Alpine Adventure

Tour Begins: 6:00 PM, Kempinski Palace Engelberg. Welcome to the Swiss Alps! A transfer is included from Zurich International Airport to Kempinski Palace Engelberg. Tonight, join us for a private Tauck Bridges welcome reception and dinner at the Kempinski Palace Engelberg. Stay Two Nights: Kempinski Palace Engelberg (D)

Get a closer look at the Alpine wonderland that surrounds you today as you ride to the top of Mount Titlis aboard a cable car for lunch and an exciting zip-line adventure. Descend down the mountain and join your Tauck Director for an orientation walk of Lucerne followed by free time to discover spires, covered bridges, fountains and more before a dinner cruise on glacial Lake Lucerne. (B/L/D)

Feast your eyes on some of the world's greatest scenery today... aboard the famous Glacier Express for what many call the most scenic rail trip in Europe – winding its way through lush Alpine valleys dotted with little villages... the real Switzerland! Arrive in the popular resort town of St. Moritz for a two-night stay in the Engadine Valley. Stay Two Nights: Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains St. Moritz (B/L/D)

Start another exciting day in the Alps by climbing up Piz Diavolezza via cable car; you won't believe the views of the Engadine Valley and its many lakes stretching out below you... plus, you'll have a chance to try the highest virtual reality experience in the world! Then it's off to the Morteratsch Glacier for guided mountain hiking*, rock climbing* and abseiling* (descending via ropes)... a visit to an Alpine cheesery for lunch in a meadow and a look at cheesemaking... and a few surprises!* If you wish, hop aboard a mountain bicycle* for a ride back through the Engadine Valley to St. Moritz, where your evening is free to enjoy as you please. (B/L)

After crossing the border from Switzerland to Austria this morning, get wet and wild in Austria's Ötztal Valley today on a trip to Area 47, one of the largest adventure parks in the Alps, and Europe's ultimate outdoor playground. Jump into a neoprene suit and helmet, and head out on a whitewater-rafting adventure*; then do some swimming or try out the slides and other attractions of one of the newest and biggest water parks on the Continent, and enjoy lunch at the park.

Arrive late afternoon at your Alpine spa hotel in Längenfeld – the AQUA DOME – offering more aquatic fun for the whole family with a pool, waterslides, spa, sauna, thermal baths and fitness center. Stay Two Nights: AQUA DOME – Tirol Therme Längenfeld (B/L/D)

This morning, head to Innsbruck – the 15th-century capital of Emperor Maximilian I's Habsburg Empire, and more recently the host of two Winter Olympic Games in the 20th century – and visit the high-tech Bergisel ski-jump complex, designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, for a demonstration of the difficult and daring art of ski jumping. Later, join your local guide in old Innsbruck for a walking tour of this idyllic Alpine city, during which you just might "meet" old Emperor Max and his wives.

Following a free afternoon, enjoy an after-hours private visit to Ötzi-Dorf, an open-air museum and archaeological site in the Oetzi Valley, interpreting village life during the time of "Oetzi" – the Neolithic Age of about 5,000 years ago. Dinner tonight in a rustic restaurant includes a memorable evening of Tyrolean fun, games and activities! (B/D)

Depart Austria, cross the German border into Bavaria, and continue on to Munich, Bavaria's capital city for a city tour followed by time to explore as you please. Cap your memorable family Alpine vacation with tonight's farewell dinner in the historic Palais Keller – once a 15th-century salt store – beneath your landmark hotel in the heart of the city, the Bayerischer Hof. Stay: Bayerischer Hof (B/L/D)

Trip ends: Munich. Fly home anytime; a transfer is included from the Bayerischer Hof to Munich Airport. You should allow a minimum of 3 hours for your flight check-in. (B)