27-Nights Great European

27 nights from: $8,258

Great European
Buckle up for an unforgettable Great European tour, filled with local flavors, the scents of France and artistry of Gaudí and Michelangelo in Spain and Italy. Discover Florence’s rich culinary heritage, admire the 'pearl of the Basque Coast' Biarritz, and count the 100 spires of Prague.


Dining Summary

• 28 Breakfast (B)
• 7 Dinner (D)
• 1 Be My Guest (BMG)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Villandry: Return to 17th-century France and join the de Montferrier family on their farm near the famous Chateau de Villandry for a delightful Be My Guest experience.
• Florence: Eight generations of history with plenty of stories to tell. Enjoy a traditional Be My Guest lunch with the Landi family at their home near Florence, set within a garden of oak trees against the backdrop of Tuscan vineyards and olive groves.

• Madrid: Visit the Prado Museum in Madrid, where you'll have time to admire its extraordinary collection of European art dating from the 12th to early 20th centuries.
• Provence: The scents of France are yours to enjoy at Fragonard, a famous French perfumery that has been creating perfumes since the 1920s.

• Paris: Explore the iconic sights and streets of Paris on an orientation drive this evening.
• Paris: Join a Local Specialist to discover the hidden squares and secret lanes of Paris.
• Biarritz: Appreciate the prestigious history of Biarritz as you explore the city's charming streets.
• Pamplona: Spend time exploring this city, known for its annual Running with the Bulls festival.
• Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Specialist. Visit the Old Town, traveling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the Cibeles fountain, Cervantes Monument and Royal Palace.
• Barcelona: With your Local Specialist, see Las Ramblas and the elegant Passeig de Grcia to take in some of the city's finest Modernist architecture. Journey past the beautiful façades of the Eixample district to see the exterior of Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família
• Monaco City: See the cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were married.
• Pisa: During an orientation, your Travel Director will show you the baptistery, cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Florence: Join a Local Specialist to view the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square.
• Passignano Sul Trasimeno: Stroll along the medieval streets of this scenic lakeside city.
• Rome: Experience Rome through the eyes of a local, as a passionate Roman guides you past the city's most iconic sites.
• Tuscany: View the stunning landscape of Tuscany on your drive today.
• Venice: As you journey along some of the water highways of the city, famous sights such as the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs come into view and introduce you to Venice before docking near St. Mark's Square.
• Carnic Alps: Remarkable geography sets the stage today as your travels continue through the Carnic Alps.
• Vienna: Walk through the first district, Inner Stadt, as your Local Specialist reveals the historic core of the city. Tour the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
• Bratislava: Explore Bratislava's city center. Take a walk through the charming squares and see the iconic Michael Tower.
• Prague: Led by your Local Specialist, explore the delightful Old Town Square and see the detailed Astronomical Clock that attracts onlookers each hour.
• Regensburg: Visit Regensburg and explore this enchanting UNESCO-listed town at your leisure.
• Munich: During your orientation of the city with your Travel Director, see Feldherrnhalle in the Odeonsplatz, the Palace of the Dukes of Wittelsbach, the English Garden, the Hofbräuhaus, St. Peter's Church and the famous Marienplatz.
• Vaduz: Explore Vaduz and admire the Royal family's residence, Vaduz Castle, which overlooks the capital.
• Lucerne: During an orientation with your Travel Director, see the Lion Monument, Old Town Hall and Chapel Bridge, the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe.
• Heidelberg: See the magnificent castle built in red sandstone, overlooking the Student Prince’s town.
• Rhineland: Cruise beneath the semi-ruined castles and terraced vineyards. Sleepy villages slip by as you saunter upstream to the Lorelei Rock where the enchantress lured sailors to their doom.
• Cologne Cathedral: The towering Cathedral of Cologne is an impressive introduction to this riverside city.
• Amsterdam: Cruise along the old waterways with your Travel Director and fellow travelers. Discover the architectural gems of the old city, including mansions dating from the Golden Age of the 17th Century.
• Amsterdam: Led by your Travel Director, wander the city to see the floating flower market, Dam Square and the Royal Palace.

• Venice: Discover the ancient skill of Venetian glassblowing and play a part in preserving this traditional craft. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

• Discover Bordeaux, Biarritz, Pamplona, French Riviera, Monaco, Pisa, Passignano sul Trasimeno, Venice, Bratislava, Regensburg, Munich, Vaduz - the capital of Liechtenstein, Lucerne, Heidelberg, Cologne and Amsterdam
• Visit the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Fragonard Perfumery in Grasse and a glassblowing factory in Venice
• View the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the ancient sites of Rome, the Opera House and
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Also known by its Basque name of Iruna, Pamplona, Spain, is a proud, prosperous, devout and usually conservative town with city walls and cobbled streets. The city, 195 mi/315 km northeast of Madrid, is the capital of the green province-region of Navarra, which borders France. Pamplona Travel
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The central square is the Plaza del Castillo, dominated by the Neo-classical Palacio del Gobierno de Navarra and also home to one of Spain's finest cafes, the Cafe Iruna. The streets of the old town fill the space between this square and the cathedral, largely Gothic in style but with a facade added in the 18th century. The other main sight not to miss is the Museo de Navarra in a converted hospital, which has some large Roman mosaics among its other historical and archaeological exhibits.

The town's sedate personality gets turned upside down during the fiesta of San Fermin that runs 6-14 July each year. Immortalized in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, the fiesta's most famous event is the running of the bulls. Each day at 8 am, the brave, foolish or drunk take to the narrow, barricaded streets to run alongside (or away from) six fighting bulls.

Less dangerous (but still exhausting) are the other activities that run the full week of the festival, including parades of giant figures, marauding bands, fireworks, endless dancing and lots of drinking.

If you can handle only a day or two of such merriment, try to make it to the first day or two of the fiesta (the weekend is the busiest time). The celebration that explodes at noon on 6 July is an incredible sight (plan to be soaked by champagne).

If you hope to stay in the city, accommodations should be booked at least a year in advance—be sure to get a room facing away from the street because the noise is relentless. Temporary campsites are set up on the outskirts of the city, and shuttle buses provide transport into town. Note also that petty crime is rife at this time.

Pamplona makes a good base from which to explore the rest of Navarra. Highlights of the province are the restored fairy-tale castle at Olite, the carved portal of the church at Sanguesa, the medieval town of Estella (Lizarra), the pilgrim bridge at Puente La Reina, the two monasteries of La Oliva and Leyre, Javier Castle (birthplace of St. Francis Xavier) and, near the French border, the tiny town of Roncesvalles, a traditional starting point for pilgrims heading across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia via the Saint James' Way.