Madrid, Paris and Rome

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to Madrid

Day 2:

Welcome to Spain!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  
• Explore Madrid on foot with your Tour Director, crossing Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor before arriving at Plaza de España, where statues, fountains, and literary figures frame the square

Day 3:

Explore Madrid

• Guided by a local expert, explore Madrid’s sweeping boulevards and royal legacy. From Gran Vía to Calle Mayor, pass Puerta de Alcalá and take in the city’s neoclassical grandeur and stately energy
• Visit the Royal Palace, Madrid’s grandest landmark, with gilded rooms, frescoed ceilings, and centuries of royal history
  
• Free time or Optional Guided excursion to Toledo
• Opt to take a guided excursion to Toledo. Visit the soaring cathedral, see El Greco’s masterpiece at the Church of Santo Tomé, and explore St. Mary’s Synagogue in the heart of the old Jewish quarter

Day 4:

Madrid - Paris

• Fly to Paris
  
• 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
• Enjoy a Seine River cruise in Paris, gliding past bridges and landmarks as city lights shimmer on the water
  

Day 6:

Paris - Rome

• Visit the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and a world-spanning collection housed beneath a modern glass pyramid and royal palace walls
  
• Fly to Rome
  
• 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

Day 7:

Explore Ancient 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
  
• Free time or Optional Catacombs and Gladiator center excursion
• Opt to visit the Roman Catacombs and Gladiator Training Center. Explore an early Christian burial site beneath the city, then learn how Rome’s arena fighters trained, fought, and lived at a dedicated exhibition space

Day 8:

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
  
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 9:

Depart for home