France - Belgium - Luxembourg - Germany - Netherlands
Arrival in Paris, the City of Light, the City of Love. Free time, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for a guided panoramic tour of the French capital to visit its landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Trocadéro Square, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre Museum, and many other points of interest. After the panoramic tour, continue the visit with access to the second floor of the iconic Eiffel Tower (entrance included), a symbol of Paris. Lunch on your own (not included). In the afternoon, head to Montmartre for a visit to Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart of Jesus), from where you will have the best view of Paris. The painters’ neighborhood, its intricate and picturesque streets, squares, and famous “Bistrots” (typical Parisian cafés), take us back to the old and authentic “Paris,” making this neighborhood the most “Parisian” in the city. Dinner included at the hotel. Option to attend a show at the Moulin Rouge, the most famous cabaret in the world (entrance not included).
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a visit to France’s most famous castle, the Palace of Versailles (entrance included). The Palace and Gardens of Versailles are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the largest palaces in the world and represents the supreme power of the former French regime during the reign of Louis XIV. Notable features of the Palace of Versailles include 2,153 windows, 700 rooms, 352 chimneys, 1,250 fireplaces, and 700 hectares of gardens. It is one of the most visited monuments in France, with about 8 million tourists per year. Return to Paris. Lunch free (not included). In the afternoon, visit Île de la Cité, where Paris was born, and where the zero point of all French roads is located, as well as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the largest religious landmarks in the Western Catholic world, passing through the Latin Quarter. Dinner on board a fabulous Bateau-Mouche with a Seine River cruise (dinner/cruise included). From the river, we can admire the beauty and charm of the city at night: Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Musée d’Orsay, Île de la Cité, Île Saint-Louis, Notre-Dame, Pont de l’Alma, Pont des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III, Pont de la Concorde, Pont Royal, Pont du Carrousel, Pont Neuf. Return to the hotel and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for the Loire Valley towards Château de Chenonceau (entrance included), known as the “Castle of the Seven Ladies.” Imagine a castle full of intrigue, a castle given by Henry II (King of France) to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, under the watchful eye of his wife (Queen), the relentless Catherine de Medici. Lunch included at a local restaurant (subject to availability, L’Orangerie). In the afternoon, visit the Royal Château de Amboise (entrance included), where the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci is located in the Saint-Hubert Chapel. Arrival at the hotel in Tours, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Mont Saint-Michel (entrance included), where an abbey (Mont Saint-Michel Abbey) and a sanctuary were built in honor of the archangel Saint Michael. A statue of Saint Michael placed atop the church of the abbey reaches a height of 170 meters. Lunch included upon arrival at a local restaurant, followed by a guided tour. At a designated time, depart for Arromanches (the D-Day landing beach during World War II). Arrival in the city of Bayeux, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for the famous beach where, on June 6, 1944, the Allies landed, and where several artifacts from that era are still visible on the sand. Option to visit the Landing Museum (not included). Departure for the Honfleur port. Located at the mouth of the River Seine, Honfleur has around 8,000 inhabitants and has existed since at least 1027, when it was already an important port. In Honfleur, we can visit the Church of St. Catherine, the largest wooden church in France. It was built by the locals in the 15th century, as well as the old port, probably the most painted port in the world (Courbet, Monet, and Jongkind formed a painting school there that would be of great value to the Impressionist movement), a walk along the Vieux Bassin (Old Port) – around the port, there are a series of old houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, narrow and of various sizes and colors. They form a very beautiful and charming set along the port. On the ground floor of these houses, there are restaurants (mainly seafood) and art galleries. Lunch included in the city. Departure for Rouen, a tour of the historic capital of Normandy and museum city, it was the city of the martyr Joan of Arc, who was condemned and burned at the stake in the Old Market Square. Highlights include the Cathedral, the Old Clock Street. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Amiens, the city where the great adventure writer Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days) lived and died. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Amiens (UNESCO World Heritage) is the tallest Gothic church of the 13th century and the largest of its kind in France. Option to visit the writer’s house and tomb. Free time in the city center, lunch (not included). Departure for Lille, known as the “Capital of Flanders.” Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, guided visit to France’s fourth-largest city. Visit to Lille Cathedral: a neo-Gothic temple, whose construction began in 1854 and was completed in 1999, nearly 150 years later. Since 2008, the cathedral has housed the Grand Organ, one of the largest in France. Visit also to the Porte de Paris monument erected in honor of Louis XIV (Sun King), the magnificent Grand Place, the Town Hall with its famous Clock Tower (also called “Big Ben”) 104 meters tall… Lunch (not included), free afternoon for personal activities, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Bruges (two thousand years of history, from Julius Caesar to the Franks, Vikings, and later the domination of the Hanseatic League shaped the unique history of this region “Flanders”). Guided visit to the city, including a visit to the Church of Our Lady. Continue to Stadhuis, or City Hall, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig Bloed Basiliek). Enjoy a canal boat ride (included), visit the Markt, the main square dominated by the Belfry (bell tower). Lunch (included). Departure for the city of Ghent, guided visit to the main tourist attractions, including the Belfry, the magnificent bell tower of St. Niklaaskerk church, the Korenmarkt, which was once the city’s grain market, the Koren Munt, the small Vleeshuisbrug bridge over the Leie river. Pass by the Vrijdagmarkt central square and Stadhuis, and visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral (entrance included), the gothic cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent. Here, in a side chapel, is “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” (also known as the “Ghent Altarpiece”) by Jan van Eyck. Departure for Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, full-day guided visit to the city. Brussels is also known as the “capital” of the European Union, as it houses several key administrative bodies. Visit the city with a stop at Grand Place, the medieval heart of Brussels, St. Michael’s Cathedral, and, of course, no visit to Brussels would be complete without a visit to the classic “Manneken Pis” statue and the grand Royal Palace. Lunch (included) at a restaurant during the visits. In the afternoon, pass by Cinquantenaire Park in the area known as the European Quarter. In this district, we will see well-known and important buildings such as the European Council, the Economic and Social Committee, and the European Parliament, as well as the Atomium (entrance included), the icon of modernity, which was built to celebrate the 1958 World Expo. Return to the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Guided visit to the city of Luxembourg, known as the city of bridges. Cut by the Alzette and Petrusse rivers and with a landscape marked by valleys and greenery, its fortifications and old districts have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1994. Highlights include the Cathedral, underground fortifications, and the European Quarter. Lunch not included, and free afternoon. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Rüdesheim, a town in Germany located in a UNESCO World Heritage region in the Rhine Valley due to its historic buildings, museums, festivals, cultural centers, and wine production. Lunch on your own (not included) on the main street (Drosselgasse, visited annually by over three million people). After lunch, visit the grand monument to the foundation of the German Empire, the Niederwalddenkmal, which is 38 meters tall. At 16:30, embark on a cruise (included) along the Rhine River to the city of Koblenz. Due to its geographical position at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, the city attracts a large number of tourists. During the crossing, we will see why the banks of the Rhine are part of the UNESCO World Heritage, with centuries-old vineyards, castles, and small villages. Disembark in Koblenz and transfer to the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for a two-hour tour, highlighting the historic center (the Church of Our Lady, Liebfrauenkirche, is one of the most important works of medieval sacred architecture) and the impressive statue of Emperor William I (a major viewpoint of the city). Departure for the city of Cologne. Lunch free (not included). Visit the grand Cologne Cathedral (entrance included), which houses the relics of the Three Kings and had its first stone placed on August 15, 1248, remaining unfinished until the 19th century. Highlights include its stained-glass windows, Gothic choir stalls, the Three Kings Altar, and the relic shrine of the Three Kings. Departure for Maastricht. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, guided visit to the city, including a visit to Vrijthof Square, Maastricht’s largest square, to see ancient churches and elegant mansions overlooking a complex of restaurants and cafés, globally known thanks to André Rieu’s concerts, one of the city’s most famous sons. Follow the path taken by pilgrims since the Middle Ages, visiting the tomb of Saint Servatius, and enjoy one of the city’s most beautiful views by climbing the high tower of Sint Janskerk (St. John’s Church) (entrances included). The city was chosen to sign the famous “Treaty of Maastricht” or European Union Treaty, the document that defines the guidelines of European policy and institutions, establishing European citizenship and identifying economic and monetary union, common foreign and security policy as objectives. Lunch on your own (not included), departure for Amsterdam. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, departure for a guided tour of the city. We will start with a panoramic tour of the main tourist sites, followed by a walking tour highlighting its famous canals and the historic center, one of the most extensive and well-preserved in Europe. Dam Square, in the heart of the city, is surrounded by 16th and 17th-century buildings, such as the City Hall, Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which houses a 16th-century organ and some Baroque sculptures. The Jewish Quarter with the Seven Towers Castle “Wag” is the old city gate that houses the Jewish History Museum, as well as a 17th- and 18th-century synagogue. Visit to the famous “Flower Market” Singel… Lunch on your own (not included) in the city center (near the central station and St. Nicholas Church). After lunch, enjoy a pleasant boat ride through the city’s main canals (included). Farewell dinner (included) and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel, free day for personal activities. There is the possibility to visit the Van Gogh Museum, the national art museum “Rijksmuseum” which has a wonderful collection of Dutch art and history. Highlights include Rembrandt’s Night Watch, collections of paintings by great 17th-century masters such as Frans Hals, Jan Steen, and Vermeer. Alternatively, visit the house (hiding place) of the famous and unfortunate ANNE FRANK, before she was deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she would die… “We cannot correct past mistakes, but we can prevent them from happening again.”
