CLASSICAL DESTINATIONS
OF EUROPE
12 July - 07 August 2026
In our most spectacular European music tour ever, we experience 24 days visiting iconic Classical Destinations in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands experiencing at least 12 music events including 4 international festivals: André Rieu Live in Maastricht 2026, La Traviata at the Bregenz Opera Festival, Faust at the Munich Opera Festival, 2 operettas at the Lehar
Festival, plus concerts and numerous special interest, arts and music tours.
$27350 per person twin share
Single Room Supplement Add $7940
Initial Deposit On Booking $3000
Second Deposit Due 17 December 2025 $4000
Final Balance Due: 27 March 2026
Days
24 Days
Highlights
12 music events including performances at 4 international festivals, mountains, lakes, historic towns, numerous special interest tours like
The Sound of Music tour, Monuments Men salt mines tour, Beethoven house and
concert.
Group Size
30
Travellers
Meals
All breakfasts
12 Lunches
16 Dinners
Included drinks
at selected
meals
Mobility
Active Tour
MAP GUIDE:
1. AMSTERDAM (3 nights)
2. MAASTRICHT (1 night)
3. BONN (2 nights)
4. WIESBADEN (2 nights)
5. BREGENZ (3 nights)
6. MUNICH (4 nights)
7. BAD ISCHL (4 nights)
8. VIENNA (4 nights)
SPECIAL FEATURES
• 24 day extraordinary music extravaganza with at least 12 music events including André Rieu Live in Maastricht 2026 premium tickets, La Traviata at the Bregenz Opera Festival, Faust at the Munich Opera Festival, 2 operettas at the Lehar Festival, Schönbrunn Strauss concert, Volksoper performance, Bonn Beethoven concert, church concerts and performances plus private concerts with dinner from our hosts. (NOTE: All performances yet to be confirmed until 2026 programme is announced.)
• We stay in historic hotels and castles, many in smaller towns: Amsterdam (3 nights), Maastricht (1 night), Bonn (2 nights), Wiesbaden (2 nights), Bregenz (3 nights), Munich (4 nights), Bad Ischl (4 nights), Vienna (4 nights).
• Visits and tours of fabulous towns and cities including Amsterdam, Maastricht, Aachen, Bonn, Rudesheim, Wiesbaden, Nördlingen, Meersberg, Konstanz, Bregenz, Nuremberg, Oberammergau, Salzburg, Bad Ischl and Vienna. • Art and architecture tours to many famous museums, houses and gardens including Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vienna Fine Arts Museum, Residenz, Melk Abbey, Vienna State Opera House, Town Hall, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, Rudesheim music museum.
• Numerous special interest tours including Spanish Riding School with performance, Funicular ride, Schönbrunn after hours private tour and concert, Beethoven House and concert, Monuments Men movie salt mine, wine tasting and concert at a vineyard in the Rhine Valley, canal river cruise in Amsterdam, boat ride from Vienna to Bratislava, The Sound of Music tour, Berchtesgaden tour, Nuremburg War Trials tour, Lehar Villa.
• Escorted by Stuart Coats, Cameron Barclay and Alex Foster-Winder.
TRIP ITINERARY
Experience the Exceptional:
SUNDAY 12 JULY 2026
Today we fly out of Auckland to Amsterdam via Dubai to start our Classical Destinations tour filled with music and beautiful cities and towns!
MONDAY 13 JULY 2026 (D) AMSTERDAM
Hotel Estheréa, Amsterdam (3 nights)
Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum and works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum.
Highlights Include:
• Arrive in Amsterdam today and transfer to the hotel with a light dinner included on arrival before an early night after our long flight.
TUESDAY 14 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) VAN GOGH MUSEUM
Highlights Include:
• First up we are off to the Van Gogh Museum to learn about his life and see some of his most famous paintings, followed by lunch.
• Free time this afternoon to relax or explore at leisure. Our hotel is close to many great sights and shopping.
• Welcome dinner this evening at our fantastic restaurant with music from our hosts.
WEDNESDAY 15 JULY 2026 (B, L) AMSTERDAM WALKING AND CANAL TOUR
Highlights Include:
• A walking tour of Amsterdam today to see some of the famous sights including the canals and flower markets.
