Bavaria & the Rhine Valley: Breweries, Biergartens & Bucolic Towns

May 16-24, 2026 (9 days | 20 guests)

The Trip

Greetings, thirsty Carls!
Please join me for an unforgettable trip to Germany to taste some of the best beer in the world, visit the city beer halls and rural biergartens that celebrate these beers, and eat the delicious food that’s been enjoyed with these regional beers for centuries.
If you’re already a fan of German beer, this is an essential pilgrimage. And if you’re beer-curious but don’t know an herbaceous pilsner from a hazy hefeweizen, this trip is eye-opening “required tasting” in your discovery of the world’s most popular beverage. Regardless of your beer knowledge, I can promise that I will educate, entertain, and guide you to new flavors and perspectives on this cultured beverage.
On this trip, we’ll use beer as a lens through which to examine German regional culture, flavor, and history, while digging deeply into the art and science of beer. Along the way, you’ll have opportunities to tour breweries, enjoy hearty fare while hoisting mugs of beer, and stroll along rivers and canals and among markets, cobblestone town squares, cathedrals, and castles. I’ll talk about beer tasting technique, brewing processes, and the history and tasting notes of specific German beer styles we’ll be tasting. We’ll taste a variety of beer styles, including hoppy pilsner; malty, golden helles; malty, dark dunkel; malty, strong bock; fruity, spicy hefeweizen; smoky rauchbier; fresh, unfiltered kellerbier; crisp, golden Kölsch; toasty, refreshing Altbier; plus a few others in between.
I graduated from Carleton in 2000, an American Studies major whose comps was on the commercialization of country music, with a habit of hanging out by the keg at parties and homebrewing in campus housing. Since then, I’ve built a 20+ year career in beer, starting as a professional brewer, before becoming an educator and consultant to breweries and restaurants. I’m one of 28 Master Cicerones in the world (the beer equivalent of a Master Sommelier), a Certified Sommelier, and a former Brewmaster. I love travel, and have led beer classes and tasting events in seven countries across three continents, and I also operate my Beer Immersions educational beer and food tours to Germany and Belgium. I’m both analytical and social, and I love how beer always leads to fun, learning, and connection. My mission is to connect people to the perfect beer for them, and help everyone learn about beer and love it as much as I do!
The itinerary is one I’ve curated, full of places I’ve visited and fallen in love with. The tour is limited to a maximum of 20 participants, plus me, and is assisted by an expert tour manager. Sign up at carleton@studytours.org or contact the Alumni Adventures office at (800) 811-7244 to reserve your space today!
Prost! Rich

Carleton Alumni Leader

Master Cicerone, Brewmaster, Certified Sommelier, Author & Consultant

Rich Higgins ’00 is all things beer: brewmaster, beer travel operator, author, public speaker, and consultant to breweries and restaurants. He is one of 28 Master Cicerones in the world and, additionally, is a Certified Sommelier and spent 12 years as a professional brewer and brewmaster. Rich teaches public classes and industry trainings, co-hosts the Liquid Bread Podcast, and is a public speaker and coordinator of events around the world. To help people enjoy beer to the fullest, he offers Beer Immersions educational beer and food tours of Belgium and Germany. He is the author of the Deductive Beer Tasting Method and offers an online Video Prep Course for the Certified Cicerone Exam and Beer Lessons on his YouTube Channel. After starting his career in San Francisco, Rich now lives in Bozeman, Montana, where he runs the Bozeman Brewery Hop. He homebrewed his first batches of beer during his junior year at Carleton, and somehow didn’t ruin his palate. Find Rich on Instagram @maltyrich and on the web at www.richhiggins.com.

Prices Per Person (7 nights, double occupancy)

14-20 participants $5,945
10-13 participants $6,845
Single Supplement (limited availability) $535

Single room supplement will be charged when requested or required.
With fewer than 10 participants, a small group surcharge may be applied

Itinerary

Saturday, May 16, 2026: Depart home
Sunday, May 17: Arrive Munich (München), Germany | Welcome dinner
Monday, May 18: Andechs | Rottach-Egern: Wallberg, Bräustüberl Tegernsee | Munich
Tuesday, May 19: Kelheim: Privatbrauerei Schneider | Danube Gorge (Donaudurchbruch) Ferry to Weltenburg | Weltenburg Abbey (Kloster Weltenburg) | Bamberg
Wednesday, May 20: Bamberg: Walking tour, Schlenkerla, PM at leisure
Thursday, May 21: Würzburg: Walking tour | Rüdesheim: RhineWeinWelt wine tasting | Bingen
Friday, May 22: Rhine cruise: Bingen to Sankt Goar | Sankt Goar: Time at leisure | Cologne (Köln): Brauerei Päffgen
Saturday, May 23: Cologne: Walking tour, Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), Farewell lunch | Düsseldorf: Schifffahrtsmuseum, Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei, Zum Schlüssel | Cologne
Sunday, May 24: Fly home

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Additional Information

To reserve your space using an online form, click here.
For reservations or for more information, download the detailed brochure, call 800-811-7244 or email Carleton College Alumni Adventures.

Download the detailed brochure.