9 or 11 days
Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Neuschwanstein, Liechtenstein, Lucerne region, Freiburg, Heidelberg, extension to Rhineland and Cologne
Program designed to: Show that the hills truly do come alive on this delightful exploration of three alpine regions connected by language, history and culture. Experience it all, from Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg and Mad King Ludwig’s fairytale castle at Neuschwanstein to Lucerne’s medieval covered bridges and Munich’s Hofbrau Haus—one of Europe’s oldest beer halls. Connect with locals on visits to bustling cities and picturesque mountain villages.

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.
  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany

  • Day 2: Munich

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Take 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

  • 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

  • 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
    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Swiss Alps experience

    Swiss Alps experience

    This exciting half-day adventure takes you to the top of one of the Swiss Alps, the majestic mountainous backdrop of Lucerne. Journey to the base of the mountain by boat and ride a cog railway to the top. You’ll reach the summit and be rewarded with a splendid panorama of Lucerne, its lake, and the glorious snow-capped Alps. On a clear day, you can see for more than 200 miles! You’ll get back to the foot of the mountain by way of a gondola ride. (Please note: Mountains can be cold, even in summer; warm clothes and appropriate shoes are recommended.) 

    Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region

  • 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

  • Day 9: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 9: Heidelberg • Rhineland

    Travel to the Rhineland, a hub for agriculture and wineries that was once a demilitarized zone during WWII  

    Enjoy a Rhine cruise from Ruedesheim and continue past the terraced vineyards and age-old castles of the St. Goarshausen (March through October) 

    Enjoy dinner in Rhineland

  • Day 10: Rhineland • Cologne

    Take an excursion to Cologne, the historic, cultural, and economic capital of the Rhineland 

    Visit the Cologne Cathedral, a sublime, war-scarred Gothic cathedral that took more than 600 years to complete; its impressive twin spires are among the tallest in the world

    Tour Cologne with an expert local guide, including its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996

    Enjoy dinner in Rhineland

  • Day 11: Depart for home

  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany

  • Day 2: Munich

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Take 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

  • 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

  • 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
    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Swiss Alps experience

    Swiss Alps experience

    This exciting half-day adventure takes you to the top of one of the Swiss Alps, the majestic mountainous backdrop of Lucerne. Journey to the base of the mountain by boat and ride a cog railway to the top. You’ll reach the summit and be rewarded with a splendid panorama of Lucerne, its lake, and the glorious snow-capped Alps. On a clear day, you can see for more than 200 miles! You’ll get back to the foot of the mountain by way of a gondola ride. (Please note: Mountains can be cold, even in summer; warm clothes and appropriate shoes are recommended.) 

    Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region

  • 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

  • Day 9: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 9: Heidelberg • Rhineland

    Travel to the Rhineland, a hub for agriculture and wineries that was once a demilitarized zone during WWII  

    Enjoy a Rhine cruise from Ruedesheim and continue past the terraced vineyards and age-old castles of the St. Goarshausen (March through October) 

    Enjoy dinner in Rhineland

  • Day 10: Rhineland • Cologne

    Take an excursion to Cologne, the historic, cultural, and economic capital of the Rhineland 

    Visit the Cologne Cathedral, a sublime, war-scarred Gothic cathedral that took more than 600 years to complete; its impressive twin spires are among the tallest in the world

    Tour Cologne with an expert local guide, including its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996

    Enjoy dinner in Rhineland

  • Day 11: Depart for home


Learning outcomes on this program

Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness


EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources

With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development
See the resources you get
EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources


With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development

See the resources you get


Your experience includes

  • Round-trip airfare

    Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group

  • Accommodations

    Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.

  • On-tour transportation

    Land transportation

  • Regional-style meals

    Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.

  • End-to-end support

    Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.

  • EF Global Learning Toolkit

    To capitalize on moments for building empathy, awareness, and adaptability in a global environment, we offer a number of different tools designed 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.

  • Full-time Field Director

    Your Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.

  • Expert Local Guides

    Your expert Local Guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.

  • Guided sightseeing

    Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour.

  • Entrances

    Dachau; Salzburg Salt Mines; Nordkette Cable Car; Neuschwanstein; Heidelberg Castle wine barrel and Rhine Cruise and Cologne Cathedral with extension

  • Worldwide support, safety and security

    EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $50 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.

  • Flexible payment options

    Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.


Programs in real life

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Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

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