• Head to the Rijksmuseum, home of the largest collection of Dutch Masters especially Rembrandt and Vermeer with guided tour and then free time to enjoy the beautiful paintings.
• We cruise on our exclusive boat around the beautiful canals of Amsterdam, seeing historic houses and small bridges, enjoying Amsterdam from the water.
• Free late afternoon and evening to enjoy your own dinner experiences.
THURSDAY 16 JULY 2026 (B, D) MAASTRICHT - ANDRÉ RIEU
Van der Valk Hotel, Maastricht (or similar) (1 night)
Highlights Include:
• Today we travel from Amsterdam to Maastricht, arriving late morning.
• Walking tour of Maastricht with a guide and then free time for shopping and own lunch.
• Time to enjoy soaking up the André Rieu atmosphere, markets and great shopping!
• Dinner at the hotel then it’s off to enjoy Andre Rieu and The Johann Strauss Orchestra live with premium tickets for the best seats in the front section. Join us for an extraordinary summer night of magnificent music in this magical setting!
FRIDAY 17 JULY 2026 (B, D) AACHEN - BONN
Steigenberger Grand Hotel Petersberg, Bonn (2 nights)
Bonn is a city in western Germany straddling the Rhine River. It is known for the central Beethoven House, a memorial and museum honouring the composer’s birthplace.
Highlights Include:
• We are off to Bonn this morning but not before we stop at Aachen, a gorgeous historic town where we will visit the Cathedral of Charlemagne and enjoy some free time to explore the old town.
• Dinner at our magnificent hotel this evening with a welcome drink on the terrace which overlooks the valley below.
SATURDAY 18 JULY 2026 (B, D) BEETHOVEN HOUSE
Highlights Include:
• Sightseeing tour of Bonn including important sites where Beethoven performed.
• Visit the Beethoven Haus and enjoy a Beethoven concert in his music room!
• Concert this evening (subject to availability).
SUNDAY 19 JULY 2026 (B, D) WIESBADEN TOUR - RHINE VALLEY Nassauer Hof Hotel, Wiesbaden (2 nights)
The Rhine Valley is famous for the Rhine River, its castles, vineyards and quaint towns plus Heidelberg, setting of The Student Prince, and Wiesbaden, a lovely spa town and home to a beautiful opera house, gardens and architecture. Wiesbaden is famous for its central location to explore the Rhine and its natural thermal springs which have attracted many famous artists including Goethe, Wagner and Brahms.
Highlights Include:
• Travel to and tour of Wiesbaden including city tour and funicular ride.
• Opera at Wiesbaden Opera House (depending on availability).
• Time to enjoy Wiesbaden, a beautiful spa town with its lovely parks and architecture.
MONDAY 20 JULY 2026 (B, D) RHINE VALLEY DAY TOUR
Highlights Include:
• Tour and cruise of the Rhine Valley region including castles and vineyards.
• Visit Rüdesheim am Rhein, a quaint town in the Rhine Valley, Germany. It’s known for winemaking, especially Riesling wines, its quaint village and is situated beside the Rhine.
• Visit the musical instrument museum here as well as enjoy our own free time in this cute town.
• Wine tasting plus dinner at a vineyard with music from our hosts.
TUESDAY 21 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) NORDLINGEN - BREGENZ
Grand Hotel, Bregenz (3 nights)
Bregenz is largely known for its efforts towards sustainability and
eco-friendly solutions, and is home to the famous Bregenz Opera Festival, performed on an amazing floating stage set over Lake Constance.
Highlights Include:
• Longer driving day today with wonderful scenery along the way.
• Stop off in Nördlingen, a unique town set into a meteor crater. Time here to stop and wander with free time in the old town.
• Casual dinner at our hotel this evening.
WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) BREGENZ OPERA FESTIVAL
Highlights Include:
• Visit to Meersburg, a lovely little village as well as free time in Bregenz to explore this medieval region.
• Stop at Zeppelin Museum to learn more about these majestic aircraft.
• Backstage tour including walking on the set of the Bregenz Opera. A highlight on our previous visits!
• Attend the Bregenz Opera Festival on the world’s largest floating stage over Lake Constance to see Verdi’s beloved opera La Traviata! The festival began in 1946, and music lovers from around the world have been attending every year since. This will be our chance to experience the magic of the orchestra and magnificence of the hand-built set.
