Christmas Holiday & Imperial Christmas
12 Day Escorted Tour 

Venture into an opulent gilded palace and take your seat at a table elegantly set for dinner. The band strikes up a waltz, just as your glass is filled with champagne. You are at the Imperial Ball in the enchanting city of Vienna during the holidays. Wander the corridors of the Hofburg Palace, and pause to examine more closely the ornate Baroque architecture. Perhaps you’ll hear the beautiful sound of Mozart’s music rising from the gorgeous city that was home to the giants of classical music. Click Here For Itinerary

Inclusions:

• 3 nights at the Hotel Sacher Salzburg
• 7 nights at the Hotel Sacher Wien
• 10 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 7 dinners

Highlights:

• Celebrate Christmas Eve in Oberndorf, with a performance of "Silent Night” in several languages
• Wander through Salzburg’s Christkindlmarkt
• Visit Mozart’s birthplace and museum in Salzburg
• Enjoy a sleigh ride on Christmas Day with glorious Alpine vistas
• Visit the famous Melk Abbey, whih overlooks the Danube
• See Mayerling and the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz
• Visit Schonbrunn and Hofburg Palaces in Vienna
• Visit the Baroque Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt
• Attend a performance Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by the Vienna Symphony
• Attend the gala New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball at the Hofburg Palace
  

Itinerary
Day 1
Departure Day
Head to the airport as you begin the journey for your Christmas celebration in Salzburg and the New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball in Vienna.

Day 2 D Arrive Salzburg
Upon arrival in Salzburg, you are greeted with a display of the Baroque. From the curves of the buildings to the tones of the traditional music, the town exists as a living work of art. As the evening begins, meet everyone for a reception and dinner at HOTEL SACHER SALZBURG.

Day 3 BD
Salzburg
See Salzburg's most famous sights on a guided walking tour. Enjoy views of the Festival Hall, St. Peter's Abbey and the Hohensalzburg fortress towering above the town. Visit the home where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born, now housing a small museum of artifacts from the young composer's life-several of his earliest instruments, family paintings, and original manuscripts of some of his scores. Wander the Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market), which brims with local handicrafts and homemade Christmas ornaments. This evening, visit Oberndorf, the site of the first performance (1818) of "Silent Night! Holy Night!" Every year, thousands of people gather in this village to celebrate the composition of the moving Christmas carol by Franz Gruber, and concludes with the song being performed in several languages. HOTEL SACHER SALZBURG

Day 4  BLD Salzburg/Christmas Day

Froehliche Weihnachten! Ring in the holiday with an excursion to the countryside town of Ramsau. While you head into the rolling Alpine landscape outside of Salzburg, snow may fall and give you a stunning Austrian white Christmas. Following lunch, top off your jaunt with the jingle-jangle of a charming horse-drawn sleigh ride. Late this afternoon, return for a sumptuous Christmas meal at the HOTEL SACHER SALZBURG.

Day 5 BD
Melk Abbey/Vienna
Bid farewell to Salzburg as you transfer to Vienna by way of Melk. Visit the Baroque Melk Abbey, a spiritual and cultural center of Austria for 1000 years, first as a castle for the ruling Babenbergs, then dedicated as a Benedictine monastery in the 11th century. See the New Abbey Museum, the famous library and the Abbey's church. Late in the afternoon, arrive in Vienna for a 7-night stay at one of the jewels of Viennese hotels, the deluxe Sacher Wien, located across from the Opera House in the city's center. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 6  BL
Vienna/Schonbrunn Palace
Today, visit Schonbrunn Palace. Built in 1713, this enormous home was used as a summer residence of the Hapsburgs. Forty of the palace's 1411 rooms are open to visitors. Enjoy lunch out in Vienna before seeing the home where Beethoven wrote his "Heiligenstadter Testament" and the Klosterneuberg Abbey altar masterpiece of Nicolas of Verdun dating from the 12th century. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 7 BD
Vienna/St. Stephen’s/Hofburg Palace
Begin your sightseeing in Vienna with a walk down the pedestrian Kartnerstrasse to visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral, considered Austria's most important Gothic masterpiece. Then walk to the Hofburg Palace complex, the royal residence of the Hapsburg emperors until 1918. Today the complex houses the offices of the Austrian President, several museums, the chapel where the Vienna Boys' Choir sings, and the hall holding the white Lipizzaner stallions of the famous Spanish Riding School. Visit the Treasury at the Hofburg to see the magnificent crown jewels of the Hapsburg Empire. After the sightseeing, your afternoon is free to stroll the city-center, the shopping streets and perhaps to stop into one of many well-known and much-frequented Viennese coffee shops. Dinner is out on the town this evening. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 8 BL
Vienna/Eisenstadt/Esterhazy Palace
An excursion takes you south to Burgenland's provincial town of Eisenstadt. This was the center of court life of the Biedermeier era, under the influence of the Esterhazy family. See the staterooms, the palace chapel and the Haydn Room, one of the world's most beautiful concert halls during your visit to the Esterhazy Palace. Lunch is at the Zum Eder in Eisenstadt. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 9 B
Vienna Woods
Enjoy an excursion to the Vienna Woods this morning. Near the spa town of Baden is Mayerling where Prince Rudolf, heir to the Hapsburg throne, and Baroness Marie Vetsera committed suicide in the late 19th century. At Heiligenkreuz ("Holy Cross"), see the lovely Cistercian Abbey, which was founded in the 12th century by Leopold III. The remainder of the day is free upon your return to Vienna. This evening at the Concert House, attend the Vienna Symphony Orchestra's performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 10 BD
Vienna/Imperial Ball
See the Vienna Museum of Fine Arts' diverse collections, with everything from works of ancient Egypt to Raphael and Rembrandt. There will be New Year's celebrations everywhere, but none will compare to the Imperial Ball at the Hofburg Palace. Be sure that you have your evening attire ready for tonight's grand festivities. Many high-fashion boutiques are available locally to provide what you may require. The Great Hall will be decked out with fragrant flowers, splendid decorations, and thousands of twinkling lights. So sip champagne, enjoy a fine meal, and waltz the evening away. HOTEL SACHER WIEN

Day 11 BD
Vienna/Albertina Museum
You may want to sleep in late today. Then, join the guide for a visit to the Albertina Museum, recently refurbished and containing impressive graphic arts including drawings of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Rubens. The remainder of the day is free to do as you please. Gather to say goodbye at a special farewell dinner this evening at the HOTEL SACHER WIEN.

Day 12  B
Conclude Vienna
As you depart this city of art and classic style, take a last look at lovely Vienna en route to the airport. Back to Top

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