The Fairytale Tour - Best of Bavaria, Austria and the Italian Lakes

Day 1 - Munich

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Steigenberger Hotel Munchen (4-star)

Day 2 - Munich

This morning we’ll get acquainted with Munich, capital of Bavaria and where Germany’s first Oktoberfest was held in 1810. We’ll head to the medieval streets and spires of the Altstadt (Old Town) whose main square - Marienplatz - has been Munich’s heart, soul and focal point since the city was founded in 1158. After a guided tour there’s free time to explore the old shops and pedestrianised streets, before we return to our hotel. This evening, there’s the chance to get even more immersed in the traditions and culture of Bavaria on an optional visit to a local brewery for dinner and a tasting, perhaps with the accompaniment of a real oompah band.

Steigenberger Hotel Munchen (4-star)

Day 3 - Nymphenburg and Amalienburg

Another Bavarian icon today: this one, the splendid royal palace of Nymphenburg. We’ll be joined by a local guide and shown through the sumptuous rooms and galleries - many containing original furniture like the bed King Ludwig II was born on and his fairy tale rococo sleigh. Afterwards we’ll tour the smaller but equally extravagant Amalienburg. Although outwardly a hunting lodge (albeit a grand one), inside this lavishly extravagant palace drips with gilt and rich rococo style.

Steigenberger Hotel Munchen (4-star)

Day 4 - Munich - East Tyrol

Today we’ll drive south from Munich on our journey into Austria and Tyrol. The route winds through the glorious Bavarian Alps, dipping and curving around its lakes, forests and slopes. We’ll stop for a snack (meats and cheese) at a local brewery in Tegernsee, a peaceful lakeside town known for its ski trails, toboggan runs and mountain footpaths, before driving on to skirt the shore of Lake Achensee, the largest and deepest lake in Tyrol. Now in Austria’s beautiful Inntal valley, we’ll spend the next four nights in a typical Tyrolean village.

Hotel Alphof (4-star)

Day 5 - Innsbruck

It’s a short drive to Innsbruck, ancient capital of Tyrol and a city surrounded by mountains on all sides. After a guided tour passing the grand Hofburg palace, baroque cathedral and medieval Altstadt, this afternoon we’ll step onto the funicular and be hoisted over 2,000m into the surrounding Nordkette mountains, stepping out to alpine pastures, the distant clang of cow bells and bird’s-eye views of Innsbruck below.

Hotel Alphof (4-star)

Day 6 - Tyrol

Today is all about Tyrol, Austria’s picture-postcard destination in the heart of the Alps. Driving past steep green valleys and wildflower meadows dotted with chocolate-box chalets, we’ll stop for coffee and to stretch our legs at a typical Tyrolean village, before continuing to Rattenberg, Austria’s smallest town. There’s free time for lunch in one of the lovely little restaurants in the old town, after which we’ll set our sights on the extraordinary Swarovski Crystal Worlds. This immersive exhibition centre celebrates Swarovski’s role in styling clothes, costumes and sets for stars like Elton John, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

Hotel Alphof (4-star)

Day 7 - Linderhof Palace - Oberammergau

This morning we’ll hop across the border back into Germany to visit one of King Ludwig II’s smallest but most fanciful creations: Linderhof Palace. Inspired by Versailles, and surrounded by gilded fountains and follies, Linderhof is eye-wateringly extravagant with jewel-studded rooms and curlicue rococo walls. A guide will walk us through the resplendent interior, after which you’re free to explore the equally elaborate gardens complete with underground lake and grotto. Next, there’s free time for lunch in the pretty village of Ettal, before we continue through the Bavarian Alps to Oberammergau, where the famous Passion Play has been staged every 10 years since 1634.

Hotel Alphof (4-star)

Day 8 - Stams - Merano

This morning we say goodbye to Austria, but not before visiting beautiful, baroque Stams Abbey where - after a guided tour - we’ll toast its stories and history with a shot of home-made schnapps. After that we’ll set out on our next panoramic road trip and navigate the dramatic turns and hairpin bends on one of the Tyrol’s famous mountain passes (either Timelsjoch or Reschenpass) as we journey into South Tyrol and cross the border into Italy. It's then just a short drive to our next destination - the spa town Merano.

City Hotel Merano (4-star)

Day 9 - Merano

We’ll set out on foot this morning for a guided walk around Merano. Being so close to the border you’ll still see beer stalls and strudels, but there’s a distinct Mediterranean feel in its leafy boulevards, arcaded streets, flower-fringed promenades and surrounding vineyards. After free time for lunch, we’ll head up to Trautmannsdorff Castle for a leisurely afternoon in the botanical gardens. After admiring the abundant cacti, palms and flowerbeds filled with dazzling displays, you can either return to the hotel by coach or walk back later - the gardens stay open until late in the evening.

City Hotel Merano (4-star)

Day 10 - Bolzano - Strada del Vino

Another day, another beautiful city as we visit Bolzano, pastel-hued capital of South Tyrol and gateway to the Italian Dolomites. A guide will show us around this handsome, green city and its pleasant riverside paths after which there’s free time for lunch, and perhaps a visit to the Ötzi Museum to see the famous ice man mummy, whose body was preserved on a South Tyrol glacier over 5,300 years ago. This afternoon there’s a scenery-rich road trip of another kind: this one through the gentle vine-striped valleys and old wine villages of the Strada del Vino (Wine Road), stopping for a tasting along the way.

City Hotel Merano (4-star)

Day 11 - Lake Garda - Verona

Leaving Merano we continue our journey south into Trentino, to the largest and most celebrated of all the Italian lakes: Lake Garda. There’s no better vantage point for soaking up the majesty of the lake - and the mountains surrounding it - than the water so we’ll swap our coach for a pleasure boat and cruise the little towns and villages along its shores. There’s time to find a lovely little bistro or café for lunch, and ample chance to taste real Italian gelato in flavours like chocolate, pistachio and biscotti. Later we’ll rejoin our coach and drive the short distance to Verona.

Hotel Leon D'Oro (4-star)

Day 12 - Verona

There’s more to Verona than Romeo and Juliet, as we’ll discover this morning on our guided walking tour. After exploring its pretty piazzas and twisting lanes, and admiring the elegant stone bridges spanning the wide, fast-flowing Adige River, there’s free time to refuel before this afternoon’s visit to Verona’s other signature attraction: the Roman Amphitheatre. Once the backdrop for gladiatorial battles and chariot racing, today the arena is a giant open-air opera house drawing around 500,000 opera lovers to its Summer Festival each year. Later, we’ll visit a local bar for a glass of velvety red Amarone, a distinct and full-bodied wine produced in the Veneto region.

Hotel Leon D'Oro (4-star)

Day 13 - Verona

Our last full day is at leisure - perfect for souvenir shopping, exploring independently or enjoying a last taste of your favourite Veronese flavour, be it risotto, polenta or the signature Amarone wine. Otherwise, we’ve arranged an optional visit with picnic lunch to the luxuriant gardens, lawns, lakes and woodland of Parco Giardino Sigurtà, widely heralded as one of the most beautiful parks in Italy.

Hotel Leon D'Oro (4-star)

Day 14 - Verona

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Verona