France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany

WorldStrides
Travel to France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria with WorldStrides.
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Day 1 Overnight flight to France (Paris)
Day 2 Bonjour Paris
Paris city walk
Île de la CitéNotre-Dame CathedralÎle Saint-LouisLatin Quarter
Dinner in Latin Quarter
Details: Meet your LEAP-trained Tour Director
LEAP encompasses the best practices of student-centered learning. Your Tour Director will get to know you and your group, will push you to think deeply, and will prepare thoughtful, hands-on opportunities to display your learning. LEAP is exclusive to WorldStrides and is what makes our Tour Directors unique and our programs transformative.
Details: Paris city walk
This city was made for walking. Stroll grand boulevards with sweeping views of the city, pristine parks with trees planted in perfect rows, and narrow streets crowded with vendors selling flowers, pastries and cheese. Then head to the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, to see Notre Dame Cathedral.
Details: Notre-Dame Cathedral
View the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.
Day 3 Paris
Breakfast
Paris guided sightseeing tour
Arc de TriompheChamps‑ÉlyséesEiffel TowerLes InvalidesOpera House
Versailles guided excursion (pre-book only)
State ApartmentsHall of MirrorsGardens of Versailles
Dinner
Details: Paris guided sightseeing tour
What's that huge white arch at the end of the Champs-Élysées? The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Your licensed local guide will elaborate on this, and other Parisian landmarks. See some of the most famous sites, including the ornate 19th-century Opera, the Presidential residence and the Place de la Concorde, where in the center you’ll find the Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt in 1836. Spot chic locals (and tons of tourists) strolling the Champs-Élysées. Look up at the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. See Les Invalides (a refuge for war wounded) and the École Militaire (Napoleon's alma mater).
Details: Versailles guided excursion (pre-book only)
The ultimate palace, Versailles was built by Louis XIII, and housed the royal family and its groveling court from 1682, when Louis XIV the Sun King moved in, to the French Revolution. Everything in Versailles is worth a look, from the 250-foot-long Hall of Mirrors, with themed salons- "war" and "peace" -on either side, to Marie Antoinette's faux country hamlet. When being a queen became too much to bear, she would pretend to be a commoner, tending her sheep and wearing peasant clothes. (Please note Versailles is closed on Mondays.)
Details: Seine River cruise
See the city from the water on an hour-long cruise along the River Seine. The Seine cuts right through Paris, dividing the city in half. See the Eiffel tower rising up on the Left Bank, the walls of the Louvre on the Right Bank. A guide will point out other monuments and architectural marvels as you pass, many of which are illuminated by clear white light at night.
Day 4 Paris--Lucerne
Breakfast
Travel to Basel on the TGV (one of Europe’s fastest trains)
Basel city walk
Basel MinsterMarket SquareMiddle Bridge
Dinner
Details: Basel city walk
Explore Basel's rich culture and charm at the Old Town's Market Square, Middle Bridge, and the Minster.
Details: Travel to Lucerne
Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and a focal point of the region. Due to its location on the shore of Lake Lucerne, within sight of Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne is traditionally considered first and foremost as a tourist destination.
Day 5 Lucerne
Breakfast
Dinner
Details: Lucerne tour director-led sightseeing
Before a backdrop of snow-capped Alpine mountains and green, cow-filled pastures, join your Tour Director on a trip to Lucerne’s famous sights. Weave your way through a maze of narrow, winding streets until you reach the River Reuss and the Medieval Kapellbrücke Bridge. Stop to marvel at the bridge walls, decorated with murals that recreate the 14th-century originals destroyed in a fire. Journey down the cobblestone streets in the Old Town to see the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), the sombre sandstone wild cat gazing down into a reflecting pool, and ponder this artfully chiseled statue created to honor the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries in 1792.
Details: Chapel Bridge
One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century. It has also been voted as the 5th most popular tourism destination in the world.
Details: Lion Monument
View the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, created in 1820 in honor of the Swiss Guards who lost their lives in 1792 during the French Revolution.
Details: Jesuit Church
View the impressive Jesuitenkirche which was the first large baroque church built in Switzerland. The ostentatious baroque style architecture is meant to represent the power and glory of the Catholic tradition.
Details: Weinmarkt and Kornmarkt Squares
Stroll through the picturesque medieval Weinmarkt Square and the Kornmarkt Square in the historical heart of Lucerne.
