Reward yourself for all your hard work with the ultimate escape. The Classic Europe tour offers 17 days of exploration, adventure, and insight into many of Europe’s most popular and breathtaking countries. The aptly named Classic Europe tour provides something for everyone, whether you’re inclined to engage with locals on a London pub crawl, seek adventure parasailing in the Greek isles, prefer photographing the majesty of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris or venturing through the Roman Forum and the 2000 year old Parthenon in Athens. The beauty of this journey is the balance of fun excursions, time at leisure and fascinating looks into history and ancient territories. This leaves our tour goers with a well-rounded experience and an opened mind, not to mention memories and new friends to last a lifetime. Make the Classic Europe tour your summer getaway, unleash your inner adventurer.
Embark on your overnight flight to London.
Meals: In-flight
Enjoy a free afternoon to relax and unwind. In the evening we’ll have our welcome orientation followed by a fun London pub crawl.
- Inclusions:
- Welcome orientation
- Pub crawl
Meals: In-flight
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Piccadilly Circus: These familiar names become familiar places on our morning tour of London. During an afternoon at leisure, browse the many food, craft and clothing stalls at popular Camden Market, walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter at Leadenhall Market aka Diagon Alley or take a ride on the London Eye for a birds-eye view of the city and the opportunity to take great photographs. After dusk, consider taking in some Shakespeare at the Globe Theater by the Thames River or attending a West End show.
- Inclusions:
- See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and more
Meals: Breakfast
Travel through the “Chunnel” below the English Channel, to Paris. Our local art historian shows us the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine once stood. Tonight, dine on French specialties at our bistro dinner. Afterward, we take a romantic cruise down the river Seine.
- Inclusions:
- English Channel Eurostar Chunnel
- See Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and more
- Paris-by-night illuminations
- French Bistro dinner
- Seine River cruise
Meals: Breakfast, French bistro dinner
France has been a world center of the perfume industry since Louis XIV's court at Versailles was known as "le cour parfumée." Join us this morning for a visit to the Fragonard Perfume Museum, located in a 19th-century mansion from the era of Napoleon III, and learn about the art of perfume manufacturing from ancient times. We then travel to the Palace of Versailles, well known as France’s famed Sun King, Louis XIV’s, residence. Our museum pass gives us access to the Hall of Mirrors, the King’s Grand Chambers and more. Marvel at the sheer size of the palace, one of the most beautiful castles in the world with an astonishing 700 rooms. The afternoon is free to explore the ‘City of Lights’ and our tour director is happy to offer free-time suggestions. Consider an optional can-can cabaret show this evening.
- Inclusions:
- Palace of Versailles
- Fragonard Perfumery & Museum
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity: French cabaret show
Enjoy a free days in Paris. Your included 2-day museum pass allows access to over 70 museums and monuments in and around Paris including the world famous Louvre, housing the Mona Lisa, Musée d’Orsay and Musée National Picasso.
Meals: Breakfast
This morning, the TGV high-speed train takes us from Paris to Nice, Queen Resort of the Côte d’Azur. Enjoy your free afternoon on picturesque beaches along the rugged Mediterranean coastline, stroll promenades lined with chic boutiques, or unwind at a sidewalk café. The thriving local art scene and buzzing nightlife is yours to discover after tonight’s brasserie dinner.
- Inclusions:
- High-speed train to Nice
- Local Brasserie Dinner
Meals: Breakfast, French Brasserie dinner
Enjoy a free day on the dazzling French Riviera. Relax on the beach, paddle in the azure sea, or sip on a smooth cocktail beneath swaying palms. Consider exploring Nice to visit the magnificent Palais Lascaris, the Cathédrale de Sainte Réparate and harbors filled with opulent yachts. Or, you may opt to join our excursion to Monaco, where Prince Rainier married Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, and glitzy Cannes, known for its famous International Film Festival.
