quintessential Viennese pleasure: a Mozart music concert.
Meals: B, L

Day 3: After all the history and all the pastries of Vienna, today we'll venture out of the city to Vienna Woods and the picturesque Wachau Valley. In the morning, we'll take a scenic train ride to the baroque town of Melk on the Danube River, visit Melk's Benedictine Abbey, then enjoy a leisurely lunch aboard the riverboat as we cruise the Danube River through the storybook Wachau Valley, lined with castles, vineyards and monasteries, before arriving in Krems. We'll have time to explore this perfect medieval town and take a scenic walk through Vienna Woods, to end at one of the atmospheric Heurigens, the rustic wine taverns where we can taste local wines, freshly prepared food and enjoy Austrian style entertainment.
Meals: B, L

Day 4: Today, we'll spend time getting to know the Viennese art scene. We'll start with a tour of the Vienna Opera House and the Dorotheum auction house featuring paintings, furnishings and antique jewelry. Afterwards, we'll tour the Kunshistorisches Museum, renowned for the works of Bruegel, Rubens and its celebrated Durer collections. We'll have a leisurely lunch at the elegant museum cafe, amidst works of Gustav Klimt and other fin-de-siecle artists, and in the afternoon, we'll take a street car around the famous Ringstrasse, stopping to view the surreal Hunderdtwasser House and Museum.
Meals: B, L

Day 5: In the morning, we'll leave Vienna, and head west along the Romantik Road towards Salzburg and the Austrian Alps. The area around Salzburg, made famous in The Sound of Music, enchants visitors with its jewel-colored lakes and alpine meadows surrounded by majestic mountains. Right before reaching our destination, we'll take a detour and follow the cliff road along Traunsee Lake to the imperial spa town of Bad Ischl. We'll spend some time exploring the town, before continuing to our luxurious resort hotel in Fuschlsee. We'll arrive in the early afternoon, and the rest of the day will be free to relax and enjoy the ambience of the hotel, with its park-like setting, its spa and its terraces overlooking the shimmering lake and perfect Alpine villages.
Meals: B, D

Day 6: Having recharged in the relaxing atmosphere of Fuschlsee, today we'll set out to explore the nearby city of Salzburg. We'll spend the full day seeing the highlights of the city of music, including Mozart's Birthhouse, the Hohensaltzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace and the Old Town. There will be some unstructured time in the afternoon for individual exploration and shopping, and we'll end the day with dinner at one of the city's private palaces, turned restaurant.
Meals: B, D

Day 7: Today, we'll travel to the quintessential Alpine town of Hallstatt. Seeming to float on the dark, brooding lake, Hallstatt is a site of an Iron Age civilization, and the oldest village in Europe, owing its prosperity to salt excavation. We'll spend some time exploring the village and the swan populated lake, then take the cable car up the spectacular Dachstein Mountain. From here, we'll visit the Giant Ice Caves and enjoy the exquisite panoramic views stretching in all directions from the Krippenstein. We'll have time for an optional leisurely hike from the top of the mountain before returning to our resort hotel for dinner.
Meals: B, D

Day 8: In the morning, we'll travel the scenic route from St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang by boat, gliding silently on Lake Wolfgangsee, Austria's most romantic lake, to arrive in the beautiful and historic village of St. Wolfgang. After exploring the village, we'll take the scenic cog railway up to the majestic Schafberg Summit to admire another breathtaking vista. When we return to St. Wolfgang, you will have an option of taking the boat back across the lake or hiking to St. Gilgen, following the ancient Pilgrims' Path. In the evening, we'll celebrate our adventures with a farewell dinner.
Meals: B, D

Day 9: After breakfast at the hotel, we'll have a group transfer to Salzburg International Airport at 8:00AM. Please schedule your return flight after 11:00AM.
Meals: B

This tour ends after breakfast on July 30 in Salzburg.

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