Compare The Heart of Austria by Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures vs Christmas Markets of Austria & Bavaria - Classic Group, Winter 2022 2023 by Insight Vacations
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 4,720 | $ 2,473 |
| Price Per Day | $ 590 | $ 275 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions | N/A |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
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| Meals Included |
Breakfast and Dinner provided Daily |
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| Description |
From Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures National Geographic named Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures one of the “Top Ten Best Outfitters on the Planet” for hiking and trekking. Telluride Magazine named us “Telluride’s Ultimate Adventure Company,” and we’ve received numerous mentions in the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post and Outside Magazine, just to name a few. Please note just a few of the reasons why the media trusts us with avid hikers and walkers, and why you should too. Trekking Specialists. Founded in 1984, we've spent 35 years designing, customizing, and fine tuning innovative inn-to-inn hiking and walking adventures throughout the world. Three decades of specialized service gives us an edge over our competitors. We offer guided, private-guided, and self-guided hiking tours that explore the most beautiful landscapes found anywhere on the planet. Handcrafted itineraries. We can offer anything you like. Just tell us where you’d like to hike in the world, what you’d like to see, and how you’d like to bed down for the night. We’ll do the rest. Our longest custom trip so far is a 54-day self-guided hike from the Italian Tyrol to the French Alps. Would you like to organize your own private hiking tour? That’s our specialty. We’ll help you and your group design a delicious itinerary. First-class accommodations. From cozy wood-paneled chalets, to grand, old world hotels, we seek the inns that exemplify the character of each village and the charm of days gone by. From well appointed luxury hotels, to remote mountain huts, we know each property personally. Inspired cuisine. Cuisine is paramount and we enjoy inns offering the best in regional and haute cuisine with inspired menus and a fascinating array of local wines and beverages. Many of our chefs enjoy the highest culinary rankings awarded by the Gault Millau and Michelin restaurant guides. Two of our closest colleagues have repeatedly enjoyed Switzerland's "Chef of the Year" distinction. Meticulous detail. We take care of everything, from luggage transfer to taxis. You simply hike with a day pack and leave your "real world" cares behind. But don’t just take our word for it. Read what our guests have to say. Better yet, join one of our hiking tours, and experience for yourself why more than half our guest list includes repeat travelers. *The Ryder-Walker Team consists of people that love the outdoors. When we're not out hiking, we spend our spare time skiing, snowboarding, climbing, cycling, paddling and more. Check out our affiliate companies to see where else we go, then join us as we explore the most stunning landscapes on the planet. |
Journey through the snowcapped peaks of the Austrian Alps on this grand tour of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace, Salzburg’s 500-year-old Christmas Market and Munich’s six-story tall Christmas tree. Warm up with a mug or two of Glühwein at the Innsbruck Christmas Market before indulging in an exclusive Insight Choice, taking a horse and carriage ride through the romantic streets of the Old Town or a tour of the world of Swarovski Crystal. At the Salzburg Market Tasting experience, meet with a local market stallholder for an exclusive sampling of gingerbread, washed down with a glass of mulled wine. In Neuschwanstein, follow in Walt Disney’s footsteps on a tour of the fairytale-like castle that reputedly inspired him, complete with extravagant decorations and breathtaking views. |
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrive and transfer to Bad Goisern, a historic market and spa town recognized by UNESCO for its culture and rural treasures. Meet your guides for a warm welcome, a brief orientation and dinner. Overnight in a historic hotel surrounded by peaceful gardens.
Day 2:
Today we’ll climb through mountain pastures and enchanting forests before cresting at Goiserhütte with outstanding views of the distant Dachstein peaks and the Hallstattersee. Descend to the idyllic village of Gosau. Rugged and majestic mountains encircle the village, while rolling pastures and tranquil mountain lakes make the region feel like a fairy tale. It’s easy to understand why people chose to inhabit this picture perfect region more than 7,000 years ago.
Day 3:
Following a short transfer to Rußbach, we will hike the Gamsfeld, famous for having the best-preserved and varied fossil beds in the Alps. After a hearty and typical hut lunch, we return to Gosau.
Day 4:
Today's hike takes us from our hotel to the end of the valley to explore the area around Gosausee, the most famous lake of the region. We'll circumnavigate the lake and stop for a delicious lakeside lunch while enjoying views of the imposing Gosaukamm above. Return to your hotel in Gosau.
