Itinerary (for day-to-day description, click on the items below)
Tuesday, May 9: Dresden
Meet at Dresden Airport, which is about 20 minutes from the city by taxi.
Get settled in your hotel, rest, and get your first impression of Dresden by walking of Brühl Terrace along the Elbe River. Overnight in Dresden
Wednesday, May 10: Dresden
In the morning, get oriented by taking our walking tour of Dresden and enjoy a leisurely lunch afterward.
After lunch, tour the Zwinger (palatial complex with gardens) and visit two of its museums (Collection of Old Master Paintings & The Porcelain Gallery).
If you still have energy, visit the Zwinger’s Sculpture Collection & Mathematical Instrument Exhibit on your own. Overnight in Dresden
Thursday, May 11: Dresden
In the morning, take a short boat ride to visit Pillnitz Castle, a beautifully restored Baroque palace. Upon your return, take a lunch break in Dresden.
In the afternoon, visit the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) and then tour the famous Opera House (Semper Opera). Enjoy some time off with options to visit the New Masters Picture Gallery in the Albertinum Museum or enjoy the many shops or cafés. Overnight in Dresden
Friday, May 12: Dresden
Reserve the morning to visit the Dresden Castle, including the New Green Vault and the Old Green Vault (the historic treasure chamber as it existed in 1733).
After lunch, take a taxi to the Kunsthofpassage, a unique artistic neighborhood with many shops and artifacts. Explore the “Innere Neustadt” (Baroque quarter) and enjoy dinner there. Overnight in Dresden.
Saturday, May 13: Dresden and Meissen
Take the train to the charming historic town of Meissen (40 minutes). Visit the porcelain factory, and then explore the old town, the cathedral on the castle hill, and possibly take a carriage ride.
Back in Dresden, have dinner on your own. Overnight in Dresden
Sunday, May 14: Dresden to Berlin
In the morning, take the 2-hour train ride from Dresden to Berlin. After settling in your hotel, take our orientation tour “Unter den Linden.” Take a rest and enjoy the German tradition of “Kaffee and Kuchen” (coffee and cake) in the Bode Museum. Discover some famous Berlin sights on board one of the Spree River Cruises. Overnight in Berlin
Monday, May 15: Berlin
Take a tour of the German Reichstag (Parliament) first thing in the morning. Enjoy the historic Brandenburg Gate and its nearby sights on the avenue Unter den Linden. Take the subway to Alexander Plaza (Alexanderplatz), explore this former East German area, and enjoy lunch there.
Relax after lunch by exploring the Hackesche Höfe, a complex of interlinked courtyards in the art nouveau style (Jugendstil in German), which sport many fun boutiques and miscellaneous shops. Rest at our hotel.
In the late afternoon, take the elevator up to the Humboldt Forum rooftop to enjoy a view of Berlin.
For dinner, enjoy a change of pace in the idyllic and historic Nikolai Quarter nearby where restaurants abound. Overnight in Berlin.
Tuesday, May 16: Berlin
In the morning, visit the famous Pergamon Museum & Panorama
In the afternoon, choose between two options:
- Visit West Berlin’s famous shopping boulevard, Kurfürstendamm (known as the “Ku’damm”), the Berlin equivalent of Paris’ Champs-Élysées. Along the way, step inside the famous Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
- Stay on Museum Island and visit some of the other museums.
Overnight in Berlin
Wednesday, May 17: Berlin and Potsdam
Take the train to the nearby city of Potsdam where the Prussian King Frederick the Great built his famous summer residence Sanssouci. Visit the palace and stroll through the lavish Baroque gardens.
Explore the old town, and have lunch in the charming “Dutch Quarter” filled with red-brick cafés and shops and known as “Little Amsterdam”.
Stay in the city for shopping or take a tour of Cecilienhof, the last palace built by Emperor William II during WWI and site of the Potsdam Conference of 1945.
Return to Berlin and have a relaxed evening on your own. Overnight in Berlin.
Thursday, May 18 (Ascension Day, a holiday): Berlin
Become acquainted with a modern part of Berlin, the cultural forum (Kulturforum).
Choose between several options: the Old Masters Gallery, the Collection of Prints and Drawings (Kupferstichkabinett), the Musical Instruments Museum, the New National Gallery (post WW I art), or a possible tour of the beautiful, modern Berlin Philharmonic.
Walk to Potsdam Plaza, have lunch and take our short tour of this modern square.
In the afternoon, choose between a tour of the Berlin Wall Memorial or visit the German Technical Museum (Deutsches Technikmuseum). Overnight in Berlin.
Note: A concert at the Philharmonic or the Konzerthaus will be part of the trip whenever the 2023 season schedule with tickets is available.
Travel Meets Culture 