ITINERARY

DAY 1 | MONDAY 25 MAY 2026

1ST OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

ARRIVE BERLIN (D):

Arrive at our hotel, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, a luxury 5-star hotel located on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate. Hotel check-in is at 4:00pm and we recommend arriving at the hotel at this time.

In the early evening, we meet our Tour Leader, Julian Johnson, who will introduce the tour. Together we enjoy pre-dinner drinks followed by a delicious dinner.

DAY 2 | TUESDAY 26 MAY 2026

2ND OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

PRE-CONCERT TALK, GUIDED TOUR OF DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN & WAGNER’S DAS RHEINGOLD (B):

This morning begins with a talk by Wagner expert, Julian Johnson, introducing Richard Wagner’s brilliant and extraordinary epic music drama Der Ring des Nibelungen, and focusing on the first work, Das Rheingold, which we will hear this evening.

After the talk we enjoy a private guided tour of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Our tour takes us through the auditorium, props room and costume room. We hear fascinating insights into the theatre and what goes on behind the scenes. We also hear about the history of this prestigious opera house.

Following the tour, the afternoon is free. Our hotel is located within walking distance of a number of Berlin attractions and you might like to visit one or two of them. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a Holocaust Memorial, is a 5-minute walk from the hotel. 2711 concrete stelae of different heights are on a site covering 19,000 square metres. The area is open day and night and from all four sides you can immerse yourself in the fully accessible spatial structure. Opinions have differed about this memorial, but it is a fascinating and powerful structure which gives you space to confront the topic in your own way. Continuing in the same direction a 15-minute walk from the hotel is Potsdamer Platz, a public square and traffic intersection in the city centre. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was a major commercial and economic hub, but it was totally destroyed during WWII, and left desolate during the Cold War when the Berlin Wall bisected the area. A few remaining slabs of the wall together with an accompanying information display can still be seen at the square. Since German reunification Potsdamer Platz has been redeveloped and nearby are two fascinating new museums, The Deutschland Museum offering 2000 years of German history in an immersive experience exhibition, and the Deutsches Spionage Museum tracing a history of spying in Germany.

We come together in the evening and travel by private coach to the Deutsche Oper Berlin to attend Das Rheingold at 7:30pm.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN, 7:30pm
Wagner Das Rheingold

Sir Donald Runnicles conductor
Stefan Herheim director
Iain Paterson Wotan
Thomas Lehman Donner
Kieran Carrel Froh
Annika Schlicht Fricka
Michael Sumuel Alberich
Ya-Chung Huang Mime
Albert Pesendorfer Fasolt
Tobias Kehrer Fafner
Flurina Stucki Freia
Lauren Decker Erda

Following each of the performances we return by private coach to our hotel.

DAY 3 | WEDNESDAY 27 MAY 2026

3RD OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

PRE-CONCERT TALK, GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF BERLIN & WAGNER’S DIE WALKÜRE (B):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, Julian Johnson, about the second opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Die Walküre, which we will hear this evening.

With an expert guide we then explore the heart of Berlin on a stroll down the magnificent boulevard of Unter den Linden, from the Brandenburg Gate to the Dom, Berlin’s Cathedral by the River Spree. We see and hear about numerous important buildings such as the Humboldt University, the Staatsoper, originally the court opera house commissioned by Frederick the Great, The Neue Wache, a memorial for the victims of war and dictatorship, and the Zeughaus once an arsenal and the oldest preserved building on the boulevard, now housing the Deutsches Historisches Museum. The boulevard also boasts restaurants, cafés and shops. The magnificent Baroque Berliner Dom, Berlin’s biggest Protestant Church, built between 1894 and 1905, is located on Museum Island. Between 1975 and 1982 it was rebuilt to include spires and a simplified cupola. After the walking tour there are cafes in the museums and an open-air cafe near the Dom which offer rest and refreshment.

The late afternoon is free. Again, the convenient location of our hotel offers satisfying destinations within a short distance. If you feel like a refreshing walk, you can go through the Brandenburg Gate to the Tiergarten, a 210-hectare park with tree-lined paths, lawns, memorials and cultural sights. If you would like to do some shopping, a 10-minute walk from the hotel is the Mall of Berlin, an extensive mall offering about 300 shops.

In the early evening we attend Die Walküre at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN, 5:00pm
Wagner Die Walküre

Sir Donald Runnicles conductor
Stefan Herheim director
Matthew Newlin Siegmund
Tobias Kehrer Hunding
Thomas Johannes Mayer Wotan
Elisabeth Teige Sieglinde
Annika Schlicht Fricka
Trine Møller Brünnhilde

DAY 4 | THURSDAY 28 MAY 2026

4TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

DAY TRIP TO POTSDAM AND SANSSOUCI PALACE (B, L):

This morning we set off for the nearby town of Potsdam to explore the city’s historic centre and to walk in the footsteps of Frederick the Great with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Sanssouci Palace.

The name Sanssouci, meaning ‘without a care’, is the location were Frederick the Great most preferred to retreat in the company of his dogs. It was here that he wanted to grow plums, figs and grapes at the gates of Potsdam, and the extraordinary view inspired him to build his summer residence on the terraces here. The palace was built between 1745 and 1747 by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff according to the king's ideas and sketches, and is considered one of the most important examples of German rococo architecture. The rooms, which are characterised by splendour and elegance, are still originally furnished.

In between our walking tour of Potsdam and our visit to Sanssouci Palace, we enjoy a gourmet group lunch together in one of Potsdam’s finest restaurants.

Following our day trip to Potsdam, we return to Berlin for a free evening.

DAY 5 | FRIDAY 29 MAY 2026

5TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

PRE-CONCERT TALK & WAGNER’S SIEGFRIED (B):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, Julian Johnson, about the third opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Siegfried, which we will hear today.

