Detailed Trip Itinerary for Bavarian Hop Harvest Tour 2026
Tuesday Sept 8
- Leave USA overnight flight to Munich (MUC)
Wednesday Sept 9 (overnight in Munich)
- 9am: Arrive at MUC
- 10am: Pick up: Clear Customs meet Trip after customs.
- 11am: Alt pick-up:
- Meet Trip at Holiday Inn Express Munich West Friedenheimer Bruecke 15 Munich, 80639
- LUNCH: Old Town at outdoor Viktualienmarkt
- 2:00 – 4:30pm: Spaten Brewery tour
- Late Afternoon Tour: Higgins Ale Works
- Evening: Augustiner Brewery
Thursday Sept 10 (Overnight in Wolnzach)
Hops Region #1 Hallertau- 10:30am: HVG Hallertau Region (Bavarian Hops HQ) Meet Senior Management - Carlos Ruiz Director International Sales
- Noon: Local lunch Siebler GbR Landgasthof u. Hofmetzgerei
- Afternoon:
- Hallertau Hop Tour
- Hop Museum (Optional)
- Schapfl Family Hop Farm
- Hop Processing Facility
- Check in Local Gasthaus
- Dinner: Local Wolnzach Café
- Evening: Drinks with locals
Friday Sept 11 (Overnight in Wolnzach)
- 9:30am: Hüll Bavarian Hops Research Institute tour & ABI Hop Farm. Meet head of Bavarian Hop Research Sebastian Gresset
- 11:30: Schneider Weisse Brewery
- Meet Head of Brewing Operations Günter Uhl for VIP tour
- Lunch: Schneider Weisse Biergarten
- Evening: The Freising Dinner at Weihenstephan Brewery (World’s Oldest Brewery) or Freising Volksfest
Saturday Sept 12 (Overnight in Tettnang)
Hops Region #2 Tettnang- Morning: Drive tour to Tettnang hops region
- 11:30am: HVG Tettnang Region Processing Center Meet Senior Management Jürgen Weishaupt HVG Director Tettnang
- Noon: Lunch on the hill with Jürgen at Max & Moritz Gasthaus
- 3:30pm Tettnang Locher Organic Hops Farm & Museum
- 7pm: Check into Tettnanger Kronen Brewery and Gasthaus
- VIP Tettnanger Kronen tour with Owner/Brewer Fritz Tauscher
- Evening:
- Dinner Tettnang Gasthaus
- Drinks with locals
Sunday Sept 13 (Overnight in Tettnang)
- 4 Biers, 4 Countries, 1 Day! Land, Water and in the Air
- Morning: Tettnang Sunday Street Market
- 10:00 Ferry on Lake Constance to Switzerland for Bier
- Afternoon: Biers in Vaduz, Lichtenstein, Hard, Austria on the lake
- Evening Sunset: Optional Zeppelin Ride Tettnang region#
# Schedule may vary
Monday Sept 14 (Overnight in Kulmbach)
- Morning: Drive to Kulmbach to IREKS Bavarian Malting Facility
- Lunch: With Senior IREKS management Robert Sprinzl
- Afternoon: Tour of several IREKS malting facilities. Tour of Plassenburg Castle overlooking Kulmbach City or Bavarian Bier Museum
- Evening: Check in Hotel
- Dinner and wrap up
Tuesday Sept 15 (Overnight Spalt)
Hops Region #3 Spalt- Morning: Drive region hops area to Spalt
- 11:00am: HVG Spalt Region Processing Center Meet Senior Management Frank Braun HVG Director Spalt
- Noon: Local Lunch in Spalt Wittelsbacher Hof
- Afternoon: Tour Spalt Brewery
- 3:30pm: Return to Freising and farewell dinner at Weihenstephan
- Hotel Freising
Wednesday Sept 16
- Morning: Checkout and back to Munich airport to depart to USA
SPECIAL NOTE: 2026 Oktoberfest starts Saturday Sept 19.
Stuff You Should Know for Bavarian Hop Harvest Tour 2026
Take with you (all are a MUST)
- Current Passport
- If your current passport expires in 2025 or before May 2027 it will NOT be valid for this trip. UPDATE IT NOW
- Starting in Q4 2026 you may be required to have a Euro visitors pass.
- See https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en for details
- Driver License (US)
- No more than 2 Credit Cards
- European power converter (1 for each person)
- Available @ Best Buy or AAA
- Any Medicines/vitamins you take
- Sunglasses, extra reading glasses
- Business Cards
Make a list
- Your Passport & Driver’s license
- Credit Card(s)
-
Important people to contact at home in case of emergency (their
phone and email addresses) -
Any medical conditions that you may have requiring special
attention, food allergies, etc.
Notify your credit card company that you will be traveling in Germany. The # is on the back of the credit card(s) you will be taking.
- If you are a premium member for your credit card, you will not have to pay Europe transaction fees.
- Double check your ATM card to be sure you qualify for no transaction fees
Consider bringing 100 Euro’s before you arrive in Munich. No need to bring more, we will stop at a bank ATM soon after arrival. These give the best rates for withdrawing cash.
- We discuss how to use your credit card in Europe when we get there.
- Spoiler Alert – Always charge EVERYTHING in EURO (you get ripped off if you choose to have it paid in U$D.
Phone and iPad prep
-
Call your phone service to have them walk you thru on how to TURN OFF the data function of your phone
- This is VERY IMPORTANT as it will save you lots of $$
- Ask your phone company for a SHORT-TERM International Call plan (Germany) from September 8 - September 16
-
If you have an iPad you may want to see if it is associated with a
Phone # and you may have to do same set up with phone company -
I am bringing my computer. Nothing needs to be done to prepare.
You will need a power converter that can plug in anywhere there is internet connection.
CLOTHES
- Bring casual comfortable warm clothes and closed toe shoes. We will be doing quite a bit of walking.
- The weather is like ours this time of the year, but evenings may be colder, so I suggest layers including a jacket, sweater, and long sleeve shirts as well as a light windbreaker that is also water resistant.
- You may want to consider bringing some traditional Bavarian clothes (lederhosen etc.) and look like a native.
- Small travel umbrella
EXTRA FUN STUFF!
- Great picture taking opportunities through the day. We will be enjoying lots of local Bavarian attractions including Freising Volksfest, 4 biers in 4 countries in 1 day and more.
-
To avoid jet lag:
- Try to sleep on plane over.
- Drink plenty of water (there is lots of beer once you arrive)
- Wear loose shoes on the plane.
Consider Travel Insurance (Ask me for a quote and what it covers)
-
You are responsible for ANY expenses if you are hurt, detained or
unable to remain on the proscribed itinerary. -
You can purchase a policy yourself, or I can assist you in getting the
travel insurance coverage you desire.
We will all meet just outside customs at the Munich Airport.
- Clear Customs before noon Wednesday, September 9
- We will head directly into Munich and check into hotel.
- Light Lunch
- Augustiner Brauerei Dinner and Biers!
SPECIAL NOTE: 2026 Oktoberfest starts Saturday Sept 19.