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THESE GREAT TOUR FEATURES ARE ALSO INCLUDED
Excursions & Sights
* See Amsterdam's Royal Palace, Mint Tower and visit a diamond factory
* See Cologne Cathedral
* Enjoy a scenic Rhine Cruise
* See Neuschwanstein
* Visit the village of Oberammergau
* Visit Innsbruck's Wilten Basilica
* See Juliet's Balcony & the Roman arena in Verona
* Cruise to St Mark's Square to see the Basilica, Doges' Palace, Bridge of Sighs
* See the Forum and visit St Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum & Trevi Fountain in Rome
* See Florence's Signoria Square, immense Cathedral & Gates of Paradise
* See Lucerne's Lion Monument and covered bridges.
* See Notre Dame Cathedral & the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Guided City Tours
* In depth sightseeing tours in Rome, Florence & Paris
* Orientation tours in Amsterdam, Cologne, Innsbruck, Venice and Lucerne
Insight's First Class Services
* Professional Tour Director to escort you
* Luxury touring coach with extra legroom & onboard toilet
* First Class hotels with all service charges, taxes and porterage
* Free Airport transfers when booking our London hotel
Quality Dining
* Highlight Dinner of Italian cuisine in Rome (HD)
* 12 enhanced or buffet breakfasts (BB), 5 three course table d'hôte dinners, or buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)
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Tour Pace
This tour slows down considerably after Venice, with 2 night stays in Venice, Rome, Lucerne & Paris. Florence is just a short
drive from Rome, requiring only a one night stay here.
DAY 1 – LONDON – AMSTERDAM
We meet our Tour Director at London's Copthorne Tara Hotel and travel to Dover for our channel crossing to France. We continue on through Belgium into Holland, passing windmills en route to Amsterdam. Our orientation tour shows us the Royal Palace, Mint Tower and we visit a diamond factory and showroom. Tonight, we enjoy a Welcome Drink. Hotel: NH City Centre.
DAY 2 – AMSTERDAM – HEIDELBERG
We travel into Germany today to view Gothic Cologne Cathedral. Then we travel via Bonn, to board our highlight Rhine cruise. We pass medieval castles and steep vineyards and see the legendary Loreley Rock. Now on to our hotel in the 'Student Prince' town of Heidelberg, dominated by its red sandstone castle. Hotel: Marriott. (BB,D)
DAY 3 – HEIDELBERG – INNSBRUCK
Today we head into Bavaria to admire the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. We continue to Oberammergau to see the renowned theatre and painted chalets before reaching lively Innsbruck. Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D)
DAY 4 – INNSBRUCK – VENICE
This morning our Tour Director shows us the Golden Roof and we visit the superb rococo Wilten Basilica - its interior richly decorated with cherubs and angels. Leaving Innsbruck, we cross into Italy and follow the Adige River through spectacular scenery to Verona. We walk through the narrow streets past the the Roman Arena to Juliet's Balcony. Now on to the city of Venice, situated in the vast Lagoon. Hotel: Sant'Elena. (BB,D)
DAY 5 – VENICE SIGHTSEEING
We cruise by private launch to St Mark's Square to see the ornate Basilica and the Moors atop the clock tower. We also see the Doges' Palace and its adjoining Bridge of Sighs. After a demonstration of Venetian glass blowing, we are at leisure to explore or shop! (BB)
DAY 6 – VENICE – ROME
We head south over the wild Apennine Mountains to our central Rome hotel. Tonight, we stroll to the Trevi Fountain before a highlight dinner of pasta, wine and music! Hotel: Ateneo Garden Palace. (BB,HD)
DAY 7 – ROME SIGHTSEEING
This morning we enjoy a city tour with a local guide. We enter St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City to see Michelangelo's 'Pieta'. Then we cross the Tiber to visit the mighty Colosseum and overlook the Roman Forum. There is time at leisure this afternoon. (BB)
DAY 8 – ROME – FLORENCE
We follow the Tiber north to Renaissance Florence this morning. Sightseeing with our local guide shows us the statue of 'David' inside the Academy Gallery. We continue to the Cathedral, Gates of Paradise and the open air art gallery in Signoria Square. We then watch a demonstration of leatherwork in the Santa Croce area. Later, there is time at leisure! Hotel: Athenaeum. (BB,D)
DAY 9 – FLORENCE – LUCERNE
We journey north today past Italy's industrial nerve centre of Milan and the Italian Lake District. We cross into Switzerland amidst spectacular Alpine scenery, to reach the lakeside resort of Lucerne. Hotel: Astoria. (BB)
DAY 10 – LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING
A full day in this beautiful city with its covered wooden bridges, painted gables, medieval fortifications, Lion Monument, baroque church, lake-side walks and excellent shops. Later, we take a spectacular cable-car ride up to the the summit of Mount Pilatus for snow-capped views and true Alpine majesty. (BB,D)
DAY 11 – LUCERNE – PARIS
We travel into France and continue through the wine area of Burgundy to Paris. Tonight, perhaps sample some French cuisine? Hotel: Bleu Marine Montparnasse. (BB)
DAY 12 – PARIS SIGHTSEEING
Our guided sightseeing tour shows us Notre Dame Cathedral and the immense facades of the Louvre. We drive through the Place de la Concorde and along the elegant Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. We then ascend the famous Eiffel Tower for spectacular panoramas over the city! Now time to shop? (BB)
DAY 13 – PARIS – LONDON
This morning we cross the battlefields of WW1 en route to Calais. We sail back across the channel to Dover and continue back to London where our tour ends. (BB)
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