BOOKING INFORMATION
April 12 - 26, 2026
$6975.00
Land Only: $5,655.00 Single Supplement: $1,085.00
Waitlist Only
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*If the tour is SOLD OUT, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.
A leisurely tour of Austria, featuring superb scenery in the Tyrolean Alps in and around Innsbruck; the great city of Salzburg with its memories of Mozart and “Sound of Music”; the scenic Danube Valley; and, of course, the unsurpassed metropolis of Vienna; with side trips to Bolzano in Italy and Bratislava in Slovakia. The tour features excellent 4-star hotels and most meals as well as two concerts; it is offered in collaboration with Guelph Arts Council and is conducted by Jacques Pauwels, PhD, author of books such as ‘Beneath the Dust of Time: A History of the Names of Peoples and Places’ and many other books published in ten languages.
Tour Price: $6,795.00 CAD per person based on double occupancy
Single Room Supplement: $1,085.00 CAD
Land Only: $5,655.00 CAD per person based on double occupancy.
April 12 - 26, 2026
Land Only: $5,655.00 Single Supplement: $1,085.00
DOWNLOAD PDF OF ITINERARY
*If the tour is SOLD OUT, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.
Departure at 5:30 PM for Munich with Air Canada.
Arrival at 7:45 AM at Munich Airport, where a private coach will be waiting to take us along the Autobahn and across the nearby Austrian border to the city of Innsbruck, capital of Austria’s Alpine province, Tyrol, located in the valley of the Inn River and surrounded by towering mountains. We will stay here for four nights in the centrally located first-class/four-star Hotel Grauer Bär. Dinner in the hotel.
Morning sightseeing tour of Innsbruck’s old town with the medieval building known as the Golden Roof; the pedestrian, arcaded main street, Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse; picturesque Maria-Theresa Street with the Annasäule (St. Anna Column); the scenic banks of the Inn River; the Triumphal Gate; and the Imperial Court Church. The afternoon is free to explore on your own. If not afraid of heights, you may want to take a ride on the Nordkettebahn (Nordkette Cable Car) to the “Top of Innsbruck” and enjoy the fabulous view of the city from an altitude of 2,200m! Dinner in a typical restaurant.
After breakfast, visit to the Habsburg Court Church, the Hofkirche, where we can admire the splendid sarcophagus of Emperor Maximilian, surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues known locally as the “Black Men.” On to the adjoining Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art, housed in a former monastery and featuring a fabulous collection of handicrafts, costumes, household items, glass and pottery, peasant furniture, textiles, tools, metalwork, and religious and secular folk art from the various regions of Tyrol. Rest of the day at leisure. No group dinner this evening.
Full-day excursion, via an expressway across the historic Brenner Pass, to Bolzano, the very attractive capital of the German-speaking region of Northern Italy known as South Tyrol or Alto Adige. Our program there features a walk through the attractive old town and a visit to the local archaeological museum, whose pride and joy is “Iceman Oetzi,” a prehistoric hunter whose 5,000-year old mummified body was discovered in 1991 on a glacier high in the Alps. Also free time for individual exploring and shopping. Return to Innsbruck in late afternoon. Dinner in the hotel.
Departure from Innsbruck after breakfast. Motoring eastward, we cross back into Germany and head for the famous Alpine resort of Berchtesgaden, where we visit Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, perched high on the steep Kehlstein Mountain. The trip to Hitler’s “tea house” at the summit involves a ride by special bus along a spectacular but safe road and a ride in an elevator constructed for the Fuehrer himself! After this exciting visit, we cross the border again and head for the village of St. Leonhard, situated in the heart of the “Sound of Music” country, in the beautiful mountain scenery just outside Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace and unquestionably one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Our home for the next three nights will be the first-class, typically Austrian country inn Gasthof Untersberg, situated at the foot of the impressive Untersberg Mountain. Dinner in the excellent restaurant of the hotel.
A full day of sightseeing in the glorious city of Salzburg, with highlights such as the Cathedral, the picturesque Getreidegasse (main street), the scenic banks of the Salzach River, the St. Peter’s Church and its ancient cemetery, Mirabell Gardens, and a visit to the Mozart House in which the wunderkind was born in 1756. The afternoon is free to shop and/or explore Salzburg on your own. Returning to our hotel in the afternoon, there will be an opportunity to enjoy a breathtaking cable-car ride to the top of the Untersberg Mountain (optional). Today, group lunch or dinner. as we plan to enjoy a concert of classical music this afternoon or evening.
