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Day 1 Flight
Overnight flight to Great Britain • Relax as you fly across the
Atlantic.
Day 2 London
Arrival in London
• Touch down in London, Europe's largest city. After clearing customs, you
are greeted by your Tour Director, who will remain with you throughout your
stay.
Walking tour of London
• Stroll through the heart of London on our walking tour, which begins
along the banks of the River Thames. These shadowy waters gave the city its
name, which derives from Llyn-Dyn, Celtic for "city of the lake."
Walk along the Strand and see the spot considered to be London's geographic
center; all measurements of distances to London end here. Enter Trafalgar
Square and pause at Nelson's Column, built to commemorate his 1805 victory in
the Battle of Trafalgar. Continue on to Leicester Square, where duelists once
fought to the death. Then saunter through London's tiny Chinatown. Your walk
ends at chic Covent Garden, where you'll enjoy watching street performers (or
"buckers") amuse the lively crowds.
Day 3 London
Guided sightseeing of London
• A local guide leads you on a panoramic tour
of London. Begin in Grosvenor Square, which is sometimes called "Little
America" because it's the site of the U.S. embassy and the house where
Eisenhower once lived. Continue to Hyde Park Corner, located at the southeast
corner of Hyde Park, one of London's largest parks. At bustling Piccadilly
Circus, the intersection of five busy streets, check out the bright lights and
big-city displays, before heading to Trafalgar Square. Pass Speaker's Corner,
where anyone with something to say is invited to speak his mind. Snap a photo
of the Houses of Parliament and continue along London's South Bank for views
of the famous Tower of London and London Bridge. Stroll across the Millennium
Bridge for an orientation of St. Paul's Cathedral, the magnificent
17th-century Baroque church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Finally, witness
a London tradition— the Changing of the Guard.
Free time in London •
This afternoon, enjoy free time in London. You might wish to visit the
original Hard Rock Cafe or Madame Tussauds wax museum, take a cruise down the
Thames, or browse through the countless stores along Oxford Street. Attend a
Shakespearean drama at a replica of the Globe Theatre, or visit the
fascinating, hands-on exhibits of London's Natural History Museum.
Day 4 London to Paris
Transfer via the Eurostar from London to Paris • In London,
board the high-speed Eurostar, an 18-car train that runs through the tunnel
connecting Britain with continental Europe. Completed in May 1994, the Channel
Tunnel provides travelers with easy access to and from the continent. Enjoy
state-of-the-art technology as you glide under the English Channel to France.
Arrival in Paris • Welcome to
Paris, cosmopolitan City of Light.
Day 5 Paris
Guided sightseeing of Paris • Discover the city on the
Seine, beginning with the imposing Arc de Triomphe, commemorating Napoleon's
Grande Arm'ee. Take a drive down the elegant Champs-Elys'ees to the Place de la
Concorde. Pass the Conciergerie, where prisoners of the Revolution spent their
final days, and see Les Invalides, Louis XIV's grand retirement home for
wounded soldiers. You'll also see the Ecole Militaire, where Napoleon
graduated to lieutenant and was told he'd go far if circumstances allowed.
Next, make a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower to marvel at the 6,000-ton
centerpiece for the 1889 World's Fair. You'll hear the story of how this
impressive—but once highly controversial symbol of Paris was spared the
wrecking ball in 1909. Pass the Opera Gamier, where the famous Phantom of the
Opera haunted his dear Christine, and marvel at Eglise de la Madeleine,
designed as a temple of glory for Napoleon's army. Continue past the geometric
gardens of the Tuileries as you make your way to the Place Vendome, a vast
square surrounded by elegant 17th-century facades.
Excursion to Versailles
• Join an excursion to Versailles, the elaborate palace of Louis XIV.
Here, the Sun King held court in the most lavish style imaginable. At one
point, 1,000 nobles were attended by 4,000 servants inside the palace, while
15,000 soldiers and servants inhabited the annexes. Stroll through the
elegantly landscaped gardens, designed by Andre Le Notre, tour the State
Apartments of the King himself, walk through the historic Hall of Mirrors, and
admire the ornate decor of the State Apartments of the Queen.
Day 6 Paris & Train to Florence
Visit to the Louvre •
Built to defend the city in the 13th century, the Louvre today safeguards one
of the world's greatest art collections. Enter the museum through world
renowned architect l.M. Pei's glass pyramid, constructed in 1989. Inside,
discover priceless antiquities from Asia, Greece and Rome. You'll also see
precious objects from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as iconic
European paintings such as the Mona Lisa.
Walking tour of Paris • Begin at the
Louvre and cross over the Seine river. On the left bank, watch the bouquinists
selling old books and postcards and catch glimpses of the Conciergerie and St.
