Cruise Amsterdam’s tree-lined canals with your Travel Director, passing narrow gabled houses and waterside mansions built during the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. The waterways offer a close view of the architecture that grew alongside Amsterdam’s trading wealth.

Meet your fellow travellers at a welcome reception and enjoy dinner with wine at a local restaurant in the city’s historic heart. The combination of canal views and a shared meal makes this a sociable introduction to the Dutch capital.

• 6 Dinner (D)
• 18 Breakfast (B)
• 2 Lunch (L)

• Budapest: Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy with a student, followed by an enchanting recital. Producing incredible musical talent, the university was founded by piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875.
• Vienna: Be pampered with traditional coffee and cake. An experience like no other, this cosy cafe provides companionship, and promotes well-being and support for the community, in addition to crafting delicious treats.
• Tuscany: Be welcomed like an honoured guest at historic Fattoria di Bagnolo as a member of the noble Bartolini Baldelli family opens the doors to their Tuscan home. Discover a legacy stretching back nearly a thousand years, from Machiavelli’s era to today, as you explore the villa, vineyards and atmospheric cellars, up close and personal with those who call it home.
• Vatican City: Visit the Vatican Museums and witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Insight Vacations

Cruise the Rhine from Boppard to Sankt Goar, with a glass of local wine as vineyard-covered hills and riverside villages pass by. Look out for the silhouettes of Rheinfels, Katz and Maus castles above this storied stretch of water.

The route passes the legendary Lorelei Rock, a steep landmark long associated with tales of a siren whose song distracted boatmen. From the river, the castles and cliffs reveal why this landscape became a defining image of Romantic Germany.

Stand on Wurzburg’s statue-lined Alte Mainbrucke and take in views across the Main River to the Marienberg Fortress. The historic bridge is a distinctive vantage point for seeing the city’s riverfront and the steep slope rising beyond it.

Stone figures of saints and local rulers line the crossing, while the fortress recalls the prince-bishops who governed Wurzburg for centuries. The setting brings together the city’s baroque character and Franconian wine heritage in one compact riverside scene.

Explore Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s old town, where timber-framed buildings, towers and fortified gates preserve the atmosphere of a medieval trading town. Walk beside sections of the city walls and take in the rooftops above the Tauber valley.

Rothenburg is one of the best-preserved towns on Germany’s Romantic Road. Its lanes and defensive architecture offer a tangible sense of how a walled town once lived, traded and protected itself, rather than simply a picturesque backdrop for photographs.

Choose to explore Prague Castle with a Local Expert, walking its courtyards and visiting the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral. The castle complex rises above the Vltava and has served as a seat of Czech power for centuries.

Within the cathedral, Gothic architecture and royal associations give depth to the city’s skyline of spires. This is one of two included Insight Choice experiences in Prague; travellers select it instead of the guided Jewish Quarter visit.

Choose to walk Prague’s Jewish Quarter with a Local Expert and hear how its community shaped the city’s history, traditions and cultural life. Visit the Old-New Synagogue and historic Jewish cemetery, two enduring landmarks of Josefov.

The synagogue dates to the 13th century, while the cemetery’s closely set gravestones speak to generations of Jewish life in Prague. This is one of two included Insight Choice experiences; travellers select it instead of the Prague Castle and cathedral visit.

Enjoy dinner aboard a Danube cruise as Budapest’s illuminated riverfront comes into view. Glide between Buda and Pest, taking in the city’s bridges and the grand buildings that give the Hungarian capital its evening skyline.

Sections of the Danube banks form part of Budapest’s UNESCO-listed heritage. Seen from the water, the contrast between hillside Buda and the boulevards of Pest is especially clear, lending substance to the city’s nickname, the Pearl of the Danube.

See Andrássy Avenue and Heroes’ Square before joining a Local Expert to walk the lanes of Buda’s Old Town. At Fisherman’s Bastion, look across the Danube towards Pest and the bridges linking the city’s two sides.

Heroes’ Square honours figures from Hungary’s past, while Buda’s elevated streets reveal the older, hilltop character of the capital. The Bastion’s terraces provide a particularly clear view of Budapest’s geography and its monumental riverfront.

