First-Class Grand Alpine Explorer

Arriving in Munich today, you can relax or discover the delights of this popular German city before meeting your fellow travelers and Tour Manager at our hotel this evening.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria - Germany's largest state with an area less than half the size of New York State but a population similar to the Los Angeles metro area. Located within sight of the snow-capped Alps, it is one of Germany's best-loved cities and blends historic architecture with a proud and unique culture. Renowned for hearty cuisine, malty and sweet beers and traditional costumes such as lederhosen and dirndl. Bavaria is a fascinating and vibrant state that reflects the authentic history and culture of southern Germany.

Our 4-Star hotel is just a short distance from the main train station and after check-in, we can look forward to exploring this intriguing city in the morning.

Today we get to know Munich and its fascinating culture and heritage on a guided sightseeing tour. Walking through the historic streets, we admire the city's charming main square, Marienplatz, home to the neo-Gothic Town Hall and the famous glockenspiel. We also see the Church of St Peter, with its exterior boasting eight clocks.

Afterwards, we stop for food and drink in typical Munich style by sampling local food and beers. Munich is renowned for its beer and, after learning about the history of brewing in Bavaria and the influence of the 'Reinheitsgebot' purity law at the Oktoberfest Museum, we visit Munich's oldest beer house, the Höfbrauhaus.

The rest of the day is at leisure before we regroup for dinner at the hotel. One option is to stroll round one of the city's many green spaces. The 17th-century Renaissance gardens of the Hofgarten stand behind Munich Residence, the former home of Bavarian dukes and kings, while the expansive English Garden is larger than New York's Central Park and attracts visitors to its lakes, rivers and peaceful Japanese tea house.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Munich this morning and travel by First Class rail across the Austrian border to Salzburg. This picturesque city is renowned as the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music, and on arrival we enjoy a tour of this musical city with Trudy, the singing tour guide. Overlooked by the huge 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress, set high on a hill, we stroll through the charming Old Town. The churches, squares and alleyways here are incredibly well preserved and dominated by fabulous Baroque spires in this UNESCO World Heritage site.

This evening, we enjoy dinner with a difference. Making our way to the grand banquet hall of St Peter's, we sit down to savor a candlelit dinner accompanied by the stirring music of Salzburg's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A chamber ensemble and singers dressed in Rococo costumes bring selections of Mozart's celebrated music to life while we enjoy a gastronomic menu inspired by historical recipes popular during the composer's lifetime.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, there is a full day to explore this grand city at leisure. One suggestion is to purchase a Salzburg Card which gives you access to many of the wonderful museums and attractions, as well as travel on the city's buses and trolleybuses.

Salzburg is a gorgeous city with a sea of noble white buildings huddled either side of the Salzach River. This alpine city is renowned for its musical and culture heritage and Mozart was instrumental in this. You can visit the former residence of the Mozart family at Getreidegasse 9. It is where Wolfgang was born in 1756 and now houses a museum detailing his young life. His old Makartplatz home is also a museum displaying artifacts from the composer's life. You could also take a walk through the pretty Mirabell Garden or head out of the city for a cable-car ride up Untersberg Mountain for spectacular alpine views.

You are free to dine independently tonight, and from luxurious gastronomy to hearty local cuisine in a lively beer hall, Salzburg's many restaurants accommodate all tastes.

• Breakfast

The gentle alpine hills, dense forests and emerald waters of the Austrian Lake District are our destinations today. Our first visit is to the remarkable Kaiservilla, the stately former summer residence of Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef I with beautifully decorated grounds that we can explore.

Continuing to St Gilgen, there is time to grab lunch independently in this charming town of ornately decorated chalets and enticing cafés before we take a cruise across Lake Wolfgang. After soaking up the serenity of the aquamarine lake, we disembark at St Wolfgang and have time to stroll amongst its cluster of chocolate-box chalets.

We then travel to pretty Mondsee on the shores of Lake Mondsee whose most famous attraction is its 15th-century Basilica of St Michael. Bedecked in a yellow Baroque façade, this impressive church featured in the wedding scene in The Sound of Music. We have free time here to either pay homage to the cinematic von Trapp family or enjoy a lakeside stroll on the attractive promenade before returning to Salzburg for a three-course dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Salzburg after a leisurely breakfast, we travel by First Class rail into the heart of the Austrian Alps. The dramatic scenery increases on the approach to Innsbruck, with steep mountains rising either side of the Inn Valley.

