We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Brussels in Leisure Select Class. A complimentary meal and drinks are served on board during the journey. We join the Thalys train to Cologne and travel southwards to Stuttgart. We overnight at the 4-star Hotel Maritim Stuttgart*. (E,D)

*Please note the tour departing on 14 September will travel to Würzburg instead of Stuttgart and spend the night at the Hotel Maritim.

Today we travel through Germany to reach the city of Salzburg. We check into the elegant 5-star Hotel Bristol with its 'old world' charm and excellent location within walking distance of the Old Town. It is one of our best-loved hotels and one which consistently scores highly with our customers. We have some free time to relax and settle into the hotel and to explore the adjacent beautiful Mirabell Gardens - famous as one of the settings for the "Sound of Music" film. Tonight we dine together at the hotel. (B,D)

This morning, we join a walking tour of the old town of Salzburg, where we explore the splendid Baroque towers, the cathedral and other imposing landmarks. We explore the oldest street of the town - Getreidegasse - along with Mozart's birthplace and Salzburg's oldest coffee house. Tonight meet again at the Stiftskeller St Peter, situated in St Peter's monastery and believed to house one of the oldest restaurant in Central Europe. During our traditional dinner we enjoy a wonderful classical music concert. (B,D)

Today we explore the surrounding countryside of Salzburg by coach and travel to Lake Wolfgangsee, another highlight of our tour. We visit the beautiful village of St Gilgen, birthplace of Mozart's mother, and enjoy a scenic cruise across the lake to picturesque St Wolfgang, where you have some free time for a stroll. We dine together on our return to the hotel. (B,D)

This morning is free for you to further explore the sights of Salzburg or relax at the hotel, before we join the train to the pretty town of Murnau, at the edge of the Bavarian Alps and well known for its most famous resident - the artist and painter Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky was said to be inspired by the beautiful setting of the town and the glistening lake at the outskirts of the centre. Our base for the next two nights is the 5-star Alpenhof Murnau. (B,D)

Your morning is free to relax at the hotel or explore the town further. We lunch together at the hotel before travelling to Oberammergau, the location of the Passion Play for the last 376 years. We are seated in category 1A seats - the best available - in the centre of the theatre, towards the front. We sit back and enjoy the fantastic spectacle of the Passion Play itself, with over 2,000 of the townsfolk bringing us the story of Jesus of Nazareth over 5 hours. The Play is split by a 3-hour interval, during which we take dinner in a local restaurant, before enjoying the final and dramatic part of the Passion Play. (B,L,D)

We leave Murnau in the morning and travel to Munich where we change trains and board the ICE to Cologne and our base for tonight - the fabulous 5-star Hotel Im Wasserturm, a unique hotel beautifully converted from an historic water tower. (B,D)

We depart Cologne by Thalys for Brussels connecting with the Eurostar to London. (B,E)

E = Eurostar, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday