• 12 Dinner (D)
• 44 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Picnic Lunch (PL)

• London: For this trip, we recommend that you carry the British Pound, Euro, Czech Koruna, Hungarian Forint, Romanian Lei, Turkish Lira, Bulgarian Lev, Swiss Francs, Egyptian Pound & US Dollars. (It’s a coin collector’s dream!)
• London: This varies from group to group and is subject to availability. Either way, your trip manager will let you know about this on Day 1 of your trip. 
• Cairo: Tipping’s a big deal in Egypt – it’s part of the culture and helps support locals (especially those working in tourism). During your trip, you’ll be expected to tip people like hotel staff, local guides, porters, and restaurant crews. To keep it simple (and avoid the awkward maths), your Trip Manager will organise a tipping kitty. They’ll let you know the suggested amount upon arrival in Egypt, and collect it in USD or Egyptian Pounds to cover group service tips along the way. Heads-up: this doesn’t include a tip for your Trip Manager.
• London: You’ll need Essential Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)From?January 8, 2025, UK law means that if you’re entering/transiting through border control in the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland you’ll need an?Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)?before you travel. Confused? Don’t be – just read on here.
• Istanbul: At the end of 2021 the Republic of Turkey officially changed its English name to ‘The Republic of Turkiye’ (pronounced “Tur-key-yeah”), which is how it is both spelt and pronounced in Turkish.
• London: Your Trip Manager will advise you on who you’ll share your room with. On this trip, you’ll stay in a multi-share room with other travellers of the same sex.
• London: Most accommodations on the trip offer self-service laundry or a laundry service. Wanna know the best time and place to do your laundry? Ask your Trip Manager! They have all the info you need.
• London: You’ll stay in a Twin share room (meaning you’ll be paired with a fellow traveller of the same gender, and will have two separate beds). If you’re booking your trip with a friend/travel companion – just let us know, so we can join your bookings and ensure you share a room. Need a lil’ more privacy? You’re welcome to opt for a single supplement if you like.

• Paris: Take a dreamy jaunt around the city of romance. Fall in love with landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Champs-Élysées and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
• Beaujolais: Be a VIP at the epic Contiki Château and fill up on a banquet of classic French dishes and wines. Ooh la la! 
• Beaujolais Wine Region: Set within the rolling hills of the Beaujolais wine region, the legendary Contiki Château special stay has been wowing travellers for decades. From the luxe bar to the elegant new bedrooms, our Château is the perfect backdrop to long summer days lounging by the pool, capped off with French feasts, local wine and dancing the night away in ‘La Cave.’
• Beaujolais: Clear out the cobwebs and get in touch with you zen side with a guided yoga session on the sweeping lawns of the château.
• Beaujolais: Enjoy a French-style picnic while admiring the gorgeous Beaujolais countryside.
• Barcelona: Combat boots at the ready, folks! Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas are so cool, you won’t know what to photograph first!
• Arles: Visit the historic city of Arles, famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh.
• Monaco City: Walk in the footsteps of Grace Kelly at the Royal Palace and see the Monte Carlo Casino (where the car park looks like a Fast & Furious set).
• Nice: Your chance to learn the art of fragrance at a French perfume house. You know it makes scents! (soz).
• Venice: Speed across the lagoon to the aqueous island of Venice.
• Rome: Stroll around the Italian capital, ticking off some sights on your bucket list! 
• Amalfi Coast: Definitely one for the bucket list. Your chance to view one of Europe’s active volcanoes from a distance. 
• Corinth Canal: The world’s deepest canal is an epic sight. It was carved through the rock, as a link between the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
• Athens: Walk in the footsteps of Gods and Goddesses, as you take a guided tour around the Ancient Greek monuments and explore the Parthenon temple. 
• Cairo: Time to take to the sky. Cairo, here we come!
• Cairo: Needs no introduction! Marvel at the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. #bucketlist
• Cairo: The world’s largest archaeological museum complex is no joke. You’ll find 100,000 artifacts here (including King Tut’s ENTIRE treasure collection). You don’t wanna miss this one…
• Aswan: Jump on a traditional Felucca boat and sail down the famous river.
• Luxor: Stroll through the mighty mortuary temple built during the reign of Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Don’t forget to bring your camera! You’ll definitely want to capture the perfectly symmetrical poles of the Porticos. This is also the spot where the Beautiful Festival of the Valley (celebrated to meet your ancestors) used to take place back in the middle ages.
• Luxor: Grab your camera and explore one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. See the tomb of Tutankhamun from the outside (with the option to add on exploring it from the inside!) and many other Egyptian pharaohs. 
• Athens: Time to take to the sky. Athens, here we come!
• Thermopylae: Fans of the film 300 will love this tribute to Spartan warriors, on the site of the Thermopylae battle. 
• Gallipoli: See the infamous site of the ANZAC troop landings at the battle of Gallipoli in WWI. 
• Gallipoli: Brush up on your history knowledge with a visit to WWI battle sites: Lone Pine Cemetery and Chunuk Bair Gallipoli  
• Istanbul: If you’re looking for ornate and photogenic buildings we have a treat for you. See the Byzantine Hagia Sophia (Blue Mosque), Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and Suleymaniye Mosque.
• Târgu Mure?: Visit the national monument in Transylvania (and also the inspiration for Dracula’s castle) – which is now a museum with art and furniture collected by Queen Marie. And of course, you can take a look inside if you’d like!
• Hopfgarten im Brixental: Join us in the cute lil Austrian Tyrol village of Hopfgarten, where you’ll find Haus Schoneck by Contiki. Next to one of the world’s largest ski regions, this traditional property has had a fresh facelift with all the modcons. We’re talking on-site sauna, Schnapps bar, communal lounge area, a shuttle to the main gondola. Hungry after a day on the slopes? Chow down on some warming locally sourced meals in our dining room.
• Munich: We’ll make a stop at a traditional Bavarian ‘Bier Halle’. Grab your Contiki crew and a beer. Prost!
• Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site: Take a somber but impactful visit to the site of a World War II concentration camp in Munich. 
• Prague: Walk through the winding cobbled streets and head up into the fairytale-like Castle District for panoramic city views.
• Berlin: Heads up culture vultures. Here’s your chance to check out the longest open-air gallery in the world.

