The following is just a suggested daily touring schedule focusing on the culinary wonders of Germany. You will have complete control over your daily schedule and may change your plans at any time by simply telling your guide. Your time in Europe is yours to enjoy as you like!
For custom luxury travel and tours to Berlin, Munich and Germany, please contact one of our travel experts.
Please contact Exeter International for exact pricing and availability.
Upon arrival into Munich, you will be met by your driver for your transfer to your hotel in the center of the city.
Founded as a fortified trade settlement on the bank of the Isar River in the 12th Century, Munich was later granted a monopoly in the salt trade, which was so important in the Middle Ages, thus gradually growing in wealth and importance. In the early 16th century, it became the capital of Bavaria and reached its greatest growth in the 19th Century. Famous for hosting the annual Oktoberfest beer festival, Munich also has a multitude of architectural monuments, excellent historic sights, museums, and shopping.
Enjoy the rest of your afternoon at leisure.
Exeter Services: Arrival Transfer
Hotel: BEYOND by Geisel
This morning your guide will meet you at your hotel to take you on an overview walking tour of Munich’s Old Town.
You will see the Karlstor (Carl’s Gate) which was once part of the city’s medieval fortifications. Further east, you will pass the Burersaal (Citizens’ Hall) which dates from the early 18th century and was initially a house of worship for the local Jesuits before becoming a church in 1778. You may wish to see the historic Frauenkirche church. This site was originally occupied by a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, before this new church with the distinctive copper onion domes was erected in the 15th Century. It is one of Germany’s largest Gothic buildings, able to accommodate a congregation of up to 20,000.
Nearby is the Marienplatz (Mary’s Square), which has been Munich’s focal point since it was first laid in the 1300s. Originally a marketplace, the square was later used for public events like fairs, proclamations, and executions. It is now dominated by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary atop a column erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish occupation of the city.
Continuing your walk north of Marienplatz, you will soon reach the historic street Maximilianstrasse which was built to connect the Old Town and the Imperial residence with the river Isar further east. Today, this exclusive avenue is lined by neo-gothic palaces which house, among others, the Schauspielhaus – one of the most important German language theaters in the world; the building of the Bavarian Parliament; and the Museum of Ethnology. The western portion of Maximilianstrasse is known for its designer shops, luxury boutiques, and jewelry stores.
To finish your tour, you will visit the Residenz – the former residence of the Bavarian kings and the largest downtown palace in Germany. Restored to its original form after the bombings of the Second World War, the huge palace complex now contains seven courtyards, lavish living quarters which have housed foreign dignitaries, and several museums including the Residenz Museum, the Treasury (Schatzkammer), the richly gilded Rococo Cuvilliés Theater, and the Antiquarium – a large Renaissance ceremonial hall which is also the oldest surviving part of the palace complex.
Following this visit, enjoy a tasting tour through Munich’s Viktualienmarkt. Please note: this tour is not possible on Sundays. Viktualienmarkt was originally a farmers’ market that has since expanded to over 140 stalls showcasing all types of local Bavarian treats, delicacies, goods and flowers. Themarketdatesback to the early 1800 and has been a staple for locals ever since. Your guide will point out some of the most famous stalls and dishes, which you can try if you like (food and drinks are payable locally).
Enjoy the rest of your evening at leisure.
Exeter Services: Guide (6 Hours)
Hotel: BEYOND by Geisel
This morning, you will be met by your driver in the lobby of your hotel and you will be transferred to a cooking school for private Pretzel Making Class. During this workshop, you will learn how to make the classic Bavarian beergarden food ‘Brezen & Obazda’ or Bavarian style pretzels with cheese spread. You will receive a list of ingredients and instructions. While the pretzels are in the oven, you will learn to make Obatzda to pair with the pretzels. Once everything is done, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor, accompanied by a fresh Bavarian beer (soft drinks, tea, coffee and beer are included).
Following your pretzel class, you will be transferred back to the city center and you will meet your local guide for a beer tasting tour through the old town. Your guide will explain the origins of beer, the history behind the Bavarian brewing monks, the famous purity law and the beginning of the beergarden culture while strolling through the most historic part of the city. You will step into the legendary Hofbräuhaus and will visit the Oktoberfestmuseum, located in one of the oldest houses in Munich. It is here where you will enjoy a tasting of Augustiner beers.
