EUROPEAN SPLENDOUR – END PARIS

• Benvenuto a Roma – what was once the ‘Capital of the World’ is today a vibrant city filled with Italian zest for life and centuries of celebrated history.
• njoy some free time to explore before joining your fellow travellers and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception and orientation drive to kick off your unforgettable European adventure.

Arrival Transfer: Depart Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 09:30, 12:30, 15:00

Included Experience: Rome Orientation

• Start your day with an orientation by your Travel Director and join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour of Rome.
• Cross the Tiber River to see the ancient sites of Rome, including the mighty Colosseum and Circus Maximus.
• This afternoon there is time to explore the city on your terms.

Included Experience: Rome City Tour

Optional Experience: Piazzas and Fountains / Roman Evening with Dinner / Colosseum and Dinner / Guided Visit to the Colosseum

• Travel into the scenic Tuscan hills to medieval Siena with its honey-stone façades.
• View the Piazza del Campo, where the exhilarating Palio horse race takes place, and see ornate medieval palaces and the 14th-century marble Duomo.
• Spend some free time seeking out your favourite hand-painted ceramics to take home as souvenirs.
• Continue to Florence, the ‘Cradle of the Renaissance’, where you’ll spend the next two nights. Tonight, Connect With Locals over dinner for a special Be My Guest experience at a magnificent Tuscan villa.

Included Experience: Dine with the Miari Fulcis Family at Maiano Societa Agricola, Scenic Drive through Tuscany, See Siena’s Highlights

• The extraordinary art and architecture of Florence are celebrated during our guided walking tour with a Local Specialist.
• You’ll view the exquisite marble Duomo and visit Piazza della Signoria with its palazzi and magnificent art, including a replica of Michelangelo’s David statue.
• View the Ponte Vecchio bridge, the only bridge over the River Arno that the fleeing German army did not destroy during World War II.
• Learn about the quality and workmanship of two of this city’s historic industries during demonstrations of Florentine leathercraft and 18-carat gold.
• Later, you’ll have time to explore the city on your own.
• Consider a visit to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s ‘David’ or explore towering Palazzo Vecchio.

Included Experience: Florence City Tour, Florence Leather Demonstration

Optional Experience: Michelangelo’s ‘David’ & Accademia / Discover Palazzo Vecchio / Dinner in the Tuscan Countryside / Tuscan Dinner at Villa Machiavelli

• Travel to Pisa today and visit the Square of Miracles to view the famous Leaning Tower and Italy’s largest Baptistery.
• Continue your journey across the Apennine hills and the flat Veneto plains to the enchanting island city of Venice.
• Upon arrival, dive straight into your Venice programme, with the option to join an unforgettable gondola ride through the city’s labyrinthine canals before enjoying dinner.

Included Experience: See Pisa’s Landmarks

Optional Experience: Gondolas & the Grand Canal

• Embark on today’s unforgettable MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you witness first-hand the centuries-old tradition of Venetian glassblowing using the same techniques that have been handed down through the generations.
• You’ll learn how the master craftsmen shape the molten glass to make the exquisite and delicate works of art that adorn homes all over the world and perhaps be inspired to buy your own souvenir as a reminder of this special visit.
• Next, take to the water and cruise by private launch to the gateway of Venice, St. Mark’s Square.
• Join your Travel Director to see the iconic and unexpected highlights of the city – the ornate Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Campanile with its five bells.
• The rest of the day is yours at leisure or consider joining an Optional Experience to the island of Burano for a delicious traditional meal that would make any Italian mamma proud.

Included Experience: Learn about the History and Ancient Skills of Venetian Glassblowing, Venice Orientation

Optional Experience: Venice’s Secrets / Lagoon Cruise to Burano with Food and Drinks

• We travel through the Italian Lake District bound for Switzerland this morning, we continue through the alpine landscapes, past Lugano and through the St. Gotthard tunnel into central Switzerland, where we’ll spend the next two nights in the medieval lakeside city of Lucerne.

Included Experience: Scenic Drive Through the Alps

Optional Experience: Swiss Folklore Evening with Dinner / Swiss Dinner Party in Old Lucerne

• Enjoy an orientation of Lucerne with your Travel Director.
• You’ll see the Lion Monument and pay tribute to the Swiss Guards who lost their lives during the French Revolution, before heading to the picturesque wooden Chapel Bridge, lined with pretty pink, white and purple blooms.
• Spend the rest of the day at leisure ambling past the beautifully painted façades in the Old Town.
• Shop for luxurious Swiss chocolate or consider joining an Optional Experience to one of the surrounding mountains to admire panoramic views.

Included Experience: Lucerne Orientation

Optional Experience: Mount Pilatus and Lake Cruise / Swiss Countryside & Carriages

• Cross the French border and what remains of the Maginot Line, journeying through the rolling vineyard-clad hills of Burgundy, one of France’s most prominent wine regions.
• Arriving in Paris later this afternoon, we join our fellow travellers and Travel Director for a Dinner celebrating the end of our European adventure.

Optional Experience: Seine Cruise and Parisian Icons

• Join a Local Specialist this morning for a guided tour along the grand Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde.
• See Notre Dame Cathedral and enjoy a stroll through the Latin Quarter.
• This evening, enjoy the city by night or perhaps experience the glitz and glamour of a Parisian cabaret.

Included Experience: Paris City Tour

Optional Experience: Versailles Palace and Gardens / Moulin Rouge Cabaret and Dinner

• For now, it’s time to say a fond farewell to our newfound friends and Travel Director at the end of an unforgettable journey.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport at 08:00