Thames to the Tiber

Day 1 – Depart USA

Depart for Europe.

Day 2 – London

Welcome to London! Your private bus and guide will escort you to your hotel.

Day 3 – London

On your London City Tour see Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Fleet Street, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s and Big Ben. Continue to Westminster where you’ll tour the formidable Westminster Abbey, site of numerous royal weddings and coronations. Continue to Windsor Castle, the largest castle still inhabited, and weekend retreat of Queen Elizabeth and the royal family. See the Round Tower built by William the Conqueror, St. George’s Chapel, the State Apartments and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.

Day 4 – Paris

Travel via the Channel Tunnel to France.

Day 5 – Paris

Bon jour! Discover the City of Light on a Paris City Tour. See the magnificent Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysées, the majestic Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero, Les Invalides, Palais du Luxembourg, the Pantheon and the historic Latin Quarter. Continue to the Ile de la Cité and the Gothic masterpiece, Notre Dame, the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice. Then on to the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and the stunning Place de la Concorde. Then tour the Palace of Versailles to explore its fabulous galleries and gardens. Tonight you have the option of a Bateaux Mouche cruise on the Seine River. View the monuments of France from a unique perspective as you take in the brilliance of the lights of Paris after nightfall.

Day 6 – Montreux

Drive through the vineyards of the Rhône Valley on your way to the Swiss town of Montreux.

Day 7 – Montreux

Discover the resort of Montreux on Lake Geneva. The charm of its setting ranges from gardens on the lakeside, through the Alpine meadows high above. Enjoy an excursion to the Castle of Chillon, made famous by Lord Byron in his poem Prisoner of Chillon.

Day 8 – Florence

Travel through the snowcapped Swiss Alps to Firenze, birthplace of the Renaissance. Modern Florence still reflects the glory of its past in the architecture of Brunelleschi, Giotto and Alberti; the sculpture of Pisano, Donatello and Cellini; and the paintings of Lippi, Boticelli and da Vinci.

Day 9 – Florence

Buon giorno! On your Florence City Tour, visit the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, David. You will also see the Church of San Lorenzo, the Ponte Vecchio, the Bargello, the Piazza del Duomo with its cathedral and baptistery, and other highlights of this important art center. Shop for bargains in the Straw Market or for jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio this afternoon.

Day 10 – Rome

Travel to Rome via Orvieto, where you’ll take the funicular up to the Orvieto Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo. The exquisite cathedral is one of the most colorful examples of Italian Gothicism.

Day 11 – Rome

Today you’re off on a Rome City Tour. See Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, the Arch of Constantine, the Imperial Forums, Piazza Venezia, the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuel, and visit the Colosseum. On to Capitoline Hill where you’ll enjoy a spectacular view of the Roman Forum. Next cross the Tiber and leave Italy behind as you enter the independent city-state of the Vatican. See Bernini’s legacy, St. Peter’s Square. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Continue to the Vatican Museums. Among the impressive works is the Sistine Chapel’s vault by Michelangelo. This stunning depiction of the Old Testament was completed in four years and is perhaps the single greatest work ever created. In the evening, enjoy a walking tour with your courier to the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona, the Spanish steps, and the beautiful Trevi Fountain.

Day 12 – Depart

Return home with fabulous memories of Europe, from the Thames to the Tiber.

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