As the name implies, this European tour is a sample of some of the major highlights of Europe. You’ll spend two nights in Amsterdam, Lucerne, and Paris, as well as a night each in Heidelberg and Dijon. In Amsterdam, your sightseeing is via a canal cruise, the only way to experience Amsterdam! In both Heidelberg and Lucerne, you’ll discover the must-see sights on a walking tour, including Heidelberg’s Old Town and Lucerne’s Bourbaki Panorama, a circular painting dating to 1881 and depicting a memorable event from the Franco-Prussian War. Your Paris sightseeing includes a Seine cruise, where you’ll be treated to great views of Notre Dam Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower.
This European tour also includes majestic scenery, such as a romantic Rhine cruise, a stop at spectacular Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, and an overnight stay in Burgundy. Of course, on a European sampler tour you have to taste the food unique to each area! You’ll enjoy dinner and a beer at a charming local restaurant in Heidelberg, and coffee with traditional homemade Black Forest Cake in Germany’s Black Forest.
Fascinating sightseeing, spectacular scenery, tasty local food, expert Local Guides, and a Tour Director ready to bring these destinations to life…what more can you ask for in a European vacation?
Highlights
| Day 1-2 |
Amsterdam |
| Day 3 |
Heidelberg |
| Day 4 |
Black Forest/Rhine Falls |
| Day 5 |
Lucerne |
| Day 6 |
Lucerne, Dijon |
| Day 7 |
Dijon, Versailles |
| Day 8-9 |
Paris |
Day 1: Arrive in Amsterdam, Holland
Welcome to Amsterdam! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (Dinner)
Day 2: Amsterdam
Meet your Local Guide and hear about the fascinating history of the 700-year-old capital during a leisurely CANAL CRUISE. Admire the patrician mansions and the gabled façades, the “Golden Bend,” the most prestigious part of the Herengracht and a monument to the Golden Age, the Stopera, Amsterdam’s proud concert hall, the Hermitage, a branch museum of the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg, and much more. Also visit a major DIAMOND CENTER. For those who wish to experience Dutch life in the countryside, an optional excursion is available to picture-book Volendam, a fishing village at the former Zuiderzee, including visits to a working windmill, a clogmaker, a cheese farm, plus dinner. (Breakfast)
Day 3: Amsterdam-Heidelberg, Germany
Pass the Dutch region near Arnhem, best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far, and enter Germany. Today’s highlight is a romantic RHINE CRUISE. Sit back, relax and enjoy views of centuries-old castles, cozy towns, and vineyards. Continue to Heidelberg for a pleasant walk through the OLD TOWN to the Marktplatz (market square), from where you can take pictures of the famous red-walled ruins of Heidelberg Castle, followed by dinner with beer at Kulturbrauerei Heidelberg restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4: Heidelberg-Black Forest-Rhine Falls, Switzerland-Lucerne
Enter the lush valleys and pine-clad hills of the BLACK FOREST, famous for cuckoo clocks. Be welcomed by a local woodcarver, and see samples of his work during a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION. Then, enjoy Kaffee und Schwarzwaldkuchen (coffee and the traditional homemade Black Forest Cake). On the Swiss border, take pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS before continuing to Lucerne. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5: Lucerne
During your walking tour, visit the impressive BOURBAKI PANORAMA, Edouard Castres’ circular painting dating back to 1881, depicting scenes of the Franco-Prussian War. Also admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT, dedicated to the fallen Swiss Guards who protected the Royal House of France during the French Revolution. See the ornate patrician houses lining the cobblestone streets of the walled Old Town, and cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Balance of the day is at leisure to shop for Swiss watches, knives, and chocolate. You may wish to join an exciting optional excursion to Mount Pilatus, the “Guard of Lucerne.” Tonight is your chance to yodel or blow an alphorn during an optional folklore dinner party for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking.
Day 6: Lucerne-Beaune, France-Dijon
Leave the Alps behind you and enter the scenic French countryside on your way to the vineyards of Burgundy. Stop in the picturesque town of Beaune, where a Globus Local Favorite WINE TASTING awaits at the renowned Marché aux Vins wine cellar. Also visit the HÔTEL DIEU, originally founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor, before continuing to Dijon for your overnight stay. (Breakfast)
Day 7: Dijon-Versailles-Paris
Enjoy views of chateaus on your way to Versailles, where a guided visit of the 17th-century PALACE AND GARDENS has been included. This former hunting château, built by Louis XIII, was transformed into a magnificent palace by the Sun King, Louis XIV, and housed the French kings until the French Revolution. Arrive in Paris, where an optional excursion is available to try out local specialties in one of its lively restaurants, followed by a drive for a first look at the French capital. (Breakfast)
Day 8: Paris
Discover the world capital of chic and style with a Local Guide. Admire its major sites: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Elysées. Enjoy a relaxing SEINE CRUISE with spectacular views of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. Time to further explore on your own or to join an optional excursion to the impressive Louvre Museum with the Mona Lisa. Tonight, dinner and a lively cabaret show at one of Paris’ nightclubs might just be the ticket! (Breakfast)
Day 9: Paris
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)