THURSDAY 23 JULY 2026 (B) LAKE CRUISE
Highlights Include:
• Lake cruise around Lake Constance (known as Bodensee in German) including a visit to Konstanz and enjoy a watchman tour.
• Visit the gardens of Insel Mainau known for its magnificent roses, floral sculptures and enjoy the flower island located by the lake.
FRIDAY 24 JULY 2026 (B, L) OBERAMMERGAU - MUNICH Bayerischer Hof, Munich (4 nights)
Munich, the capital and most populated city of Bavaria, is known for its divine architecture and its ‘second to none’ art, science and cultural scene. Not only this, it is known also for various world-class museums and historical landmarks.
Highlights Include:
• Leave Bregenz for Munich and on the way visit the charming town of Oberammergau, famous for the passion play which is presented every ten years as a pledge to God if he saved the villages from the plague. Time here includes a chance to wander around at leisure.
• Lunch is included in a charming cafe before we visit a wood carvers’ workshop to learn about wood carving and see the displays.
• Faust (depending on availability) at the famous Munich Opera Festival, which takes place in June and July, bringing opera enthusiasts from all over the world to Munich.
• Opera, ballet, Lieder recitals and festival concerts are presented over five weeks, while the season’s premieres are also brought back to the stage.
SATURDAY 25 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) MUNICH TOUR - OPERA
Highlights Include:
• City tour including Marienplatz Square, the New Town Hall & Glockenspiel, and the Royal Residenz Museum.
• Lunch at Hofbräuhaus, the world’s most famous beer tavern, known as the cradle of Bavarian tavern culture.
• Dinner at a famous restaurant located close to the opera house.
SUNDAY 26 JULY 2026 (B, L) NUREMBERG WAR TRIALS TOUR
Highlights Include:
• Full day tour to Nuremburg which includes a tour of the Nuremberg War Trials court and old town with lunch in a traditional tavern.
• Free time to explore the old town before we travel back to Munich for a small concert, as part of the Munich Festival.
MONDAY 27 JULY 2026 (B, D) RESIDENZ MUSEUM
Highlights Include:
• Visit to the Residenz Museum this morning for a tour. This beautiful space is lavish and filled with art and history.
• Free afternoon to explore Munich and do some shopping.
• Gala dinner with music from our hosts in one of the historic salons within the hotel, in its palace wing built by King Ludwig.
TUESDAY 28 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) BERCHTESGADEN - BAD ISCHL Hotel Goldener Ochs, Bad Ischl (4 nights)
Bad Ischl is an Austrian spa town east of Salzburg. It is known as a gateway to the Alpine lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut region. The Lehár Festival Bad Ischl is the largest operetta festival in Europe and unique in its diversity and quality. Every summer, musical entertainment theatre at the highest level is presented to an international audience.
Highlights Include:
• Leave Munich today for Berchtesgaden, a charming little mountain town.
• It also contains the remains of the Nazi stronghold on the Obersalzberg, the Eagle’s Nest and Hitler’s Berghof.
• Today we visit the Eagle’s Nest to learn more about its place in the decision making by Hitler and the Nazis in the Second World War.
• This remote southeastern tip of Germany has been a separate country for most of its history, ruled by a church-provost and later a prince, and was added to the kingdom of Bavaria in the 19th century. • Drive around the lake to our next destination, the lovely town of Bad Ischl in Austria and home to the famous Lehar Festival.
WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2026 (B, L) TOUR OF BAD ISCHL - OPERETTA
Highlights Include:
• Enjoy a walking tour of this charming town including Lehar’s Villa, his summer house for over 25 years.
• Visit the Imperial Palace, the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi.
• The first of our two Operettas this evening Lehar’s famous The Count of Luxembourg, filled with Lehar’s glorious music and waltzes.
THURSDAY 30 JULY 2026 (B, L, D) SALT MINE - THE MONUMENTS MEN - OPERETTA
Salzburg is a magical music town filled with charm at Christmas. We stay right beside the fantastic Christmas markets. Salzburg was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music, which features famous landmarks in Austria.
