Switzerland and the Rhine Valley

Central Europe rewards the curious — and this tour is built for exactly that.

It opens in Vienna, where Schonbrunn Palace sets the tone: grand, layered, and full of stories. An optional Viennese Waltz class and an evening classical concert give students a taste of the city's living cultural tradition before the group heads west. A stop in Salzburg — with an optional Sound of Music excursion — bridges Austria and Bavaria before Munich takes centre stage. Guided sightseeing, a walking tour, and a visit to Dachau give students the full picture of a city that holds both beauty and difficult history. The BMW Museum (or BMW Welt) adds an unexpected angle: German engineering as cultural expression. A Market Challenge sends students into the city with a budget and a mission, and free time in the English Garden rounds out the day. The route south passes Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace before climbing into the Tyrol region, then crossing through Liechtenstein into the Lucerne region. A sightseeing experince through Lucerne's medieval streets leads to the Swiss Alps Experience — the natural highlight of the tour. An optional Swiss Evening adds a final cultural flourish. The Rhine Valley extension continues the journey north through Heidelberg — with its famous castle wine barrel — into the Rhineland for a full-day excursion: Cologne Cathedral, the Haribo Factory Store, and the Haus der Geschichte, a museum of contemporary German history that brings the 20th century into sharp, accessible focus.