Later, after some time at leisure, your driver will meet you in the lobby and will transfer you to the Alte Pinakothek to enjoy an exclusive gourmet evening. A historian guide will meet you at the museum to take you on a tour focusing on artwork depicting scenes of food, dining and drinking. You will also discuss these trends and habits through the ages. Following your tour, continue to a local restaurant for a beautifully presented three-course meal (dinner included in the program cost; drinks payable locally).
Exeter Services: City Transfers (morning and evening); Guide during Beer Tasting Tour (3 Hours); Evening Guide at Museum (2 Hours)
Hotel: BEYOND by Geisel
This morning, your driver will transfer you to the Munich train station for your onward train to Berlin.
The journey takes about 4 hours; tickets are not included in the program cost and will be quoted separately; please inquire about cost of transfer with private driver.
Upon arrival in Berlin, you will be welcomed on the platform by an assistant and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Your hotel, Regent Berlin puts you right in the heart of historic Berlin on Bebelplatz. This superb location is just steps from Unter den Linden and all of Berlin’s best sites. You can easily walk to Gendarmenmarkt, one of our favorite squares in Berlin, featuring top restaurants, cafes and boutiques. Thehotelissituated in the old Dresdener Bank head office and makes use of the architectural splendor of this historic edifice. You will find features of the original ornate and classical design with a contemporary twist.
Enjoy your afternoon and evening at leisure.
Exeter Services: Train Station Transfers (Munich and Berlin)
Hotel: Regent Berlin
This morning, your English-speaking guide will meet you to take you on an initial walking tour that will introduce you to Berlin’s fascinating history. Begin with a walk with your guide along Unter den Linden. Berlin’s magnificent boulevard and the centerpiece of the Old Berlin, Unter den Linden leads from the Schlossbrücke Bridge to Pariser Platz at the Brandenburg Gate. As you walk down this street, your guide will tell you some of the history of this area of the city, when Unter den Linden was originally a bridle path.
You will see the renewed beauty of the Pariser Platz. The new buildings which have been added to this historic square are based on their historic forbearers. This area was originally a parade ground. Noble villas, embassies and the luxurious Hotel Adlon arose around the square, which was then destroyed in the Second World War.
You will also see the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s only remaining city gate and a symbol of the city. Situated as it was in the no man’s land just behind the Berlin Wall, it also became symbolic of the division of the city.
Next you can visit Berlin Holocaust Memorial, which opened in May 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The location is directly behind the Hotel Adlon. The memorial commemorates the Jewish victims of Nazi terror. This striking memorial consists of approximately 2,700 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on unevenly sloping ground. This symbolizes an undulating graveyard. You are able to enter and walk through the field of slabs from all four sides. You will experience the wavelike form differently from each position. This moving and solemn memorial contains the names of 4.4 million murdered Jews. Don’t skip the information center located underground.
Later, stroll back to Brandenburg Gate, from there you will see the symbol of Berlin – the Reichstag. The Reichstag was built in the late 19th Century to house the German Parliament. The building was badly damaged by fire, and renovations did not start until well after the end of the Second World War – in 1957. As part of the rebuilding, the dome and most of the ornaments on the facades were removed. The latest rebuilding project began in 1995 transformed the Reichstag into a modern parliamentary meeting hall with an elliptical dome designed by Richard Rogers.
The best way to visit the dome is to make reservations in the restaurant there Kafer which is open for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner. We recommend dinner reservations for panoramic views over Berlin and excellent German specialties. Please note that advance bookings as essential.
On the way back to your hotel, take a break at Berlin’s most famous family owned chocolate store, Rausch. The ground floor store is a chocoholic’s dream, and the second-floor café boasts 10 different types of hot chocolate.
After some time to rest, this afternoon your guide will take you to Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the home to many of Berlin’s top museums. We can customize which museum we include, our recommendation would be to visit the Neues Museum. Here you will find the bust of Nefertiti in her stunning David Chipperfield designed environment. This museum houses the contents of the Egyptian museum, as well as the Museum of Pre- and Early-History.
If you wish, you can also visit Berlin’s incredible Pergamon Museum, located right next door, and filled with a fabulous collection of ancient Greek art. Its main attraction is the Pergamon Altar (2nd century BC)butthisiscloseduntil2021foramulti-yearrenovation. Thefriezedepictingthebattlebetweenthe Gods and Giants is regarded as a masterpiece of Hellenistic art. You can also see the market Gate of Miletus, an outstanding example of Roman architecture.
