This vacation is an exciting and unique way to experience the splendors and history of Eastern Germany. Your trip starts in Berlin, Germany’s capital. Enjoy its magnificent structures and get acquainted with its signature landmarks on the sightseeing tour by panoramic metropolitan rail. Take in Berlin’s main historic and contemporary highlights on this fun tour. Visit the former imperial city of Potsdam and its glorious Sanssouci gardens, a glorious marriage of rich lawns, fountains, and woodlands peppered with extravagant temples and follies.

Next day take the option to visit the awesome atomic bunker at Harnekop, now a Cold War museum. Then it’s on to exciting Dresden on the Elbe; Dresden is known as one of Germany’s most beautiful cities and is packed with wondrous renaissance and baroque architecture. Go back in time with the steam train through the Saxony countryside to impressive Moritzburg, where you may decide to visit the castle. Perched high above the sleepy town of Colditz, Colditz Castle was deemed the perfect high-security prison for troublesome Allied prisoners during World War II. Don’t miss the chance to ‘Escape from Colditz’ and see how the prisoners constructed tunnels and made daring escape attempts.

Next, take the train to Leipzig, Saxony’s largest city, and savor its vibrant atmosphere, futuristic buildings, and graceful renaissance and baroque old quarter on your sightseeing tour. After beautiful Leipzig, it’s back to Berlin. Time at leisure to experience more of this fascinating city. What a memorable journey through the past and present. You’ll have lots of stories, photos, and memories to share from this amazing Eastern Germany rail vacation!

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• Visits to Berlin, Potsdam, Radebeul, Moritzburg
• Inside visits and special features are shown in the description, including admission charges when applicable.
• Local Guides for city sightseeing in Dresden, Leipzig
• 7 buffet breakfasts (B); 3 dinners (D)

Day 1- Depart USA
Overnight flight to Berlin.*

Day 2 - Berlin (3 Nights)
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to see some of Berlin. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Hotel: Tulip Inn Frankfurter Tor, Berlin

Day 3 - Berlin
Now rediscovering the exuberance it was known for before the Cold War saw it divided by its infamous Wall, Berlin is a sparkling mix of pre-World War II architecture, modern skyscrapers, and grandiose monuments. Today, get acquainted with its signature landmarks on the fascinating sightseeing tour by panoramic metropolitan rail (standard class), taking in the main historic and contemporary highlights of this great city. Later, time to explore on your own the grand cafés and designer shops of the famous Kurfürstendamm, the city’s showpiece boulevard that was once the meeting place of Berlin’s intellectuals and is graced with 19th-century mansions, theaters, and striking modern buildings. This afternoon, enjoy an included excursion to Potsdam, an imperial city brimming with baroque and neoclassical architecture and home to majestic Sanssouci Park. Created as part of Frederick the Great’s Sanssouci Summer Palace, these vast gardens are a glorious marriage of rich lawns, fountains, and woodlands peppered with extravagant temples and follies. (B,D)

Day 4 - Berlin
A day free to delve into the sights and sounds of vibrant Berlin! Perhaps tour the poignant Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which charts the story of the notorious border crossing point between East and West Berlin, or view the last remnants of the Berlin Wall at the Eastside Gallery, where a section is painted in spectacular graffiti art. Alternatively, why not join an unforgettable optional excursion to Harnekop (by motorcoach), a top secret East German Cold War bunker complex. Set in dense forests near Berlin, this massive three-story underground bunker was built 98 feet underground to withstand an impact as powerful as the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bomb. It is now a museum complete with original technical control system, situation room, canteen, and colossal pressure-proof gates. (B)

Day 5 - Berlin to Dresden (2 Nights)
Leave Berlin this morning as you travel first-class on the train to Saxony’s capital, Dresden. Known as the “Florence of the Elbe,” this lovely city is regarded as one of Germany’s most beautiful and is packed with wondrous renaissance and baroque architecture, despite suffering major bomb damage during World War II. This afternoon, savor some of its highlights on a guided walking tour, admiring the famous Zwinger Palace, an exquisite complex of baroque temples and pavilions, ornate Semper Opera House, and magnificent domed Frauenkirche, which has been rebuilt and reconsecrated after being badly damaged in 1945. (B,D)

Hotel: Ramada Treff, Dresden

Day 6 - Dresden & Lössnitz Valley Railway
Soak up the gentle country landscapes of Saxony this morning as you travel on the historic Lössnitz Valley narrow-gauge steam railway from Radebeul to Moritzburg (standard class). Fondly known as the “Lössnitz Dachsund,” this charming narrow-gauge line is one of Germany’s oldest, trundling through a gorgeous montage of rich pastures, glittering lakes, flower-filled meadows, and lush woodlands. Once in Moritzburg, you may decide to visit the magical palace of Moritzburg, a former Saxon royal hunting castle. Originally built in the 16th century and converted into a lodge by Poland’s King Augustus the Strong in the 18th century, this baroque jewel stands on an island in a lake and epitomizes a fairytale castle. (B)

Day 7 - Dresden to Leipzig (1 Night)
A choice of ways to spend the day today with the chance to either explore the beauties of Dresden as you please or experience one of the legends of World War II on the optional visit to Colditz Castle (by motorcoach). Perched high above the sleepy town of Colditz and overlooking the River Mulde, this imposing medieval fortress was deemed the perfect high-security prison for troublesome Allied prisoners during World War II. However, the castle quickly gained a reputation as an “Escape Academy” as incorrigible inmates played cat-and-mouse with German guards, launching over 300 daring escape attempts from the clifftop walls. On today’s tour you’ll see some of their ingenious escape devices and descend into the tunnel dug by French escapees. Later, return to Dresden and board your train to Leipzig (first-class) for an overnight stay. (B,D)

Hotel: Ramada, Leipzig

Day 8 - Leipzig to Berlin (1 Night)
Saxony’s largest city, Leipzig has a rich cultural, musical, and merchant heritage and has risen from the ashes after heavy World War II bombardment to become one of Germany’s most stylish cities. This morning, savor its vibrant atmosphere, futuristic buildings, and graceful renaissance and baroque old quarter on the sightseeing tour. Take in its fine gothic Thomaskirche, where Bach served as cantor, and the spectacular Hauptbahnhof, Europe’s largest railway terminal and one of the last “grand” stations of the 19th century. Afterwards, there’s free time to get better acquainted with this surprising city, perhaps doing some last-minute souvenir shopping in its art shops. This afternoon, return to Berlin by train (first-class). Later, maybe join your fellow travelers at an enjoyable optional farewell dinner. (B)

Hotel: Best Western Queens, Berlin

Day 9 - Depart Berlin
Today, time to bid farewell to new-found friends as you go to the airport for your return flight to America. (B)

Vacation start dates from Berlin, Germany:

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

8, 15, 22 12, 26 10, 17, 31 7, 28 4, 11 2