ROAD TO ROME (START PARIS CLASSIC GROUP)

• Welcome to Paris, enjoy time at leisure to settle into your hotel.
• During your time here you will see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe.
• Later, join your Travel Director at a local brasserie in the heart of Paris for a fabulous dinner.

• Join an avid foodie, as you head into areas where Parisians go about their daily lives to explore small shops and sample local treats and delicacies.
• With the rest of the afternoon free, there are countless opportunities to enjoy the lively atmosphere of this glittering city, perhaps join an Optional Experience to see the Paris cabaret?

• Journey through the rural French countryside of Burgundy, known for its vineyards and wines.
• Pass the Jura Mountains and cross into Switzerland.
• Arrive in lakeside Lucerne.
• Enjoy a Dine-Around Evening with a selection of hand-picked local restaurants.

• Explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, as an open-top cable car powered by solar panels takes you up to the summit.
• Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora.
• Take in the pristine mountain air and, on a clear day, witness views as far as Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany.
• Upon return to Lucerne, see the town’s proud Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the heroic Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.
• Then, take some time to stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge to the baroque Jesuit Church.
• The rest of the day is at leisure to shop for delectable chocolate and glamorous Swiss watches in the traffic-free Old Town.

• Start the day with a journey to the heart of the Alps passing through the Principality of Liechtenstein.
• See its tiny capital, Vaduz, with its castle located on a hillside overlooking the city.
• Drive into Austria and continue to mountain-ringed Innsbruck.
• Your Travel Director will show you the 14th century houses of the old town, the impressive Imperial Palace and the delightful Golden Roof.

• Leave Innsbruck to travel across the impressive Europa Bridge and through the Dolomites.
• Cross into Italy and stop at a local family winery in Veneto to discover the art of prosecco production.
• Savour a tasting of these luxurious sparkling wines and discover how to make the perfect Bellini.
• Continue to the romantic city of Venice, Queen of the Adriatic.
• Long after the day-trippers have returned to their mainland hotels, enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the islands with dinner at a local restaurant.

• In the morning, prepare to embrace this most romantic city.
• See the immense Campanile and Doge’s Palace on St. Mark’s Square, connected to the ancient prisons by the Bridge of Sighs.
• Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you witness the skill of glassblowers on a visit to a traditional arts centre.
• The rest of the day is at leisure.

• Take in beautiful views of the rolling Tuscan hills, as you enjoy lunch on the veranda when you visit Il Poggio for lunch.
• Taste the farm’s wines and freshly produced olive oil.
• Enjoy an authentic Italian meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients.
• Explore the nearby town of Pisa with a Local Expert and see the baptistery with its intricate marble facade, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral and of course the famous Leaning Tower.
• Afterwards, travel to Florence.

• Walk with your Local Expert to the marble-clad cathedral and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory.
• The next stop is Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces.
• Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and David along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
• The area around Santa Croce Basilica is famous for the quality of its luxury goods of gold and leather and there’s free time to shop or continue exploring.

• Visit the Sistine Chapel to admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling.
• Cross the River Tiber to see the Colosseum, still echoing with the ghostly cries of gladiatorial combat, and view the Circus Maximus, the ancient chariot-racing stadium.
• Gain historic insights from a Carmelite friar as you admire the Farmacia and explore the adjoining 16th-century church.
• Take in the vibrant atmosphere of this charming neighbourhood as you indulge in dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

• Bid farewell to the glories of Italy, savouring the memories of its enchanting cities, historic landmarks and stunning landscapes.
• Italy’s unique allure will linger in your heart long after you leave.

Departure Transfer Arrive at Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) at 07:00, 09:30