FROM THE COLOSSEUM TO THE EIFFEL TOWER
Day 1 - (Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Buon Giorno, Roma! (Mon.) Time to rest or to start exploring the "Eternal City." At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D) Day 3 - Discover Ancient Rome & the Vatican. (Tue.) Morning 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 one of the New 7 Wonders of the World®, the COLOSSEUM. Here, you - ll learn about life as a gladiator and get a FAMILY PICTURE WITH A GLADIATOR (if available). Finish your tour at the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Afternoon at leisure. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for exciting optional excursions. (B) Day 4 - Explore Renaissance Florence & See the Famous David. (Wed.) This morning, drive north to Florence, "Cradle of the Renaissance." Follow your Local Guide to visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo's celebrated David and admire the magnificent cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. In the afternoon, time to check out the enticing shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. Tonight, enjoy a festive PIZZA PARTY at a local restaurant, where an Italian chef demonstrates just how Italian pizzas are made! (B,D) Day 5 - Cruise Venice's Canals & Create Your Own Venetian Mask. (Thu.) Drive across the Apennine Hills and through the plains of the mighty River Po to Venice. Enter the city in style by PRIVATE BOAT. Enjoy a unique experience: create your own VENETIAN CARNIVAL MASK. Then, walk through narrow streets along the canals and across scenic bridges to ST. MARK'S SQUARE with its byzantine basilica. Take pictures of the Clock Tower, lavish Doges" Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Free time to wander at whim or to join an optional gondola serenade. A PASTA DINNER at a local restaurant is included. (B,D) Day 6 - Journey through the Lake District to the Swiss Alps. (Fri.) Travel past Romeo and Juliet's Verona and Milan to Lake Maggiore. Stop in Stresa and explore its little streets, then continue over the impressive Simplon Pass, reaching the Swiss Valais, renowned for its famous mountain resorts. In Täsch, board the COG RAIL MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to the picturesque village of Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn. (B) Day 7 - Admire the Matterhorn. (Sat.) With free time in Zermatt this morning, you may choose to take an optional excursion up Europe's highest open-air railway on Gornergrat Mountain to experience incomparable panoramic views of Switzerland's loftiest peaks, including the famed Matterhorn. In the late afternoon, continue to Lake Geneva for an overnight in Lausanne, home to the International Olympic Committee. (B,D) Day 8 - Ride the Famous "TGV" Train to Paris. (Sun.) Depart for Paris this morning on board the famous high-speed "TGV" TRAIN (first-class). Upon arrival in Paris, ride the elevators to the top of the EIFFEL TOWER and enjoy spectacular views of the city. This evening, why not take part in an optional dinner at a Parisian restaurant followed by an illumination drive" (B) Day 9 - Discover the "City of Light" & Visit Notre Dame. (Mon.) This morning, explore the world capital of chic and style with a Local Guide and admire its most famous sights: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and visit NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL. Afternoon and evening at leisure. An optional excursion to the Louvre Museum is available. (B) Day 10 - At Leisure in Paris. (Tue.) All day is at leisure for exploration on your own. Tonight, a farewell dinner has been included at a local restaurant to celebrate the success of your European vacation. (B,D) Day 11 - (Wed.) Your homebound flight from Paris arrives the same day. (B) |
