London, Paris & Rome

Overnight Flight – 1 night

Day 1: Travel day

Board your overnight flight to London today.

London – 3 nights

Day 2: Arrival in London

Included meal: Welcome dinner

Welcome to England! Settle in at your hotel, then join your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a welcome dinner served with beer or wine.

Day 3: Sightseeing tour of London

Included meal: Breakfast

Join a local guide for a panoramic tour of London’s regal landmarks, soaking in centuries of history and culture along the way.

• Pass stately Trafalgar Square—a popular public plaza surrounded by museums, galleries, and historic buildings—and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Baroque-style Anglican church whose history dates back to the seventh century.
• See Westminster Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 13th century not only as a great monastery and place of worship, but also as a site for royal coronations, weddings, and burials.
• View icons like Big Ben and the London Eye, and marvel at the Tower of London, which has served as a royal palace and a prison and now houses the Crown Jewels.
• Stop by Buckingham Palace—the official residence of the ruling monarch—where you might catch the Changing of the Guard.

Can’t get enough of castles and kings? Add the excursion to Windsor Castle for a fascinating peek into the royal goings-on at the world’s longest-inhabited castle, as well as the historic market town of Windsor.

Not joining the excursion? Enjoy a free afternoon in London to shop and dine in posh Covent Garden in the West End or head to Shoreditch for its vibrant art and street food scene. Your Tour Director is also your go-to source for recommendations

Day 4: Free day in London

Included meal: Breakfast

Yesterday, you saw the Tower of London and the London Eye from a distance—today, if you choose, you’ll get much closer. View the city’s past and present from two incredible angles on a pair of optional outings.

If you’d rather explore on your own, take your free day to check out some of London’s many excellent museums. (Some of our favorites: the traditional exhibits of the British Museum in the Bloomsbury district, and the more interactive offerings of the Cutty Sark clipper ship in Greenwich, on the south bank of the River Thames.)

Paris – 3 nights

Day 5: Eurostar train ride to Paris

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Make your way to St. Pancras International, a bustling railway station and shopping, dining, and cultural hub in central London. There, board a high-speed Eurostar train, which will whisk you under the English Channel en route to Paris’ Gare du Nord station.

This evening, join your group at a local restaurant for an included dinner, served with beer or wine.

Day 6: Sightseeing tour of Paris

Included meal: Breakfast

Meet up with a local guide, who will introduce you to the architecture, character, and history of the City of Light’s many neighborhoods (or arrondissements) and its most recognizable landmarks.

• Drive down the sycamore-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées—a symbol of Paris that’s lined with majestic monuments, glitzy restaurants, and glamorous storefronts—and view the Arc de Triomphe.
• Pass Pont Neuf—the oldest stone bridge in Paris—and Notre-Dame Cathedral, built on an island in the Seine River.
• Make a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower, then view the Palais Garnier opera house and the Place de la Concorde, the city’s grandest square.
• Pass by the Louvre—with its iconic, I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid—and marvel at the Hôtel National des Invalides, a 17th-century, gold-domed structure that’s staggering in its size and scale.

If you need a break from the buzz of this electric city, seek royal refuge by adding an afternoon outing to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles. You’ll encounter gilded walkways, fresco-adorned ceilings, and close to 2,000 acres of immaculate green space—all just a few miles west of Paris. Or, stay in town and use your free time to amble to the Champ-de-Mars and savor a picnic in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 7: Free day in Paris

Included meal: Breakfast

Ready to hit the town on your free day? Take a stroll through Montmartre’s art-filled streets to peek into artists’ studios. As you explore, dip into a sandwich shop for the deceptively simple jambon-beurre: a crusty baguette slathered in butter and topped with freshly carved ham. 

For a more elevated experience, opt into the evening’s dinner and Seine River cruise. As the sun sets and the city’s streetlamps begin their nightly twinkle, you’ll see Paris’ monuments in a whole new light.

Rome – 3 nights

Day 8: Flight to Rome

Included meal: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport in Paris for a flight to Rome, Italy’s historic capital. Then, spend the rest of the day exploring the Eternal City at your own pace.

Day 9: Free day in Rome

Included meal: Breakfast

The day is yours to seize! Seeking a little extra grandeur? Add our guided tour of Vatican City to your day to experience the serene beauty of the Vatican Museum, as well as the Sistine Chapel’s venerated ceiling fresco. Then, top it all off by adding a pasta-making class and ending the evening dining on your own fresh, sauce-laden creation.