Tour Budapest’s Liszt Music Academy with a student and hear a recital within an institution devoted to musical training. Your student guide offers a personal perspective on studying in a city with a deep classical-music tradition.

Pianist and composer Franz Liszt founded the academy in 1875. Listening to a performance here connects that legacy with the musicians developing their craft today, making this more than an architectural visit to one of Budapest’s cultural landmarks.

Discover Vienna’s Ringstrasse and historic centre with a Local Expert. See the Opera House, Hofburg Imperial Residence and Parliament building along the grand boulevard, and explore the streets of the Innere Stadt on foot.

Built where the old city walls once stood, the Ringstrasse became a showcase for Vienna’s imperial ambitions in the 19th century. The walk brings that monumental scale into contrast with the smaller streets and squares of the city’s historic core.

Sit down for traditional coffee and cake in a cosy Viennese café and share a pause in a setting designed for conversation. It is a chance to experience a familiar local ritual rather than simply pass another landmark.

Vienna’s coffeehouse culture has long provided a place to read, debate and linger over something sweet. This café also fosters companionship and community support, giving the city’s celebrated custom a personal, present-day dimension.

Take in St. Mark’s Square over a cocktail accompanied by live music, with the basilica and surrounding historic buildings setting the scene. Stroll past the Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs on the way to a Venetian dinner with wine in the historic centre.

The square has been Venice’s ceremonial heart for centuries, while the palace recalls the government of the maritime republic. Music, stone facades and a shared meal offer a distinctive introduction to the city’s public life.

Travel by boat along Venice’s Giudecca Canal as your Travel Director introduces the city from the water. Pass historic palazzi and take in views towards the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square.

Water routes remain fundamental to Venice, a city built across islands in a shallow lagoon. Approaching its landmarks by boat reveals the relationship between the facades, canals and waterfront that shaped the former maritime republic.

Visit St. Mark’s Square to see the basilica, Clock Tower, Campanile and Doge’s Palace from the heart of Venice. At a traditional workshop, watch Venetian artisans blow glass and learn how they shape molten material into delicate objects.

Venice’s glassmakers have refined their craft for centuries, particularly on the nearby island of Murano. Seeing the work in progress reveals the heat, precision and practised movements behind an art form closely tied to the city’s identity.

Meet a member of the Bartolini Baldelli family at their historic Tuscan estate, Fattoria di Bagnolo. Explore the villa, cellars and vineyards overlooking the Chianti hills, and hear stories connecting the property to Machiavelli’s era and its later life as a summer residence.

Taste estate wines with the family’s olive oil while learning how both are produced from the surrounding land. The family welcome and working estate give this visit a close-up view of Tuscan agricultural heritage.

Explore the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert, using fast-track entry to see papal art collections that include classical sculpture and works by Raphael. In the Sistine Chapel, look up at Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, painted in the early 16th century.

Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica to admire Michelangelo’s Pietà and the vast church interior. Access can be restricted on some departures; if Vatican Museums tickets are unavailable, the visit instead includes Rome’s Capitoline Museums.

Walk around the exterior of Rome’s Colosseum with your Local Expert and examine the scale and layered arches of the ancient amphitheatre. Hear about its construction, public spectacles and the stories that still surround it.

Completed in the first century CE, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre built by the Romans. Viewing it from outside places its monumental architecture within the modern city while offering a grounded introduction to imperial Rome. Interior admission is not part of this experience.

Meet chef Lorenzo at his family farm in Umbria for an entertaining demonstration of Italian pasta-making. Watch the preparation up close and sit down to a lunch accompanied by Orvieto Classico wine.

The experience links a familiar Italian dish to the people and place behind it. Umbria’s farming traditions and the crisp white wine of the Orvieto area provide a regional context for a meal shared at its source.

Explore Florence with a Local Expert, viewing the marble-clad cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, including Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Visit Piazza della Signoria, the city’s political heart and an open-air setting for Renaissance sculpture.

See the neighbourhood around Santa Croce and watch local craftspeople demonstrate gold and leatherwork. Florence’s monumental art and its living workshop traditions together show how skill and patronage helped shape the Renaissance city.