Details: LEAP Swiss Life and Legends
Legends of William Tell, the Lion Monument, Swiss independence and more come to life as you reenact episodes in the history of Switzerland.
Details: Mt. Pilatus excursion
Scale snow-capped Mount Pilatus to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lucerne’s skyline and Alpine panoramas galore. In the summer (May to mid-Nov.), you’ll take a boat across Lake Alpnach and then ascend the slope on the world’s steepest cog railway; the rest of the year, you’ll ascend by cable car. Once atop the mountain, it’s your chance to snap some of the most frame-worthy photos -- keep your fingers crossed for a clear day, when mountain-top views span as far as 200 miles.
Day 6 Lucerne--Innsbruck
Breakfast
Travel to Innsbruck via Liechtenstein
Innsbruck city walk
Old Town SquareGolden Roof
Details: Innsbruck city walk
Explore Innsbruck’s Old Town (Altstadt), where clusters of rustic white-stuccoed homes trimmed in brown blend into the Alpine backdrop. At the heart of the cobbled streets stands the glittering Golden Roof, its 2,657 copper shingles gleaming above the balcony where Emperor Maximilian I and his love Bianca once vowed to stay together forever.
Day 7 Innsbruck--Munich
Breakfast
Travel to Munich
Details: Hohenschwangau excursion
Travel to the picturesque Bavarian village of Hohenschwangau which is located between two famous castles: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Visit Hohenschwangau Castle, the childhood residence of King Ludwig II, and enjoy a hike up towards Neuschwanstein Castle for breathtaking views of the castle and the surrounding Bavarian Alps.
Details: Hohenschwangau Castle visit
Learn about the castle’s history and its significance as the childhood home of King Ludwig II. The views from the castle are breathtaking, with the serene Lake Alpsee and the surrounding Bavarian Alps providing a picturesque backdrop.
Details: Neuschwanstein Castle and Queen Mary's Bridge photo stop
Enjoy a scenic walk up the hill to Neuschwanstein Castle and over to Queen Mary's Bridge (known locally as Marienbrücke) for unbeatable views of King Ludwig II's fairytale castle and the surrounding Bavarian Alps.
Details: Bavarian bratwurst dinner
Enjoy Bavarian- or Berlin-style sausage with traditional sides, made from veal and pork back bacon (Bavarian-style), or fried pork (Berlin style).
Day 8 Munich
Breakfast
Dinner
Details: Munich guided sightseeing tour
Join a professional licensed tour guide for a whirlwind look at Munich. Founded in the 12th century by Henry the Lion, Munich now roars with the hustle and bustle of modern German life. As you pass by Marienplatz (named after the square’s gilded Virgin Mary and Child statue), mechanical knights joust and coopers dance to the folk-music chimes of the Neues Rathaus’s Glockenspiel. The twin onion-bulb towers of the Frauenkirche Cathedral frame this whimsical display, while the scents, sounds and colors of the nearby food market attempt to draw your attention elsewhere. Resist temptation and continue on to Olympiapark, a new suburb built for the 1972 Olympic Games. Pass by several museums, such as the BMW Museum, Alte Pinakothek (home to Munich’s most precious art collections), and the Deutsches Museum of science and technology.
Details: Marienplatz
Discover the area of Munich around Marienplatz, which is dedicated to the patron of the city. See the Neues Rathaus and observe the Glockenspiel on its facade. This is the fourth largest chiming clock in Europe, and stages an elaborate performance twice a day.
Details: BMW Welt showroom visit
Visiting the BMW Welt showroom is an immersive experience where you can explore the latest BMW models, learn about cutting-edge automotive technology, and enjoy the sleek, modern design of the venue.
Details: 1972 Olympia Park
See Olympia Park, the site of the 1972 Olympics. Buildings include the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Hall, and the Aquatic Center. Many cultural events are still held at Olympia Park.
Details: Dachau Concentration Camp & Memorial visit
A grim glimpse into the past, Dachau was the first of Nazi Germany’s camps and a model for the 3,000 work and concentration camps to come. A chilling memorial to the 206,000 prisoners who were interned in the camp from 1933 to 1945, the museum examines pre-1930 anti-Semitism, the rise of the Nazi party, and the documented lives of prisoners.