Highlights Include:
• Drive to and visit the Salt Mine which featured in the famous movie The Monuments Men in Altaussee.
• The film is based on a true story. Starting in 1943, the Nazis began hiding European art treasures from the Allies inside the tunnels of the mine: Michelangelo’s Madonna from Bruges, paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt and the Ghent Altarpiece amongst others. Facing defeat in 1945,the Nazis wanted to destroy these treasures but were stopped by the courageous miners of Aussee.
• This evening we enjoy the second of our fabulous Operettas as part of the Lehar Festival, Boccaccio.
FRIDAY 31 JULY 2026 (B) SALZBURG - SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR
Highlights Include:
• A guided city tour including the Hohensalzburg Castle, the Cathedral and Mozart’s Birthplace.
• Time at leisure and your own lunch.
• A special tour which includes original shooting locations from the beloved film The Sound of Music.
• Mirabell Garden and Pegasus Fountain, where Maria and the children danced in the movie.
• Nonnberg Convent, where Maria was a novice.
• Schloss Leopoldskron, the house where the Trapp Family lived in the movie which is now a luxury hotel.
• Hellbrunn Palace (singing scenes in the movie).
• Gazebo (now placed in Hellbrunn), where the Baron von Trapp kissed Maria for the first time.
• Church Mondsee, where Maria and the Baron get married.
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST 2026 (B, L, D) MELK ABBEY - VIENNA
Grand Hotel, Vienna (4 nights)
Vienna, home of Johann Strauss, magnificent palaces and buildings, the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Boys’ Choir.
Highlights Include:
• On route to Vienna, we visit Melk Abbey, an Austrian Benedictine abbey, and one of the world’s most famous monastic sites. It is located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the river Danube.
• A casual dinner at our hotel on arrival in Vienna.
SUNDAY 2 AUGUST 2026 (B, D) TOUR OF VIENNA - SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL
Highlights Include:
• Visit and experience the famous Spanish Riding School to experience one of their amazing dancing horse shows. The Spanish Riding School is an Austrian institution based in Vienna, dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses.
• Half-day guided city sightseeing tour including the City Ringstrasse, Town Hall, House of Parliament and also including entrance to the magnificent Saint Stephen’s Cathedral.
• A very special event. An exclusive after-hours private tour at the Schönbrunn Palace with dinner and concert of Strauss and Mozart in the Orangerie.
MONDAY 3 AUGUST 2026 (B) FINE ARTS MUSEUM - OPERA
Highlights Include:
• Visit and tour of the magnificent Museum of Fine Arts.
• A guided tour of the State Opera House and the Hofburg Complex.
• Opera or operetta at the Volksoper this evening, famous for its operetta programme of Strauss and Lehar (subject to final programme announcement).
TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2026 (B, D) FREE DAY
Highlights Include:
• A full free day to enjoy Vienna at leisure. Your options may include shopping, wandering the historic streets, or visit one of the many palaces or art galleries located close to our hotel.
• Dinner this evening in the beautiful dining room of our hotel.
WEDNESDAY 5 AUGUST 2026 (B, L) CRUISE TO BRATISLAVA - FLIGHT HOME
Highlights Include:
• Our final day includes a cruise on the Blue Danube to Bratislava where our European travel consultant Ivana will meet us and tell us about her life in Bratislava.
• She will also show us some of the hot spots of this lovely city before we enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.
• Then we are picked up by our coach and transferred to the airport for our flight home.
THURSDAY 6 AUGUST 2026 IN FLIGHT
FRIDAY 7 AUGUST 2026
Arrive home today filled with the joy of seeing Andre Rieu, numerous music festivals and some of the richest architecture and historic places in the world!
PLACES WE STAY
Hotel Estheréa, Amsterdam (3 nights) is set in a seventeenth-century building along Amsterdam’s oldest canal: the Singel. With its richly coloured interior, the crystal chandeliers, the luxurious fabrics and the expressive prints, this family-owned hotel is simply a little gem!
Van der Valk Hotel, Maastricht (or similar) (1 night) is a tastefully decorated modern hotel set on the edge of Maastricht’s historic centre. It is a perfect base to enjoy the André Rieu experience.
