The Alps: Germany, Austria & Switzerland
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Group Leader's name: Jeremy Hise
Requested return date: 3/21/2027
Highlight: Develop an ear for how the sound of common words and phrases changes by region—from the standard German spoken in Munich to the Swiss German spoken in Lucerne.
🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany
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Day 2: Munich
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of Munich
With your Field Director you will see:
- Munich Cathedral, the representative landmark of Munich
- New Town Hall, a towering building home to the city government
- Hofbräuhaus, a famous beer hall dating back to the 16th century and a symbol of Bavarian hospitality
Enjoy a traditional Bavarian dinner in Munich
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Day 3: Munich
Take a guided tour of Munich
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Olympic Stadium, built for the 1972 Olympic Games
- Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs
- Marienplatz, Munich's main city square
🔹 Guided learning: With an expert local guide, visit and reflect at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, which today serves as a memorial museum and a stark reminder of the darkest chapter in this country’s long story
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Day 4: Munich • Salzburg • Innsbruck
Travel via Salzburg, the city of Mozart and the Sound of Music, on your way to Innsbruck
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Salzburg
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Old Town, known for it's baroque architecture and churches
- Residenz, the former royal power center of Salzburg
- Mozart’s birthplace, now a museum that will transport you back in time
Take an exciting underground tour via train, boat and wooden slides through the 450-year-old salt mines
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Day 5: Innsbruck
🔹 Cultural engagement: Tour Innsbruck, the beautiful capital of the Austrian province of Tyrol, with an expert local guide
Take the Nordkette Cable Car to the top station of the Karwendel Mountain Chain for a beautiful view
Enjoy dinner in Innsbruck
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Day 6: Innsbruck • Liechtenstein • Lucerne region
Travel via Liechtenstein and Neuschwanstein to the Lucerne region
Visit a Bavarian Castle
Stop to take a photo at Neuschwanstein Castle
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
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Day 7: Lucerne region
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Lucerne
With your Field Director you will see:
- Lion Monument, a sandstone statue commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the 1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries
- Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge dating back to medieval days adorned with colorful murals overhead
Enjoy time to explore on your ownEnjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
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Day 8: Lucerne region • Freiburg • Heidelberg
Travel via Freiburg to Heidelberg
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Freiburg on your own and see its many Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic buildings
Take a tour of Heidelberg, a renowned university city lined with medieval streets and peaked red roofs
Ride a funicular up to Heidelberg Castle, and stand beside the enormous wine barrel—it’s so large that a dance floor was once built on top of it for visitors’ amusement
Enjoy dinner in Heidelberg
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Day 9: Depart for home
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany
-
Day 2: Munich
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of Munich
With your Field Director you will see:
- Munich Cathedral, the representative landmark of Munich
- New Town Hall, a towering building home to the city government
- Hofbräuhaus, a famous beer hall dating back to the 16th century and a symbol of Bavarian hospitality
Enjoy a traditional Bavarian dinner in Munich
-
Day 3: Munich
Take a guided tour of Munich
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Olympic Stadium, built for the 1972 Olympic Games
- Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs
- Marienplatz, Munich's main city square
🔹 Guided learning: With an expert local guide, visit and reflect at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, which today serves as a memorial museum and a stark reminder of the darkest chapter in this country’s long story
-
Day 4: Munich • Salzburg • Innsbruck
Travel via Salzburg, the city of Mozart and the Sound of Music, on your way to Innsbruck
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Salzburg
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Old Town, known for it's baroque architecture and churches
- Residenz, the former royal power center of Salzburg
- Mozart’s birthplace, now a museum that will transport you back in time
Take an exciting underground tour via train, boat and wooden slides through the 450-year-old salt mines
-
Day 5: Innsbruck
🔹 Cultural engagement: Tour Innsbruck, the beautiful capital of the Austrian province of Tyrol, with an expert local guide
Take the Nordkette Cable Car to the top station of the Karwendel Mountain Chain for a beautiful view
Enjoy dinner in Innsbruck
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Day 6: Innsbruck • Liechtenstein • Lucerne region
Travel via Liechtenstein and Neuschwanstein to the Lucerne region
Visit a Bavarian Castle
Stop to take a photo at Neuschwanstein Castle
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
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Day 7: Lucerne region
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Lucerne
With your Field Director you will see:
- Lion Monument, a sandstone statue commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the 1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries
- Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge dating back to medieval days adorned with colorful murals overhead
Enjoy time to explore on your ownEnjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
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Day 8: Lucerne region • Freiburg • Heidelberg
Travel via Freiburg to Heidelberg
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Freiburg on your own and see its many Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic buildings
Take a tour of Heidelberg, a renowned university city lined with medieval streets and peaked red roofs
Ride a funicular up to Heidelberg Castle, and stand beside the enormous wine barrel—it’s so large that a dance floor was once built on top of it for visitors’ amusement
Enjoy dinner in Heidelberg
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Day 9: Depart for home
What's Included
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Transportation
Various modes of transport are tailored to your program. While some transfers are included, others may come at additional cost.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable lodging will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Select meals
Enjoy a combination of included meals and the freedom to explore local cuisine on your own.
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End-to-end support
Your dedicated EF team helps secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides enrollment tools, and helps establish your program’s ongoing presence on campus.
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EF Global Learning Toolkit
We offer various tools to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.
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Guided exploration
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides: natural historians who provide cultural insights to enhance learning moments throughout the program.
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Field Visits
Experience academics in action during engaging visits with relevant organizations, thought leaders, and partners.
Building skills for a global world
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| 97% growth in the number of students who were confident navigating unfamiliar places post study abroad.1 | 93% of students who studied abroad and entered the workforce were employed within 6 months of graduation, compared to 49% who did not study abroad.2 | Students who studied abroad saw 100% greater improvement in GPA.3 |
*Sources: 1: EF Study Abroad Program Impact 2018; 2: IES Abroad 2015; 3: Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative 2010
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