Evening Suggestion
This evening we recommend you enjoy an independent visit to Berlin’s most famous historic covered market. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday the Market Hall has a traditional market, and on every other day (except Sunday) the space is filled with independent artisanal food vendors – selling every kind of food and drink imaginable. On Thursday evening the market is open until 10.00pm and is a vibrant bustling meeting place for Berliner’s and visitors alike.
Exeter Services: Guide (8 Hours)
Hotel: Regent Berlin
This morning, meet your guide and driver for an overview of Berlin’s more recent history. First, you will drive by Checkpoint Charlie. After the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the checkpoint remained an official crossing point until the reunification in October 1990 when the booth was removed and the watchtower was later destroyed. The course of the former wall is now marked on the street with a line of bricks and a copy of the booth and sign that once marked the border crossing was later erected where Checkpoint Charlie once stood.
You will then drive through Potsdamer Platz, a perfect example of urban renewal. As late as the 1990s, this was a desolate wasteland. Architecturally this is Berlin’s most modern area with striking buildings designed by Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Hans Kollhoff. There is just one significant building that survived the destruction of WWII due to its steel structure, the Weinhaus Huth. Today this is home to the Daimler Contemporary art collection and, on the ground floor, the second restaurant of the wine experts Lutter & Wegner.
Later, heard towards West Berlin – once the flourishing area of the city, filled with music venues, bars and a vibrant cultural scene, its flare slowly started to disappear after the wall came down in 1989, shifting all the night life to the east. Nowadays, this part of the city is experiencing a renaissance and quickly regaining its shine.
You will stroll down the famous Boulevard Kurfürstendamm, the main boulevard of the “old” West Berlin and make a stop at the famous KaDeWe. While the eastern part of Berlin now has fantastic shops, boutiques and department stores, no visit to Berlin is complete without a visit to KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens). This multi-level department store has a plethora of high-end goods. The highlight, however, is the sixth floor food hall – Europe’s largest gourmet hall. Dine or take-away from one of the 33 individual food stands, actually mini-restaurants. This popular spot for locals is truly a must-visit in Berlin, even if just for a snack.
If you are interested, a visit Charlottenburg Palace can also be arranged. Please let us know in advance so the schedule for the day can be adjusted.
After some time at leisure, this afternoon head back to East Berlin and to the “East-Side Gallery.” This is the longest cohesive section of the Berlin Wall. This stretch of the Berlin Wall has been painted by various artists after the fall and it stretches for a mile or so.
Evening Event
This evening you will enjoy dinner at the home of a local artist in the rapidly gentrifying creative area of Kreuzberg. Surrounded by a backdrop of engaging art, you will be treated to a wonderful five- course meal and get to understand the Berlin art scene. Please note this is subject to the artist’s availability.
Exeter Services: Vehicle, Driver and Guide (8 Hours); Evening Transfer
Hotel: Regent Berlin
Today enjoy your day at leisure.
We suggest you visit the Hackescher Höfe, the perfect place to explore independently. A series of restored Art Nouveau courtyards, Hackescher Hofe is now full of independent stores galleries and boutiques selling unique items from clothes, jewelry and art. The complex is a hive of cafes, restaurants and stores, and at night several evening venues and a theater specializing in cabaret. On Saturday there is also weekly market here that sells fresh produce and a great atmosphere.
There is also rich Jewish history in this area. If this is of specific interest, we can customize your tour to be more in-depth in relation to Jewish Berlin.
We also suggest a visit to one of the most interesting exhibits detailing life in a divided Germany – the Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Center. This is located direct at a former border strip on Bernauer Strasse and both the no-man’s-land strip and watchtower have been preserved. The Documentation Center shows the history of the Wall, its construction and how it divided the city. You can walk right in no-man’s land yourself – on the footsteps of those who tried to escape communist oppression and flee to the West.
We suggest ending the day on the top floor of the 25 Hours Hotel, with cocktails at the Monkey Bar, so named as it overlooks Berlin Zoo! If you are hungry later, enjoy a walk in the verdant Tiergarten, Berlin’s beautiful central park, and have a casual dinner at the café there.
Exeter Services: No Services
Hotel: Regent Berlin
Today, meet your driver in the lobby of your hotel for the transfer to the airport for your journey onwards.
Exeter Services: Departure Transfer
