See some of Europe’s most famous cities and picturesque towns. Begin in Amsterdam with guided sightseeing, a canal cruise, and a visit to a major diamond center. Heading southeast, enter Germany, pausing in magnificent Cologne to visit its twin-spired gothic cathedral. Next, cruise down the Rhine past lush vineyards and castle-dotted river banks to beautiful Heidelberg and medieval Rothenburg. Spend two nights in Bavarian Munich, then off to King Ludwig’s fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle and the Passion Play village of Oberammergau. Travel through the majestic Alps via Innsbruck to Venice, where a guided walking tour includes St. Mark’s Basilica, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Stop in Italian-speaking Lugano before arriving in Lucerne to admire its Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge. Spend a night in Montreux, and in Lausanne, board the high-speed TGV train to Paris. Guided sightseeing in the “City of Light” features Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, and a bird’s-eye view of the city from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.

Activities Guided Sightseeing
Canal Cruise
Private Boat Ride
Walking Tour

Transatlantic flight

Day 1: Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Arrive in Amsterdam

Day 2: Enjoy the lovely canals of Amsterdam, Holland. The day is free to rest or to start exploring the Dutch capital. At 6 pm, meet your traveling companions and Tour Director for a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Amsterdam

Day 3: Your guided sightseeing tour features a CANAL CRUISE past patrician mansions and humpback bridges. Next, visit a major DIAMOND CENTER. Later, maybe an optional excursion to Volendam?

Amsterdam – Heidelberg, Germany

Day 4: Via the Dutch region best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far to Cologne. Visit the awesome twin-spired gothic CATHEDRAL. Then, enjoy a RHINE CRUISE past castle-crested cliffs and terraced vineyards. Arrive in Heidelberg, famous for its castle.

Rhineland – Rothenburg – Munich

Day 5: In spectacular Rothenburg admire the ramparts, towers, and 16th-century houses. Next is Munich. See the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, and MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Halls.

Munich. Bavarian Excursion

Day 6: Focus on Neuschwanstein and visit KING LUDWIG’S CASTLE on its craggy outcrop high above a sparkling lake. Afternoon at leisure in the Passion Play town of OBERAMMERGAU with the chance to join an optional excursion to nearby Linderhof Castle.

Munich – Innsbruck

Day 7: Morning break in Innsbruck, capital of the Austrian Tyrol. Stroll through the Old Town to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Across spectacular Brenner Pass through the Tyrolean Alps and into Italy. Arrive in Venice, the celebrated “Pearl of the Adriatic.” Tonight is your chance to sample the city’s fine restaurants.

Venice

Day 8: Enter Venice in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine basilica, the Clock Tower, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride.

Venice – Lugano, Switzerland – Lucerne

Day 9: Pass the commercial capital of Milan into Italian-speaking southern Switzerland with a stop in subtropical Lugano. Admire the towering majesty of the Swiss Alps and St. Gotthard on the way to picture-book Lucerne. Enjoy a walking tour to admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT and the ornate patrician houses of the Old Town, then, cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Why not sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking?

Lucerne – Montreux

Day 10: Morning at leisure. Time to shop for Swiss watches and join an optional excursion to the top of a mountain. Later in the afternoon, a smooth drive brings you to Lake Geneva and Montreux of festival fame. Take pictures of the Festival Hall.

Montreux – Lausanne – Paris, France

Day 11: A short drive to Lausanne, home to the International Olympic Committee, where you board the high-speed TGV TRAIN to Paris. On arrival, sightseeing with a Local Guide features the most famous sights: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, Notre Dame Cathedral, and more. For a bird’s-eye view, take the elevator to the second floor of Paris’ most famous landmark, the EIFFEL TOWER.

At Leisure in Paris

Day 12: Another day to enjoy what this extraordinary metropolis has to offer. Shop for perfume and fancy fashion accessories, or take your pick from many fine museums. Optional excursions are available to the Louvre Museum and the lavish baroque Palace of Versailles. Tonight, maybe a lively cabaret show?

Departure from Paris

Day 13: Your homebound flight from Paris arrives the same day.