Alps by Design
Itinerary

7 Days in the Bavarian Alps: Castles, Mountains & Lakes

The classic Bavarian loop: a night in Munich, the fairytale castles, Germany's highest peak, and the fjord-like Königssee — the storybook Alps at their most accessible.

Length

7 days

Style

Castles, mountains & lakes

Getting around

Mixed

Pace

Balanced

Best season

May to October

Budget

$$$

Best for

First-timers who want Bavaria's full sweep — castles, mountains, and lakes — with an easy Munich start and finish.

Your bases

MunichGarmisch-PartenkirchenBerchtesgaden

Day by day

  1. Day1

    Land in Munich

    Munich

    Settle into the Bavarian capital — Marienplatz, a beer hall, and the easy buzz of the gateway city before the mountains.

  2. Day2

    Castles to the mountains

    Garmisch-Partenkirchen

    Transfer south via Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau — Ludwig II's fairytale castles — arriving in Garmisch by evening.

  3. Day3

    The Zugspitze

    Garmisch-Partenkirchen

    Cogwheel railway and cable car to Germany's highest summit on the first clear morning, a four-country view, then the turquoise Eibsee below.

  4. Day4

    Gorge & palace

    Garmisch-Partenkirchen

    The roaring Partnach Gorge in the morning, then Oberammergau's painted houses and Ludwig's Linderhof palace in the afternoon.

  5. Day5

    To the Königssee

    Berchtesgaden

    Transfer to Bavaria's most dramatic corner. A late-afternoon electric boat down the Königssee to St. Bartholomä, beneath the Watzmann.

  6. Day6

    Eagle's Nest & the park

    Berchtesgaden

    The Eagle's Nest on its ridge, the salt mine, and the trails of Berchtesgaden National Park.

  7. Day7

    Out via Munich or Salzburg

    Berchtesgaden

    A final mountain morning, then on to Munich or nearby Salzburg for your flight.

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