A Grand Rail Adventure: Milan, The Alps & Vienna - Eastbound

Tour begins: 6:00 PM. A transfer is included from Milan Malpensa Airport to the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan in the heart of the city, opposite the Central Station and close to the fashion district. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.

Discover the historic center of this modern metropolis known for sophistication, cutting-edge fashion, and art. Begin the day with a visit to the awe-inspiring Milan Cathedral (the Duomo). Built with Candoglia marble shipped from quarries around Lake Maggiore, the immense Duomo took 600 years to build and is still a work in progress, adorned with thousands of gargoyles and sculpted figures, soaring columns, vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and flying buttresses, and a rooftop terrace with breathtaking views.  From the Duomo it's a short walk to a no-less impressive commercial cathedral, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th-century shopping arcade under a monumental glass and ironwork ceiling, housing a busy warren of boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafes. Or take a walking tour of the Brera District, a romantic bohemian neighborhood of narrow cobbled streets, galleries, and artisans' shops known as the Milanese Montmartre. Drive outside the city for a visit to a working farm, or cascina, where you'll get a tour and a hands-on cooking lesson in local cuisine, followed by lunch. Return to the city for free time on your own, then join us for dinner this evening at a local restaurant.

Depart for Milan Central Station and settle in aboard the Danube Express, your hotel on wheels for the next three nights.  An hour later, you'll arrive in Como for a walking tour of its charming narrow streets and pastel houses beside enchanting Lake Como, lined with stately villas, terraces and promenades, against a dramatic backdrop of snow-capped mountains.  Visit the 14th-century marble Duomo, decorated with tapestries, frescoes, and paintings, for an exclusive organ concert. Then lunch aboard the train as you head for the St. Gotthard Pass en route to Zurich. A spectacular landscape of rugged granite mountains, plunging valleys, and mountain lakes, the St. Gotthard Pass links northern and southern Switzerland, making it historically and culturally significant as well as a breathtaking scenic journey. You'll also glide past stunning Lake Lucerne, where alpine mountains, meadows and forests roll down to meet its wandering shores. Dine aboard the Danube Express tonight.

Today a walking tour of Zurich begins with a visit to the Kunsthaus Museum of Art, whose collections of 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and installations include works by Monet, Munch, Picasso, and Van Gogh, as well as works dating back to the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on Swiss masters. Then explore Zurich's captivating Old Town with a local guide.  Lunch on the train as you ride through scenic landscapes of mountains, farms, and villages to Vaduz in Liechtenstein. Nestled beside the Rhine, Vaduz, the nation's capital, is a fascinating city of art, eclectic architecture, and vantage points for panoramic views. A walking tour of the town's historic center is followed by an opportunity to view the clifftop medieval castle that is still the residence of the royal family; trails and overlooks on the grounds offer stunning, princely views of the valley, the imposing mountain range, and the entire city. Dine on board the train this evening.

Beside the striking Nordkette mountain range, Innsbruck is known as the Capital of the Alps, once a favorite retreat of the Habsburgs, who kept a lavish imperial residence here.  Take a walking tour of Innsbruck's medieval old town with a local guide; after lunch the Danube Express travels the Semmering Pass through some of the most scenic landscapes in central Austria to Jenbach, where you'll board a steam rack railway train for the steep ride up 1400 feet to fjord-like Lake Achen – so large it's sometimes called an inland sea – a popular destination for Austrians on summer holiday. Cruise the lake to a spit of land that can only be reached by boat or on foot; here you'll find a traditional Austrian tavern, beaches, a forest with hiking trails, and an alpine pasture – feel like a local and enjoy the natural surroundings. Return to the Danube Express for a farewell dinner and depart for Vienna.

Begin your day in Vienna with an exclusive concert with sparkling wine (or soft drinks) in an intimate setting, then return to the train for lunch. This afternoon you'll check into your premier hotel in the heart of the city, an Art Deco gem built in 1892, directly opposite the Vienna State Opera House.  Later, join us for a private, after-hours tour of Schönbrunn Palace, the opulent Habsburg summer residence inspired by Versailles; your guided tour starts at the Gloriette, a hilltop Roman-style pavilion with a viewing platform overlooking the vast landscaped gardens, then continues on to the magnificent Imperial apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth. Dinner tonight is at the Cafe Residenz, a classic Viennese cafe in the eastern wing of the palace.