Language Immersion in Hamburg

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: Berlin

Upon arrival in Berlin, meet your ACIS Tour Manager and begin to explore this eclectic and electric city, considered one of Europe's cultural jewels. While Berlin was divided, Eastern and Western sections maintained separate opera houses and other institutions. Now the united city offers two of everything, and is known as a hub of innovation.

Day 3: Berlin

The day begins with a guided sightseeing tour of the city. You'll see some of Berlin's most important historical touchstones, including a portion of the Berlin Wall, the somber Holocaust Memorial, bustling Potsdamer Platz, and the infamous Checkpoint Charlie. In the afternoon, the city is yours to perhaps explore one of the institutions on Museum Island, sample wares at the food stalls of Markthalle Neun or stroll the paths of the Tiergarten.

Day 4: Berlin

Start the day by engaging your inner Künstler as you try something completely different: a street art workshop. You'll get a first-hand look at this edgy modern-art movement during a walking tour that will reveal many style examples, including stencils, paste-ups, graffiti, murals and tagging. Then draw on those for inspiration as local artists show you how to make your own street-savvy artwork. You'll end up with a one-of-a-kind personal souvenir to take home. Then trade paint brushes for pedals as you embark on a Berlin Wall bike tour, which passes by remnants of the infamous “death strip” that split Germany in two for almost three decades. Your tour guide will provide fascinating insights into the politics, history and human drama surrounding this notorious fallen icon.

Day 5: Hamburg

Today you'll board a high-speed train and arrive in charming Hamburg, a major port on the Elbe river. Meet a local guide for an afternoon sightseeing tour of Germany's second-largest city, threaded with canals and known as the “Gateway to the World.” Later, you'll meet your host family for dinner and begin your homestay, which will offer extensive opportunities to test your German-speaking skills and gain unique cultural insights and perspectives.

Day 6: Hamburg

This morning another valuable cultural exchange opportunity awaits as you visit with local students at a Hamburg high school. Through attending class together, participating in joint activities and speaking German with your Hamburg peers, you'll gain a more thorough understanding of the language and modern life in Germany. In the evening spend time sharing stories and laughs with your homestay family.

Day 7: Hamburg

Start the day with an excursion to nearby Lubeck, a port hub and former capital of the Hanseatic League. The prestige and power derived from all that trade is evident in the distinctive Holstentor, a massive, Gothic, red-brick city gate. Discover Lubeck's impressive architecture, with many buildings dating back to medieval days, walk along the River Trave and perhaps try some marzipan, a tasty confectionary treat. Later, return to Hamburg and explore the vibrant HafenCity area, a riverside district that's now a model for urban revitalization, sustainability and resilience. You may want to put your German skills to use by ordering a fresh-baked apfelstrudel at a hip café along the Elbe, visit the unusual Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall built atop an old warehouse, or see other intriguing attractions such as the Spice Museum and the Miniatur Wunderland, which features nearly 5,000 square feet of model railroad displays. Enjoy a final night practicing your German and experiencing a local's life with your homestay family.

Day 8: Departure

Depart for the USA.