Depart USA on a Thursday evening flight and land in Munich on Friday morning to meet up with the group. We will meet at the airport by 11:00 AM. The world's oldest brewery, Weihenstephan, is nearby and we'll visit it for lunch. This brewery, dating from 1040, makes an amazing Weissbier as well as the other Bavarian styles. After a quick stop at the souvenier stand, we'll take the train on to downtown Munich and check into our hotel. An early dinner is planned at the world famous Hofbräuhaus in downtown Munich.

Enjoy a traditional German breakfast before we explore Munich. During our walking tour, you'll experience the history of Munich's old town and see the main sites of the city: The Glockenspiel at Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche, Old Peter, The open air market, Viktulaienmarkt, and some of the major sites of Munich's dark WWII history.

In the evening, we visit the most traditional of the Starkbierfest celebrations in Munich at the Löwenbräu Keller. The band plays favorite party hits and there is a beauty contest for the girls and "Strongman" competition for the men. It's a night you'll never forget!

Wake up early for a traditional Catholic mass (Bavaria is about 70% Catholic) at the oldest church in Munich, Alter Peter. Or, you can sleep in and meet us after the service for the Munich tradition of Frühschoppen -  Weißwurst and Weissbier at 10:00 at the Weisses Brauhaus. According to tradition, Munich families stop in after church to enjoy a snack, with beer of course, often listening to a traditional Bavarian band.

In the late afternoon, we'll catch the train to Bamberg. Bamberg is an UNESCO World Heritage site offering beautiful architecture, an amazing history, and world-class beer. In fact, we will be sleeping directly inside the brewery, Fässla, with the famous Spezial brewery direcly across the steeet.

A morning stroll through the city is a perfect start to the day. We'll visit the cathedral - home of the famous "Bamberg Knight" and the only pope buried north of the Alps, Pope Clement II. Learn first-hand why Claus von Stauffenberg, the philosopher Hegel and author and conductor E.T.A Hoffman loved to call Bamberg their home.

After our stroll through the city, Enjoy some free time or join us as we tour the rest of Bamberg's breweries: Klosterbraeu, Mahr's, Keesman, Greifenklau, and the famous smoked beer from Schlenkerla. With any luck, I'll introduce you to the famous Bamberg Onion for dinner.

After breakfast, we travel to the historical city of Nuremburg just a 60 minute train ride. To english speakers, "Nuremburg" invokes dark thoughts of Nazi Party Rallies, Race Laws, and trials. However, Nuremburg has a rich imperial history from the Middle Ages. The large castle from the Holy Roman Empire rules the Nuremburg skyline and the sandstone architecture reveals a time when Nuremburg was a wealthy trading city. We can visit the Party Rally grounds, the Castle and Old town, and perhaps even tour the beer cellar which were used in WWII to protect the population from the allied air raids.

Since the trains operate between Nuremburg and Bamberg every hour, we can play the day by ear and stay well into the evening, or opt to return earlier to Bamberg.

Board the train for Regensburg - another UNESCO heritage site. Located on the Danube, Regensburg was the northernmost outpost for the Romans in this region. Coming through WWII unscathed, Regensburg's streets transport you back to the Middle Ages.

On our way, we may stop off at the organic brewery of Lammsbräu. Their strict interpretation of the Reinheitsgebot inspires the freshest tasting beer you can imagine.

In the evening, we'll continue on to Regensburg where we plan on staying at the Hotel zum Fröhlichen Türken. Dinner is planned at Kneitinger am Arnulfsplatz. They have a magnificent Dunkles and a nice Helles - and Matthias, the Manager, makes sure we are 100% happy.

After breakfast and perhaps a quick stop by the Händlmaier Mustard shop, we'll take the train down to Abensberg. This small town is home to most unusual breweries, Kuchlbauer. This stunning brewery combines art and brewing science for a once-in-a-lifetime combination.

After our tour and tasting, we visit the famous Schneider Weisse Brewery in Kelheim. This was the first brewery licensed to sell Weissbier to non-nobility. Preserving tradition, but still pursuing new styles of Weissbier, Georg Schneider VI and his team are working to keep Schneider a top notch Weissbier brewery.  

We'll catch an early train back to Munich in plenty of time to check into our hotel - back to the St. Paul Hotel.

We'll use our free time in the afternoon to complete our tour of Munich - there is plenty left to see. The evening is planned at the Augustiner Keller. Augustiner is recognized by the locals as the best Munich beer - still served from wooden kegs! The Augustiner Keller is a small, cozy venue that you're sure to enjoy.

A pilgrimage to the "Holy Mountain" is today's activity. Many Bavarians say that if you had just one day to experience Bavaria, you should spend it at Kloster Andechs. This historical site, still run by Benedictine Monks, offers art, architecture, and spiritual refreshment. The Bräustuberl offers more earthly refreshments - the Doppelbock beer is world-famous and many come from miles around to eat the Schweinehaxe. Its hard to explain why Andechs is so special, but you are sure to agree that it is a very special place.

In the evening, we visit the #1 destination for Starkbierfest fun: Paulaner am Nockherberg. Located next to the Paulaner brewery, Paulaner am Nockherberg offers a large ballroom for the fest. The music is typical Oktoberfest hits: Country Roads, Cowboys & Indians, the Fliegerlied, etc - sing along as we all clink our heavy ceramic beer steins in celebration. An unforgettable evening!

Morning departure for Munich airport. We will assist you in reaching the airport in time for your flight (MVV Ticket not included). Join in for that last Weisswurst and Weissbier at the Airbräu - right at the airport. (I love this country!)

If you leave a little later, we can hit the Weisses Brauhaus one last time...