Germany: Bavaria Hiking & Beer Adventure

DAY 1

Welcome to Bavaria! Our adventure starts after lunch, allowing you time to arrive in Munich this morning or the day before (which we highly recommend). We first visit the Oktoberfest Museum to get a good overview of the area's beer history, then take a short train ride to the nearby English Gardens, one of the largest public parks in the world.  The park is crisscrossed with walking paths and wonderful sights like a Japanese tea house, a manmade stream for surfing, the Chinese Tower, a meadow for nude sunbathers, temples, lakes and streams full of waterfowl, an open air theater, monuments and...of course several wonderful beer gardens where one can rest while sightseeing!  Tonight we will have a homemade dinner with the owners of the small Hopfenhacker Brewery.
Walking Distance: ~5 kilometers

DAY 2

This morning we take the train to the town of Herrsching, southwest of Munich and set on the eastern shore of Lake Ammersee.  From there we have a scenic hike full of rolling hills to the Andechs Monastery Brewery for lunch (and one of their famous beers). A portion of the trail we walk on is part of the Camino de Santiago or Jakob's Weg. We then hike back in time to take a ferry ride around the Ammersee before catching a train back to Munich. We end our day with a delicious  dinner at the "the world's most famous tavern," the Hofbrauhaus!
Hiking Distance: 8 kilometers

DAY 3

After breakfast at the hotel, we'll pack up and set out to the nearby town of Freising, the oldest city in Bavaria. From town we'll take a beautiful short walk uphill to Weihenstephan, the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world, for a brewery tour and tasting. Afterwards, you are free to have lunch there, or walk back to town. Today is primarily a travel day, so we will continue north from Freising to our adorable B&B (Brauereigasthof Schneider) in the town of Essing, where we'll be treated to a short introduction to their small family run brewery and a special four-course beer dinner.
Hiking Distance: 2 - 4 kilometers

DAY 4

Today is one of our favorite hiking days ever! We start right from our hotel and hike along the river, through beautiful forests, and hilltop meadows before arriving at the banks of the Danube River.  A tiny boat ferries us across the water and a short time later we come upon an ancient monastery and brewery, Weltenburger Kloster, founded in the year 1050!  We relax here for lunch (and of course, a beer) and you then have the option of continuing to hike another 6 kilometers along the Danube or take a boat ride to the beautiful hamlet of Kelheim. If there's time, we recommend stopping at Weisses Brauhaus, the oldest wheat beer brewery in Bavaria, where the Schneider family has been brewing for centuries. Tonight, we have dinner once again in the cozy dining room of our darling inn.
Hiking Distance: 6 or 12 kilometers

DAY 5

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll check out and shuttle north to the mountainous area of Franconian Switzerland and the town of Thuisbrunn. This is another favorite hiking day of ours!  We spend it on the Fünf-Seidla-Steig, which translates to "five half liters of beer trail."  This hiking route connects five small Franconian breweries and you'll have the chance to visit all five if you want! After we are finished hiking we head to northern Bavaria and the iconic beer town of Bamberg, considered one of Germany's most beautiful towns. Bamberg is laid out over 7 hills, each crowned by a church, and our hotel is near the confluence of the Regnitz and Main Rivers, at the edge of Old Town. To end our day, we'll enjoy an intriguing dinner at Rauchbierbrauerei Schlenkerla that includes a sample of the smoked beer for which Bamberg is famous.
Hiking Distance: 11 kilometers

DAY 6

We begin the day by meeting our local guide Eric, a gnome-like man with an enormous amount of energy.  He will take us on a historical walking tour of Bamberg's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beer played a part in the history of Bamberg, just as it has all over Bavaria. You will be wowed by the incredible architecture from the 11th to 19th centuries - cathedrals, arched bridges, castles, and Europe's largest intact old city wall.  You'll have a bit of time to explore Bamberg on your own for lunch (perfect time to shop for your lederhosen or dirndls if you are going to Oktoberfest!). This afternoon we will hike part of the 34-kilometer-long "13 Breweries Way."  You can hike as many kilometers and stop at as many breweries as time and your energy allows and hop on the train back to Bamberg at any point you like. We'll reconvene for a farewell dinner at nearby Fassla brewery - imagine a dark interior of cozy corners full of laughter and clinking mugs and you've envisioned this place, the epitome of a German tavern.
Hiking Distance: 5 - 10 kilometers

DAY 7

After breakfast, we'll have a two- or three-hour walk along the Bamberg River Path, following quiet side roads or foot paths along the Regnitz River. Rivers have historical significance everywhere and this one is no different. On the way back, we'll stop and admire Bamberg's 13th-century cathedral. We'll have you back in time to shower and pack before checking out. We'll get you and your luggage to the train station so you can either return to Munich or travel onward.
Hiking Distance: 4 - 6 kilometers