River Cruise & Oberammergau Passion Play
OBER2020R2Your trip includes
- Round-trip airfare
- *
- All airport taxes & fuel surcharges
- Centrally located hotels: (or similar)
- ~ May 16 - 23: River Cruise with AMA Waterways
- ~ May 23 - 25: Oberammergau area
- ~ May 25 - 26: Munich
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily (except one day in Munich)
- Transfers as per itinerary
- Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach
- Assistance of Christian guide throughout
- Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary
- Mass daily & Spiritual activities
- Tickets to the Passion Play (Category 1)
- Official Passion Play Program in English
- Luggage handling (1 piece per person)
- Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Not included
- Meals not mentioned, Tips to your guide & driver.
Itinerary
Day 1, Sunday, May 15: USA to Munich
Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.
Day 2, Monday, May 16: Munich - Vilshofen, Germany, Embarkation on your River Cruise
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. Transfer to the pier for embarkation on your AMA Waterways River Cruise. Board your luxurious river cruise ship. During the evening, be treated to a special Illuminations cruise past the capital’s glittering riverfront.
Day 3, Tuesday, May 17: Vilshofen to Passau on your River Cruise
Enjoy free time, a walking tour or Passau Castle hike!
Day 4, Wednesday, May 18: 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.
Day 5, Thursday, May 19: 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.
Day 6, Friday, May 20: Vienna
Enjoy a city tour, Alte Donau Bike tour, Klosterneuburg Monastery bike tour or free time.
Day 7, Saturday, May 21: Bratislava
Take a walking tour of this beautiful town, a Slovakian specialties tasting, or Bratslava castle hike.
Day 8, Sunday, May 22: Budapest
Enjoy a city tour of Budapest or a castle Hill hike. Later enjoy an Illuminations cruise.
Day 9, Monday, May 23: Budapest - Oberammergau
Today we will disembark from our river cruise ship and transfer to Budapest airport for our short flight to Munich, followed by a transfer 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.
Day 10, Tuesday, May 24: The 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 : 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Intermission: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm; enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Act II: 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Take a walking tour of this beautiful town, a Slovakian specialties tasting, or Bratslava castle hike.
Day 11, Wednesday, May 25: Oberammergau to Munich
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.
Day 12, Thursday, May 26: Return home
Prepare for your departure and transfer to the airport for your return flights home!
The benefit of buying airfare with 206 Tours?
- Your transfers are always secured, even if your flights are delayed - round trip transfers to/from the hotel and airport are included no matter what!
- If you purchase your airline ticket on your own, you have to pay in full at the time of booking, and most of the time it is non-refundable. If you book with 206 Tours, full payment is due 60 days prior.
- In the very rare event that a tour is cancelled, you would get all your money back, which would most likely not be the case if you purchased it directly from the airline.
- Your flight arrangement will be followed up on and reconfirmed by 206 Tours.
- 206 Tours can arrange for you to travel before the tour, make a stop-over, or stay later!