From West to Fests. Here's where we go and what we do:
From West to Fests and Smoked Beer Tour Aug 16-30, 2024
$4199/pp, or $3399/pp if purchasing your own airfare (based on dual occupancy)
From West to Fests and Smoked Beer Tour Details
Travel like a local for 14 days and 13 nights, including hotel and round-trip airfare, as we begin our tour in Köln (Cologne) near Germany’s western border with Belgium and then travel to the three largest beer festivals in Central and Southern Bavaria outside the Munich Oktoberfest. We take advantage of a short gap in the festival schedule to visit Bamberg, home of some World-famous smoked beers, and visit the World’s largest beer garden, seating up to 30,000 beer patrons at a time – within 25 combined beer gardens on the nearby mountain.
Sample Itinerary
Travel Day – Depart the USA, Arrive in Germany
Depart the USA on August 16th and arrive in Frankfurt Germany the following morning, August 17th.
Day 1 – Travel to Köln – Kölsch Beers
We pick up our bags in the Frankfurt Airport, proceed through German Customs, and board The Bahn with our German Rail Passes, and take the short 1-hour train ride to Köln (Cologne), where we drop off our bags at the tour hotel and head for the first of nine Kölsch beer taprooms and breweries. We use the local U-Bahn and take short walks to visit these taprooms and breweries on this daily walking beer tour.
Day 2 – Open Day in Köln
We explore the city and the legendary cathedral, which was built over a span of 150 years. We visit a few more brewery taprooms during the afternoon.
Day 3 – Travel to Bamberg & Walking Tour
We finish up West, board The Bahn, and head for Bamberg, the gateway to our first large Festival. Early train departure on The Bahn for a 3-hour train ride to Franconia in Northern Bavaria. We’ll drop our bags at today’s tour hotel and start exploring the Old Town and Bamberg’s amazing smoked beers. We’ll also see the Bamberger Dom, the city’s very large cathedral and scenic Old City square.
Day 4 – Our 1st Festival – Gäubodenvolksfest
We catch The Bahn this morning for a ride through Nürnberg and Regensburg to the little town of Straubing where we’ll enjoy the Gäubodenvolksfest alongside the Danube River. Don’t be fooled by the size of the town, because they put on a huge festival that lasts for 10 days with over 1 million visitors each year. We’ll exit the train and walk about 1/2 mile to the festival grounds where we’ll sample many beers and enjoy the festival revelry.
Day 5 – Weyermann Malting and Nearby Breweries
We’ll walk through the Central Market in Bamberg on our way to the Weyermann Malting Facility, where we’ll tour the manufacturing plant and learn more about the grain malting process. After lunch, we’ll hop on the local bus and tour breweries in nearby towns.
Day 6 – The Kellerwald
We take the bus to the Bamberg Central Train Station, and board the S-Bahn for a quick 20-minute ride to Forchheim – home of the Kellerwald (roughly translated as – Cellar in the Forest). The nearby mountain contains tunnels and caves used for over 500 years as cool storage for local brewery beers. There are 25 beer gardens on the mountain road, each representing a different brewery, with over 130 different beers and many local food specialties.
Day 7 – Travel to Munich
We board The Bahn for Munich, in Southern Bavaria, drop our bags at the tour hotel and head downtown for a walking tour of Munich. We’ll stop in the main city square, see the Glockenspiel, the city market (Vitualienmarkt) and enjoy some great beer at the World Famous Hofbraühaus and Scheineder Weisses Braühaus before heading to dinner.
Day 8 – The Castles of King Ludwig II
We’ll depart the hotel, grab breakfast on the way to Munich’s Central Train Station, where we’ll board our tour bus to visit the famous castles of King Ludwig II. Linderhof was the King’s private hunting lodge in the secluded Bavarian Forest, and Neuschwanstein was the pattern for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle and overlooks the King’s Lake (Königsee) and the Bavarian valley below.
Day 9 – Travel to Augsburg – Our 2nd Festival
We’ll board The Bahn for a train ride 35 miles west of Munich to Augsburg, home of the Plärrer Fest, which hosts nearly 1.2 million visitors each year. We’ll visit two breweries located in and near the Augsburg Central Train Station. One brewery includes a bottle shop where you can buy some limited-edition beers, to take home, then we’ll proceed to the Plärrer Festival for beer, food, and fun.
Day 10 – Tour The Oldest Brewery in the World
We’ll have breakfast on the go before boarding the S-Bahn for a trip to Freising to visit and tour the World’s oldest brewery at Weihenstephan, brewing since 1040 AD. After our tour, we’ll have lunch at the famous Bräustüberl, shop at the Weihenstephan store, and head back to Munich for some last-minute souvenir hunting. We’ll stop at a small local craft brewery near our tour hotel for dinner and then head to the hotel.
Day 11 – Barthelmarkt, Our 3rd Festival
We board The Bahn with our German Rail Passes and take the short train ride to Ingolstadt, about 50 miles north of Munich, and head 2 1/2 miles South to the little town of Oberstimm, where we’ll visit opening day of the Barthelmarkt Festival – a four-day event hosting nearly 250,000 visitors.
Day 12 – Tour Andechs Monastery and Shopping
We’ll have breakfast on the go before boarding the S-Bahn for a trip to visit the Holy Hill and Andechs Monastery, brewing great beer since 1455 AD. We'll return to Munich for some late afternoon shopping and pack our bags for tomorrow's train ride to Frankfurt
Day 13 – Travel to Frankfurt
We board The Bahn for our final train trip, arrive in Frankfurt, check in to the tour hotel, and spend the afternoon and evening visiting the nearby Sachsenhausen area for the Apfel Wein (Apple Wine) tour where we’ll have our farewell dinner, and then do some final packing for the next day’s journey back to the USA.
Day 14 – Travel to the USA
Our departure times are fairly similar, so we’ll journey to the airport together. We’ll depart our tour hotel and board the S-Bahn for Frankfurt Airport to travel back to the USA. It’s best to get a bite to eat after proceeding through airport security, and then do a little final souvenir shopping as we wing our way home.
Tour Deposit
$700
Due prior to May 1st, 2024 and fully refundable if travel plans change, up until flight and hotel plans are made. Once flight and hotel plans are complete, tour fees are non-refundable and trip refunds are conducted with the travel company providing, tours, transportation, and lodging, based on their published travel policies.
Air, Hotel, Local Transportation and Bus Tours Fee
$3499, or $2799 if purchasing your own airfare + any single occupancy fee
Due by May 25th, 2024. Includes round trip airfare, hotel, local transportation fees, and all motorcoach tours. You have the option to choose your own flight itinerary, and I’ll book your flight, hotel, and the tours, as soon as your tour fee is paid. My booking process is what provides substantial tour savings, and flexibility in your flight schedules.
Travel Insurance
Optional
Travel Insurance is available at an additional cost, by a number of insurance providers, such as travel companies (Expedia, Priceline, etc…) or Berkshire-Hathaway. This can be a very cost-effective option, should anything go awry in the travel process, and I can advise on options to select, once you elect to go on tour.