Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany
Day 2: Munich
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of Munich
With your Field Director you will see:
- Munich Cathedral, the representative landmark of Munich
- New Town Hall, a towering building home to the city government
- Hofbräuhaus, a famous beer hall dating back to the 16th century and a symbol of Bavarian hospitality
Enjoy a traditional Bavarian dinner in Munich
Day 3: Munich
Take a guided tour of Munich
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Olympic Stadium, built for the 1972 Olympic Games
- Residenz, the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs
- Marienplatz, Munich's main city square
🔹 Guided learning: With an expert local guide, visit and reflect at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, which today serves as a memorial museum and a stark reminder of the darkest chapter in this country’s long story
Day 4: Munich • Innsbruck • Venice region
Travel via Innsbruck, the capital of the beautiful Austrian province of Tyrol, on your way to Venice
Enjoy dinner in the Venice region
Day 5: Venice
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Venice
With your local expert guide you will see:
- St. Mark's Square, Venice's primary square and center of cultural importance
- St. Mark's Campanile, a 323-foot bell tower
- Grand Canal, Venice's major waterway filled with gondolas
Visit the colorful Venetian island of Burano
Learn about glass-blowing in a local craftsman's shop and watch expert craftsmen spin molten-hot wares
Add this in-depth excursion:
🔹 Cultural engagement: Gondola ride
Enjoy the ultimate Venetian experience—a gondola ride through the city's famed canals, passing by enchanting waterfront homes and under historic pedestrian bridges.
Day 6: Venice • Milan
Travel to Milan, a cultural, financial and artistic hub of Italy
Take a tour of Milan
With an expert local guide you will see:
- The Piazza del Duomo and its towering Gothic cathedral
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world's oldest mall
- The Sforza Castle, a 15th-century fortress that now holds works of art from Michelangelo and Da Vinci
Visit the Duomo, the largest Gothic church in the world adorned with the famous Madonnina at its peak
Day 7: Milan • Como • Lucerne region
Travel via Lake Como, a breathtaking lake set against the Alps, on your way to the Lucerne region
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
Day 8: Lucerne region
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Lucerne
With your Field Director you will see:
- Lion Monument, a sandstone statue commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the 1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries
- Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge dating back to medieval days adorned with colorful murals overhead
Add this in-depth excursion:
Swiss Alps experience
This exciting half-day adventure takes you to the top of one of the Swiss Alps, the majestic mountainous backdrop of Lucerne. Journey to the base of the mountain by boat and ride a cog railway to the top. You’ll reach the summit and be rewarded with a splendid panorama of Lucerne, its lake, and the glorious snow-capped Alps. On a clear day, you can see for more than 200 miles! You’ll get back to the foot of the mountain by way of a gondola ride. (Please note: Mountains can be cold, even in summer; warm clothes and appropriate shoes are recommended.)
Enjoy a traditional Swiss dinner
Day 9: Lucerne region • Zurich
Travel to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland and one of the world's largest financial centers
Take a walking tour of Zurich with your Field Director and see its quaint Old Town, its waterfront promenades, and take in its eclectic mix of architectural styles
🔹 Cultural engagement: Discover the history of Swiss chocolate during a tour at Lindt & Spruengli, with a tasting to finish
Enjoy dinner in Zurich
Day 10: Depart for home
Add 3 more days
Day 10: Zurich • Strasbourg • Paris
Travel to Strasbourg
Tour Strasbourg with an expert local guide and see the official seat of the European Parliament, charming La Petite France, and its historic city center
Visit Strasbourg Cathedral—A gothic cathedral so tall, it can be seen from the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest
Travel by TGV train to Paris
Day 11: Paris • Versailles
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Paris
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Place de la Concorde, a major public square
- Champs-Élysées, an elegant boulevard packed with high-fashion boutiques
- Arc de Triomphe, a monument honoring those who fought for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
- Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair and an iconic symbol of Paris
- Hôtel des Invalides, a grand hospital commissioned by Louis XIV
Take a guided tour of Versailles, where Louis XIV hosted his royal court to reign in their power and prevent their political rise
With your expert local guide you will see:
- State Apartments of the King and Queen
- The lavish Hall of Mirrors which depicts political successes on its vaulted-ceiling murals
- Meticulously landscaped gardens and dozens of ornate fountains
Day 12: Paris
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of the Latin Quarter, so named because the language was once commonly spoken by the Sorbonne students that populated the area
See Notre-Dame Cathedral, known for its sculptured facade, stained-glass rose windows, and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings
Explore art from around the world at the Louvre, home to over 35,000 objects including Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa
Enjoy a scenic view of Paris as you sail along the iconic Seine River
Day 13: Depart for home
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