Steigenberger Grand Hotel Petersberg, Bonn (2 nights) stands tall over the Rhine, like a castle, offering great views of the Rhine and surrounding gardens.
Hotel Nassauer Hof, Wiesbaden, Rhine Valley
(2 nights) was built in 1813 and has always been a famous, central location to embark on tours of the Rhine Valley. It possesses a thermal spa, set in an expansive 16,000 square foot rooftop terrace!
Grand Hotel, Bregenz (3 nights) is a newly renovated 4-star hotel, part of the Accor boutique MGallery chain of hotels, situated beside Lake Constance and the Festival Hall.
Bayerischer Hof, Munich (4 nights) Originally conceived by King Ludwig I, Bayerischer Hof is one of Munich’s most legendary, historic hotels. It is within easy walking distance of the Opera House, great shopping streets and the Residenz, one of the most spectacular palaces in Europe built by King Ludwig 1.
Hotel Goldener Ochs, Bad Ischl (4 nights) is a 4-star traditional, family-run hotel, located in a central location overlooking the old spa town of Bad Ischl.
Grand Hotel, Vienna (4 nights) is a 5-star hotel, located just off the famous Ring Strasse, moments away from the world renowned Vienna State Opera and the elegant shopping mile of Kaerntner Strasse. It has been part of the Viennese elegant hotel scene since 1870.
This Trip Includes:
•Return economy Emirates flights Auckland - Amsterdam via Dubai /Vienna - Auckland via Dubai including taxes.
• 24 day extraordinary music extravaganza: André Rieu Live in Maastricht 2026 premium tickets, La Traviata at the Bregenz Opera Festival, Faust at the Munich Opera Festival, 2 operettas at the Lehar Festival, Vienna State Opera tour, Schönbrunn Strauss concert, Volksoper performance, Bonn Beethoven concert, shows, church concerts and performances plus private concerts with dinner from our hosts. (NOTE: All performances yet to be confirmed until 2026 programme is announced.)
• We stay in historic hotels and castles, many in smaller towns: Amsterdam (3 nights), Maastricht (1 night), Bonn (2 nights), Wiesbaden (2 nights), Bregenz (3 nights), Munich (4 nights), Bad Ischl (4 nights), Vienna (4 nights).
• Visits and tours of fabulous towns and cities including Amsterdam, Maastricht, Aachen, Bonn, Rudesheim, Rhine Valley towns, Wiesbaden, Nördlingen, Meersberg, Konstanz, Bregenz, Nuremberg, Oberammergau, Salzburg, Bad Ischl and Vienna.
• Art and architecture tours to many famous museums, houses and gardens including Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vienna Fine Arts Museum, Vienna State Opera House, Town Hall, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, Rudesheim music museum.
• Numerous special interest tours including Spanish Riding School with performance, funicular ride, Schönbrunn after hours private tour and concert, Beethoven House and concert, Monuments Men movie salt mine, wine tasting and concert at a vineyard in the Rhine Valley and canal River cruise in Amsterdam, boat ride from Vienna to Bratislava, The Sound of Music tour, Berchtesgaden tour, Nuremburg war trials tour, Lehar Villa.
• All tours listed in brochure, all tips, porterage and taxes included.
• All breakfasts, gourmet food experiences, 12 lunches, 16 dinners and included drinks with selected meals.
• Escorted by Stuart Coats, Cameron Barclay and Alex Foster-Winder.
Important Information
• All itinerary details are subject to change, but changes will be replaced with a comparable or better option.
• Initial & Second deposits are fully refundable up until final balance due date, minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs.
• All monies are non-refundable at final balance due date. This becomes an insurance claim.
• Bank transfer payments incur no surcharge. Credit card payments incur surcharge of 1.5%.
• Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel.
• Bookings will only be accepted with initial deposit & booking form.
• All travellers must obtain comprehensive travel insurance for international travel and insurance for domestic travel is recommended.
• Please refer to our terms and conditions on booking form.
Mobility - Active Tour
This is still a moderately paced tour, but you will be required to walk longer distances, walk on cobblestones and ancient ruins, and stand in museums. To really get the best out of this tour you need to be able to stand or walk for a couple of hours comfortably, be it at a leisurely pace. You also need to be able to climb up to three flights of stairs at a leisurely pace.