Pause at Thermopylae, the narrow pass where Spartan king Leonidas and allies defied a Persian army. A monument marks the stand that became legend.

Context from classical sources brings terrain and tactics into focus. It’s a concise stop that links landscape to one of antiquity’s defining moments.

Explore Bran Castle, a hilltop fortress whose turrets and timbered rooms evoke medieval Transylvania and the Dracula legend. Narrow stairways lead to lookout points over forested valleys.

Discover links to Queen Marie and regional folklore while separating myth from history. The castle’s creaking floors and stone passages deliver atmosphere in spades.

Pay respects at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, a place of solemn remembrance. Exhibitions, memorial chapels, and preserved grounds invite learning and reflection.

Guidance on context and chronology underscores the imperative of Never Again. Time is set aside to walk quietly and consider testimonies, names, and absence.

Ascend by cogwheel railway to the high-alpine station known as the Top of Europe. Snowfields, ice tunnels and glacier panoramas stretch beneath the Jungfrau and Eiger.

Step onto viewing platforms for crisp mountain air and photos of serrated peaks. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Feel an adrenaline rush as you launch into a dramatic alpine gorge on a canyon swing. The cliff-to-river arc delivers seconds of freefall and roaring views.

Safety briefings and pro gear keep the focus on exhilaration and scenery. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Immerse yourself in Spain’s duende with a Flamenco show where guitar, palmas and heelwork ignite the stage. Dancers channel Andalusian soul with fierce grace.

Intimate venues amplify the raw energy and emotion, pairing performance with regional bites and wine if you wish. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Pedal scenic promenades and seafront paths with the Mediterranean as your constant horizon. A relaxed coastal bike ride threads beach coves, Belle Époque villas and palm-lined boulevards.

Frequent stops let you capture blue-on-blue vistas and café culture by the water’s edge. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Glide through quiet back canals on a classic gondola ride, drifting beneath low bridges and beside timeworn facades mirrored in the water.

Your gondolier steers tradition itself, offering a perspective unreachable on foot. Expect gentle motion, lapping water and cameo views of campanili. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Taste Venice like a local on a guided cicchetti crawl through bacari wine bars. Sample lagoon-fresh bites with pours of ombra wine or spritz.

Learn how fishermen, merchants and gondoliers shaped this snack culture. It’s convivial, delicious and distinctly Venetian. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Sit down to a hearty Tuscan feast featuring rustic antipasti, rib-sticking pastas, and Chianti poured freely. Conversation flows as easily as olive oil over bruschetta.

Seasonal ingredients and regional recipes tell Tuscany’s story from farm to table. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Tie on an apron for a hands-on pasta workshop, learning to knead, roll and shape regional styles before a convivial meal with wine.

Chefs share Italy’s love of seasonality and simplicity as you make and eat pasta together. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Walk streets frozen in time on a guided tour of Pompeii, from frescoed villas to bathhouses and bakeries. Mount Vesuvius looms beyond mosaicked thresholds.