Day 5:
After a short transfer to the charming Rossalm, we hike beneath the Plassen and connect to Hallstatt. When we reach the salt mines high above Hallstatt, where workers have been excavating for the last 6000 years, we will hop on the funicular to take us into town.
Day 6:
Access the high karst terrain below the Hoher Dachstein with the Krippenstein cable car and traverse the stunning plateau to the Wiesberghaus hut for lunch. Along the way, we will come across impressive rock formations and panoramic views of the Dachstein Massif and the Hallstattersee. Return to Hallstatt via the same route.
Day 7:
On our last day we will cross the Hallstattersee by ferry and hike along the eastern lakeshore on the “Panoramaweg." If the weather permits, we will take a dip in the lake and stop for an Apfelstrudel before heading back to Bad Goisern.
Day 8:
We recommend a transfer to Salzburg for an extended 8 feast of culture and Austrian delights.
Day 1: Welcome to Vienna
At Vienna airport, transfers for your hotel leave at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:30. Meet your Travel Director at 18:00 and travel to a local restaurant for your Welcome Dinner. Enjoy the opportunity to mingle with fellow guests over a delightful meal and wine.
Hilton Vienna Park.
Dinner with Wine
Day 2: Vienna sightseeing
At this time of year, the Austrian capital is a place of nostalgia and romance, with concerts, nativity displays and many official Advent Markets selling a vast array of seasonal gifts and mouth-watering treats. Explore Vienna with Insight Choice. Tour Schönbrunn Palace and marvel at its frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers and gilded ornaments. Alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during an inclusive workshop and take to the floor in a Viennese Waltz dance workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. Then ready your camera for a dazzling drive around the famous Ring Road. This grand boulevard is built along the lines of the old city walls and showcases many of the capital’s architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House and Hofburg Imperial Residence. You also see the City Hall and its surrounding parklands, festively decorated in a sea of lights – the perfect setting for the Viennese Christmas Market.
Hilton Vienna Park.
Breakfast
Day 3: To Enchanting Salzburg Relaxed Start
Journey through the rich farmlands of eastern Austria towards the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut and the enchanting city of Salzburg.
ARCOTEL Castellani, Salzburg.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4: The City of Mozart Relaxed Start
Come December, the spires and domes of Salzburg’s old town are often draped in snow. Walk with your Local Expert to see Mozart’s family home on the Getreidegasse, beautifully decorated at this time of year. Visit Mozart's birthplace to learn more about his life, and sit down to a musical demonstration on his original pianoforte. Then head on to the rosy hues of the 500-year-old Christmas Market in front of the cathedral. Culinary delicacies, candied fruits, hot mulled wine and the lovingly decorated stalls invite visitors to stop and browse. Here your Travel Director will introduce you to a market stallholder to enjoy sampling a Viennese winter dessert, complemented perfectly with a traditional fragrant glass of Glühwein.
ARCOTEL Castellani, Salzburg.
Breakfast
Day 5: A scenic drive to Innsbruck Relaxed Start
A lovely drive brings you to the Inn Valley and the mountain-ringed Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. Explore Innsbruck with Insight Choice, perhaps join a horse & carriage ride or visit the magical world of Swarovski Crystal. In the evening, enjoy a traditional meal accompanied by local Tyrolean entertainment and music.
AC Hotel Innsbruck.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 6: Neuschwanstein and Oberammergau
Travel to the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, perched on a spectacular Alpine mountainside. With a Local Expert, visit the exuberantly decorated apartments, including the Throne Room, before continuing into the beautiful scenery of the German Alps to visit Oberammergau, home of the Passion Play since 1634. See the immense theatre and admire the colourful painted chalets before driving on to the Bavarian capital of Munich. Please note: Neuschwanstein Castle visits require a good level of mobility due to the number of stairs in the building and uphill, on-foot access to the castle during winter. Those who do not wish to ascend to the castle can enjoy a coffee and cake, while admiring the beautiful castle vista.
Munich Marriott Hotel.
Breakfast
Day 7: Munich Relaxed Start
Enjoy an orientation of the city which concludes in Marienplatz beside the soaring Town Hall, famous for its Glockenspiel. Beneath the gigantic Christmas tree, Munich’s traditional Christmas Market is an entrancing festival of light and music. In the evening, join your travelling companions at a local restaurant for a festive Celebration Dinner with wine and good cheer!
Munich Marriott Hotel.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 8: Auf Wiedersehen Munich!
Your departure transfer arrives at Munich Airport at 07:00 and 09:00.
Breakfast