Arriving around noon, we get our bearings with an informative guided tour of Innsbruck's magnificently preserved Old Town. Reflecting the Tyrolean capital's history, it boasts wonderful Renaissance and Baroque buildings as well as traditional Tyrolean architecture. Along the way, we'll see Innsbruck's cathedral and Hofkirche, built by Emperor Maximilian I. On Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, we admire the Goldenes Dachl (or Golden Roof), and the ornate Hölbling house with its imposing 14th-century watchtower. 

The rest of the afternoon is free to continue exploring and you could travel on the Nordkette Cable Car, a hybrid funicular and cable car system designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. At the top, you are rewarded with otherworldly views across the Tyrolean Alps from a height of more than 7,000 feet. In the evening, we regroup at our central hotel overlooking the majestic peak for a three-course dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Returning to Germany by coach this morning, our route crosses the impressive Fern Pass enroute to one of the most beautiful and famous castles in the world - the glorious Neuschwanstein Castle. A magnificent fairytale structure built into the mountains, the brilliant white of Neuschwanstein contrasts stunningly against the surrounding forests.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned the castle's construction in the late 19th century on a rocky outcrop near his childhood home, reportedly having dreamt of building a castle there since he was a child. This symbol of Romanticism has appeared in countless movies, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to The Great Escape and also inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Afterwards, we embark on a journey aboard the cheerful Zugspitze Mountain Railway, ascending to the summit of the Zugspitze for fabulous views of elemental rocky peaks. Climbing more than 2,500 feet in seven miles, the cogwheel railroad passes the crystal-clear Eibsee lake on its way up the highest mountain in Germany. From the top, there are astonishing views across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

Please note - For departures Apr 25 and May 04 we will journey on the Innsbruck Nordkette to the Top of Innsbruck instead of the Zugspitzbahn.

• Breakfast

A free morning provides the opportunity to explore Innsbruck, before we embark on a spectacular First Class train journey through the Alps. The route starts by winding alongside the Inn River, the jade waters rushing between steep peaks dotted with thick pine forests. Shortly after leaving the Inn at Landeck, the Arlberg Line passes Weisberg Castle at the eastern end of the impressive Trisanna Bridge, widely considered to be one of Austria's finest. As the track climbs higher towards the popular resort of St Anton, traditional chalets pepper this beautiful alpine landscape.

Looping briefly into the tiny double-landlocked principality of Liechtenstein, we are welcomed to Switzerland by delightfully scenic views. The last leg of our journey takes us on the UNESCO-listed Albula Line, which zigzags and spirals its way round mountains and over bridges, including the curved Landwasser Viaduct. After a panorama of deep ravines, snow-capped peaks and rushing waterfalls, we arrive in chic St Moritz, where a three-course dinner awaits at our central hotel which boasts uninterrupted views of the glamorous town's serene lake.

• Breakfast, Dinner

An incredible experience awaits today as we climb the Alps on the astonishing Bernina Express in First Class. From our panoramic cars, the exceptional alpine scenery continuously impresses throughout our journey. A truly memorable experience is to be had when we step off the train at Alp Grüm. Greeted by jaw-dropping views of the Palü Glacier, we soak up these magical surroundings. This stunning route then twists its way down the mountains, spiraling round the remarkable corkscrew viaduct at Brusio before crossing the border into Italy.

Free time in our destination of Tirano allows you to explore the narrow, cobbled streets and characterful piazzas of the charming Italian valley town, where you can enjoy lunch. A regional specialty is pizzoccheri, a hearty buckwheat pasta dish made with potato, cabbage and cheese.

We return to St Moritz on a local service, which provides an opportunity to pull down a train window for spectacular photos, before we sit down for a three-course dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

With panoramic views of the mountains and lakes of the Engadine Valley, chic St Moritz provides many options for a free day. Via Serlas is one of the world's most famous shopping streets, brimming with upmarket fashion boutiques right outside our hotel.

