Itinerary
- Day 1
Rome
You'll arrive at Fiumicino Airport and take a transfer to your hotel in Rome. After settling in, you'll meet your Travel Director and the rest of the group for dinner at a local restaurant. This is a good evening to get oriented and meet everyone who'll be traveling with you for the next couple of weeks.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner at a uniquely Roman restaurant, offering a perfect exploration of Lazio's typical flavours)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Radisson Blu GHR, Rome)
Included Activities
- Dinner at a local Roman restaurant
- Day 2
Rome
A Local Expert takes you through Rome's most iconic sites starting at the Vatican. You'll walk through the Vatican Museums and see Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, then head to St. Peter's Basilica. The afternoon is yours to shop or relax at a cafe. Later in the evening, you get an exclusive after-hours visit to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, which is a nice bonus most visitors don't get to experience.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Radisson Blu GHR, Rome)
Included Activities
- Vatican Museums visit
- Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo's ceiling
- St. Peter's Basilica visit
- Exclusive after-hours visit to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes
Landmarks Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel St. Peter's Basilica Basilica of Saint Praxedes 
- Day 3
Rome
Today you choose your own adventure in Rome. You can take a day trip to Pompeii to see the ancient ruins preserved from the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, or stay in the city and wander through the boutique shops along Via del Corso, Via Nazionale, or near the Spanish Steps. Either way, you set the pace and schedule.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Radisson Blu GHR, Rome)
Optional Activities
- Optional experience to Pompeii
- Shopping in boutiques of Via del Corso
- Shopping in boutiques of Via Nazionale
- Shopping in designer stores near Spanish Steps
Landmarks Pompeii Spanish Steps - Day 4
Rome to Venice
You'll travel north through Tuscan countryside, passing through Bologna and into the fertile Po Valley. By late afternoon, you arrive in Venice by water taxi. After checking in, you'll have a sunset cocktail with live musicians serenading before dinner at a local restaurant. It's a romantic welcome to this unique city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (In St. Mark's Square at sunset, long after the day-trippers have gone to their mainland hotels, sip cocktails canal-side before dinner at a local restaurant)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio, Venice)
Included Activities
- Sunset cocktails in St. Mark's Square canal-side with live music
- Dinner at a local restaurant
- Day 5
Venice
Wake up in Venice and start with the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs. Then you'll visit a traditional glassblowing workshop to see skilled artisans at work. After that, take a private cruise to St. Mark's Square and explore St. Mark's Basilica, which shows off the wealth Venice accumulated during its trading days.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio, Venice)
Included Activities
- Visit Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs
- MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience - Traditional glassblowing workshop
- Private cruise to St. Mark's Square
- St. Mark's Basilica visit
Landmarks Doge's Palace Bridge of Sighs St. Mark's Square St. Mark's Basilica - Day 6
Venice to Ljubljana
You depart Venice by water taxi and head to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. A Local Expert guides you through Prešeren Square with its Triple Bridge, the baroque Franciscan Church, and the lively banks of the Ljubljanica River. If you're interested, you can optionally visit Lake Bled and take a traditional wooden pletna boat across the turquoise glacial waters.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Exe Lev Ljubljana)
Included Activities
- Local Expert tour of Ljubljana - Prešeren Square, Triple Bridge, Franciscan Church, Ljubljanica River
Optional Activities
- Optional Experience to Lake Bled - traditional wooden pletna boat ride
Landmarks Prešeren Square Triple Bridge Franciscan Church Lake Bled 
- Day 7
Ljubljana to Vienna
Following the Drava River, you cross into Slovenia and reach Maribor, a university town that's been around for 700 years. From there, you head past Graz through the forested mountains of Styria and continue on to Vienna, which you'll reach by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hilton Vienna Park, Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront)
Landmarks Maribor - Day 8
Vienna
