Welcome to our most comprehensive ever tour of Europe. Experience the best of Europe’s charming towns and imposing palaces, soaring mountains and placid lakes, ancient cities and modern technology.
You’ll experience the diverse cultures, the varied landscapes, the wine and the food, the arts and architecture. Visiting ten countries over 25 days, including several nights in Paris to explore the City of Light, and three nights based in Zurich to discover the charming towns and mountainous scenery of Switzerland, this extensive tour package delivers a European experience beyond your expectations.
NOTES:
Take an international flight from Australia to Paris.
Welcome to Paris! On arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel, where your guide will give an overview of the tour. At the end of the evening, we provide transfer to the Montmartre district. Named for a large hill in Paris’s 18th Arrondissement, and the site of beginning of the revolutionary uprising of the Paris Commune in 1871, this neighbourhood is known for its painters, artists, and cabarets. Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, and Degas had studios there, as did the composer Eric Satie. Sit down to dinner and enjoy a magical night of Indian, Chinese, French or American cuisine. We will ascend Montmartre (the hill) by funicular cable car to admire the spectacular view of Paris from the top. Return to hotel.
A scenic guided tour to discover the history, main boulevards and breathtaking monuments of Paris, ending near the Eiffel Tower. You will have the opportunity to climb up to the second level of this remarkable metal monument (admission is included). Take a boat cruise along the River Seine, which divides the north of Paris from the south, then enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city as you choose. At sunset, transfer to the Quartier Latin, a very picturesque area of the historic centre, were you can enjoy dinner selected from a wide variety of international cuisine. Return to hotel.
Note: Sometimes queues to climb the Eiffel Tower are long. For organisational reasons, if deemed appropriate, the climb can be made at a different time or on another day..
Today we go to the centre of Paris, to the area of the Louvre Museum, for free time at leisure. If you wish, we can accompany you to Benlux, one of the best-known perfumeries in Paris. An optional excursion to Eurodisney is available (at your own expense).
Today, travel to the Bourgogne region in the centre of France, famous for its wines. Stop in Noyers, a small medieval town that is amongst the prettiest places in France. After this we will visit Beaune in the centre of the Bourgogne region with its memorable streets full of flowers, its hospice, and fascinating wine museum. After lunch, travel to Lyon, the capital of Roman Gaul on the banks of the Rhône. Its historic centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy free time at leisure.
On this beautiful stage of the tour, we travel to Switzerland. On arrival in Geneva, visit the Palais des Nations (the United Nations headquarters in Europe) and then to the beautiful Jardin Anglais (English Garden) with its flower clock, and admire the Jet d’Eau, the highest-reaching fountain in Europe. After lunch, we will continue through Switzerland passing the beautiful Leman and Neuchatel Lakes.
Note: Depending on the number of travellers from Geneva to Zürich, this trip might be done by train.
Take a guided stroll in Zurich, the most populous city of Switzerland, and the financial and cultural capital of the country. This ‘city of banks’ has twice been declared to have the best quality of life in the world. Then, take a boat trip on Lake Zurich, lasting almost two hours. The boat makes brief stops, allowing passengers to admire villages on the way, such as Rapperswil, a small and highly picturesque village overlooked by a medieval castle. We return to Zurich by train, and will see the efficiency and punctuality of the Swiss Railway. Enjoy an evening in Zurich’s historic city centre, next to the lake, where you can dine at your preferred restaurant.
Today´s stage reveals beautiful landscapes, with high mountains and scenic lakes. Enjoy breathtaking scenery in the region of Interlaken. In Grindelwald, we will have time for a coffee before taking the cable car up to Grindelwald first (ticket included). Walk along the path (around 30 minutes) and take the ‘footbridge over the empty’ among fantastic scenery, with glaciers all around. Lunch is included (vegetarian option available). Then, continue to Lucerne, one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland. Enjoy free time at the end of the day to stroll, enjoy the city, and dine before returning to the hotel in Zurich.
Travel to Burglen, the tiny village where William Tell was born, and see a 16th century chapel with paintings illustrating his life. Continue to Lugano, the cosmopolitan capital of Italian Switzerland, with its beautiful lake. Enjoy free time at leisure time to stroll and have lunch. Afterwards, following the shores of the lake, we reach the enchanting little town of Morcote, with its houses made of stone and covered with flowers. On arrival in Milan, visit the impressive Duomo Square. There will be time to dine at the Porta Venecia (Port of Venice) where an outstanding variety of restaurants can be found to delight your palate. Transfer to the hotel.
This morning, spend time in Milan and see the great cathedral and the galleries in the city centre. Then, continue towards Pisa. On a little tourist train we will travel to the Piazza Dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), to admire one of the most alluring and beautiful art complexes in Italy, including the well-known Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then, continue to Rome, arriving late afternoon.
In the morning, take a scenic tour as an introduction to Rome: The Eternal City. Enter the tiny city-state of The Vatican. Vatican City is the world centre of Catholicism. You will be able to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, and later, the Roman Coliseum. This impressive structure dates back 2,000 years and will transport us in time to learn about ancient society during the Roman Empire. In the evening we provide transport to the Via Cavour area for dinner, where you will find restaurants serving Italian, Indian, Chinese and other international food. Dine and return to the hotel.