To enjoy your free day in Rome on your own, head to the hidden gem of Trastevere, a bohemian (and mostly car-free) neighborhood filled with narrow streets and delectable trattorias. Then, cross the Tiber River and visit the picturesque Aventine Hill, home to the peaceful Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) and the famous keyhole view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Rome

Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner

Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans—and soak up more than 2,000 years of imperial history—on a guided, immersive tour of the city.

• Meet your local guide at the fourth-century Arch of Constantine—built to celebrate Constantine’s victory over his rival, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius—one of three surviving ancient Roman triumphal arches in the city the Arch of Titus.
• Make your way inside the iconic Colosseum, a nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater that’s both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.
• Stop at the ruins of the Roman Forum—a plaza that played host to parades, elections, and trials—and the first-century, honorific Arch of Titus.
• Continue exploring the city aboard your coach, passing by Palatine Hill, the Circus Maximus chariot-racing stadium, and the Baths of Caracalla, which are estimated to have been built in the third century and served as an important leisure and social hub in ancient Rome.

Use the rest of the day to explore Rome’s fames fountains and squares (be sure to throw a coin in to guarantee you’ll see it again!)  Then again, you won’t want to skip the guided tour of St. Paul’s Basilica—one of Rome’s four major papal churches. Add it to your itinerary to view the final resting place of St. Paul and take a subterranean journey through Rome’s ancient catacombs.

Please note: On some departures, the Rome sightseeing tour and Ancient Rome: St. Paul’s Basilica & the Catacombs excursion may take place on day 9, and the Iconic Sights: Vatican City excursion may take place on day 10.

This evening, join your group for a farewell dinner served with beer or wine. You’ll enjoy a traditional, multi-course Italian meal, as well as live musical entertainment.

Flight Home

Day 11: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to Rome’s airport for your flight home, or extend your stay and visit Madrid, Spain.

Madrid extension

Keep the adventure going—and add another European capital to your trip while you’re at it. With its world-class museums (hello, Prado), elegant restaurants, sprawling plazas, and bustling food markets—not to mention its fascinating royal history—Madrid is one city you won’t want to miss.

Madrid – 3 nights

Day 11: Flight to Madrid

Included meal: Breakfast

This morning, fly to bustling Madrid, a city latticed with elegant boulevards and blanketed with vast, manicured parks. Spend free time exploring the city at your leisure or add a home-hosted dinner to your itinerary and enjoy eating like a true Spaniard — slowly, deliberately, and with gusto!

For an extra helping of high culture, spend your free day in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza—a pair of museums that, together with the Prado, make up Madrid’s UNESCO-listed Golden Triangle of Art. For something more peaceful, amble through El Retiro Park—a huge swath of green space filled with ponds, rose gardens, and more.

Day 12: Sightseeing tour of Madrid

Included meal: Breakfast

Get acquainted with Spain’s cosmopolitan capital with the help of a local guide.

• View the 18th-century, Baroque-style Royal Palace (a.k.a. Palacio Real)—Spain’s largest royal residence.
• Pass by the Temple of Debod, which was built in Egypt in the second century B.C. and donated to Spain by Egypt’s government in an effort to save it from floods following the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
• View some of the city’s many squares, including Plaza de España and the bustling Puerta del Sol.
• Explore the Prado, a world-class art museum that began as the private collection of the Spanish monarchy and contains works by Goya, Velásquez, and more iconic artists.

Nightlife in Madrid starts late and goes well into the early hours. Hit the streets for the classic 10pm dinner or opt into our take on the traditional Spanish evening, where you’ll explore the city by the evening light—and enjoy a little traditional tuna music, too.

Day 13: Free day in Madrid

Included meal: Breakfast

Interested in ticking another UNESCO World Heritage Site off your list? Join our optional trip to Toledo—a multifaceted town revered for its swordsmithing and known as the “City of Three Cultures” for the way Christians, Jews, and Muslims peacefully coexisted there in the Middle Ages. Otherwise, spend your free day in Madrid checking out the lively streets of La Latina or the trendy boutiques of Malasaña—two of the city’s beloved neighborhoods.

This evening, enjoy a farewell drink as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.

Flight Home

Day 14: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to Madrid’s airport for your flight home.