Learn how ash preserved daily life in extraordinary detail, from election slogans to loaves in ovens. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Rejuvenate in a historic hammam, moving from warm marble to invigorating scrub and foam massage under a domed ceiling.

This ritual of cleansing and relaxation is woven into Ottoman urban life and hospitality. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Launch with a pro pilot and soar above Tyrolean valleys on a tandem paragliding flight. Thermals lift you past patchwork fields and spired churches.

It’s serene, scenic, and unforgettable from takeoff to soft landing. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Paddle alpine rivers with professional guides on a whitewater rafting adventure. Rapids, eddies, and canyon views keep the pace lively.

All equipment provided; expect teamwork, splashes, and high-five moments between scenic stretches. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Follow a local to courtyards, passages and stories many visitors miss. From Cubist corners to artisan workshops, Hidden Prague rewards the curious.

Urban legends and overlooked details enrich your sense of the city beyond the postcard. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Trace Berlin’s turbulent 20th century on a guided walk that may include the site of Hitler’s bunker, memorials, and Cold War landmarks.

Insightful commentary connects architecture, ideology and everyday life across eras. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Discover Paris on a citywide showcase as you join a guided panoramic tour past the Eiffel Tower, elegant Arc de Triomphe, and the grand sweep of the Champs-Élysées. Your orientation connects the city’s quarters, from Left Bank bookstalls to Right Bank boulevards.

Hear how Notre-Dame and the Louvre shaped French art and identity, and trace Parisian history from the Revolution to the Belle Époque. Expect classic vistas, luminous stone facades, and stories that turn must-see icons into living places.

Taste the terroir of Beaujolais with a convivial evening at a 16th-century château, pairing regional dishes with a curated wine tasting. In vaulted rooms and art-filled salons, your hosts share the nuances of fruit-forward crus and age-worthy vintages.

Learn how granite soils and sunlit slopes shape Gamay’s character, then toast the good life in a 16th-century château surrounded by vineyards. It’s an atmospheric introduction to France’s convivial table culture and convivial country hospitality.

Set your intention for the day with a guided yoga session on the manicured lawns of the château. Breathe deeply as morning mist lifts from the vines and birdsong carries over the gardens.

This gentle practice restores energy after busy travel days, centering body and mind amid château gardens and rolling vineyards. Expect calm instruction suitable for all levels and an uplifting sense of stillness in France’s storied wine country.

Savor a French-style picnic on the château grounds, where wicker baskets reveal local cheeses, charcuterie, crusty baguettes and seasonal fruit. Choose your favorite patch of shade and clink glasses of regional wine.

It’s a sensory snapshot of Beaujolais life: panoramic vineyard views, herb-scented breezes, and easygoing conversation. Your picnic folds culinary tradition into the pastoral beauty that makes this corner of France so beloved.

Explore Barcelona’s historic core as you stroll medieval lanes in the Gothic Quarter and people-watch along Las Ramblas. Your orientation reveals hidden squares, Roman walls, and artisan storefronts tucked between slender alleys.

Hear how Roman Barcino grew into a Catalan capital where Modernisme and street life mingle. Expect lively plazas, Catalan balconies draped with flags, and tapas temptations at every turn.

Visit Arles for a window into Roman Gaul. See the mighty Roman Amphitheatre and stroll sun-washed lanes that inspired Van Gogh. Cafés spill onto cobbles as shutters glow in Provencal light.

Discover how gladiatorial games once echoed through the arena and why artists flocked to Arles for color and clarity. It’s a compact pause rich in history, art, and Mediterranean ambiance.

Soak up Riviera glamour on an evening visit to Monaco. Walk the terraces near the Prince’s Palace, admire the gilded boulevards, and gaze over a harbor bobbing with superyachts.

Continue to the Monte Carlo Casino district for postcard architecture, polished facades and sleek cars under palms. This is the Riviera mood at full sparkle: refined, cinematic, and made for moonlit photos.

Step inside a working perfume house to learn the art of fragrance shaped by the flower fields of Grasse. Tour the atelier, discover extraction methods, and test notes from citrus to jasmine.

Guided by a specialist, blend a signature scent to take home. This elegant craft links Riviera heritage with your own senses, distilling travel memories into a bottle.

Cruise the Venetian lagoon by private motoscafo, gliding past palazzi and boatyards toward the heart of the Serenissima. Disembark near St Mark’s Square to explore arcades, campanili and marble lions.

