Leading archaeological holidays company Andante Travels (www.andantetravels.co.uk, 01722 713800) has announced a new way to experience the legendary Passion Play, which takes place in the German village of Oberammergau just once every 10 years. These brand new short breaks are only three-days in length, allowing guests to enjoy a little free time in the village itself either side of the performance – the perfect trip for anyone wanting to watch the Passion Play as a standalone event and not as part of a larger – or more expensive itinerary. What's more, the final day includes an excursion to the stunning Neuschwanstein Castle. 

Short Break in Oberammergau

The Itinerary

On the departure morning, guests will catch their included flight from London to Munich. Upon arrival, they will be transferred to their hotel in the village of Oberammergau and a group meal follows later in the evening. After breakfast on the second day, there is ample free time to explore the history and heritage of this destination, and then it's show time. Again, dinner is included this evening during the play's extensive interval. On the third morning, after breakfast, there is an excursion to Ludwig of Bavaria's magnificent Neuschwanstein Castle and then it's back to the airport so that guests can catch their return flights home. 

What's Included

Included in the price of this unique short break are two nights in an Oberammergau-area hotel, a category three ticket for the Passion Play, two dinners and two breakfasts, return flights from London, all local transfers throughout, and a playbook to accompany the performance complete with the English translation. This really is the most compact way to experience such a legendary event, and there are five departure dates to choose from. 

13th to 15th June – £1,095pp
17th to 19th June – £995pp
25th to 27th July – £1,095pp
27th to 29th July – £1,095pp
24th to 26th August – £1,195pp

View the short tours here: https://www.andantetravels.co.uk/tour/1127/Germany/Short-break-in-Oberammergau.html 

Alternative Oberammergau tours

For those wanting a more extensive experience alongside their chance to watch the Passion Play, Andante Travels has a further five tours that are longer in duration.

Oberammergau & the Southern Limes

Led by former Archaeologist of the Year title-holder Tony Wilmott, this nine-day tour investigates the sites and museums of the longest artificial frontier of the Roman Empire. Explore the monuments of imperial Trier (the Porta Nigra, basilica and audience hall of Constantine the Great), see the Museum of Roman Ships in Mainz and visit the Pompeiianum in Asschaffenburg. This is an all-inclusive tour that comes with category one tickets to the Passion Play along with two nights in the village of Oberammergau itself. 25th August – 2nd September, 2020. Nine days from £3,250pp.

Oberammergau & Hallstatt

Join Professor John Collis, a leading expert on the European Iron Age, on this five-day multi-centre tour of Austria and Germany. With two nights in Oberammergau including tickets to watch the Passion Play, guests will also visit the Celtic Museum in Hallein, explore the Hallstatt salt mines and pore over the fascinating collections housed within the UNESCO-listed Hallstatt Museum. 10th – 14th August, 2020. Five days from £2,195pp.

Oberammergau – Munich & Salzburg

Along with tickets to watch the legendary Oberammergau Passion Play, this six-day tour includes visits to both the Nymphenburg Palace and Residenz in Munich, and a Mozart-themed tour of Salzburg. In this Austrian city, guests will visit the Mozart Residence and enjoy an 18th century-themed dinner concert at St. Peter's Monastery. There will also be a dinner at the famous Hofbräuhaus and some free time to explore Oberammergau. 29th June – 4th July or 11th – 16th July, 2020. Six days from £2,245pp. 

Oberammergau & the Archaeology of Northern Italy

Spend seven glorious days discovering the history and archaeology of locations in both Italy and Germany, and watch the Passion Play in the village of Oberammergau. Go underground in Trento to discover Roman remains, come face-to-face with the mummified remains of Ötzi the Iceman at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and take a walking tour of the lesser-visited historic city of Brescia. There is also an excursion to the ruins of the Caves of Catullus on this tour, which is ideal for lovers of archaeology. This tour is led by Craig Alexander, who developed a 3D scanner for rock art that was tested in Valcamonica. 13th – 19th June, 2020. Seven days from £2,595pp.

Oberammergau – Dream Castles of Bavaria

Combine the spectacle of the Passion Play with visits to the stunning fairytale castles of Bavaria on this six-day tour. Visit Herrenchiemsee Palace, Hohenschwangen, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Castle Berg, and then experience the once-a-decade Passion Play in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau. 4th – 9th June, 2020. Six days from £2,150pp.

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For more information, call Andante Travels on 01722 713800 or visit https://www.andantetravels.co.uk/

For further media information, contact: Martha Whatley, Content Marketing and PR Executive, martha@specialistjourneys.com

Notes to editors

Founded in 1985, Andante Travels – part of the Specialist Journeys group – has grown to become one of the UK's leading specialist tour operators. The company has previously won the 'Best Small Holiday Company for Customer Service' title at the prestigious British Travel Awards, and thanks to the wonderful support of its travellers, it won the Best Special Interest Holiday and Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula & Malta categories at the 2018 British Travel Awards, and was also shortlisted for the Best Cultural Tour Operator in the 2018 Silver Travel Awards. In 2019, Andante made the shortlist for the Marketing Excellence prize at the South Wilts Business of the Year Awards. It is also currently a finalist for two prizes at the Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers' Travel Awards and the company is once again nominated in both the Best Special Interest Holiday and Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula & Malta categories at the 2019 British Travel Awards. 

Andante's tours have been named 'Trips of a Lifetime' by the National Geographic Traveler on five occasions and in 2018 it appointed Jackie Willis as its new CEO, who brought with her over 35 years of touring and travel experience. Over the years, the company has introduced thousands of people to the wonders of the ancient world. Its tours are all designed and led by renowned experts, who bring a unique, special insight to each site visited in every corner of the globe, and every one of its itineraries boasts exclusive access to either a museum or venue, a specific archaeological site or to a workshop. Andante's tours are peppered with hands-on, immersive experiences that offer an authentic taste of each destination and leave the guest with memories that will last long after they return home.