Enticing Food Tour of Germany: Michelin Stars to Local Taverns

Our heartfelt thanks to Zicasso’s travel designer and her team at Zicasso’s tour operator for planning our recent trip to Germany. It’s been a lifelong dream to see the places that my father so lovingly described during his years stationed in the army in Stuttgart. She took the time to listen to our reasons for planning the trip and understood the selected towns. The planning and preparation in the months leading up to the trip did not disappoint. She helped us map out the trip and maximize our time in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and Garmisch.

In terms of bookings, she selected excellent hotels that were centrally located, elegant, and had all the comforts of home. In each of the cities, she linked us to guides who were knowledgeable, insightful, and fun. Transportation arrangements were smooth and easy, either on the ICE train, boat ride, or car service.

Our guide to the Cannstatter festival in Stuttgart was fantastic. He grew up in Stuttgart and was able to tell us the history of it, teach us a proper German toast, and offered us great places to dine afterwards.

Our guide and driver from Munich to Garmisch took us to Neuschwanstein Castle and then surprised us with additional stops along the way in a small village to learn of the local culture and churches. Our last stop of the day was at a monastery. We enjoyed a fabulous piece of Black Forest cake. During this time, he asked us how we were able to book through this travel company. We explained about Zicasso and he expressed his delight that we were able to book a small, authentic company versus the big-box tour. He was right.

Our travel designer customized the trip to us and no cookie cutter. She was very flexible when there was a last-minute change to the itinerary due to a winery closing unexpectedly early. She made the arrangements happen quickly and it enabled us to meet with the wine maker at a winery in Stuttgart and spend a morning on the patio wine tasting with him.

Our last leg of the trip was Garmisch. I am not sure if she was the one to order the spectacular weather (I wouldn’t put it past her abilities), but the clouds cleared and the trip up the Zugspitze was breathtaking. Such a delight and change from the bigger cities.

At the end segment of the trip, my husband was more and more impressed with the quality of the trip: tours and hotels that I was able to book with our travel designer's guidance. I could not be more pleased with the experience of the trip and the work she put in to make this dream trip a reality. Thank you for helping me connect to my father’s time in Germany. My heartfelt recommendations and appreciation.

To everyone at Zicasso's travel agency, thank you, thank you, thank you! The private trip to the most remarkable European metropolises you curated for us was, well, in the words of the countries we visited, csodálatos/wunderbar/wunderbar/and trés magnifique!!!!!

Everything and everyone you arranged for us was not only to our liking, but perfect.

The hotels were as we like, boutique, not large conglomerate chains. Each was nicely situated, with the staff attentive. The one we found best was in Berlin, with the others not far behind.

The drivers were all nice, on time, and helpful. The tour guides were all informative and knowledgeable, and answered our many questions with aplomb. While all were good, we found the two guides in Berlin to be our favorites. And while she knew her subject matter, we found the one in Vienna too religious and opinionated. We suggest maybe not using her as much.

We did not really use any of the restaurant recommendations you supplied because we like to find local eateries close to the hotels. Two we went to twice because the first experience was so good – in Berlin and in Paris.

One note: there were two times we took a cab whose driver, after taking us, said they did not accept cash and passed a card scanner for me to tap. Afterward, I received an alert from Visa that the charge was $98 rather than the $9 quoted in Budapest and $168 rather than the $12 quoted in Paris. We suggest letting everyone know to only take cabs that accept cash or take an Uber.

Once again I would like to thank all of you who endeavored to make this adventure such a pleasant and memorable one.

All the best,

Rick and Barb Boyko

Zicasso's travel specialist crafted an unforgettable journey through Germany for us in September 2025. He truly listened to our interests and designed a phenomenal itinerary that showcased the very best the country has to offer—from small, charming medieval villages and breathtaking Rhine wine country to magnificent castles, dynamic modern cities, and the majestic Bavarian Alps. We also appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of sites tied to WWII and Cold War history, providing a meaningful and reflective perspective on Germany’s past.

Members of our group have personal family connections to Nazi forced labor and concentration camps, as well as life behind the Iron Curtain in post-war East Germany. Our incredible guides handled these sensitive topics with knowledge and compassion, helping us dive deeper and even find answers to lingering questions.

Every guide we met along the way was exceptional—knowledgeable, personable, and fluent in English—which brought each experience to life and deepened our appreciation for the places we visited. The trip was full and fast-paced, yet perfectly balanced for what we were looking for.

The variety of experiences—from somber memorials to the grand pageantry of palaces and the pure joy of Oktoberfest—made the trip incredibly rich and memorable. Throughout it all, our travel specialist kept close communication and ensured everything ran smoothly, giving us complete peace of mind.

We could not be more thrilled with our experience and highly recommend our travel specialist and this agency to anyone looking for a perfectly curated, seamless, and extraordinary adventure!

The planning and organization for our trip to Germany and Austria was expertly handled by Zicasso's travel partner. We could not have asked for a better trip. 

We gathered our adult children and friends together to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the Old World. In and around Munich, we saw Neuschwanstein and many of the city's beautifully ornate churches. We also visited the Christmas markets and beer halls, and ate way to much fabulous German food. 

Our agent contracted private guides in Munich and Salzburg. These guides were superior. They had detailed knowledge of the area, its history, and people. 

We spent Christmas in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is a lovely, magical town in the shadow of Germany's highest mountain, Zugspitze. On Christmas Day, I took the cable car up the mountain and the sights from the top were tremendous. On the day we were there, we could see 230km in all directions. Of course, when in the Alps, you must ski, so we visited Hintertux for a day of skiing and glacier exploration.  

Then we went to Salzburg to explore the sites of Mozart's birthplace, but there is so much more to the town than that. The town has over 1,000 years of history and the people there could not have been more hospitable. 

From there, we went back to Munich to celebrate New Year at Tollwood. 

Thank you, and a special thanks to our travel team for all the planning that went into the trip. It was pleasantly unforgettable. And I cannot forget our guides. The guides in Munich and Salzburg were excellent – extremely knowledgeable, personable, and always there when needed. I cannot wait to go back, and when I do, I will be planning our trip through your company.

Zicasso’s travel specialist was outstanding! From the beginning, he listened and curated exactly the kind of experience we had hoped for. The trip was fantastic. The hotels were perfect and everything went smoothly.

The guides for the Salzburg food tour and Vienna walking tour were particularly outstanding, as well as our driver-guide in Munich. The travel specialist created a custom itinerary that not only met our expectations, but exceeded them, with VIP experiences that made this mother-daughter trip truly special.