Learn how merchant power, mosaics and maritime trade shaped this city of water. From reflections under bridges to views toward the Rialto Bridge, Venice unfurls in scenes worthy of Canaletto.

Visit the UNESCO-listed Campo dei Miracoli for iconic angles of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cathedral and Baptistery. Capture playful perspective shots or study the tower’s elegant Romanesque tiers.

Hear how soil subsidence created the famous tilt, and how careful engineering stabilized it for future generations. It’s classic Italy in one sweeping green expanse.

Witness traditional leathercraft in a Florentine workshop where artisans cut, burnish and stitch by hand. Learn to read grain, finish, and the marks of quality.

Set against a backdrop of guild history and Medici patronage, the demonstration links living craftsmanship to Renaissance Florence. Expect the warm scent of leather, practiced tools, and insight into an enduring art.

Join a guided walking tour through Rome’s historic center to the Trevi Fountain, majestic Pantheon, and baroque Piazza Navona. Fountains sparkle, columns soar, and gelaterie beckon.

Trace layers from ancient empire to papal Rome, admiring domes, obelisks, and Bernini fountains. Streets hum with vespas and café chatter, revealing la dolce vita between masterpieces.

Pause to admire Mount Vesuvius, the stratovolcano that looms over the Bay of Naples. Its silhouette anchors sweeping coastal views and frames the story of Roman Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Hear how the 79 AD eruption reshaped the region and archaeology itself. From a safe vantage, the cone’s profile offers striking photos and a vivid sense of southern Italy’s dramatic geology.

Marvel at the Corinth Canal, a feat of 19th-century engineering slicing the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. Gaze down at turquoise water funneled between sheer limestone walls.

Learn how ancient rulers dreamed of this shortcut for millennia before it was finally cut through rock. Ships glide below like models against monumental stone geometry.

Walk the Sacred Rock on a guided visit to the Acropolis, culminating at the Parthenon. Marble columns blaze in Attic light as Athens spreads to the sea.

Continue to the horseshoe-shaped Panathenaic Stadium, centerpiece of the first modern Olympics. Stories of democracy, drama, and athletic glory bring ancient stones to life in the contemporary capital.

Stand before the last survivor of the Ancient Wonders as you encounter the Great Pyramid of Giza and the enigmatic Great Sphinx. The desert light sharpens edges carved over 4,500 years ago.

Hear of pharaohs, funerary rites, and the geometry that aligned these monuments with the heavens. Close-up views reveal the scale and precision of Old Kingdom engineering.

Explore the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum, where millennia of artifacts are displayed with world-class curation. From royal statuary to delicate amulets, Egypt’s material culture unfolds in luminous galleries.

Don’t miss the Tutankhamun treasures, reunited and exhibited with unprecedented context. Expert storytelling frames daily life, belief, and artistry from the Nile Valley’s most storied eras.

Glide with the breeze as you sail a traditional felucca along the Nile. White canvas catches the wind while islands, palms, and granite outcrops drift by camera-ready.

Pass Kitchener’s Island with its lush Botanical Garden and see life unfold on the riverbanks. This timeless experience captures Egypt’s tranquil side between temples and markets.

Descend into royal history at the Valley of the Kings, where richly painted corridors lead to the burial chambers of New Kingdom pharaohs. Your guide deciphers hieroglyphic corridors and mythic scenes.

Learn how priests protected sacred remains and how archaeologists uncovered these desert-hidden tombs. The artistry and pigment here feel startlingly fresh across three millennia.

Visit the extraordinary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a masterpiece of symmetry set beneath cliffs. Terraced colonnades and ramps honor Egypt’s powerful female pharaoh.

Hear how Hatshepsut reigned in peace and prosperity, commissioning trade expeditions and bold architecture. Reliefs and statues reveal royal ideology in crisp desert light.

Reflect at the Gallipoli Peninsula, visiting ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Cemetery, and Chunuk Bair. Quiet headlands and pine-scented air frame a moving chapter of 20th-century history.

Learn about the 1915 campaign, its toll, and its legacy for Australia, New Zealand and Turkiye. Time for remembrance and contemplation is built into the visit.

Encounter imperial splendor on a guided overview including Hagia Sophia, the tile-lined Blue Mosque, lavish Topkapi Palace, and the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar.

Hear tales of sultans and Byzantines as minarets pierce the skyline and the Bosphorus gleams. From calligraphy to courtyards, Istanbul’s crossroads of continents comes vividly into focus.

Walk the Castle District above the Vltava for panoramas of red roofs and spires. Courtyards and lanes unfold toward the soaring nave of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Hear how Bohemian kings and emperors shaped the city’s fortunes, then pause on terraces for those classic skyline photos. It’s Prague at its most fairytale.

