Oberammergau 2030: More Than a Passion Play - An Alpine Grand Journey
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There are trips you can take next year.
And then there are journeys you may only get the chance to experience once.
In 2030, Excite Experiences is returning to Germany for one of the world's most remarkable cultural traditions - the Oberammergau Passion Play. Performed only once every ten years, this centuries-old tradition transforms a small Bavarian village into a gathering place for travelers from around the world.
But when we began designing our 2030 Oberammergau experience, we knew we didn't want to simply fly to Germany, see the Passion Play and come home.
If we're going all the way to the Bavarian Alps for something this special, we want the entire journey to feel special.
So we're creating something much bigger.
Introducing Oberammergau 2030: The Passion Play & Alpine Grand Journey
This 13-day journey will take our travelers through Germany, Switzerland and Austria, combining one of Europe's most meaningful cultural events with Alpine resorts, royal palaces, the Black Forest, the Matterhorn, the Glacier Express, Austrian traditions and one unforgettable finale at Munich's Oktoberfest.
And we're offering two departures, each featuring the same carefully designed itinerary:
September 11–23, 2030
Passion Play performance: September 13
September 18–30, 2030
Passion Play performance: September 20
Here's a taste of what we're planning.
It Begins in Oberammergau
After arriving in Munich, we'll travel into the Bavarian Alps and spend two nights in Oberammergau.
This isn't a place we want to rush.
We'll have time to settle in, explore the village and learn more about the community before experiencing the event that inspired the entire journey: the 2030 Oberammergau Passion Play.
The tradition dates back to 1633, when the people of Oberammergau made a vow that if their village was spared from further deaths during the plague, they would regularly perform the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Nearly four centuries later, that promise continues.
The production involves the people of Oberammergau and draws visitors from around the world. Experiencing it in the village where the tradition began is something entirely different from simply attending a theatrical performance.
It's history, faith, community and tradition unfolding in front of you.
Then, We Slow Things Down
The morning after the Passion Play, we're not rushing everyone onto the bus at dawn.
Instead, we'll visit beautiful Linderhof Palace, the intimate royal retreat of Bavaria's famous King Ludwig II, before continuing into Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
And this is where we're doing something we think is very Excite.
We're going to stop touring.
We'll check into a beautiful Alpine spa resort early in the afternoon and give everyone time to actually enjoy it.
Maybe you'll visit the spa. Maybe you'll swim. Maybe you'll take a walk beneath the mountains, enjoy a glass of wine or simply sit somewhere beautiful and do absolutely nothing.
We'll gather again that evening for a Bavarian dinner.
Travel doesn't have to mean filling every available minute.
Sometimes the luxury is simply having nowhere else you need to be.
Two Nights in the Black Forest
From the Bavarian Alps, we'll journey west into Germany's legendary Black Forest, where we're planning two nights at the beautiful Vier Jahreszeiten am Schluchsee.
This isn't simply a hotel we're using because we need somewhere to sleep.
We want the hotel to be part of the experience.
Set amid the forests and rolling landscape of southern Germany, Schluchsee gives us a wonderful base for exploring this storied region.
We'll spend a day discovering Freiburg's beautiful Old Town and venturing deeper into the Black Forest countryside.
And, of course, we're working on a proper Black Forest cake experience.
Because if we're going to eat Black Forest cake in the Black Forest, we're going to do it right.
Next Stop: Switzerland
From the Black Forest, we'll cross into Switzerland and travel deep into the Alps.
Eventually our motorcoach will reach Täsch.
And that's where the road ends.
Our destination, Zermatt, is car-free, so we'll board the mountain railway for the final journey into one of Switzerland's most famous villages.
We'll stay for two nights.
The following morning, we'll board the historic Gornergrat Railway and climb high above Zermatt for extraordinary views of glaciers, Alpine peaks and one mountain nearly everyone recognizes the moment they see it:
The Matterhorn.
Then we'll return to Zermatt and give you something that's becoming an important part of this tour—time.
Time for lunch.
Time to shop.
Time to wander.
Time to find a café, order something wonderful and simply enjoy being in Switzerland.
A Full Day Aboard the Glacier Express
The next morning, the journey becomes the destination.
We'll board the legendary Glacier Express for the full journey from Zermatt to St. Moritz.
For approximately eight hours, Switzerland will unfold outside our panoramic windows.
Mountain passes. Deep valleys. Tiny villages. Glaciers. Rivers. Historic bridges. The Rhine Gorge. The spectacular Albula railway.
We're planning to travel First Class if group arrangements and pricing allow, and our goal is to include meal service aboard the train.
Meanwhile, our motorcoach will make its own journey across Switzerland with our larger luggage.
We'll simply sit back and watch the Alps go by.
Welcome to Austria
After a night in glamorous St. Moritz, we'll travel through the Engadin and into Austria.
Our destination is Innsbruck, one of Europe's great Alpine cities.
We'll explore its colorful historic center, see the famous Golden Roof and enjoy the remarkable sight of centuries-old buildings framed by towering mountains.
That evening, we'll gather for a traditional Tyrolean experience featuring dinner, music, folk dancing and entertainment.
The next day brings something completely different: the imaginative world of Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
Then it's on to Munich.
And Then We Finish at Oktoberfest
Yes.
That Oktoberfest.
We couldn't imagine a better way to finish this journey.
We'll spend our final full day exploring Munich before heading to the legendary Oktoberfest grounds.
But we're not planning to simply drop everyone at the entrance and say, "See you later."
Our goal is to secure reserved group seating inside one of Oktoberfest's traditional festival tents, complete with food and beverage vouchers.
You'll be able to sit together, enjoy the music, experience Bavarian traditions and take in the atmosphere of the world's most famous folk festival without having to figure everything out on your own.
Then there will be time to wander the festival grounds before we return to our hotel for our final night in Europe.
What a way to end a trip.
This Is the Kind of Europe We Love
What excites us most about this itinerary isn't simply the list of places we're visiting.
It's the rhythm of the journey.
Two nights in Oberammergau.
An afternoon when we intentionally stop sightseeing and enjoy an Alpine resort.
Two nights in the Black Forest.
Two nights beneath the Matterhorn in Zermatt.
An entire day watching Switzerland pass outside the windows of the Glacier Express.
An evening of Austrian music and tradition.
And finally, Oktoberfest in Munich.
There are spectacular sights, certainly.
But there is also room to breathe.
Room to wander.
Room to sit down with the people you're traveling with and talk about what you just experienced.
That's the kind of travel we believe in.
Oberammergau Only Comes Around Once Every Ten Years
2030 may sound like a long way away.
For a journey like this, it isn't.
Oberammergau is different from a typical European tour. Passion Play tickets, accommodations and group arrangements are planned years in advance, and the limited nature of the event means this is a trip worth thinking about early.
That's why we're already working on it.
We want the hotels to be right. We want the pacing to be right. We want the experiences between the famous sights to be just as memorable as the famous sights themselves.
Because when an opportunity only comes around once every decade, we want to make the most of it.
Oberammergau 2030: The Passion Play & Alpine Grand Journey
13 Days | Germany • Switzerland • Austria
Departure One: September 11–23, 2030
Departure Two: September 18–30, 2030
The Passion Play may be the reason this journey begins.
But we have a feeling everything that happens along the way will be what makes it unforgettable.
Interested in joining us? Contact Excite Experiences to be among the first to receive pricing, booking information and additional details as they become available.
