The Alps: Germany, Austria & Switzerland
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
Add this in-depth excursion:
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
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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
Add more days
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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
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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
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Day 11: 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
-
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
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
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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
Add more days
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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
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Day 11: Depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
Your experience includes
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Round-trip airfare
Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.
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On-tour transportation
Land transportation
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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.
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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.
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Full-time Field Director
Your Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.
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Expert Local Guides
Your expert Local Guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.
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Guided sightseeing
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour.
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Entrances
Dachau; Salzburg Salt Mines; Nordkette Cable Car; Neuschwanstein; Heidelberg Castle wine barrel and Rhine Cruise and Cologne Cathedral with extension
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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.
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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.