Walk the longest preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall, now the open-air East Side Gallery. Murals by international artists turn concrete into a canvas for hope, critique, and memory.

Trace the city’s division and reunification while decoding famous images. The riverside setting adds space to think, photograph, and discuss Berlin’s living history.

Step into a traditional Bavarian Bierhalle where vaulted ceilings echo with chatter and steins of lager thump wooden tables. Pretzels, brass bands and gemutlichkeit set the tone.

Learn beer-hall customs and toast Bavaria’s brewing heritage. It’s a sociable slice of local culture, whether you choose malty Märzen or a classic Helles.

Experience a slice of Florentine nightlife at the storied Red Garter, where live music and friendly vibes make for an upbeat evening.

It’s a chance to unwind with your group and enjoy the city after dark. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Step inside the Colosseum to hear tales of emperors and spectacles, then follow ancient paving stones through the Roman Forum where temples and triumphal arches line the Via Sacra.

Archaeological context brings stonework to life amid cypress and marble. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Drift along the river at twilight on a Nile dinner cruise with a buffet of Egyptian specialties and live entertainment beneath city lights.

From whirling tanoura to melodic oud, Cairo’s night mood unfolds from the water. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Journey to the colossal lakeside temples of Abu Simbel, where statues of Ramses II guard sanctuaries carved into rock. Reliefs glow in desert light.

Hear how UNESCO engineers relocated the site to save it from the rising Nile. Monumentality and artistry meet at this Nubian masterpiece. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Wander the forest of columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, the vast temple complex dedicated to Amun. Obelisks, pylons and sacred lakes chart centuries of devotion.

Inscriptions and colossal scale reveal the ambition of pharaohs. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Board a boat to explore the Red Sea’s vibrant coral reefs. Slip into warm, crystalline water to snorkel among darting fish and luminous coral gardens.

Guides point out marine life and protected zones while you soak up sunshine and sea breezes. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Wander the lantern-lit lanes of the Plaka, Athens’ old quarter beneath the Acropolis. Neoclassical facades, bougainvillea and buskers set a village-in-the-city mood.

Opt to linger at a taverna with mezze and music as the Parthenon glows above. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Prepare classic Turkish dishes alongside a local family, learning to balance spices, fresh herbs and olive oil in hearty, shareable plates.

From rolling dolma to perfecting pilav, the class ends with a communal meal and stories of daily life. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

See Buda and Pest illuminated from the water on a Danube dinner cruise. Parliament’s neo-Gothic spires and castle ramparts shimmer in reflection.

Traditional dishes and gentle commentary round out a romantic city portrait. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Cross the Chain Bridge to the Buda hills for a guided stroll by Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. Terraces offer storybook river views.

Learn how Austro-Hungarian grandeur and local legend shaped the skyline. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Soak in steaming mineral pools at a historic bath complex such as Széchenyi or Gellért, where Art Nouveau tiles meet wellness tradition.

Move between indoor halls and outdoor pools as locals play chess and steam drifts in the air. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Uncover baroque squares, Mozart landmarks and film locations on a guided amble through Salzburg’s Old Town. Fortress views frame onion domes and alpine backdrops.

From cathedral courtyards to Mirabell Gardens, hear the music and history that shaped this cultured city. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Cycle valley trails and farm roads beneath forested slopes and waterfalls on a relaxed alpine bike ride. Cows graze, bells clink, and meadows glow.

Frequent stops let you photograph wooden chalets and distant peaks. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Cover ground smoothly on a guided bike tour past the Residenz, royal gardens and riverbanks. Learn how Bavarian tradition meets modern life.

Ample photo stops and local tips make this a lively city sampler on two wheels. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Dig into Czech specialties while musicians and dancers bring regional traditions to life at a warm, wood-beamed venue.

It’s a spirited evening of polka rhythms and hearty fare, paired with local beer or wine. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Explore street art corridors, creative hubs and repurposed industrial spaces on an alternative walking tour that spotlights Berlin’s counterculture.

Murals, collectives and cafés reveal a city always reinventing itself. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

See Amsterdam’s gabled houses reflected in inky waters on an evening canal cruise. Stone bridges and amber windows create a living light show.

Commentary shares stories of the Golden Age and modern life along the Herengracht and Prinsengracht. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Gather for a celebratory final meal in the Dutch capital, raising a glass to weeks of shared discovery. Seasonal dishes and easy conversation set a warm tone.

Swap highlights, exchange contacts, and savor the city’s convivial dining scene together. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Contiki