After a warm greeting from your Tour Director, leave London for Dover and wave goodbye to the white cliffs on board your ferry to Calais. Visit the imposing Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, surrounded by land still scarred from the Great War. Continue to the French capital, arriving late afternoon. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Drink with your fellow travellers.
Hotel: Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel

Travel out to the elegant town of Versailles to visit the immense palace built for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Your guide leads you through the royal apartments and there is time to take a stroll in the fine formal gardens. Return to Paris for a comprehensive guided sightseeing tour. See Garnier's Opera, Notre Dame Cathedral and the immense facades of the Louvre. From the Place de la Concorde, drive down the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Ascend to the viewing platforms of the Eiffel Tower for panoramic vistas over the city. The afternoon is at leisure. This evening, consider an evening of fun at one of the spectacular cabaret shows. (BB)

After an early breakfast, follow the autoroute across France's great agricultural lands and on through the Burgundy wine region. After passing the Jura Mountains, cross into Switzerland at Basel before ending the day in lovely Lucerne.
Hotel: Astoria (BB,D)

Your Tour Director shows you the covered Chapel Bridge and stirring Lion Monument. Then embark on an exhilarating ride by cog-wheel train to the summit of Mount Pilatus. Admire the panorama of snow-capped peaks, before descending by cable-car over mountain crags and pine forests back to terra firma. There is time set aside to shop for fine watches and delicious chocolate in Lucerne. Tonight, enjoy a selection of ambience and local cuisine offered on your Dine-Around evening (BB,DA)

Drive past Liechtenstein into Austria. Continue through the Arlberg Tunnel to arrive in mountain-ringed, Innsbruck. See the Golden Roof and Imperial Palace in the old town before following the Inn Valley, past the Wild Kaiser mountain range to Salzburg, setting for the film, The Sound of Music. On arrival, photograph the city skyline from the Mirabell Gardens, then cross the river with your local guide to see Mozart's birthplace. Take a stroll through the Old Town's narrow lanes to the domed cathedral and Residenz Fountain.
Hotel: Castellani Park Hotel. (BB)

A morning at leisure and a chance to explore further this beautiful Austrian gem before enjoying a scenic drive through the Tauern Mountains down to the Carinthian Lake District and across the border into Italy. Your destination is romantic Venice.
Hotel: Cavalletto E Doge Orseolo. (BB,D)

Your hotel is only steps away from St Marks Square, dominated by its magnificent Basilica and overlooked by the great Clock Tower where bronze Moors beat out the hours on a huge bell. Also in the square stands the immense Campanile and Doges' Palace which is connected to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. After a demonstration of Venetian glass-blowing enjoy a highlight ride by traditional gondola along the picturesque canals. (BB)

Bid farewell to Venice and follow the highway past the university city of Bologna, into the wild Apennines and on to the peaceful landscapes of Tuscany. On arrival in Florence, join a local guide for a sightseeing tour which includes entrance into the Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo's original 'Statue of David' and the half-completed 'Slaves'. See the magnificent Cathedral, the 'Gates of Paradise', and the living gallery of Signoria Square.
Hotel: Londra (BB,D)

A whole day to explore this glorious city, treasure-house of the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps spend some time in the magnificent museums, stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, or relax amid the formal terraces of the Boboli Gardens. It's up to you. (BB)

En route south, hear an informative tutorial about the great Chianti wines that make this region so famous. Stop in the Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto; its Cathedral is one of Italy's most celebrated buildings. Once in Rome, perhaps start the evening with a 'passeggiata' (traditional evening stroll). Rome comes alive at night; enjoy cosmopolitan squares like the Piazza Navona with its beautiful fountains, or the Via Veneto - scene of La Dolce Vita.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza St Peters (BB)

A local guide introduces you to the grandeur of the city today. Begin with a visit to St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. See Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Pieta, as well as the splendid dome, completed after his death. Cross the Tiber to hear tales of the glory of ancient Rome! Visit the Colosseum and overlook the Forum, once the bustling centre of commerce, law and religion. Later, there is time for last-minute shopping or sightseeing at your leisure. Tonight, join your Tour Director for a celebration dinner of local cuisine, wine and entertainment. (BB,HD)

The tour ends after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 & 09:30. (BB)