Duration: 9 Days
This 9-day European Panorama leads you from London to France, Switzerland, and Italy. Breeze through history like never before as you dash from London to Paris on the high-speed Eurostar train, drive past the Fontainebleau Forest and the vineyards of châteaux-dotted Burgundy on your way to the Swiss Alps. Enjoy a funicular ride through the walled Italian town of Bergamo, feel the wind in your hair on a private water taxi through Venice’s Grand Canal, and cruise through the olive-clad Tuscan Hills on your way to Rome. Our engaging Tour Directors bring the history, art, and legends of each city to life with exceptional knowledge, unique perspectives, and seldom heard tales.
Traveller Notes
We’ve packed everything you need for the perfect holiday—from hand-selected hotels and dining to the friendly expertise of Globus Tour Directors and Local Guides (with headsets to hear every word), to seamless transportation between destinations and VIP access to the world’s most iconic sites! Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi.
Welcome to London!
Uniformed Globus Hosts are available for assistance.
Chill the Champagne
LONDON Meet your Tour Director and travel companions before boarding the high-speed Eurostar train to Paris. PARIS Free time afternoon and evening. (B) 305 mi / 492 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EPIC RIDE Take the fast train to Paris on the Eurostar - the only high-speed rail directly linking the UK to France. Since 1994, passengers have been whisked through the longest section of underwater tunnel in the world in comfort with speeds up to 200 mph.
J'adore Paris
PARIS Morning guided sightseeing includes sights of the Opera, Arc de Triomphe, and a Seine River cruise. Free time this afternoon and evening. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS As the song goes, we love Paris in the springtime; we love Paris in the fall - but no matter the season, we fall in love anytime we visit the most romantic city in the world. From the tranquility of the Seine River to the tempting treats of a corner cafe, your hearts are set on sharing France's captivating City of Light any time you please.
The Lush Life & Lion Hearts
PARIS Scenic drive past Fontainebleau Forest and the Burgundy vineyards en route to Lucerne. LUCERNE Walking tour includes the Lion Monument and the Chapel Bridge. (B) 423 mi / 680 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES Sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's Lion Monument in Lucerne is a moving commemoration of the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. As one of Switzerland's most iconic monuments, more than a million visitors stand before this touching tribute each year. One such visitor, Mark Twain, described the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."
Sweet Sights in Lucerne
LUCERNE Free time this morning before departing for Bergamo.
BERGAMO Dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D) 205 mi / 330 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PICTURE PERFECT Serenity is found in a gaze across the stunning panoramas of the Swiss Alps above the lovely city of Lucerne. Spend time at leisure with a stroll through its magnificent medieval architecture and peaceful alpine lake.
Higher Love
BERGAMO Take a [LF] funicular ride followed by orientation walk through Bergamo Alta, the Old Town on the hill.
VENICE Enjoy a private boat ride, followed by an orientation tour of Venice, including St. Mark's Square and the Bridge of Sighs, and a glassblowing demonstration. Take free time to browse before [LF] dinner at a local restaurant followed by a private water-taxi ride through the Grand Canal. (B,D) 155 mi / 250 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
CULTURAL GEMS Aim higher with a visit to Bergamo Alta, A convenient funicular ride takes you to the very heart of "Citta Alta" - right in the Shoe Market square which has long been home of the shoe trade. Stroll through the picturesque streets, alleys and squares and savour the medieval charm the city managed to preserve through time.
Italian Beauties
FLORENCE Guided walking tour includes stops at the cathedral and Baptistry, and Signoria Square. Later a scenic drive takes you by the Chianti vineyards and olive-clad Tuscan Hills en route to Rome.
ROME Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D) 360 mi / 580 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARCHITECTURE Those lucky enough to visit the Tuscan capital are witness to some of the world's most magnificent architecture. Home to a wealth of Rennaissance masterpieces, including the sights of Signoria Square, Florence offers spectacular sights of Florentine Gothic and Renaissance art, architecture, and monuments.
When in Rome
ROME Guided sightseeing includes the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum. Free afternoon. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES Stand in awe and wonder amid one of mankind's greatest artistic achievements in the Sistine Chapel. Hear how in 1508, a young Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate the chapel's ceiling - a request not welcomed by the 33-year-old sculptor. Michelangelo's 4-year project was indeed one of physical pain and psychological distress, while painting from scaffolds high above the sanctuary floor. Nevertheless, he created what is considered the most famous ceiling in the world, depicting the Creation of Adam in striking fresco style.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
