Day 1: (Thu.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2: Arrival in London, England.
(Fri.) Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.
Day 3: London.
(Sat.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. Afternoon at leisure. (B)
Day 4: London–Brussels, Belgium.
(Sun.) Meet your Tour Director and travel companions and transfer to the railway station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels, proud capital of Belgium and the European Union. Enjoy a walk to GRAND’ PLACE with its baroque guild houses and gothic Town Hall, and famous Manneken Pis. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (B,D)
Day 5: Brussels–Amsterdam, Holland.
(Mon.) Past Antwerp and into the Netherlands. In Amsterdam visit a major DIAMOND CENTER to appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. Next, enjoy a CANAL CRUISE, the best way to see the 700-year-old capital. Afternoon free. An optional excursion to the quaint fishing village of Volendam can be arranged. (B,D)
Day 6: Amsterdam–Heidelberg, Germany–Rhineland.
(Tue.) A passing glance at the Dutch region best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far on the way to Germany. During your break in Cologne, visit the awesome twin-spired gothic CATHEDRAL. The afternoon’s highlight is a romantic RHINE CRUISE past castle-crested cliffs, terraced vineyards, and trim, half-timbered towns. Next is Heidelberg, famous for its red-walled castle. (B,D)
Day 7: Rhineland–Lucerne, Switzerland.
(Wed.) A scenic day! Morning stop in the lush valleys and pine-clad hills of the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. On the Swiss border, take your pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS, then continue to picture-book Lucerne. (B,D)
Day 8: Lucerne.
(Thu.) Admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT on your walking tour of the Old Town, then, cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. Why not sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking? (B)
Day 9: Lucerne–Liechtenstein–Innsbruck–Salzburg, Austria.
(Fri.) In the morning, stop for a short visit of Vaduz, capital of the the pocket-sized Principality of Liechtenstein on your way to Innsbruck, Austria’s Olympic resort in the Tyrolean mountains. Enjoy a pleasant walk through its quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. In the afternoon, take the scenic route to Salzburg. (B,D)
Day 10: Salzburg–Vienna.
(Sat.) Enjoy a walking tour with a Local Guide through the historic center to admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, the monumental Domplatz, and take pictures of Mozart’s birthplace. Then, travel past the Sound of Music country to the Danube Valley and Vienna. (B)
Day 11: Vienna.
(Sun.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide features vistas of Prater Park with its Ferris wheel and the United Nations City on the Danube. Pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. A special visit to the STRAUSS HOUSE is included and an optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace is available. (B)
Day 12: Vienna–Venice, Italy.
(Mon.) Scenic Semmering Pass, stately Styrian crossroad towns, and Carinthian lakes and resorts provide the ever-changing Alpine backdrop to today’s journey through the loveliest parts of Austria to the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea. Tonight is your chance to sample Venetian fare. (B)
Day 13: Venice.
(Tue.) Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects. Later, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B,D)
Day 14: Venice–Rome.
(Wed.) A scenic drive through the fertile northern plains, across the wooded Apennines and the wine- and olive-clad Tuscan hills, home of Chianti, brings you to the “Eternal City.” (B)
Day 15: Rome.
(Thu.) Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Then, time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (B)
Day 16: Rome–Florence–Tuscany**.
(Fri.) Drive to Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Enjoy your walking tour with a Local Guide and visit Michelangelo’s celebrated David in the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Also check out the shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (B,D)
Day 17: Tuscany**–Pisa–Nice, France.
(Sat.) Focus on Pisa this morning for pictures of its amazing Leaning Tower. Then, a scenic drive past a string of Italian and French Riviera resorts towards the Principality of Monaco. Follow the panoramic Moyenne Corniche and stop at one of the famous PERFUME FACTORIES before arriving in Nice. (B)
Day 18: Nice. Excursion to St. Paul de Vence.
(Sun.) This morning visit the picturesque hilltop town of St. Paul de Vence. Then a lazy afternoon to dabble in the blue Mediterranean or stroll along the elegant Promenade des Anglais. Tonight, an optional excursion is available to Monte Carlo. (B)
Day 19: Nice–Arles–Barcelona, Spain.
(Mon.) Follow in Van Gogh’s footsteps on your way to Arles, where he painted more than 300 canvases. Walk to the famous Roman Amphitheater and enjoy time to stroll around and browse through the shops. Next, continue through the endless vineyards of the Languedoc-Roussillon, stretching most of the way to the Spanish border. Overnight in Barcelona, the proud capital of Catalonia. (B,D)
Day 20: Barcelona.
(Tue.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Columbus Monument, elegant tree-lined Ramblas and Plaza de Cataluna, historic buildings along Paseo de Gracia, the Church of the Holy Family, a panoramic view of the city and harbor from Montjuïc Hill, and a visit to the CATHEDRAL OF SANTA EULALIA. Afternoon at leisure. (B)
Day 21: Barcelona–Madrid.
(Wed.) Rustic Catalonian and Aragonian landscapes on your journey to the fertile Ebro Valley. Then, wind your way through three sierras to Madrid on the plateau of Castile. (B)
Day 22: Madrid.
(Thu.) The capital of Spain since 1561, Madrid today is a strikingly modern city, the showcase of a country resolutely turned towards the future. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, elegant Calle Alcala, and Paseo de Castellana. Then the highlight: a visit to the palatial PRADO MUSEUM with its priceless art treasures. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight your Tour Director will suggest a typical Spanish dinner. (B)
Day 23: Madrid–Burgos–Bilbao.
(Fri.) North to Burgos for a short visit, then, continue to Bilbao for a guided visit to the famous GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. (B,D)
Day 24: Bilbao–Biarritz, France–Bordeaux.
(Sat.) Back into France. Visit Biarritz, an ancient fishing village turned trendy seaside resort. Skirt the sandy dunes and swamps of the Landes region in Gascony on the way to Bordeaux. An orientation tour on arrival acquaints you with this historic port. (B,D)
Day 25: Bordeaux–Paris.
(Sun.) This morning the high-speed “TGV” TRAIN whisks you to Paris. Afternoon at leisure to explore the world capital of chic and style at your own pace: shop for perfume and fancy fashion accessories, or join an optional excursion to the lavish baroque Palace of Versailles. (B)
Day 26: Paris.
(Mon.) Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the most famous sights: the Opéra, Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Elysées. For a bird’s-eye view, take the elevator to the second floor of Paris most famous landmark: the EIFFEL TOWER. An optional excursion to the famous Louvre Museum is available, and tonight, a lively cabaret show might just be the ticket! (B)
Day 27: (Tue.) Your homebound flight from Paris arrives the same day. (B)
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