New Year's Eve in Berlin
Cultural Treasures Tour
December 27, 2005 - January 4, 2006
sponsored by tdf




This 8 day 7 night cultural tour of Berlin includes the following: round trip airfare, 7 nights accommodation at the 4-star Berlin Crowne Plaza, full buffet breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 3 dinners (including Sylvester Gala Party in the Palais am Funkturm on New Year's Eve), 2 performances (including Berliner Philharmonie Orkester and Staatsoper Unter den Linden on  
New Year's Day), entrance fees per itinerary, boat cruise on the Spree River, luggage handling in the hotel, local English speaking tour escort throughout the tour, all transfers, excursions and transportation by private deluxe coach, VAT and local taxes.  



Many knowing travelers consider Berlin to be the most exciting city in Europe, and Berlin offers much to justify this estimate.  The New Year Holiday provides a fine occasion to explore the delights and diversions of this vibrant international metropolis, and tdf Travel is once again offering our festive 7-night visit to this remarkable city.  Highlights include a gala New Year's Eve dinner in a grand palais, a New Year's Day concert at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, a performance of the Berlin Philharmonic and a backstage tour at the Staatsoper.  We also visit the internationally acclaimed new Jewish Museum designed by architect Daniel Liebeskind, and the new Holocaust Memorial.  On our weeklong visit we encounter the city's dynamic revitalization and charm with time to admire its spaciousness, its grand avenues and monumental architecture in both the  west and east sections.  We plan an optional visit to Potsdam and Schloss Sanssouci, the summer palace of Frederick the Great.   DEPOSIT DUE SEPTEMBER 1, 2005.






1.  Tuesday, December 27     
We depart from Newark at 6:30pm aboard Continental Airlines, non-stop to Berlin. Dinner is served on board. (Dinner-in flight) (Breakfast-in flight)



2.  Wednesday, December 28     
We arrive at 8:10am at the Berlin airport where we meet our local guide and travel directly to Berlin. A relaxing boat tour on the Spree River and a light lunch provide a pleasant start to the tour. We check into the Crowne Plaza, a four star hotel located in the heart of the capital of Germany, only a few steps away from the famous boulevard Kurfürstendam (often shortened to “Ku-dam”), the Berlin Zoo and the well-known KaDeWe department store. The hotel’s 423 air-conditioned rooms and suites, indoor pool, sauna, solarium, fitness facilities and massage section are ideally suited to accommodate the leisure traveler. Tonight we have a welcome dinner in a local restaurant.



3.  Thursday, December 29     
After breakfast we tour the former West Berlin sector, seeing many well known sites, driving along Kurfürstendam, West Berlin's most famous avenue, and through the vast Tiergarden, a park situated in the central part of the City, we see the newly constructed Holocaust Memorial (built in the center of the city), the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, with its remarkable new glass dome on the German House of Parliament. We stop at Dahlem, to visit the Gemaldegalerie, renowned for its architecture and for an extensive art collection including masterpieces by Holbein, Durer, Van Eyck, and Vermeer. Tonight we have tickets for a concert by the Berliner Philharmoniker, featuring maestro Sir Simon Rattle and pianist Emmanuel Ax offering an evening of selections by Mozart including his Piano Concerto # 9 and Symphony # 38 (“Prague”) and Act Four of The Marriage of Figaro.



4.  Friday, December 30     
Today we tour the former East Berlin where we see the marked difference from the West. Construction under the East German regime was usually in a very drab, institutional style but, thanks to Communist inefficiency, many old buildings were not torn down and today a splendid restoration and recreation of old structures is taking place. We tour backstage at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, a beautiful 18th century opera house built by Frederich II. We see the two most recognized structures in Berlin, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and we stop to visit “Checkpoint Charley'. We finish the morning with a visit to Berlin's world-famous Museum Island which lies between the River Spree and Kupfergraben. The museums on the island accommodate the archaeological collections and art of the 19th century. The Pergamon Museum, one of the most unique museums in the world displays the Pergamon Altar, part of the ancient Zeus temple, that dates from 160 - 180 B.C. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. The Berliners are very hospitable and many speak English. Berlin is fun to explore and easy to navigate, and our local guide introduces you to both the U-Bahn (Underground) and the S-Bahn (Surface) rail systems which speedily take you throughout the entire city.



5.  Saturday, December 31     
Today you are free to enjoy personal pursuits. Our local guide will assist you with your plans. The museums of Berlin are spectacular and varied, and worth exploring at length. Tonight we celebrate the arrival of the New Year at the Sylvester Ball in the Palais am Funkturm. The Funkturm, Berlin's Radio tower, was built to resemble the Eiffel Tower. In the tower’s palais ballroom we are transported back in time to the 1950s following in the steps of Gina Lollobrigida as we dance our way into the small hours under the gold-leaf ceiling. At midnight the Berliners waltz, which is a delight to see and join.



6.  Sunday, January 1     
We have a relaxing late brunch at the hotel. In the mid-afternoon we attend a special New Year’s concert in the Staatsoper Unter den Linden conducted by Daniel Barenboim.



7.  Monday, January 2     
We tour the evocative, newly opened Jewish Museum which pays homage to Berlin's rich and tragic Jewish heritage. Architect Daniel Liebskind planned the layout to convey a torn Star of David. The interior contains dark voids for contemplation, but the fascinating exhibits cover much more than the holocaust, documenting the enormous contributions of the Jewish people in Germany. The remainder of the day is free.



8.  Tuesday, January 3     
Today is free. Our local guide will assist you with your plans. Or as an option join our excursion to historic Potsdam, the town of kings. Inside an impressive, vast park we see Schloss Sanssouci, the magnificent rococo palace of Prussia's Frederick II, who expanded his home to include several palaces on over 700 acres; it's located in one of Europe's most impressive parks. We visit the Neues Palais (New Palace) and stop in the 'Marble Gallery' to see the famous statuary. We enjoy lunch in Potsdam before we return to Berlin. Tonight we have our farewell dinner in a local restaurant.



9.  Wednesday, January 3     
After breakfast we transfer from the hotel to the Berlin airport for our 10:15am flight to Newark, arriving at 1:25pm. (Lunch-in flight)





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round trip airfare Newark-Berlin on Continental Airlines
  • Seven nights accommodation at the 4-star Berlin Crowne Plaza.
  • Full buffet breakfast daily
  • Three lunches
  • Three dinners
  • Two performances including Berliner Philharmonie Orkester and Staatsoper Unter den Linden on
  • Entrance fees Pergamon Museum,
  • Entrance fees Gemaldegalerie (Dahlem museum),
  • Entrance fees Jewish Museum (guided tour)
  • Back stage tour of Staatsoper Unter Den Linden
  • Boat cruise on the Spree River
  • Luggage handling in the hotel
  • Local English speaking tour escort throughout the tour
  • All transfers, excursions and transportation by private deluxe coach
  • VAT and local taxes
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York: $2800  
Single Supplement: $475  
Air Taxes: $140  
Optional tour to Potsdam:  $   150.00