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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Luggage can be stored at the hotel if you arrive early. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon: Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. Please note that in Germany it is often expected to pay for using public restrooms with small change; we advise carry 50c pieces with you during field trips. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach several times; short walks to and standing at field trip sites; cobblestones. The specific sites seen during our motorcoach field trip will depend on schedules and local conditions at the time of the program.
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: Our Group Leader will continue the program introduction, and we’ll be joined by an expert local historian who will give a presentation on Berlin’s problematic past, its vibrant present, and potential future. We’ll then board a motorcoach with our expert for a field trip to see some of the city’s highlights including the Berlin Wall monument, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt Square with the restored Konzerthaus and the French and German churches, Paris Square and the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Square (the new and old), Memorial Church, and new architecture.
Lunch: At a pleasant spot during our field trip, we’ll stop and have packed lunches.
Afternoon: Our expert-led field trip continues aboard the motorcoach with stops at key sites.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 1.6 miles at different sites; standing, climbing flights of stairs. Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: In the morning, we will have an opportunity to venture behind the scenes of German politics and discuss current issues with a political expert. We will then take a walking field trip with the Group Leader this morning to one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the former Reichstag building that is now the seat of the Deutscher Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament. As we see and appreciate the magnificent architecture, we will also learn more from a staffer about Germany’s turbulent political past — and that mysterious 1933 fire! — before ascending to the recently rebuilt glass cupola. From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the parliamentary and government district and Berlin’s sights.
Lunch: On your own to sample local fare. Why not try a typical German dish, the "currywurst?" Did you know the invention of currywurst is attributed to Herta Heuwer, a true Berliner? Your Group Leader will be happy to point out the best place to give it a try!
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities at the end of the daily schedule. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: From the hotel, we’ll take the motorcoach to a restaurant.
Evening: We will enjoy a classical music concert.
Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestones, standing in the museum. Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will begin the morning with a lecture by a knowledgeable local expert who will join us in a conference room to provide an overview of Berlin's famous Museumsinsel — Museum Island — at the northern tip of Spree Island, where the settlement that became Berlin began. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Museum Island complex is home to five internationally acclaimed museums. After the lecture, we will go and see one of the exhibitions led by the local expert. The Altes Museum houses treasures from ancient Greece and Rome. The Alte Nationalgalerie, in a magnificent classical temple, has one of the largest collections of 19th century sculpture and paintings in Germany. The Bode Museum features sculptures, paintings, and a numismatic collection. The Neues Museum holds works of art from pre-history through Egyptian, including the world famous bust of Nefertiti. The Pergamon Museum is renowned for its extraordinary Babylonian, Greek and Roman antiquities.
Lunch: At a restaurant on Museum Island.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most. You are welcome to remain and continue exploring the treasures of Museum Island.
Dinner: On your own to enjoy local fare. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for transfer to Dresden in the morning.
Activity note: Walking a short distance to the train station. Our luggage will be sent ahead from Berlin to Dresden while we take the train and will be waiting for us at the hotel when we arrive; bring only what you will need on the train. The trip from Berlin to Dresden is approximately 2 hours depending on connections. Standing in the museum, walking on cobblestones. Walking and other activities during independent exploration according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we will take a short walk to the train station. Your luggage will be sent directly to the hotel in Dresden so you will only need to bring what you need for the train ride.
Lunch: At the hotel.
Afternoon: Before checking in at our hotel, we will visit the Royal Palace with a local expert. After this, you can visit the "Historic Green Vault" – one of Europe's finest treasure collections, recently reopened after 68 years – on your own. It was amassed by Augustus the Strong, the 18th-century Prince of Saxony. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore on your own or just relax. We recommend visiting one or more of the city’s 30 museums, many of them world-class institutions. Please note that some museums are closed on Mondays.
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles and standing, approximately 2.5 hours; cobblestones, climbing stairs. Walking and other activities during independent exploration according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: A local expert will lead our walking field trip in Dresden that provides an overview of the Old Town and sites including the Frauenkirche — Church of Our Lady — the Zwinger, Brühl’s Terrasse, Procession of Princes, Dresden Castle, and the New Synagogue. The Frauenkirche has been one of Dresden’s spiritual landmarks since the 11th century. The splendid Baroque church that replaced the old Gothic edifice in the 18th century was one of the city’s foremost architectural landmarks until 1945. Dresden was virtually destroyed by the massive Allied bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in the final stages of World War II. The Frauenkirche was among the casualties, its ruins standing for decades as a symbol of war’s destruction. Sentiment slowly grew for a restoration of the great church as a memorial to peace. It was restored piece by piece and reconsecrated in 2005 before an audience of 60,000 people with millions watching on television.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: As a special highlight, we will head out on foot for an expert-led field trip to see the Semperoper near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, another Dresden institution devastated by the 1945 bombing and later resurrected. It was long one of the finest opera houses in Europe, called “Semper” for its designer, Gottfried Semper, after opening in 1841. It took 40 years after World War II, but the building was completely reconstructed and reopened in 1985. It has continued to present some of the world’s greatest musical artists. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore on your own or just relax.
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer to Munich in the morning.
Activity note: Our luggage will be sent ahead from Dresden to Munich while we take the train and will be waiting for us at the hotel when arrive; bring only what you will need on the train. The trip from Dresden to Munich is about 290 miles, approximately 5 hours including one change of trains. Getting on/off a bus; walking up to 3 miles, cobblestone streets.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: With our Group Leader, we will take a train from Dresden to Munich.
Lunch: On your own either aboard the train – which has restaurant cars – or after arrival in Munich.
Afternoon: When we arrive at the hotel for check-in, collect your luggage and take some time to freshen up and relax before our next field trip. We’ll then meet a local expert for a walking field trip of Munich. Highlights include the Marienplatz, English Garden, Cathedral of our Blessed Lady, and Viktualienmarkt.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles through the museum. Taking of public transport to brewery.
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: We will gather in a conference room to hear a lecture about Munich and Bavaria. After this, we’ll have some time to explore the city on our own.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy local fare. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon: The Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek (Old and New Picture Galleries) are two of the important galleries in the world. Led by an expert, we’ll explore the artistic treasures of the “old” Pinakothek, which is indeed one of the world’s oldest galleries and was once the largest. Its magnificent collection consists of Old Masters from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Afterwards, we will transfer by public transportation to a local brewery where we will enjoy a short introduction about the art of brewing, plus — of course! — a tasting.
Dinner: At the brewery.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a tram. Walking up to 5 miles; extensive standing in the palace and gardens.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board the tram for an expert-led field trip to another special highlight, the Nymphenburg Palace in the western part of Munich. Begun in 1664, it was for many years the principal summer residence of Bavaria’s rulers. The palace is considered a unique synthesis of artistic achievement in baroque architecture and garden design. It is one of the largest palaces in Europe; the Italianate façade alone is more than 2,000 feet long. The complex of palace and landscaped garden park is beloved by Munich’s residents and visitors alike.
Lunch: On your own.
Afternoon: Free time.
Dinner: At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon. See your program’s “Transportation Information” regarding transfers.
Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!