18-Day London to Berchtesgaden Tour - 2020

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Passengers are greeted at Heathrow Airport in London and transferred to the hotel. In the evening there is an introduction to the tour and a chance for the passengers to get acquainted over a welcome drink.

• Day 2

  In the morning we visit the Cambridge American Cemetery. We then spend the entire afternoon among iconic aircraft at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

• Day 3

  In the morning we head south to see the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne on top of the White Cliffs of Dover and Folkestone. We continue with a visit to Dover Castle, where the story of the Battle of Britain starts. The planning of Operation Dynamo took place here in the bunkers under the over 800-year-old castle.

• Day 4

  We start the day with a visit to the No. 11 Group Operations Room and underground bunker at Uxbridge. In the afternoon we travel to Bletchley Park, where the unsung code breakers greatly contributed to the war effort.

• Day 5

  We start the day with a visit to London’s Imperial War Museum to take in their impressive exhibits of both world wars. We then travel to the RAF Museum at Hendon to wonder at their unparalleled aircraft on display.

• Day 6

  In the morning we drive to Southsea to visit the SHAEF HQ at Southwick House, where many famous WWII battles were planned, including the Normandy Invasion. In the afternoon we visit the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth and experience the D-Day Story.

• Day 7

  We start the day with a tour of Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms in London where the fearless leader endured the Blitz. We spend the afternoon in downtown London with a sightseeing tour on the Thames River and then free time to explore the city.

• Day 8

  We travel to Normandy to join up with guests who are arriving for the beginning of the Band of Brothers tour.

• Day 9

  We begin the day with a visit to Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The day continues with a trip to Pointe du Hoc, where Rudder’s Rangers ascended the steep cliffs to take out the long-range artillery firing on the landing beaches.

• Day 10

  We spend the day exploring Utah Beach. We stop at the monument near Brecourt Manor, site of Easy Company’s famous assault on a German artillery position. The afternoon features visits to Utah Beach itself and Sainte-Mere-Eglise. The day ends with a visit to Dead Man’s Corner Museum in St-Come-du-Mont with an opportunity to buy authentic and replica WWII items.

• Day 11

  The day begins with a trip to Longues-sur-Mer, the only German battery in Normandy with the guns still in place. We then travel to the town of Arromanches-les-Bains where we visit the Circular Cinema and Gold Beach with its remnant Mulberry Harbor. In the afternoon we stop at Juno and Sword beaches and we cross Pegasus Bridge.

• Day 12

  After breakfast in Normandy we travel to Belgium with regular stops along the way.

• Day 13

  In the morning we tour the sites of the Battle of the Bulge. We stop at the Mardasson Monument, which pays tribute to the Allied resolve during this critical period. The foxholes of Bois Jacques highlight the morning itinerary. After lunch we visit the Bastogne War Museum.

• Day 14

  We spend the day exploring the northern arc of the Bulge. We travel to Malmedy and La Gleize, where we follow the advance and demise of Colonel Jochen Peiper’s battlegroup and pay witness to the atrocities committed by SS troops.

• Day 15

  We pay a visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery, the final resting place of many 101st paratroopers as well as General George S. Patton, on our way to the city of Munich.

• Day 16

  In the morning we visit the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp, which features a full-scale museum detailing Nazi atrocities. In the afternoon a local guide leads us on a Third Reich Tour of Munich.

• Day 17

  The day involves a trip to Berchtesgaden, site of Hitler’s Bavarian retreat and the Eagle’s Nest. We start with a scenic drive up to the Eagle’s Nest itself. We then pay a visit to Dokumentation Obersalzberg, an exhibit set atop the bunker complex that was to serve as the Nazis’ last stand.

• Day 18

  After saying goodbye our guests are brought to Munich’s airport for their return flights.