Oberammergau Passion Play & River Cruise
OBER2020RYour trip includes
- Round-trip airfare
- *
- All airport taxes & fuel surcharges
- Hotel accommodations (or similar) in double occupancy
- ~ 1 night: June 16-17, Munich
- ~ 2 nights: June 17-19, Oberammergau area
- ~ 7 nights: June 19-26, River Cruise with AMA Waterways
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily (Except one day in Munich)
- Whisper Headsets
- Transfers as per itinerary
- Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach
- Assistance of local guide throughout
- Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary
- Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction
- Mass daily
- Tickets to the Passion Play (Category 1)
- Official Passion Play Program in English
- Luggage handling (1 piece per person)
Not included
- Lunches, Tips to your guide & driver.
Itinerary
June 15, Wed, USA to Munich, Germany
Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.
June 16, Thu, Arrive Munich
Upon arrival at Munich Airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the arrival's hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. Munich is the capital of Bavaria, one of Germany's popular destinations. Enjoy visiting many of Munich's top sites; Marienplatz with its world famous "Glockenspiel' ; the twin-towered Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), which serves as the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich . The Cathedral is widely considered a symbol of Munich. Celebrate Mass followed by free time for lunch and/or shopping. Dinner and overnight in Munich.
Friday, June 17, Fri, Munich to Oberammergau
After Mass we will continue to Oberammergau. The beautiful village of Oberammergau is home of the famous Passion Play of the life of Christ. The play dates back to 1633 when the plague, the "Black Death", took a severe toll of lives in the small village. In their distress, the inhabitants turned to God and vowed that if the pestilence was taken from them, they would perform a play every year, depicting the suffering and death of the Savior. Their plea was heard and there were no further plague victims in Oberammergau. The first performance of the Passion play took place in 1634 in the village cemetery. As the Passion Play gained popularity more performances were implemented and in 1680 is was the start of the first ten year to host the Passion Play. Dinner and overnight in Oberammergau or area surrounding.
June 18, Sat, Passion Play: Performance Day
Celebrate Mass at local church. Enjoy some time to explore Oberammergau’s colorful frescos known as "Luftlmalereien" on house facades and to visit wood carving shops with amazing array of nativity scenesand religious figures. Following lunch, we will make our way to the world famous theatre to attend the performance of a lifetime, the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play. The sleepy village springs to life every ten years to put on a play that draws the world upon it! We, too, will become part of mission of the Passion of Christ, the greatest story ever told. We all share His message of faith and love! The Oberammergau Passion Play tells the story of the Passion of Christ, beginning with His entry into Jerusalem, followed by His trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The play is held in a beautiful open air theatre that is praised for its superb acoustics. There are 2,000 actors (and live animals), they include local wood carvers, hotel owners, students, teachers, children, all of them interrupt their schedules to become actors, singers, orchestra members and stagehands. Requirements are strict: all actors must be born in Oberammergau, or have lived there 20 years, or be married to a villager and a resident for 10 years. All natural makeup, such as men let their hair and beards grow a year before the play. Female roles are limited to single women under age 35.
The Play is approximately five and a half hours long and is performed in two acts.
Act I : 2:30pm - 5:00pm
Intermission: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm; enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Act II: 8:00pm - 10:30pm
June 19, Sun, Oberammergau – Vilshofen, Germany, Embarkation on your River Cruise.
After breakfast, we will depart the Oberammergau area and travel to Vilshofen Germany for embarkation of our River Cruise.
On your cruise, you will enjoy an extensive lineup of included tours. In many cases, you will have a choice of excursions, such as standard tours, bike tours, hikes and Special Interest Tours. A large variety of activities will be planned so that you can choose how you want to explore. No matter your preference, your days will be full of discovery and wonder.
June 20, Mon, Vilshofen to Passau on your River Cruise
Enjoy free time, a walking tour or Passau Castle hike!
June 21, Tue, Linz
Enjoy a Linz walking tour, Full Day excursion to Salzburg, Linz Culture Mile Bike Tour, Half Day tour to Salzburg, Cesky Krumlov, or Austrian Lake District
June 22, Wed, Weissenkirchen
Enjoy a Durnstein Walking tour, or visit Melk Benedictine Abbey. You might enjoy Durnsten Fortress hiking, or Apricot and sweets tasting. This evening there will be a local winery available to visit for wine tasting.
June 23, Thu, Vienna
Enjoy a city tour, Alte Donau Bike tour, Klosterneuburg Monastery bike tour or free time.
June 24, Fri, Bratislava
Take a walking tour of this beautiful town, a Slovakian specialties tasting, or Bratslava castle hike.
June 25, Sat, Budapest
Enjoy a city tour of Budapest or a castle Hill hike. Later enjoy an Illuminations cruise.
June 26, Sun, Disembarkation on your river cruise and return home
Prepare for your disembarkation and transfer to the airport for your return flights home!