| Day 1 – London – Paris
A warm welcome from your Tour
Director awaits you at the Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury this morning!
Leave London and cross picturesque Kentish farmlands en route to the port of
Dover where you board your ferry bound for Calais. Then follow the Autoroute
across the battlefields of northern France where names like the Somme and
Arras evoke memories of terrible 1st World War fighting. Arrive in the
French capital in the late afternoon. Tonight, why not soak up the
atmosphere of an illuminated Paris Tour? Hotel: Mercure La Defense 5.
Day 2 – Paris
Sightseeing
A local guide shows you the
Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral and the
Place de la Concorde. There is free time to visit the Mona Lisa in the
Louvre or to enjoy dinner in a typical Parisian bistro. (Full Breakfast)
Day 3 – Paris – Lucerne
Journey via the vineyards of
Burgundy, across the Rhine at Basel and into Switzerland. Snow-capped
mountains and tranquil lakes shadow your route to picturesque Lucerne.
Hotel: Luzernerhof. (Full Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4 – Lucerne –
Italian Lakes
This morning admire the Lion
Monument, carved into a limestone cliff to commemorate the Swiss Guards who
died during the French Revolution. Stroll along the Chapel Bridge before
relaxing, shopping or perhaps taking a cable-car to the top of a nearby
mountain. Later, take the St Gotthard route past cascading waterfalls and
soaring mountains to the Italian Lake District. Hotel: Albavilla. (Full
Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5 – Italian Lakes –
Rome
Head south to the fertile Po
Valley, passing the commercial centre of Milan. Ascend the Appenines,
following the spectacular Autostrada del Sole. Drive through Tuscany and
Umbria, and follow the Tiber River to the ‘Eternal City’ of Rome. Hotel:
Cristoforo Colombo. (Full Breakfast)
Day 6 – Rome
Sightseeing
Your city tour with an expert
guide begins with the Vatican City. Visit St Peter’s Basilica to admire its
splendid dome and Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’, before joining an optional visit
to the Vatican Museum to see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Your local
guide unfurls the history of the empire at the Imperial Roman Forum, before
seeing the magnificent Colosseum. (Full Breakfast)
Day 7 – Rome – Florence
Head north to Tuscany and
Renaissance Florence – city of art and culture. Enjoy views of Florence from
Piazzale Michelangelo and find the entire city at your feet. After a
demonstration of Florentine leatherwork, the city’s treasures are yours to
discover: see the cathedral, Giotto’s Belltower and the amazing open-air
sculpture gallery of Signoria Square, shop for the latest fashions in
leather and gold or walk along the Ponte Vecchio. Hotel: Art Miro. (Full
Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8 – Florence –
Venice
This morning cross the northern
plain to magical Venice. Cruise by private launch to see St Mark’s Square
and Basilica, palatial residences and gondolas bobbing beneath the Bridge of
Sighs. Watch a master craftsman demonstrate Venetian glass-blowing and take
time out to explore the city before settling into your hotel in the Veneto
region.Hotel: Il Burchiello (Oriago). (Full Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9 – Venice – Vienna
Leave Italy for the majestic
scenery of the Austrian Lake District. Drive past the peaceful forests of
Carinthia and Styria before reaching your hotel in Vienna. Tonight, we have
dinner in our hotel. Hotel: Bosei. (Full Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10 – Vienna
Sightseeing
A guided tour of Imperial
Vienna shows you the Hofburg, beautiful St Charles’ Church and the statue of
Strauss in the Stadtpark; along the ‘Ring’, see the Parliament and glorious
City Hall. Spend the afernoon visiting the impressive Schonbrunn Palace or
indulging in a little shopping in elegant Karntner Street. (Full Breakfast)
Day 11 – Vienna –
Innsbruck
Leaving the city of Vienna this
morning, pass the mighty baroque abbey of Melk as you follow the valley of
the Danube to the region of Salzkammergut, renowned for its lakes and
mountains. The hills are alive as we see ‘The Sound of Music’ wedding scene
church at Mondsee Lake before taking a scenic alpine drive to the capital of
the Tyrol, Innsbruck.Hotel: Alpin Park. (Full Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 12 – Innsbruck –
Rhineland
Sightseeing includes the
decorative Wilten Basilica and the Old Town, where you see the splendid
Golden Roof and Imperial Palace. Travel into the wooded Bavarian Alps for a
sight of King Ludwig’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein before continuing
to the city of the ‘Student Prince’, Heidelberg, to see the medieval castle
which overlooks the town. Relax in the evening in your Rhineland hotel.
Hotel: NH Weinheim. (Full Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 13 – Rhineland –
Amsterdam
You pass the Pfalz Castle and
legendary Loreley Rock before joining your Highlight Rhine cruise along the
most romantic stretch of the river. Continue on via Bonn to Cologne where
you view the 13th century cathedral with its soaring spires. Pass through
the famous Ruhr Valley to Amsterdam and its canals, bridges and historic
gabled buildings. Reach Dam Square and view the Royal Palace, before seeing
sparkling stones transformed during a visit to a diamond polishing
factory.Hotel: Tulip Inn Riverside. (Full Breakfast)
Day 14 – Amsterdam –
London
Make your way across Belgium’s
Flanders Fields en route to Calais. Cross the English Channel to Dover,
where you will see the famous White Cliffs as you sail into port. The tour
ends a short time later in London. (Full Breakfast) |
