Explore Cologne with your Travel Director on a brisk city orientation, threading the Rhine promenade and Old Town squares to pause at the vast Domplatte. Lift your gaze to the Cologne Cathedral, its twin spires soaring over the city’s skyline, and admire the richly buttressed exterior that hints at jewel-like stained glass within.

Hear how this monumental church—today a UNESCO World Heritage Site—survived wartime bombardment and centuries of construction, embodying the city’s resilient spirit. Street musicians, Kolsch beer halls and river breezes add vivid local color to your introduction.

Cruise the River Rhine through the fabled Middle Rhine Gorge, drifting past hilltop castles, slate cliffs and terraced vineyards that frame one of Europe’s most storied waterways. Camera-ready villages slide by as you approach St. Goar, where fortress ruins guard a tight river bend.

Glide beneath the Lorelei’s slate promontory, linked to legends of ship-bewitching sirens. Centuries of trade and Romantic-era poetry echo along these banks, with castle keeps, toll towers and vine-scented breezes setting an atmospheric stage.

Wander Colmar’s storybook lanes where half-timbered houses tilt over cobbles and canals. In the Tanners’ Quarter and La Petite Venise, flower-decked bridges and painted facades reflect in the water, while winstubs and patisseries showcase Alsace’s comforting flavors.

Discover how Franco-German heritage shaped this wine-trading town—medieval guilds, Renaissance gables and the region’s proud Alsatian wine heritage all on show. The gentle pace and canal-side perspectives invite lingering photos and quiet pauses.

Stroll the lakeside arcades of Lucerne and cross the 14th-century Chapel Bridge, its tower and painted panels spanning the shimmering Reuss River. Continue to the rock-hewn Lion Monument, a solemn tribute that Mark Twain called “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”

Hear how Swiss Guards fell in 1792 and how the city’s merchant wealth fostered guild houses and frescoed squares. Snow-dusted peaks—Rigi and Pilatus—often frame the skyline, sharpening the alpine mood.

Cruise by private launch along Venice’s waterways to St Mark’s Square, where the Byzantine basilica faces the lagoon and the Gothic Doge’s Palace fronts the Molo. Glide beneath the Bridge of Sighs and step into the marble-and-mosaic drama of Venice’s ceremonial heart.

Visit a traditional Venetian glassblowing workshop to see masters coax molten glass into elegant forms. The furnace’s glow, the hiss of the pipe, and centuries-old Murano techniques illuminate a craft Venice has guarded since the 13th century.

Join a Local Specialist to trace Rome’s layers—from emperors to popes—past the Colosseum, the arches of the Roman Forum and baroque piazzas alive with fountains and chatter. Your city overview culminates at St Peter’s Square, embraced by Bernini’s colonnades.

Sense the pull of the Vatican as the basilica’s soaring dome crowns a skyline of ochre rooftops and campanili. Along the way, learn how ancient engineering and Renaissance ambition shaped the Eternal City’s enduring theatre of power and faith.

Travel the headlands above the Tyrrhenian Sea to coastal Sorrento, where cliffs plunge to marinas and cafés cluster around Piazza Tasso. Lemon-scented lanes and artisan boutiques reveal a relaxed Campanian rhythm between sea and sky.

Gaze across the bay to Vesuvius and wander the old fishing quarter of Marina Grande, where pastel houses step to the water. Inlaid-wood workshops and gelato stands complete the sensory tapestry of this timeless Mediterranean town.

Walk with a Local Specialist through Renaissance Florence to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s bell tower and the Baptistery’s Gates of Paradise. Continue to Piazza della Signoria and the river-spanning Ponte Vecchio, where goldsmiths still glitter in tiny shops.

Observe demonstrations of Florentine leathercraft and 18-carat gold workmanship, crafts honed over centuries by guilds. Cap the experience with panoramic views from Piazzale Michelangelo across terracotta roofs and the sinuous Arno.

Visit the UNESCO-listed Piazza dei Miracoli, where white marble glows against emerald lawns. Admire the baptistery, cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a masterpiece of Pisan Romanesque architecture skewed by soft subsoil.

Hear tales of master builders and legends of Galileo as you study arcaded facades, striped stonework and the cathedral’s bronze portals. The ensemble’s harmony—and the tower’s famous tilt—create one of Italy’s most striking medieval panoramas.

See cliff-top Monaco from the Old Town of Le Rocher, with views of the Prince’s Palace and cathedral where Grimaldis wed. Sweep down to glittering Monte Carlo and the yacht-packed harbour at Port Hercule.

Hear how a tiny principality commands a world stage—casinos, couture and the iconic Formula 1 hairpin threading chic boulevards. Mediterranean light, limestone ramparts and polished superyachts set a scene of modern glamour and medieval roots.

Walk Avignon’s crenellated walls and medieval lanes to the mighty Palais des Papes, centerpiece of the 14th-century Papacy. Pause by the truncated arches of the Pont d’Avignon, the bridge sung about for generations.

Discover how seven popes transformed a Provencal river port into a seat of power, leaving frescoes, chapels and fortified grandeur. Today, street cafés and arts festivals animate the alleys beneath honey-colored stone.

Join a guided panoramic tour along Haussmann boulevards to the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and the filigree silhouette of the Eiffel Tower. Grand avenues, gilded domes and river quays reveal a city designed for spectacle.