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Day 9 Flight home from Munich
Breakfast
Depart on your flight home today. Return home date is subject to flight schedule.
Day 10 Return home

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    Day 9 Start extension to Berlin & Salzburg
    Breakfast
    Dinner
    Details: Salzburg guided excursion
    Visit the hills that are still very much alive with music. Surrounded by towering snow-capped Alpine mountains, Salzburg was fashioned in Baroque style architecture by three Bishop Princes back in the late 16th century. Discover all kinds of medieval spires, domes, belfries and turrets atop city buildings and houses of worship. Visit Mozart’s birthplace in Old Town. Relive scenes from The Sound of Music at the yellow castle the infamous von Trapp family called home. You’ll also visit the salt mines. The area near Salzburg is one of the oldest centers of salt production in the world. You’ll journey back to the time when salt was still considered “white gold”.
    Details: Mozart’s birthplace visit
    Feel the rhythm of Salzburg’s Old Town Square as you enter the unassuming yellow domicile at Getreidegasse 9. This is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. View an impressive collection of the young composer’s first instruments and immerse yourself in the captivating saga of this prodigy’s early life.
    Day 10 Munich--Berlin
    Breakfast
    Travel to Berlin by train
    Berlin guided sightseeing tour
    Checkpoint CharliePotsdamer PlatzBerlin WallBrandenburg Gate
    Dinner
    Details: Berlin guided sightseeing tour
    Join a professional, licensed tour guide as you discover one of the most historical cities in Germany. Although nothing remains of the mortar and cement-block barrier between East and West Berlin, the Berlin Wall (built in 1961; destroyed in 1989) is still a main “site” in Berlin. View the well-known Brandenburg Gate, once a main gate hidden behind a 10-foot barrier and now known for celebratory dancing on its flat top during the reunification. Travel to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the most famous border crossing point. Checkpoint Charlie, once a wooden guard hut, was the most (in)famous border-crossing point between East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. All that remains of the checkpoint itself is a skeletal watchtower and a memorial of attempted escapees. Follow your guide as they lead you through the museum’s accounts of the most ingenious of these escape attempts— even a few by hot air balloon.
    Details: Topography of Terror visit
    The Topography of Terror in Berlin is a museum and historical site that chronicles the crimes of the Nazi regime, particularly those committed by the Gestapo, SS, and Reich Security Main Office. It offers exhibitions, educational programs, and includes historical remnants like a section of the Berlin Wall to provide a thorough understanding of this period.
    Day 11 Potsdam
    Breakfast
    Dinner
    Details: Jewish Museum visit
    Located on the line that once separated East and West Germany, this stirring museum was built in the shape of a warped Star of David and focuses on the realities of Jewish life in Germany, from ancient times up to the horrors of the Holocaust.
    Details: Guided excursion to Potsdam
    Seen as Germany’s “Little Hollywood” from 1921 through WWII, Potsdam was the dazzling city of Frederick the Great, with countless marble fountains, exotic pavilions and Baroque castles (mostly built in the name of Frederick and Prussia’s power). Drive on to Sanssouci Palace, Fredrick the Great's most opulent palace. See the windmill and walk around the palace grounds where Fredrick and his dogs are now buried and see the great fountain and vineyards.
    Day 12 Flight home from Berlin
    Breakfast
    Depart on your flight home today. Return home date is subject to flight schedule.
    Day 13 Return home
    Tour Includes:
    • LEAP – Learning through Exploring and Actively Participating increases engagement, critical thinking, understanding of diverse perspectives, and personal growth.
    • WorldStrides Tour Director: An experienced education and destination professional, trained in LEAP, who engages students with hands-on learning opportunities.
    • Round-trip airfare and transportation to activities in the itinerary
    • Hotel accommodations
    • Meals as per itinerary
    • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
    • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
    • WorldStrides Tour Journal (available upon request)
    • WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
    • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
    • Tips for local guides and drivers are included (except multi‑day bus drivers). Tour cost doesn’t include optional pre‑paid tips for the Tour Director or multi‑day bus driver unless the pre‑paid tip option has been purchased.
    • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees.
    • Note: Tour cost does not cover entry requirements or related fees. This includes, but is not limited to, REAL ID, passports, visas, and travel‑authorization fees.
    We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.800.771.5353 to price this tour with your requested options.
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    7123.90 total fee
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