Insider's Vienna to Paris

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Vienna

Your ACIS Tour Manager will bid you a warm willkommen before you spend the day together exploring Austria’s captivating capital. Vienna is known for its rich musical heritage—Beethoven, Strauss and Haydn are some of the composers who have drawn on its quaint streets, lively squares and Baroque façades for inspiration.

Day 3: Vienna

The morning begins with guided city sightseeing of Vienna's notable historic attractions, including the Ringstrasse, Opera House and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Along the way you'll visit the Imperial apartments in the Hofburg Palace complex. In the afternoon, take a break at a traditional Viennese café—coffee is as ingrained in the city's culture as music. Order up a mélange or a milchkaffee. Don't order a decaf, though, as you'll need a little pep later when a local master mesmerizes you with a demonstration of the world famous Viennese Waltz before you take to the floor to give it a try. In the evening, we'll walk through the amusements at Prater Park.

Day 4: Salzburg

Today’s excursion starts with a drive to St. Wolfgang, nestled below impressive Mt. Schafberg. There you’ll board a boat for a cruise along the Wolfgangsee to St. Gilgen, a charming resort town. Here you’ll learn to make your own Mozartkugel (a small chocolate ball filled with pistachio paste) and receive a diploma for your confectionery achievements. Continue on with a drive to Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace.

Day 5: Munich

This morning a local guide shows you the lovely, manicured gardens in front of the Mirabell Palace, the Sound of Music Churchyard and the stunning Baroque Dom Cathedral before making your way down the crowded shopping street, the Getreidegasse. Later, you’ll ride the funicular up to the Hohensalzburg fortress, which looms over the city. Next stop: Munich, in time for dinner.

Day 6: Munich

Explore Bavaria's capital with an expert-guided sightseeing tour to sites like the Marienplatz with its famed Glockenspiel, the Viktualienmarkt food-and-flower market and the surfers on the Isar River in the Englischer Garten. Then head for BMW World, a showcase for the BMW brand, one of the industry's most influential auto makers. Later today, discover the city's hidden gems during a Munich by Bike tour of unique neighborhoods and sights off the beaten path. Your reward for all that pedaling: a tasty German sausage dinner.

Day 7: Lucerne

Today’s journey begins with a trip to crazy King Ludwig’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein—literally the stuff of legends (and Disney dreams). The famous castle, with its many turrets and towers, was opened to the public in 1886 and clings to the top of the surrounding cliffs. Then you’ll head for Vaduz, the capital of tiny Liechtenstein, for a visit before you cross the border into Switzerland and end your day in quaint Lucerne.

Day 8: Lucerne

This morning, your Tour Manager leads a walking tour of Lucerne and shows you the Altstadt (Old Town), Lion Monument and famous Chapel Bridge. Conquer the Alps this afternoon as you ascend 7,000 feet by cable car and the world's steepest cog railway to the breathtaking heights of Mount Pilatus.

Day 9: Lausanne

After a morning drive to Bern, explore the capital of Switzerland on a walking tour. Bern is famous for its stately buildings, public fountains and its history as the city where Einstein developed his theory of relativity. Next, indulge your sweet tooth at a chocolate tasting at the nearby chocolate factory in Broc. Satisfied, we continue on to picturesque, lakeside Lausanne.

Day 10: Paris

A morning train whisks you to Paris, the incomparable City of Light. In the afternoon, an expert local guide will take you past some of the city’s best-known attractions, such as the magnificent Arc de Triomphe at the top of the bustling Champs-Élysées, Napoleon’s final resting place at Les Invalides and the Gothic wonder of Notre Dame. This evening a tasty cultural exchange awaits—separate into small groups and be welcomed into the homes of local Parisians to enjoy an authentic dinner and lively conversation.

Day 11: Paris

Start your day with a visit to the magnificent Louvre. Breeze by the crowds with your timed entrance and discover the many famous masterpieces that call it home. Insightful commentary from your local guide highlights the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and more as you wander through the galleries. From its beginnings as a royal fortress to its current status as the world's most visited art museum, the Louvre has long been at the center of Parisian culture and home to a collection of 35,000 works of art from around the world. During a free afternoon, perhaps you'll immerse yourself in local culture by practicing your French with painters and vintage book sellers along the storied Seine. In the evening, ascend to the top of the iconic Eiffel Tower for breathtaking views of Paris—the perfect ending note to this adventure.

Day 12: Departure

Depart for the USA.