In Vienna, you can optionally join a private tour of Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Later, you drive the Ring Road to see the city's architectural highlights including the Opera House, Hofburg Imperial Residence, and Parliament. Walking through Innere Stadt with a Local Expert, you'll then choose between having coffee and Sachertorte at a traditional Viennese cafe or visiting Capuchins' Crypt where Habsburg family members are buried.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hilton Vienna Park, Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront)
Included Activities
- Drive around the Ring Road
- City tour of Innere Stadt (first district)
- Choice: Traditional Viennese coffeehouse with coffee and Sachertorte OR Capuchins' Crypt visit
Optional Activities
- Private tour of Schönbrunn Palace and formal gardens
Landmarks Schönbrunn Palace Ring Road (Ringstrasse) Vienna State Opera House Hofburg Imperial Residence Austrian Parliament Building Capuchins' Crypt Innere Stadt - Day 9
Vienna to Innsbruck
You'll pass the impressive Benedictine monastery of Melk on your way to Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and the setting for 'The Sound of Music'. A Local Expert shows you Mirabell Palace gardens where the 'Do, Re, Mi' scene was filmed, Residence Square, the fortress, the cathedral, and Mozart's birthplace on Getreidegasse. There's an optional excursion to Eagle's Nest, then you continue to Innsbruck to see the Golden Roof and Imperial Palace.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (AC, Innsbruck)
Included Activities
- Mirabell Palace formal gardens tour
- Residence Square
- Salzburg fortress
- Salzburg cathedral
- Mozart's birthplace on Getreidegasse
- Golden Roof and Imperial Palace in Innsbruck
Optional Activities
- Excursion to Eagle's Nest
Landmarks Melk Abbey Mirabell Palace Residence Square Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) Salzburg Cathedral Mozart's Birthplace Getreidegasse Eagle's Nest Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl) Innsbruck Imperial Palace 
- Day 10
Innsbruck to Lucerne
Traveling through flower-filled meadows and chalet-style villages, you'll cross into Liechtenstein and spend time in Vaduz. Then you head into Switzerland and through dramatic mountain scenery to reach Lucerne by the lake. You'll see the Lion Monument carved into a limestone cliff as a memorial to Swiss Guards who died in 1792. The evening features a Dine-Around with several restaurant options to choose from.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Choose from a selection of restaurants on your Dine-Around evening and hand-pick your preferred ambience, cuisine and drinks for an intimate culinary experience)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Astoria Lucerne)
Included Activities
- Visit to Vaduz, Liechtenstein
- Lion Monument visit and view
- Dine-Around Evening at selected restaurant of choice
Landmarks Vaduz Vaduz Castle Lion Monument - Day 11
Lucerne
You'll take an open-top solar-powered cable car up Mount Stanserhorn for views that stretch to Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany. The air is clean and fresh at the summit. You can walk scenic pathways and look for marmots and other native animals, and a Swiss ranger gives a talk about local wildlife and conservation efforts. Back in Lucerne, you'll walk through the covered Chapel Bridge and baroque Jesuit Church, with free time to shop for watches and chocolates.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Astoria Lucerne)
Included Activities
- MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience - Mount Stanserhorn open-top cable car journey
- Scenic pathways walk with wildlife observation
- Conservation talk by Swiss ranger
- Chapel Bridge visit
- Jesuit Church visit
Landmarks Mount Stanserhorn Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) Jesuit Church - Day 12
Lucerne to Königswinter
You travel through Germany and follow the Rhine Valley north to Königswinter. This is a scenic drive along one of Europe's most famous river routes, with rolling hills and terraced vineyards lining the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Maritim, Königswinter)
- Day 13
Königswinter to Amsterdam
You'll have a private viewing of one of the famous Rhineland castles along the Middle Rhine, and learn about these historic living cultural monuments over a glass of wine. Then you head to Amsterdam for a canal cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage canal district. You'll see 16th and 17th-century merchant houses with their distinctive gables from Amsterdam's Golden Age, beautiful churches, and the iconic Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge). The trip wraps up with a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant where you'll toast your adventure and new friendships.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Toast the culmination of your travels during a fabulous Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Private estate viewing of a Rhineland castle with wine tasting
- Amsterdam canal cruise through UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant
Landmarks Rhineland Castles Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) Amsterdam Canal District 