- Inclusions:
- French Riviera Beaches & Promenades
Meals: BreakfastOptional activity: Excursion to Monte Carlo & Cannes
Our journey takes us along the scenic Côte d’Azur’s sun-splashed beaches. We cross the border into Italy at Ventimiglia and continue along the coast to Genoa, where we switch to the high speed ‘Le Frecce’ train whisking us to Rome this afternoon. Check in to our hotel and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure exploring Rome. Tonight, join us for our pasta party. Following dinner, perhaps walk to Piazza Navona, one of the city’s most beautiful baroque squares and try the local gelati.
- Inclusions:
- Scenic Cote D’Azur
- Pasta Party
- Piazza Navona Fountains
Meals: Breakfast, Pasta party
This morning, we explore Capitoline Hill with the most spectacular view of Caesar’s Roman Forum, center of political and social activity, with ancient ruins dating from the 8th century BC. Also see Nero’s Circus Maximus where chariot races were held. A trip across the Tiber River takes us to Vatican City - the world’s smallest state. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica housing Michelangelo’s magnificent “Pieta.” During afternoon free time you may want to use your Roma Pass to visit the Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death.
- Inclusions:
- Special access sightseeing
- See Caesar’s Forum, Circus Maximus, Pantheon and more
- Roma Pass entrance to Colosseum and Forum
- Visit St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and more
Meals: Breakfast
The entire day is free for exploring the Eternal City. Shop on Via Condotti, or visit more of the historical and artistic sights in the city. Have fun tonight at our tasty ‘Viva Italia’ pizza party in Trastevere, the perfect spot to get a glimpse of the old world while still enjoying the lifestyle of today’s Romans.
- Inclusions:
- Viva Italia Pizza Party in Trastevere
Meals: Breakfast, Pizza party
Optional activity: Wine tasting tour at Frascati
For some of us the celebratory tour of Europe ends in Rome this morning. Bid farewell to friends and “arrivederci” to Italy before jetting back home with memories to last a lifetime. For the rest of us: sunny olive groves line the way south to Pompeii. Under the shadow of Vesuvius, the volcano that buried this ancient city in 79 A.D., explore the excavated wonders including homes, markets and temples that remain intact, and streets that still bear the marks of chariot wheels from 2,000 years ago. Afterwards, we cross the Italian “boot” and board our overnight ship to Greece.
- Inclusions:
- Guided tour of the Pompeii excavations
- Scenic overnight ship from Italy to Greece
Meals: Breakfast
Cruising through aquamarine waters, our ship docks at Patras. Motor along the Corinthian Sea across the Peloponnese to Galatas and the island of Poros. Relax and unwind with three days of living like a Greek god or goddess. Enjoy a welcome drink at the pool bar before exploring this idyllic island.
- Inclusions:
- Relaxing pool and beach time
- Enjoy iconic Greek sunsets
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Time to swim, bask in the golden sun, or take part in optional activities such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, parasailing, banana-boating or tubing. Dancing like Zorba at a local tavern is always a must-do evening activity.
- Inclusions:
- Explore the white-washed village center of Poros
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Optional activity: Watersports
Bicycles will be provided for one of your free days. Poros old town center has great shopping or the more adventurous can venture to the 6th-century BC ruins of Poseidon’s Temple on the island’s highest peak. On our last night, we invite everyone to our fun Toga Party.
- Inclusions:
- Bike riding on the Isle of Poros
- Greek Toga Party
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
In the morning we board our ferry to Athens. See the 2,400-year-old Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Constitution Square. A free afternoon may find us wandering the paths of Plato, Socrates and Sophocles or trying our bargaining skills at the markets of Monastiraki. This evening follow the sounds of traditional bouzouki music and join our farewell taverna dinner in the Plaka District – Athens’ oldest neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis.
- Inclusions:
- Guided tour of Athens with a local historian
- Visit The Acropolis, The Parthenon and more
Meals: Breakfast, Greek taverna dinner
Reluctantly we say farewell to Europe and new-found friends. Jet back home with thoughts of planning the next European Adventure!
Meals: Breakfast, In-flight