Full-day excursion into the wonderful Salzkammergut or “Salzburg Lake District,” a region very much associated, like Salzburg and surroundings, with the story of “Sound of Music.” First, we motor to Mondsee, a romantic village conjuring up memories of Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose wedding (in the movie) took place in the local church. On via the shores of Lake Mondsee to Unterach on Lake Attersee; the town of Bad Ischl, a spa that used to attract royals and aristocrats of the Habsburg Empire; and the very picturesque village of St. Wolfgang, situated on the shores of the homonymous lake and home to the Inn of the White Horse, famous for having inspired a popular operetta, where coffee breaks are traditionally enjoyed with apple strudel with lots of whipcream or another fine Austrian pastry! We return to our hotel via yet another lake, the Fuschlsee. Dinner in the hotel.
Today we leave the Salzburg area and enjoy a leisurely trip to Vienna via a very interesting and scenic route, much if not most of it through the scenic Danube River Valley. Sights en route will include the superb baroque Monastery of Melk, and the beautiful Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Landscape. Arriving in the Austrian capital in late afternoon, we ascend the Kahlenberg Mountain, site of a famous 1683 battle against the Turks, to enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Vienna and the Danube below! In the Austrian capital we stay in the first-class/four-star Hotel Johann Strauss. Today, group lunch OR dinner.
This morning, our sightseeing program focuses on Vienna’s historical city centre, encircled by the famous Ring Boulevard lined with stately buildings such as the Opera; the monument to Mozart; Heroes’ Square (Heldenplatz); the Hofburg residence of the Habsburg Emperors; Michael’s Square, with foundations of Roman Vienna, known as Vindobona, as well as outstanding ancient and modern architecture; the upscale pedestrian shopping district of Kaertner Strasse and Graben, the magnificent Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral. Mid-morning coffee break in the historical Café Demel with its 19th-century décor, conjuring up the pre-WW I era when the Habsburgs still ruled this part of Europe! In the afternoon, visit to the Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), considered to be one of the world’s finest museums because of its magnificent architecture and interior decoration plus an amazing art collection, including treasures from Ancient Egypt and Greek Antiquity to the late 18th century; among the highlights are paintings by the likes of Dürer, Raphael, Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Velázquez, and Vermeer. Dinner in a typical restaurant.
Morning visit to the state apartments and gardens of the magnificent Palace of Schoenbrunn, the summer residence of the Habsburgs, who ruled Austria from the Middle Ages until the end of World War I. Many rooms still feature the furniture and art that were there when the Habsburg abdicated at the end of World War I and Austria became a republic. The afternoon is at leisure, and this evening there will be no group dinner as we will attend a classical music concert.
Excursion to Bratislava, the small but very attractive capital of Slovakia, nestled on the banks of the mighty Danube at only a stone’s throw from the Austrian border. The main sights here are the hilltop castle, the Cathedral, the New Bridge across the Danube, and the attractive medieval inner city with narrow, winding streets as well as fine square featuring historic churches, monasteries, palaces, and monuments to Slovak poets and national heroes. After some free time to explore on your own, group lunch of Slovak culinary specialties in a typical restaurant. Return to Vienna in late afternoon. Free evening, with the possibility of attending another concert or perhaps an opera (optional).
Free day to enjoy Vienna as you wish. We recommend a visit to the Belvedere Palace, a site of great historic importance which now houses a fabulous museum of modern art, featuring the work of great Austrian masters such as Klimt, Schiele, and Kokoschka. Or how about heading for the Prater Amusement Park and enjoying a ride on its gigantic Ferris Wheel? Another fun experience is a visit to the Hundertwasser Haus, a spectacular creation by the controversial Austrian artist/architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser. No group dinner this evening.
Morning at leisure. After breakfast, excursion to the the bucolic hilly region known as the Vienna Woods, with the elegant spa and casino town of Baden, associated with Mozart and Beethoven, the hunting lodge at Mayerling, site of the tragic death of Habsburg Crown Prince Rudolph and his young mistress, and the venerable ancient Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz. Returning to Vienna, we head for the Grinzing district, formerly a village in the middle of the vineyards, where we will enjoy our final group dinner in a a typical Viennese wine tavern or “Heuriger”!
After breakfast, transfer to Vienna Airport in time for the departure of our return flight to Toronto.
- Flights from Toronto to Munich and back from Vienna, including one suitcase per person. - Accommodation, based on double occupancy, in first-class/4-star hotels; limited single rooms available - Breakfast daily and all but four dinners (or full lunches). - Overland transportation by private coach. - All visits and sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary, including admission to museums and monuments mentioned, and two classical music concerts. - Gratuities for driver(s) and local guide(s).
- All items of a personal nature. - Beverages with dinners and meals other than those outlined above. - Travel Insurance, available upon request.
August 24 - 31, 2025
$2,775 per person based on double occupancy
September 14 - 27, 2025
$8,975.00 based on double occupancy
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September 26 - October 06, 2025
Land Only: $4,195 based on double occupancy
