The Essence of Europe

on arrival meet with your professional English speaking tour guide, transfer to the city centre to experience an introductory tour of the major sites such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Navona. The rest of the day is free to relax and settle in. Overnight stay in Rome.

Depart on an extended morning guided tour of Rome's major landmarks. Visit The Vatican City and inside the Vatican Museums and see the Sistine Chapel before continuing for an inside visit to The Colosseum and The Roman Forum. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore at your own pace. Overnight stay in Rome.

Travel to Florence today, enjoying a visit to Assisi en route. Rich in history, Florence is one of the most enticing cities in Italy. Its rich culture and architecture is evident in the beautiful cathedral, the Duomo, and also in the Uffizi Gallery, the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Ponte Vecchio, a famous 14th century bridge. Overnight stay in Florence.

This morning enjoy a walking sightseeing tour of Florence with a timed guided visit to the Galleria dell' Accademia, one of most important museums in Italy, home of Michelangelo's enormous sculpture of David. After lunch, the afternoon is free to further discover Florence. Overnight stay in Florence.

Travel to Venice this morning. Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower. In the afternoon you will experience all of this with a relaxed sightseeing tour of the city centre by foot and boat.  Overnight stay in Venice.

Full free day in Venice to explore St Mark's Square, The Rialto Bridge and the canals at your own pace or it is highly recommended to take a local Vaporetto (boat) to the famous nearby glass making islands of Murano and colourful Burano. Overnight stay in Venice.

Today leave Venice and head to the city of Chamonix. Surrounded by the most spectacular scenery in the French Alps, Chamonix offers a wonderful taste of Alpine life. On arrival take time out to explore on your own. Overnight stay in Chamonix.

This morning, enjoy a cable car excursion with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. In the late afternoon board a high speed train to Paris. Overnight stay in Paris.

 After enjoying an authentic French breakfast with fresh pastries and hot chocolate get familiar with the French capital and experience an extended sightseeing tour of some famous landmarks such as The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomph and much more by foot, motor coach and river cruise. This afternoon, visit the Louvre, the most famous and prized museum in France. The paintings, sculptures and artefacts on display have been assembled over the last 5 centuries, but undoubtedly the most famous is Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Overnight stay in Paris.

Today, enjoy a full day excursion to Disneyland Paris, or can be substituted for visits to either The Palaces of Versailles or Fontainebleau. Overnight stay in Paris.

Today, travel to the Gare du Nord to catch a high speed Eurostar train through Northern France, under The English Chanel, through the Kent countryside to arrive in central London in less than 3 hours. Depart on an extended guided tour of London's major landmarks. See Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and follow the course of the River Thames for a visit to The Tower of London. Overnight stay in London.

Full free day in London for personal exploration. Many of London's famous museums, such as The British Museum and The National Gallery are still free to enter. A "Flight" on The London Eye, Ferris Wheel is a great way of finishing your journey that should have instilled some of "The Essence of Europe". Overnight stay in London.

An executive motor coach is provided for the transfer to London's Heathrow Airport.