Dates: September 13–28, 2025
Registration: Closed. (How to Add Your Name to the Waitlist)
Join us as we travel to explore the villages of alpine Europe — Stresa, Italy; Interlaken, Switzerland; Seefeld, Austria; and Munich, Germany. Walk the streets of Stresa, a beloved resort town for the regions well-to-do. You’ll have the opportunity to sample the region’s local produce during a tasting event. Take a private boat cruise to explore the Borromean Islands. Experience Isola Bella’s renowned Palazzo Borromeo and its gardens, then take a boat to Isola Pescatori, a charming fishing village. During your time on the islands, you’ll also visit Isola Madre to stroll its stunning English-style gardens.
Head to Interlaken, Switzerland, stopping at the Simplon Mountain Pass for a chance to take photographs. Then, board a train for a short ride to Zermatt, a high-altitude (about 5,300 feet) town perched on the Alpine mountainside with clear views of the Matterhorn. Learn about modern Swiss life during an in-depth Exclusive Discovery Series conversation about Switzerland Today, followed by a walking tour of Interlaken, an idyllic Swiss Alpine town. Discover Swiss bucolic life when you visit a local family at their farm in the scenic Brienzerland countryside.
Depart for Seefeld, Austria, stopping on the way in the tiny landlocked nation of Liechtenstein, where you’ll enjoy a walking tour of the capital, Vaduz, which was founded circa 1322. Visit a local winery where you’ll enjoy a guided tour, light lunch, and a tasting of the local vintages. Explore the Renaissance Ambras Castle and the Baroque Innsbruck Cathedral that looms over the central Domplatz (Cathedral Square) on a walking tour.
Depart for an included tour of Mittenwald, Germany, a Bavarian town known for its local instrument-making heritage, and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, complete with traditional Tyrolean-style music.
Itinerary
16 days, 27 meals, including 14 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners (plus 1 home-hosted dinner)
17 included features, including 9 guided tours and 8 exclusive Discovery Series events, featuring a local produce tasting, cross-border workers discussion, Switzerland Today discussion, woodcarving museum, Swiss farm visit, home-hosted dinner, Liechtenstein winery visit, and Women of World War II discussion.
Physical requirements:
- Must be able to walk 1–2 miles unassisted and participate in 1–2 hours of physical activities daily, including stairs.
- Three days of this trip may require 3 miles of walking and 3–5 hours of optional physical activity.
- Several days are spent at altitudes between 3,000 and 6,000 feet and may have uneven walking surfaces, including unpaved paths, hills, stairs, and cobblestones.
- This trip is not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs or scooters. Travelers using walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids must travel with a companion to assist them.
- Day 1 — Depart U.S.
- Days 2–5 — Stresa, Italy
- Days 6–9 — Interlaken, Switzerland
- Days 10–14 — Seefeld, Austria
- Day 15 — Munich, Germany
- Day 16 — Return to U.S.
Additional Information
Optional Trip Extensions
- Lake Como & Milan, Italy
- 4 nights pre-trip from $1,195
- Munich, Germany & Salzburg, Austria
- 5 nights post-trip from $1,695
For questions and to receive additional information on extensions and options for this tour, please contact Grand Circle Travel at 1-800-221-2610.
Cost per person
- $5,995 including international airfare from Philadelphia Airport
- Please note there are a limited number of single occupancy rooms available.
- Included in cost: Round-trip air from Philadelphia International Airport, air transfers, air taxes and fees/surcharges.
- Not included: Round-trip transportation between State College and airport. OLLI will arrange a bus service for travelers at their expense.
All rates are subject to change.
Waitlist
- This trip is full. To add your name to the waitlist, please email trip leader Alice Clark at axc3@psu.edu.