Grand Alpine Adventure

Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Belgium for an overnight stay.

We leave our hotel and travel to the Moselle Valley and visit the tiny town of Alken where you have the chance to sample some of the local wine at the House of Anton Hammes on our optional winetasting. The Hammes family have been vintners here for some 300 years, and you will be given a tour through the old cellars, where you will see some fine vintages. We then enjoy a winetasting, with different varieties offered, before having the chance to purchase your favourites to bring home with you! This afternoon we travel to the Rhine Valley where we visit the riverside town of Boppard, surrounded by vineyards and castles. Why not join our optional cruise, which lasts for approximately 1 ¼ hours, and will take us through the Rhine gorge, famous for its ancient castles, picturesque villages and vine clad slopes. We see the Cat and Mouse castles and also the Loreley Rock, home to one of the most well-known legends of Germany, a place where centuries ago sailors would drown in the river after becoming entranced by the beauty of the Loreley maiden. Our cruise is a perfect way to view the splendour of the Rhine. This evening we stay overnight in the Wiesbaden/Frankfurt area.

We depart the hotel and commence our journey south through Germany calling at Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber located on the aptly- named Romantic Road. There will be free time for sightseeing and shopping, be sure to see the old town hall and its glockenspiel. We then continue to Austria and the Salzburgerland area, our base for the next three nights.

After breakfast we travel to Salzburg, the ‘Sound of Music City’ on our superb included excursion. One of the most beautiful cities in Austria, Salzburg has something to offer every visitor, from lovely squares and medieval lanes to Gothic churches and quaint cafés. To make the most of your time in the city why not join our optional guided walking tour with a local, English speaking guide? During our tour you will see many sights featured in the Sound of Music film along with many other attractions of this famous alpine city. Admire the baroque splendour of the churches and cathedral, the might of the Hohensalzburg fortress and also the quaint Getriedegasse, one of the most beautiful shopping streets of Austria. A visit to Salzburg would not be complete without the mention of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and before the tour is over we see his former birthhouse and also the square that is named after and dedicated to the famous composer. A truly memorable experience awaits you and all at a relaxed pace. This afternoon our included excursion takes us to the heart of the Salzkammergut area to visit Hallstatt on the shore of Hallstattersee, one of the most photogenic spots in Austria, as the village seems to cling to the lake shore in the shadow of towering pine clad mountains.

A fantastic optional excursion today as we leave our hotel and take one of the most spectacular roads in Austria as we ascend the country’s highest mountain along the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse. Be sure to have your camera ready to capture this impressive icy world from the Franz-Josefs-Heights viewing platform. We continue to the charming town of Heiligenblut, nestled at the foot of the Grossglockner Mountain for free time before returning to our hotel.

We cross into Slovenia for two nights in the Bled or Kranjska Gora area, arriving early afternoon. Later, why not join our transfer to Kranjska Gora centre where you have free time. The town is most famous for its winter sports and in the summer it’s popular for walking and cycling due to its breathtaking surroundings.

We start the day with a visit to Lake Bled where there will be free time in the town for you to explore or perhaps simply relax in one of the cafes. Why not try the local specialty, Kremna Rezina, a delicious vanilla custard and cream cake. To make the most of your visit, why not join our optional sightseeing tour with an included visit to the Castle of Bled. Often referred to as the pearl of the Alpine Region, the lake is situated in a picturesque environment surrounded by mountains and forests. Our guide will show us the main sights before continuing to the cliff top castle, one of Slovenia’s oldest medieval fortresses (entrance included). Later in the sightseeing tour we take an included boat trip across the lake to the island, which houses the church of the Assumption of Mary. Entrance into the Church is also included in the sightseeing tour.

We depart our hotel and travel west towards the Dolomites, calling at the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. After free time to explore this popular Italian resort we continue through the mountains to our overnight hotel in the Sud Tirol.

After breakfast we leave the hotel and travel to Innsbruck on our included excursion. The capital of the Tyrol, on the River Inn and at the foot of the Karwendel Alps, Innsbruck is the fifth largest city in Austria. This beautiful city is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery and steeped in history. Be sure to see the famous Golden Roof or perhaps stroll along the Maria Theresien Strasse with its bustling shops. We continue our journey into Switzerland where we pause at St. Moritz for free time. Sporting life has always been an important part of St. Moritz, 100 years ago the first British visitors use to stage Toboggan races in the streets. The city has also been the host of two winter Olympic Games and today has a multitude of winter sports taking place including alpine and cross country skiing, figure skating, hockey, curling and bobsledding. We continue to our hotel for an overnight stay.

Our route to Naters for a two-night stay takes in some of Europe’s grandest passes. We negotiate the heights of the Julierpass and then follow the shores of Lake Maggiore before climbing the Simplon Pass where we can enjoy dramatic views and spectacular sights.

A day at leisure or alternatively, join our optional excursion to the traffic free town of Zermatt. We arrive in the town of Täsch by coach and then travel by train to Zermatt. You will have free time in this internationally renowned resort village set spectacularly below the Matterhorn. During the day we offer you the opportunity to join a further optional excursion with a ride on the Gornergrat Rack Railway. Gornergrat, above Zermatt, is Switzerland's highest open-air train station. The Gornergrat railway has been running since 1898. Discover a top-class natural paradise: the Gornergrat Bahn takes you from Zermatt up the 3089 m high Gornergrat, from where, weather permitting, there are superb views of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, the ‘pink mountain’.

We leave our hotel today and descend to the shores of Lake Geneva where we visit the Birthplace of the Natural Mineral Water, Evian. We continue to the city of Geneva where you can explore some of the sights including the Jet d’Eau Fountain and the Reformation Monument. After time at leisure we continue to our overnight hotel in Villars.

To northern France for an overnight stay.

Return home.