Tour Details - European Splendour 2012

Welcome to Rome! Relax after your journey. Later, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception. Afterwards, enjoy an orientation of the city including views of St. Peter's and the Tiber.(Welcome Reception)

Your sightseeing tour with an expert Local Guide includes a visit to St. Peter's Basilica. Here you will see the Pietà sculpture, one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces. View the Forum, which was the of daily life in ancient Rome, and the mighty Colosseum and Circus Maximus. Later, spend time exploring on your own.(Buffet Breakfast)

Drive north into Tuscany. Explore Siena, a beautiful medieval town with ancient cobbled streets. View Campo Square, where the Palio horse race is held each year, and the cathedral. Shop for souvenirs including attractive pottery. Later, arrive in Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, where you stay for the next two nights. This evening enjoy a Highlight Dinner at a Florentine trattoria.(Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)

Your expert Local Guide provides excellent historical commentary during your guided walking tour, which includes views of the marble Duomo and a visit to Signoria Square. View the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a spectacular feat of engineering dating from the Middle Ages. Admire panoramic views of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. Spend free time exploring museums or shop for high quality leather and gold.(Buffet Breakfast)

Cross the scenic Apennine Mountains. Visit the Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in Classe featuring stunning Byzantine mosaics. Arrive later in the magical city of Venice originally built on wooden pilings in a lagoon.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Venice is a remarkable Byzantine city. Cruise by private launch to St. Mark’s Square, with commentary from your Travel Director. View the Palladian Churches of the Redeemer and St. George, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and part of the Grand Canal. Admire the Basilica and the Campanile. Stroll across St. Mark’s Square to one of the oldest Murano glass workshops on the island for a glass-blowing demonstration. Enjoy free time or take an optional cruise across the lagoon to the island of Burano where you will enjoy a delicious seafood lunch.(Buffet Breakfast)

West across the Veneto plains, view the Roman arena and Juliet’s balcony in Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s most famous play. Pass the commercial centre, Milan, and journey north to the Italian and Swiss Lake Districts via Como and Lugano. Marvel at the picturesque alpine scenery along the St. Gotthard route into central Switzerland, arriving later at Lucerne.(Buffet Breakfast)

Visit the poignant Lion Monument, commemorating the heroism of the Swiss Guards during the French Revolution. See the wooden Chapel Bridge on your orientation of Lucerne. The rest of the day is yours to explore. Perhaps take an exhilarating mountain excursion or shop for Swiss watches and chocolate!(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Cross the French border past Belfort and the remains of the Maginot Line. Enjoy the scenery as you travel through the heart of the Burgundy wine-producing region on the way to Paris. This evening, consider going to one of the city's most famous cabaret shows!(Buffet Breakfast)

Admire the city sights with your expert Local Guide during your morning guided tour. Drive along the Champs Élysées. View Notre Dame on the Île de la Cité. Enjoy panoramic views of the beautiful Paris skyline from the second level of the Eiffel Tower. This evening, celebrate the end of your European adventure with your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a Farewell Dinner.(Buffet Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

Travel north through France past World War I battlefields to Calais. Cross the Channel to Dover and see the famous White Cliffs. Say goodbye to your companions and Travel Director in London at the end of a memorable holiday.(Buffet Breakfast)