London to Rome

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to London

Day 2:

Welcome to the UK!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  
• Explore London on foot with your Tour Director, weaving through Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and Piccadilly Circus where theater, history, and daily buzz meet at every turn

Day 3:

Explore London

• Guided by a local expert, explore many of London’s most iconic sights. Pass royal residences, historic churches, and familiar city streets from Buckingham Palace to Big Ben in a city where tradition and daily life move side by side
• Free time or Optional Guided visit to Windsor Castle
• Opt to take a guided visit to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Tour the State Apartments and visit St. George’s Chapel, final resting place of kings and queens

Day 4:

London - Paris

• Travel from London to Paris on the Eurostar, a high-speed train linking Britain and mainland Europe beneath the English Channel
  
• Explore Paris on foot with your Tour Director, walking the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter, crossing onto Île de la Cité, and pausing by the flying buttresses of Notre-Dame Cathedral

Day 5:

Explore Paris

• Guided by a local expert, follow the thread of revolution and elegance through Paris’s grand boulevards. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde, experience a city that lives and breathes its joie de vivre
• Free time or Optional Guided excursion to Versailles
• Opt to take a guided excursion to Versailles. Explore the Hall of Mirrors, State Apartments, and sprawling gardens once home to the Sun King

Day 6:

Paris

• Visit the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and a world-spanning collection housed beneath a modern glass pyramid and royal palace walls
  
• Explore Montmartre on foot with your Tour Director, wandering past cafés, artists' corners, and steep cobbled lanes that once inspired Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec
  
• Free time or Optional Cooking class
• Opt to join a hands-on cooking class, where you’ll prepare (and enjoy) a traditional meal while learning the stories and flavors behind each ingredient
• Enjoy a Seine River cruise in Paris, gliding past bridges and landmarks as city lights shimmer on the water
  

Day 7:

Paris - Lucerne

• Travel by TGV train to Basel, crossing from France into Switzerland with speed and ease
  
• Explore Basel on foot with your Tour Director, crossing the Middle Bridge over the Rhine and visiting Market Square and Basel Minster in the heart of the old city
• Travel to Lucerne
  

Day 8:

Explore Lucerne

• Explore Lucerne on foot with your Tour Director, crossing the covered Kapellbrücke, tracing the lakeshore promenade, and pausing at the Lion Monument carved into the rock
• Free time or Optional Excursion to Mt. Pilatus
• Opt to ascend Mount Pilatus by gondola for breathtaking alpine views above Lucerne, where snowcapped peaks rise over lakes and valleys

Day 9:

Lucerne - Venice

• Travel via Lake Como to Venice
  
• Stop to see Lake Como, where mountains meet the water in one of Italy’s most iconic landscapes
  

Day 10:

Explore Venice

• Guided by a local expert, explore Venice’s layers of power and artistry. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, walk through St. Mark’s Square, and watch a live demonstration of Murano glassblowing
• Enjoy a gondola ride along Venice’s iconic canals and experience the city from its most timeless perspective
  
• Explore Venice on your own, from quiet canals and artisan shops to hidden corners beyond the main squares
  

Day 11:

Venice - Florence

• Travel via Verona to Florence
  
• Explore Verona on foot with your Tour Director, winding past Roman ruins and Renaissance facades to the Verona Arena and the balcony said to have inspired Shakespeare’s Juliet

Day 12:

Explore Florence

• Guided by a local expert, explore Florence where art, politics, and genius shaped the world. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, stand beneath Brunelleschi’s soaring dome, and see Santa Croce and the Baptistery’s Gates of Paradise
• Free time or Optional Guided excursion to Pisa
• Opt to take a guided excursion to Pisa. See the iconic Leaning Tower, visit the baptistery and cathedral, and explore the Field of Miracles set against a classic Tuscan skyline

Day 13:

Florence - Rome

• Travel to Rome
  
• Guided by a local expert, explore Ancient Rome, exploring the epicenter of a vast empire where emperors ruled, gladiators fought, and temples anchored everyday life
• Visit the Colosseum, stepping into the arena where thousands once gathered to witness gladiator battles and Roman spectacle on a monumental scale
  
• Visit the Roman Forum, walking pathways once traveled by Julius Caesar and Cicero, surrounded by the remains of temples, basilicas, and the heart of public life in ancient Rome
  

Day 14:

Explore Rome

• Guided by a local expert, explore Vatican City, the world’s smallest country and a sanctuary of Renaissance genius.
• Visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s ceiling continues to awe.
  
• Step into St. Peter’s Basilica to see masterpieces like the Pietà and Bernini’s towering Baldachin.
  
• Explore Rome on foot with your Tour Director, walking from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon, tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and climbing the Spanish Steps with views over the Eternal City
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 15:

Depart for home