FROM THE THAMES TO THE TIBER
Day 1 - (Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in London, England. (Sun.) Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay. Day 3 - London. (Mon.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, 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 free for an optional excursion to the Tower of London. An evening cruise on the River Thames might also be fun. (FB) Day 4 - London - Paris, France. (Tue.) Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and transfer to the railway station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Paris, the splendid capital of a beautiful country. Tonight join your Tour Director for a toast to happy touring. (FB) Day 5 - Paris. (Wed.) Discover the world capital of chic and style with a Local Guide and admire its most famous sights: Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Louvre, and Champs- Elysées. For a panoramic view take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. An optional excursion to the baroque Palace of Versailles is available. Tonight a lively cabaret show might be just the ticket. (BB) Day 6 - Paris - Montreux, Switzerland. (Thu.) Enjoy a comfortable drive past Fontainebleau Forest and the vineyards of Burgundy. Turn east towards the Swiss Alps and arrive in Montreux, beautifully situated at Lake Geneva, and take a picture of the Festival Hall. (BB,D) Day 7 - Montreux - Chillon - Zermatt. (Fri.) This morning's highlight is a guided visit to CHILLON CASTLE. Then continue through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to Täsch, where you board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (BB,D) Day 8 - At Leisure in Zermatt. (Sat.) Full day at leisure to explore the town on your own, or to join an exciting optional ride on Europe's highest rackrailway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat for a closer view of the Matterhorn. Tonight is your chance to try out local specialties. (BB) Day 9 - Zermatt - Lake Maggiore, Italy. (Sun.) A spectacular drive across the lofty Simplon Pass to Lake Maggiore. Upon arrival stop in the elegant town of Stresa to explore its little streets before checking into your lakeside hotel. (BB,D) Day 10 - Lake Maggiore - Venice. (Mon.) In the morning an optional excursion is available to the enchanting Isola Bella. Then a fast drive past Milan to Venice, a glittering maze of islands, canals, and bridges. Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT. (BB) Day 11 - Venice. (Tue.) Follow your Local Guide to ST. MARK'S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, 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. (BB) Day 12 - Venice - Florence. (Wed.) Through the Apennine Hills to Tuscany. In Florence, follow your Local Guide to visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo's celebrated David, the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Time to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (BB,D) Day 13 - Florence - Rome. (Thu.) Morning drive to the Eternal City. Upon arrival meet your Local Guide and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. (BB) Day 14 - Rome. (Fri.) Early morning guided 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. Afternoon and evening at leisure. Tonight, why not join an optional farewell dinner with local specialties and wine at one of Rome's fine restaurants" (BB) Day 15 - (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB) |