The late morning and early afternoon are free. You might choose to rest, or to visit one or more museums on Museum Island. There are five museums: the Altes Museum, a masterpiece of classicist architecture, which houses a collection of antiquities; the Neues Museum with exhibits from the Egyptian Museum, the Antique Collection and the Museum of Prehistory and Early History, known for its stunning rotunda modelled after the Pantheon in Rome and for the world-famous bust of Nefertiti, over 3,000 years old, in its North Dome Hall; the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) which features 19th-century art; and The Bode Museum which houses sculptures, Byzantine art, and coins. The Pergamon Museum is closed for renovation at the moment.

In the late afternoon we attend Siegfried at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN, 4:00pm
Wagner Siegfried

Sir Donald Runnicles conductor
Stefan Herheim director
Clay Hilley Siegfried
Ya-Chung Huang Mime
Iain Paterson Wanderer
Michael Sumuel Alberich
Tobias Kehrer Fafner
Lauren Decker Erda
Elisabeth Teige Brünnhilde

DAY 6 | SATURDAY 30 MAY 2026

6TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

GUIDED TOUR OF GEMÄLDEGALERIE (B, D):

This morning we visit the Gemäldegalerie where we have a private guided tour of a selection of core works. Since its foundation in 1830, the collection in this art museum has been developed with a systematic and scholarly eye to the history of European painting from the 13th to 18th-century. This thoughtfully selected collection is the basis for its many incomparable masterpieces and for the gallery’s world-class reputation today. Works range from Italian masterpieces such as those by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Raphael and Titian to the richly detailed pictures of Bruegel, works by the Flemish master van Eyck and the most notable figures in early German painting such as Dürer, Baldung, Grien, Cranach the Elder and Holbein. There is one of the largest and most exquisite Rembrandt collections in the world and a splendid collection of 18th-century paintings including works by Canaletto, Watteau, and Gainsborough.

Following the tour, the remainder of the afternoon is free and, with approximately 1,000 masterpieces on display in the upper galleries in any one period, you might like to spend a little more time at the gallery to enjoy them.

Other places you may be interested to visit this afternoon include Schloss Charlottenburg, 15-minutes away by taxi, a beautiful palace built in the 16th and 17th centuries, once a royal summer residence, today Berlin’s largest and most magnificent palace, or the Jewish Museum Berlin, 6-minutes away in a taxi, an architectural masterpiece with exhibitions and a diverse program of events which make the museum a vibrant centre of reflection on Jewish history and culture, as well as about migration and diversity in Germany.

This evening we come together for a delicious group dinner.

DAY 7 | SUNDAY 31 MAY 2026

7TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI BERLIN

PRE-CONCERT TALK & WAGNER’S GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (B, L):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, Julian Johnson, about Götterdämmerung, the fourth opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which we will hear today. Following this we enjoy our farewell lunch together.

In the late afternoon we attend Götterdämmerung at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN, 4:00pm
Wagner Götterdämmerung

Sir Donald Runnicles conductor
Stefan Herheim director
Clay Hilley Siegfried
Thomas Lehman Gunther
Michael Sumuel Alberich
Albert Pesendorfer Hagen
Catherine Foster Brünnhilde
Felicia Moore Gutrune
Annika Schlicht Waltraute

DAY 8 | MONDAY 1 JUNE 2026

TOUR ENDS (B):

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, the tour concludes.

INCLUSIONS

25 MAY–1 JUNE 2026 (8 DAYS)

AUD$10,750 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE

Single supplement: AUD$1,650
Deposit payment 1: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due at time of booking)
Deposit payment 2: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due on 24 January 2026)
Final payment due: 23 March 2026

INCLUSIONS:

• Performances: Premium tickets for the four operas of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

• Tour Leader and Talks: Tour Leadership and four exclusive background talks by Julian Johnson.

• Tour Manager: An experienced Tour Manager to accompany the group throughout the tour.

• Hotels: 7 nights' accommodation in the luxury 5-star Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin in a Deluxe Room.

• Travel: Land travel by private air-conditioned coach.

• Meals/Drinks: Breakfast each morning. Four lunches/dinners with wine, water and tea/coffee and welcome drinks on day one.

• Entry Fees and Guided Tours: Entrance fees for museums, art galleries etc. as stated in your itinerary. Expert local guides will be used at some sites.

• Tips: Tips for drivers, local guides and meals included in your itinerary.

• Information Pack: Comprehensive pre-tour information pack.

EXCLUSIONS:

• International/Domestic Travel: Hayllar Music Tours can provide you with a quote. Phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Airport Transfers: Transfers to/from airports and hotels at the beginning and end of the tour. These can be arranged at an additional cost.

• Special Taxes: Special taxes and airport levies that can only be paid in cash at the destination. We will endeavour to advise you of these charges (if any) before you depart.

• Visas: Costs associated with obtaining visas for countries visited on your tour. From mid-2025, travellers entering European countries will be required to obtain an ETIAS travel authorisation. For further information on ETIAS applications visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

• Travel Insurance: Please note that you are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for the duration of your tour. If you live in Australia, Hayllar Music Tours can organise your travel insurance for you. Please contact them at phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Meals: Lunches and dinners not nominated in your itinerary.

• Personal Expenses: Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls and mini-bar.

• Activities in Free Time: Costs associated with any activities suggested for you in your free time.

SMALL GROUP SIZE

The tour will operate with 8 people. The maximum number on the tour will be 20 people.

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED - LEVEL 1

All members of the group must feel comfortable walking for 1–2 hours, standing for long periods of time in museums, art galleries etc. and embarking/disembarking coaches.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please note that booking terms and conditions apply. Click here for the booking terms and conditions.

WAGNER’S RING CYCLE AT THE DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN