Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge

We meet at London St Pancras for the Eurostar to Brussels before continuing to Cologne for the night.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

We make our way to Hanover before journeying through the Harz Mountains by coach. We stop in the scenic mountain town of Goslar en route, where there's free time to look around. Home to almost 1,500 buildings dating from the 15th to 19th centuries - 168 of which are were built before 1550 - you may like to wander these historic streets, admiring the fantastic range or architecture. Alternatively, on the edge of town you'll find the Rammelsberg mountain, a former UNESCO-protected mining site that boasts an informative museum. Making our way to Wernigerode afterwards, a quaint, colourful town dating back to the 9th century, we check into our hotel for four nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We discover the dense forests and clear lakes of the Harz Mountains today as we travel along the Brocken Railway. On board, we enjoy an exclusive experience in our private carriage, a refurbished 1920s affair, celebrating with a welcome drink before the train steams towards Brocken, the highest mountain in the area. We're accompanied by a specialist guide who'll talk to us about the fascinating Cold War background of the area and, at the summit, we visit the Brocken House Museum. Detailing the surprising history of Brocken, once rife with espionage, you can learn about, and see, GDR bugging devices as well as take an interactive flight over the mountain.

• Breakfast

We travel by coach to Alexisbad, boarding the Selketal Railway to Gernrode for a nostalgic, steam-hauled journey through dense forests and brooding mountains, following the course of the winding River Selke. On arrival, we continue by coach to Quedlinburg, a town with a peaceful Romanesque church and incredibly preserved red-roofed houses. With free time, you may want to walk from the Old Town up to Quedlinburg Castle, which has a superb vantage point overlooking the Harz Mountains and surrounding enchanting forests.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a free day to see the local sights, such as Wernigerode's beautiful 'schloss', or castle, perched on a forested hill above the town. The 16th-century town hall is also worth visiting, with its attractive half-timbered façade looking out over the colourful townhouses that line the cobbles of the main square. You could also take a ride on the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railway, a section of the longest narrow gauge railway in the country or visit the Museum für Luftfahrt und Technik, a very popular aviation museum housing about 45 aircraft and more than 1,000 aerospace-related exhibits.

• Breakfast

Bidding farewell to the Harz Mountains, we make our way to Assmannshausen by coach and rail, a picture-postcard destination nestled among the vineyards of the Rhine Valley. Here, we check into our hotel for a four-night stay.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Driving to Boppard, we have time to look around this riverside town before a relaxing Rhine cruise to St Goar. Here, we enjoy some more free time before returning by boat to Assmannshausen, sailing through the most celebrated section of the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge. Sheer banks rise up, towering over the river below, draped in deep forests and miles of lush vineyards, lending an almost fairytale feel to the waterway. Along the way, we admire scenic views of ancient castles and pass the legendary Lorelei Rock, once said to be home to a beautiful nymph who would lure sailors to their watery grave with her heavenly voice.

• Breakfast

Enjoy a free day to explore Assmannhausen and the surrounding area. The village boasts a remarkably well-preserved centre, crammed with timber-framed houses and crooked narrow streets. One of Assmannshausen's best-known sights is the quirky Painted House. Here, windows, doors and people have all been painted very realistically on a flat wall, fooling a number of passers-by with its startling detail. Another popular option for the day is to take a ride on the Sesselbahn, a chairlift which rises high above the threadlike vineyards. Or, you could visit one of the nearby wine estates, which produce some of Germany's most popular red wines, for a tasting.

• Breakfast

The final full day of our holiday takes us by train to charming Rüdesheim, famous for its excellent viticulture and storybook like appearance. Here, we visit a local winery where we taste some delicious local vintages and learn more about the production process. With free time afterwards, you might like to take a stroll along the Drösselgasse, a street lined with traditional pubs and wine cellars where you're sure to find a cosy spot to sample the town's signature drink - the indulgent Rüdesheimer Kaffee. You may also like to stop by Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum, home to one of the world's largest collections of self-playing instruments, or take the town's cable car up over the vineyards for terrific views of the region.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Following breakfast, we transfer to Cologne by coach where we board the train to Brussels. From here, we travel on the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal