DAY 1: April 23, 2023
Sit back, relax, and get ready as we are about to embark on a whirlwind adventure through the most industrious nation in Europe – Germany! Try to catch a few winks of sleep after you board your direct flight to Munich. The adventure begins promptly upon landing!
DAY 2: April 24, 2023
Willkommen in München, the Bavarian heartland! On arrival, we will be met by our Contiki team and taken into the city. We hope you caught a little bit of sleep as we waste no time and hit the streets for an epic bike ride tour with Mike’s Bikes!
This evening, we get to know each other a little better over a hearty German dinner at a local beer house. Prost!
- Mikes Bikes tour
- Welcome dinner
(B, D)
DAY 3: April 25, 2023
After breakfast, we board the bus for a day trip outside of Munich. Warning – this morning’s excursion may be a bit difficult, but it is a very important piece of history and equally important that we learn, grow, and reflect from the past as we move forward in our lives, leading with patience, understanding, acceptance and kindness.
This morning we visit Dachau Concentration Camp. Opened on March 22, 1933, by the Nazi regime, this prison and place of terror existed for 12 years and saw a saddening 200,000 + prisoners from over 40 nations. At least 41,500 persons died here of hunger and illness, from the torture they suffered, were murdered, or perished from the consequences of their imprisonment. We will visit the grounds, memorial, and learn from the past.
This afternoon, we enjoy a lighter activity as we head to Regensburg to visit the Weltenburg Monastery. The roots of the Weltenburg Monastery go back well over a millennium to the seventh century and is the oldest monastery brewery in the entire world! We will dive deep into German tradition, and learn why Weltenburger believes in preserve the proven, promote the progress! We will enjoy a guided tour and learn where the award-winning Dark has its origins and why top-fermented wheat is becoming increasingly popular.
- Visit Dachau Concentration Camp
- Weltenburg Monastery – Regensburg
(B)
DAY 4: April 26, 2023
We’re on the road this morning for a huge day of adventure! Today is absolutely a good day to bring your extra battery pack with you because your camera is likely to never leave your hand. On tap for the day are two very iconic sights in Germany – Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) and Neuschwanstein Castle!
BMW is one of Germany’s most iconic auto brands and we will be learning all about the historic and powerful engineering innovations that they have developed over the years.
Neuschwanstein Castle has long since been one of the most famous castles in Germany, and perhaps the entire world. Fun fact: Neuschwanstein Castle was an inspiration to the design of both Sleeping Beauty’s Castle as well as Cinderella’s Castle due to its Romanesque style, making it the perfect architectural model. Whether you are a Disney fan or not, one thing is for sure – this fairy-tale like castle will be sure to leave you swooning.
- BMW Factory Tour
- Neuschwanstein Castle
(B)
DAY 5: April 27, 2023
It’s an early morning for our crew as we say our goodbyes to Munich and head to Germany’s historic capital – Berlin. It’s a full day of exploration as we visit the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bamberg enroute to Berlin! Be prepared to get lost in the magic of this incredible city with its awe-inspiring architecture, enchanting palaces and museums, it surely won’t disappoint.
On arrival in Bamberg, we have the pleasure of participating in a tour of Weyermann Specialty Malts and learning about how it all started with a hand driven roast drum that lead them to be the world market leader that they are today! Our tour will include the labratory, malting house and their state of the art logistics centre that enables them to provide more than 135 countries with their speciality malts. See for yourself how Weyermann’s has had a profound impact on the North American craft beer market.
After we are done exploring the incredible Bamberg, we complete our journey to Berlin where we will check into our hotel and stay for the next 3 nights.
- Transfer from Munich to Berlin
- Explore the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bamberg
- Tour Weyermann Specialty Malts
- Visit Aecht Schlenkerla
(B)
DAY 6: April 28, 2023
Welcome to Berlin! This city is brimming with history and with so much to do its best to begin with a sightseeing tour. Some of Germany’s most iconic landmarks call Berlin home and we will head out to discover what we can. Take in Checkpoint Charlie, The Brandenburg Gate, Russian War Memorial, Berlin Wall Memorial, Museum Island, and Marienplatz. You can’t look left in this city without encountering an architectural wonder.
Next, we visit Foundry, a top-rated agency who creates engaging content and rebuilds entire brands from scratch. They believe in the power of storytelling, brand aesthetics, and strategic use of touchpoints and channels that give way to ideas that inspire dialogue.
This afternoon, we will have time to explore Museum Island at your leisure.
- City tour of Berlin
- Visit Foundry Berlin
- Museum Island
(B)
DAY 7: April 29, 2023
This morning we will leave Berlin proper for a journey to the small village of Feldheim. It may seem like an average suburban town, but this is Germany’s first community that is powered entirely by renewable energy. What began with a few wind turbines turned into a fully sustainable way of life. We will learn about the towns model and how such a fantastic symbiosis was achieved.
Continuing our educational journey of renewable energies and technology, this afternoon we return to Berlin to join a technology tour at Olympic Stadium! During the tour, we will learn about some of the behind-the-scenes elements such as energy management, sustainability, and infrastructure in addition to the technical center, sports areas, sky boxes and player’s lounge.
- Village of Feldheim
- Visit Olympic Stadium in Berlin
(B)
DAY 8: April 30, 2023
We keep the good times rollin’ as we pack our things and board our private bus and set our sights on Hamburg. Our journey to Hampburg will involve a slight detour to visit the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg! This state-of-the-art facility is at the forefront of modern manufacturing and true to its name of the “people’s car”. We will look at their innovative designs and practices, while learning about their production and history.
Once we reach Hamburg, we will get ourselves acquainted with a city tour. Did you know that Hamburg is in fact home to the most bridges in the world? Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam and Venice combined!
Calling all beer enthusiasts! This afternoon we will be heading to Haus der 131 Biere – a specialist beer retailer that is home to over 300 beers, despite the name 😉. Take this evening to enjoy some free time.
- Tour of Volkswagen Factory
- City tour of Hamburg
- Haus der 131 Biere – Specialist Beer Retailer
(B)
DAY 9: May 1, 2023
Today we journey just outside of Hamburg to visit the Airbus build facility. Germany has a rich history of aircraft design and construction and is home to some of Airbus’ largest and most important operations. Airbus regards themselves as pioneers of sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. Here we will tour the facilities and experience a full-size replica of the Columbus Module, which was Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station. We will also learn about the effects of zero-gravity on humans and technological equipment.
(B)
DAY 10: May 2, 2023
What an incredible time it has been. We came, we saw, and we conquered with newfound friends. Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland. Prost!
(B)
Disclaimers: Be World Ready does their best to execute the itinerary as outlined above, however all elements are subject to change based on availability or requirement to adapt due to circumstances outside of our control. Cost of the overall experience may fluctuate up to a maximum of $200.00 +/- CAD due to volume of participants and local exchange rate. Students will be informed in writing as early as possible if it is foreseen that the cost will increase. Students are also reminded that it is their responsibility to research the entry requirements to the destination countries visited per their nationality and vaccination status.
* Price per student is in Canadian Dollars and reflects the Be World Ready (BWR) grant which has been applied to the total trip cost to heavily subsidize the rate per person for our Spring 2023 International Field Studies (IFS). Our future IFS BWR grants will not remain this high. To qualify for the full value of the BWR grant applied to this IFS, mandatory training and tasks are required to be completed, training and task expectations will be clearly communicated by BWR staff upon registration. Failure to complete the requirements as outlined by BWR staff will result in the value of the grant being billed back to the applicable student account, up to a maximum of $2500. Securing your seat on this trip will occur on a first come, first serve basis based on registration date, and meeting payment timelines.