Chapelle from the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in the city. Continue through
the Latin Quarter, an area dominated by the Sorbonne, Paris' most famous
university, founded in 1253. The quarter was named for its inhabitants' native
tongue; Latin was the official language until 1793. As you stroll, look for
the Pantheon, created by Louis XV because of a promise he made during a severe
illness to build a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve if he survived. Your
tour will end at Notre Dame Cathedral.
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Visit to Notre Dame Cathedral • Built
between 1163 and 1361 over the remains of an ancient Roman temple, it was here
that Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804. Victor Hugo once described the
sculptured facade of Notre Dame as "a vast symphony in stone."
However, had it not been for the creation of his famous hunchback, Quasimodo,
the cathedral might never have returned to its former glory. Hugo's novel The
Hunchback of Notre Dame helped inspire a 23-year restoration of the cathedral
that began in 1841. Step inside to admire the stained-glass rose windows and
seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings.
Night train to Florence • Transfer to
Florence via overnight train.
Day 7 Florence
Arrival in Florence • Arrive in
Florence, birthplace of the Italian language, the Renaissance, and opera.
Guided sightseeing of Florence • Fall
under the spell of the powerful Medici family on your guided tour. Pass the
classical statues of the Piazza della Signoria, where Michelangelo's David
originally stood and now the site of an impressive replica. From behind the
Uffizi Palace, you will see Ponte Vecchio, one of the city's only bridges to
survive WWII, and now one of its most photographed sites. The bridge provided
the Medici easy access from the Pitti Palace to the Uffizi. Continue past the
Chiesa di Santa Croce, final resting place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and
Galileo. Next, you will visit the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better
known as the Duomo, or dome, that dominates Florence's skyline. The dome was
sculptor and architect Brunelleschi's finest work, and the nearby campanile
(bell tower) was designed by the painter Giotto. Look for the famous bronzed
doors—Ghiberti's legendary Gates of Paradise—at the Baptistery opposite
the Duomo. Later, watch artisans at work at a local leather-making
demonstration.
Day 8 Florence to Rome
Transfer via Assisi • Stop in Assisi,
birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare. On your visit to the basilica of
St. Francis, follow the life of one of Italy's most beloved saints through
Giotto's artful frescoes.
Arrival in Rome • Arrive in bella
Roma, the Eternal City. Here, Charlemagne was crowned by the pope in A.D. 800.
Day 9 Rome
Visit to Vatican City • Today, you
will explore Vatican City, the world's smallest, country. Begin at the Vatican
Museum, where elaborate galleries filled with one artistic masterpiece after
another lead you directly to the Sistine Chapel. Between 1508 and 1512,
Michelangelo painted some of the world's finest pictorial images on the
chapel's ceiling. This was his first attempt at working in fresco, which he
did by standing up and craning backward from a scaffold. Next, tour St.
Peter's Basilica, erected on the site where the saint was martyred. Enter the
basilica under the watchful eyes of the brightly dressed Swiss Guard. Inside,
admire Michelangelo's Pieta, the only sculpture he ever signed.
Guided sightseeing of Rome • Pass the
grassy ruins of the ancient Forum Romanum, once the heart of the Roman Empire,
and admire the enduring fragments of Rome's glorious past. It was here that
business, commerce and the administration of justice once took place. Then
visit the mighty Colosseum, Rome's first permanent amphitheater whose three
tiers are approximately equal to a 12- to 15-story building. At one time, as
many as 50,000 cheering spectators would flock to watch gladiator battles
unfold inside. During the staged fights here, as many as 10,000 slaves,
prisoners and volunteers were killed. Persecuted Christians were also
murdered - spectators saw them mauled by lions. After A.D. 404, gladiator
battles ended, but animals were still massacred in the name of sport until the
6th century.
Walking tour of Rome • Continue on to
the legendary Trevi Fountain and make sure to toss in a coin to ensure your
return to Rome. Then view the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved ancient
buildings in the city, commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian around A.D. 120.
This temple to "all the gods" features the second widest dome in
Rome. It was built using the exact proportions of an egg! Finish off in the
Piazza Navona, the popular square where you will see Bernini's impressive
Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Day 10 Home
Return home • Your tour director
assists with the transfer to the airport, where you'll check in for your
return flight home.
$3,390
- THIS PRICE INCLUDES:
- Round-trip airfare
- 7 overnight stays in hotels with private
bathrooms plus 1 night couchette accommodations
- Complete European breakfast and dinner daily
(lunch instead of dinner on Day 6)
- Full-time bilingual Tour Director
- 5 sightseeing tours led by licensed local
guides: London • Paris • Florence • Vatican City • Rome
- 3 walking tours: London • Paris •
Rome
- 9 visits to special attractions: Notre Dame
Cathedral, Louvre, Duomo, Leather workshop, Assisi Basilica, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica,
Colosseum and Forum Romanum
- Whisper headsets for tours of Florence,
Vatican City and Rome
- Eurostar high-speed train
- Travel Insurance
- Departure Fees
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