The St Moritz resort card provides free travel on the cable cars and funiculars surrounding the town so you can be ferried up to the snow-capped peaks in minutes. Meanwhile, the Swiss Travel Card's 50% discount on trains allows you to explore further afield, including the fashionable resorts of Davos or Klosters.

You could visit the church of St Maurice, also known as 'the church of the springs', around which the town was built or enjoy a traditional 1930s Swiss high tea at Badrutt's Palace Hotel. Alternatively, absorb local culture at the Segantini Museum, dedicated to the works of alpine painter Giovanni Segantini. For a relaxing day, St Moritz's serene lake can be enjoyed on a gentle stroll or from our hotel's glorious terrace along with uninterrupted mountain views.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of any rail vacation to Switzerland as we embark on one of Europe's most iconic train journeys - the incredible Glacier Express to Brig in First Class. The 'slowest express train' delves into the Rhine Gorge, where our panoramic cars provide great views of the 'Swiss Grand Canyon'.

Averaging a steady 24mph, the Glacier Express allows us to enjoy the continually impressive scenery while we enjoy a two-course lunch at our seats. Snow-dusted peaks pass by as the train climbs over the Oberalp Pass, the peak of the route, before entering the nine-mile-long Furka Base Tunnel and spiraling down through picture-perfect Swiss villages on the approach to Brig. Here we change trains and travel in First Class to Interlaken, via the pretty lakeside town of Spiez.

Interlaken is a delightful town nestled between two glacier-fed lakes and towering peaks. Our 4-Star hotel is on the main street, providing great views of mountains and the nearby castle grounds. After checking in this evening, we enjoy a three-course dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A jaw-dropping journey to Jungfraujoch - Europe's highest train station - awaits today. We travel by First Class rail to the mountainside village of Kleine Scheidegg where we board the sensational Jungfrau Express, a cogwheel train that climbs the final section of the route. On our trip, the train enters an incredible tunnel which cuts through the Eiger. Even more incredible are the carved-out viewing windows meaning we can enjoy the scenery from inside the tunnel.

On reaching Jungfraujoch station, the vistas from the Sphinx viewing platform are absolutely spellbinding. At the top, we're treated to panoramic vistas across an eternally snowy wonderland that includes the Aletsch Glacier - a UNESCO World Heritage wonder - that stretches as far as the eye can see. With free time in this alpine paradise, you could also visit the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven or enter the Alpine Sensation exhibition which pays tribute to the miners who built the railroad more than 100 years ago.

This First Class experience continues as we descend via the charming village of Grindelwald before returning to Interlaken and dining independently this evening.

• Breakfast

You're free to explore attractive Interlaken today. The town's historic center is compact, so it's easy to discover the medieval monastery, castle and ancient square on foot.

Interlaken is also a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, so whether you're looking for an adventure or just a peaceful stroll, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Maybe take the funicular for a 10-minute trip to the summit of Harder Kulm, where you can enjoy panoramic views across the mountains and Lake Brienz.

Another great option is to take a peaceful lake cruise on a vintage paddle steamer - your Swiss Half Fare Travel Card gives you a 50% discount on this and other boat tours, as well as for most trains and mountain railroads. The travel card can also be used for a day out to historic Lucerne or charming Meiringen. Here, you can board a quaint funicular to the Reichenbach Falls that played an important part in the Sherlock Holmes stories or visit the town's museum honoring Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective.

We gather tonight at the hotel for our final three-course dinner together.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our incredible alpine vacation concludes after breakfast this morning, as we board the train to Zürich Airport for our flights back home. The train journey takes us through delightful mountain scenery, providing one final spectacle on this fantastic trip. Flying across the Atlantic, you can reflect on this great alpine exploration and the unforgettable experiences you have enjoyed.

Whether it was bustling Munich and its heady mix of history and beer, cultured and classical Salzburg, Innsbruck's incredible backdrops or St Moritz's stylish mix of mountains and boutiques, the towns and cities on our great alpine adventure will have left an impression. A candlelit dinner with classical music in Mozart's hometown and the fairytale beauty of Neuschwanstein Castle will live long in the memory. However, the star attraction is surely the spellbinding scenery and how we experienced it. Mighty peaks and ethereal glaciers, enchanting forests and luminous lakes have all been viewed from some of the Alps' most spectacular railroads.

• Breakfast