Learn how 19th-century planning reshaped medieval streets into light-filled vistas, with wrought-iron balconies and plane trees framing perfect photo angles. From monumental squares to café corners, Paris balances ceremony with everyday charm.

Glide by gondola along hidden rii and the Grand Canal, slipping beneath the Rialto Bridge as palazzi shimmer in watery reflections. Oars dip rhythmically while church bells carry across the lagoon air.

As twilight falls, facades blush and the sunset over the lagoon lends a painterly glow. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the lagoon to Burano, where rainbow facades line quiet canals and fishermen’s nets dry in the breeze. Wander lanes alive with window boxes and laundry fluttering like flags.

Meet artisans preserving lace-making traditions and capture color-saturated scenes from bridges and quays. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Set out on an evening illumination tour past the Trevi Fountain, Capitoline hill and Piazza Navona, where baroque fountains sparkle against travertine. Rome’s monuments glow as Vespas hum and shutters close for the night.

Savour a convivial Italian specialities dinner with regional dishes and local wines. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Trace the Amalfi Coast along a serpentine corniche where cliffs plunge into a cobalt Tyrrhenian Sea. Terrace farms, domed churches and citrus groves pattern the slopes.

Pause in cliffside Positano to browse boutiques and admire pastel houses stacked like theatre seats above the beach. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk with a Local Specialist through Pompeii Archaeological Park, treading ash-preserved streets past bakeries, bathhouses and frescoed villas. Everyday life emerges in mosaics, amphorae and election graffiti.

Hear the story of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and the rediscovery that rewrote Roman social history. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Begin with a scenic cruise on Lake Lucerne, then ascend from Stans by funicular and cable car to the Stanserhorn summit. Alpine meadows, cowbells and pine-scented air set a serene stage.

From the panorama terraces, trace ridgelines to Pilatus and Rigi and watch sailboats stitch the lake below. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Head into the countryside for a convivial Tuscan farmhouse dinner featuring crostini, handmade pasta and grilled meats. Raise a glass of crisp Chianti as live music fills the rustic hall.

Stories of vintages and village life accompany generous courses served family-style beneath chestnut beams. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Step into the Hall of Mirrors, royal apartments and opulent palace of Versailles, stage for the Sun King’s ceremony. Crystal chandeliers, gilded cornices and parquet floors mirror courtly splendour.

Outside, the Gardens of Versailles stretch in clipped symmetry with fountains, bosquets and grand canals. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Dress for a sparkling night at a Parisian cabaret where plumes, sequins and sparkling costumes shimmer under spotlights. A live orchestra sets the tempo as dancers sweep across the stage.

Savour a dinner and show in lavish Belle Époque surrounds that celebrate the city’s joie de vivre. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Climb to Montmartre, the hill of windmills and ateliers, for sweeping views from Sacré-Cœur. Browse the portraits and caricatures of Artists’ Square and sip coffee along cobbled lanes.

Trace bohemian tales of Picasso, Modigliani and Dalí in this once-rural village turned creative enclave. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the River Seine past lit-up monuments—Notre-Dame, the Conciergerie and the Musée d’Orsay—mirrored in the water’s dark gloss. Bridges glow like necklaces as barges glide by.

Continue with an evening panorama drive to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle and grands boulevards ablaze. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 17 Breakfast (B)
• 5 Dinner (D)

• See the historic city centre
• View the Gothic Cathedral
• Cruise the romantic Rhine
• Visit the magnificent medieval town
• Visit the Lion Monument and view the Chapel Bridge
• Cruise by private boat to St. Mark’s Square 
• See the ancient sites with a Local Specialist
• See Piazza della Signoria
• View the Leaning Tower
• Visit the Principality
• View the Palace of the Popes and the Pont d’Avignon
• Explore the heart of the Burgundy winemaking region
• View the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners, with optional meals to purchase
• 3-star stays

• Rhineland: Cruise beneath semi-ruined castles and terraced vineyards. Sleepy villages slip by as you saunter upstream to the Lorelei Rock where the enchantress lured sailors to their doom.
• Colmar: Join your Travel Director to explore the heart of Colmar, where colourful half-timbered houses, canal-lined lanes and flower-filled squares give the town its storybook charm. As you walk, you’ll discover why this Alsatian gem has inspired artists, winemakers and visitors for centuries. 
• Lucerne: During an orientation with your Travel Director, see the Lion Monument, Old Town Hall and Chapel Bridge, the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe.
• Venice: Discover the ancient skill of Venetian glassblowing and play a part in preserving this traditional craft.
• Venice: As you journey along some of the water highways of the city, famous sights such as the Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs come into view and introduce you to Venice before docking near St. Mark’s Square.
• Rome: Experience Rome through the eyes of a local, as a passionate Roman guides you past the city’s most iconic sites.
• Florence: Join a Local Specialist to view the Multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square.
• Pisa: In the Piazza dei Miracoli, see the baptistery, cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Monaco City: Bask in the stunning views on your Monaco Orientation.
• Avignon: View the Pont d’Avignon and walk the medieval narrow streets of the Old Town to the Palais des Papes.
• Paris: With your Travel Director, you’ll wander through the heart of Paris along its grand boulevards, ornate balconies overhead as cream-stone buildings and tree-lined avenues stretch towards the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées.

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