Visit Lucerne’s Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff to commemorate Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. See the baroque Jesuit Church and stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge.

The bridge’s timber structure and riverside setting are closely associated with Lucerne’s old town, while the Lion Monument gives the visit a more reflective note. Together, these landmarks introduce the city’s history beside Lake Lucerne.

Ride an open-top cable car to Mount Stanserhorn and take in broad views across the Swiss Alps and surrounding countryside. Walk the summit’s scenic paths, watching for marmots and other native wildlife in the mountain landscape.

The cable car uses solar power, and there may be a chance to hear a Swiss ranger discuss local conservation. On a clear day, the panorama reaches towards Alsace and Germany’s Black Forest. The visit supports a greater understanding of alpine habitats.

Choose a restaurant for Lucerne’s Dine-Around evening, selecting the ambience and cuisine that appeal to you from a range of options. The organised dining experience offers a more personal way to enjoy an evening meal in the Swiss city.

Whether you favour a lively table or a quieter setting, the choice lets you shape the occasion around your own tastes. It is a shared tour experience with room for individual preference, rather than a fixed group menu in one restaurant.

Discover Paris with a Local Expert on a panoramic tour taking in the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. See Place de la Concorde and the Louvre’s historic facades, with views of the Seine and its bridges.

The route brings together Paris’s grand boulevards, royal heritage and revolutionary history: Place de la Concorde was a site of executions during the French Revolution. These street-level views offer context for landmarks spread across the City of Light.

Share a French cuisine dinner in Paris with your fellow travellers at the restaurant L’Alsace. The hosted meal offers time to compare impressions of the city around the table in a recognisably Parisian dining setting.

French restaurant culture values the pleasure of a meal taken together, not just the food on the plate. This dinner provides a sociable close to your time in the capital, with conversation and local cuisine at the centre of the experience.

Cruise the Vltava through Prague for a different perspective on the city’s bridges, riverbanks and skyline. Seeing the historic centre from the water brings its hilltop and riverside landmarks into one view.

The river has long shaped Prague’s layout and trade, while its bridges connect neighbourhoods with distinct histories. This suggested excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour; its availability and exact route should be confirmed with your Travel Director.

Join a private tour of Schonbrunn Palace and its formal gardens in Vienna. Explore the setting associated with Empress Maria Theresa and the Habsburg court, where carefully planned rooms and grounds expressed imperial status.

The palace was a principal summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, and its gardens extend that sense of ceremony into the open air. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Cruise across the Venetian lagoon to Burano, an island known for its brightly coloured houses and fishing heritage. Enjoy a meal featuring local specialities and wine in a setting distinct from Venice’s monumental centre.

Burano’s low houses and canals reflect a smaller-scale lagoon community, long associated with lace-making as well as life on the water. This suggested excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour; confirm availability and inclusions with your Travel Director.

Visit Pisa to see the Leaning Tower, the celebrated bell tower beside the city’s cathedral. Take in the ensemble of marble buildings in Piazza dei Miracoli and see how the tower’s tilt changes its appearance from different viewpoints.

The tower began leaning during construction because of the soft ground beneath it. This suggested excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the itinerary does not specify tower-climbing admission, so confirm the visit details locally.

Ride through the countryside near Lucerne by horse-drawn carriage and meet local farmers. The gentle pace offers time to notice the working landscape beyond the city and its lakeside streets.

Farms remain part of the character of central Switzerland, where rural traditions sit close to mountain scenery. This suggested outing is at additional cost and bookable on tour; ask your Travel Director about availability, the route and what is included.

Spend an evening at a Paris cabaret show for a taste of the capital’s performance tradition. Music, dance and theatrical staging offer a lively contrast to daytime sightseeing along the city’s boulevards and riverbanks.

Cabaret has been part of Parisian nightlife since the late 19th century, when intimate venues became gathering places for performers and audiences. This suggested evening is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the venue and show depend on availability.

• Business class coach with extended leg room
• Top-rated dining, from farm-to-table to local restaurants
• 4 & 5-star stays