Leave Rome this morning, heading north. Upon arrival in Florence, head straight to Piazzale Michelangelo, an impressive site with a panoramic view of the city. In the evening you’ll enjoy a tour with a local expert, and walk through the historic centre, taking in places such as the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and Piazza della Signoria. This city is truly an outdoor museum – enjoy free time at leisure to explore. In the evening, you can dine at your preferred restaurant; you can find restaurants offering a wide range of international cuisine.
Today we cross the Apennine Mountains en route to Venice. Board a Vapporetto to cruise the canals in the historic centre. With a local guide, we will visit the marvellous Saint Mark´s Cathedral and enter the marvellous Basilica (entry included). Afterwards, we shall visit the Murano glass factory city. It is marvellous to see the technique with which this ancient glass is made. Enjoy free time at leisure. At the end of the afternoon, you will have the chance to eat dinner in the Mestre area, where you can choose whichever type of restaurant you prefer.
Depart from Venice, travelling to Austria!. Upon arrival to Innsbruck we will enjoy the historic centre and have lunch. Then, continue your journey to beautiful scenic road between the mountains to Kitzbuhel – where we will be visiting the picturesque little village, a famous ski resort and enjoy the snow for a large part of the year. Free time for the rest of your day. Dinner included (vegetarian option is available).
Note: In case of few travellers on the trip, the journey from Venice to Innsbruck may be done by a train.
Today we will discover Austria more thoroughly. We travel between mountains to SALZBURG. On arrival, explore the most beautiful streets of the historic centre of this city declared a World Heritage site. We then go on our way between lakes and mountains, it is a very beautiful scenic stage in the Alps. We then stop at ST. WOLFGANG, a famous place of pilgrimage in Austria and continue the journey to TRAUNKIRCHEN along with the very beautiful TRAUNSEE lake, where we include a cruise on the lake to see four castles and disembarking in GMUNDEN. Continuation to VIENNA and we arrive in the late afternoon.
After breakfast, you will have free time in the morning. At noon, we will start our scenic tour around Vienna with a local expert. Here, we experience its majestic avenues, its palaces and the vibrant city centre. Directly afterwards, we head to the Schönbrunn Palace where visitors can stroll around and enjoy its beautiful gardens. In the evening we go to the City Hall Square to enjoy the lighting and the nightlife in the neighbouring streets, where you can dine at your preferred restaurant with cuisines from around the world including Austrian, Chinese, Indian and Italian.
We depart for a little under a 3-hours trip to Budapest. Arrival to BUDAPEST around lunch time. Discover the “Queen of the Danube” on a scenic highlight tour. This city is divided by the Danube, with historic Buda on one side and cosmopolitan “Pest” on the opposite bank.
After time for lunch, we will include a boat tour along the Danube River; the views of the city and parliament are impressive. Leisure time after the tour.There will be time at the end of the day in the lively area of Vaci Utca, where there are lots of little restaurants with food from different countries (Indian, Chinese, Hungarian and Italian).
Leave Budapest for Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia and a city alongside the Danube River, with an attractive historic city centre. See the city and have lunch, then continue to the Czech Republic. On arrival in Prague in the late afternoon, transfer to the Old Town Square. This central location is full of energy and touristic activities. It’s a marvellous place to become acquainted with Prague, and to find a place for dinner before returning to the hotel.
Today we further explore Prague, the Baroque jewel of Europe. Our local expert will provide a guided city tour, which will include the most outstanding monuments. During the visit we walk through Prague Castle (admission included). Subsequently, we shall take a magnificent boat tour along Moldava River. Enjoy free time at leisure in the afternoon to explore Prague. In the evening, enjoy yourself in the historical city centre, where you can select dinner from cuisines from around the world before returning to the hotel.
This morning we leave for Germany. In the region of Bavaria, see Lauf An Der Pegnitz, a picturesque little village which stands out for its busy market square and castle. After this, carry on to Wurzburg, with time for lunch and to see this Bavarian city, a former bishopric centre and now a very busy university city, on the banks of the River Main. Our journey continues towards Frankfurt. Explore the historic city centre and choose your favourite restaurant for dinner, before returning to the hotel.
Today we enjoy a short cruise on the Rhine, between the villages of Rudesheim and St. Goar; undoubtedly the river’s most picturesque sector. Then, travel to Cologne, a city which stands out for its immense, gothic Cologne Cathedral. Then, on to Holland, arriving in Amsterdam at the end of the day.
Today we explore Amsterdam, starting with Zaanse Schans with its mills, canals, and distinctive houses. Then it’s on to Volendam, a picturesque fishing village. From Volendam, take a short boat trip to Marken, an island that is connected to the mainland by a fixed dike. In the afternoon we take a tour of Amsterdam to see its narrow canals, the Dam Platz, official buildings and parks, and also to see the technique of diamond cutting. Transfer to the red light district, with its liberal atmosphere and restaurants from all corners of the world.
In the morning, leave for Brussels. Visit the Grand Place and stop to photograph the Atomium. Later, we arrive in Bruges, the marvellous Flemish city known as the ‘little northern Venice’. After lunch, continue to France, arriving in Paris at the end of the day.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Arrive home this morning.