London, Paris & Rome – 10 Days

You’ll depart on your flight.

You will meet your tour manager.

Your bus will pick you up and you’ll continue your trip.

You’ll take an unforgettable, professionally guided, panoramic city tour of London including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, London Bridge and more!

You’ll visit the British Museum. Located in London, the British Museum is dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection, numbering some 8 million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence and originates from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.

You will have dinner.

You’ll arrive at your hotel and check into your rooms.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll visit the Tower of London, one of the world’s most famous fortresses. The Tower of London has been a royal palace, a prison, an armory and even a zoo and it is home to Her Majesty’s Crown Jewels. The Tower of London has a vast history that includes the executions of two of Henry the VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and Sir Walter Raleigh was a prisoner in the Bloody Tower for a time. The ravens that inhabit the White Tower are a special interest since it was foretold that if they were ever to leave, the great Tower of London would crumble and tragedy would befall England.

You’ll visit the Tower Bridge and cross the Thames River. Constructed in 1894, Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge and a world heritage site measuring 801 feet long and 264 feet high which provides a roadway across the Thames for over 40,000 people both on foot and wheels.

You’ll take a tour of the iconic Globe Theatre. The original theater was built in 1599 and burned down in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII. The theatre was rebuilt a few years later, but closed again, seemingly for good, in 1642. Tenements were built on the location of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. In the late 20th century the Globe was resurrected a few hundred yards from where the original structure once stood. The modernized Elizabethan open air theatre that you’ll tour will transport you back in time with the engaging and informative look at the life of William Shakespeare, the London where he lived, and the theatre for which he wrote.

You’ll visit Tate Modern, a modern art gallery located in London. It is Britain’s national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group. It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world.

You’ll get a bird’s eye view of London when you take a ride on the London Eye! It’s a breathtaking feat of design and engineering where passengers in this monstrous 443 foot tall Ferris wheel can see up to 25 miles in all directions.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.
You’ll visit Westminster Abbey where kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers; poets, priests, heroes and villains have all walked the hallowed church; the Abbey is a must-see living pageant of British history. Every year Westminster Abbey welcomes over one million visitors who want to explore this wonderful 700-year-old building. The Abbey is located in the heart of London.

You’ll visit St. James’s Park where you’ll see Buckingham Palace, the principal residence and workplace for the monarchy of the United Kingdom. George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a comfortable family home. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to take up residence in July 1837, just three weeks after her accession. During your visit you’ll see the traditional Changing of the Guard Ceremony which happens daily from April through July and several times per week during other months.

You’ll take the Eurostar from London to Paris.

Your bus will pick you up and you’ll continue your trip.

You will have dinner.

You’ll visit the Eiffel Tower. This iron lattice structure located on the Champ de Mars needs no introduction as it is the quintessential symbol of Paris. Take in the beauty and majesty from the tallest and most famous structure in Paris.

You’ll arrive at your hotel and check into your rooms.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour where you’ll see the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs-Elysees and the majestic Arc de Triomphe, the impressive Place de la Concorde and the ornate Opera House.

You’ll visit Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Located on the small island of Ile de la Cite in the middle of the Seine, the cathedral is a stunning example of French Gothic Architecture and is probably most famous for the use of flying buttresses which are the exterior arch supports.

You’ll visit the Louvre, one of the largest art museums in the world. The Louvre is one of the signature destinations in Paris and houses a magnificent collection of art from around the world including, most notably, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

You’ll visit the iconic church built at the highest point of the city in Montmartre, the Sacre Coeur.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll take a walk around the fashionable Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood and explore the trendy shops and cafes. You’ll continue on to the Luxembourg Gardens to see the Luxembourg Palace, Medici Fountain and pristine landscaping of the 17th century gardens.

You’ll visit Musée d’Orsay, a former railroad station located on the left bank of the Seine. This museum was constructed to display works by French artists between 1848 and 1915. While visiting, you’ll view works by such famous French artists as Monet, Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Renoir and Seurat.

You’ll take a narrated river cruise on the Seine.

You will have dinner.

You’ll board the train for your overnight ride to Rome.

You’ll arrive at the station and purchase breakfast before boarding your coach.

Your bus will pick you up and you’ll continue your trip.

You’ll enjoy a half day of exploring Ancient Rome with visits to such famous sights as the Coliseum and Roman Forum with a professional and knowledgeable guide.

You will see the Coliseum, the largest amphitheater in the world. Emperor Vespasian began in 70 AD and was finished in 80 AD by his son Titus. Emperor Domitian (81-96) made further modifications. These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty and the Coliseum is also known as the Flavian amphitheater and is one of the greatest works of Roman engineering and architecture that the world still enjoys today. Crowds between 50,000 and 80,000, and even the emperor himself, attended gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, mock sea skirmishes, mythological dramas and famous battles. You’ll continue on to the Roman Forum, the epicenter of the Roman Empire and the heart of public life. You’ll see the remnants of Roman public buildings and squares where parades, elections and commerce took place.

You’ll visit the popular Piazza Navona. It is built on the ancient Stadium of Domitian, also known as Circus Agonalis-built in 85 AD. This square could hold up to 30,000 spectators watching the contests just a few feet in front of them. Today Piazza Navona is a charming place with shops, restaurants and vendors. Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers sits in the center of the Piazza.

The Pantheon gave Michelangelo his inspiration for St. Peter’s Basilica. Experts see the Pantheon as an icon of Roman architectural perfection. It was built as a Roman temple and later converted into a church when Christendom entered Italy. Marvel at the bronze doors each weighing 20 tons. They were once covered in gold! Look up to see a perfectly round oculus, in the dome’s center. Brilliant Roman architects gently sloped the floor to allow for convenient drainage when it rained. The Pantheon is an important burial place for several noted figures including artist Raphael. Still being an active church, the Pantheon is a popular place for weddings. If you close your eyes, you might just be able to imagine an ancient Roman wedding and how they lived, in this wonder of ancient and modern civilization.

You will have dinner.

You’ll arrive at your hotel and check into your rooms.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll enjoy a half day of exploring Vatican City and take a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

You’ll take a guided tour through Vatican City including St. Peter’s Basilica and square and the Vatican Museums. You’ll see the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Raphael right next door to one of the world’s spiritual leaders. You’ll have an up close look at masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, the Chapel of Beato Angelico, the collection in the Raphael Rooms and Loggia and the Borgia Apartments.

You will have dinner.

The Trevi Fountain is one of the most famous places in ancient and modern history. Experience the “scenes of Italy” as locals and tourists mix. See where a young maiden revealed the secret water’s source to a group of Roman soldiers. The Trevi Fountain, was the ending point for the aqueduct created from this legend. These pictures are depicted on the upper level. While Neptune, the statue’s focal point, sits astride two horses on the water’s below. Each horse is guided by a triton-a mythological divinity. One horse is calm while the other is restless symbolizing the different tempers of the sea. Test the legend by throwing two coins in the fountain, one ensures a return trip to Rome while the other promises new romance.

Live like a true Italian as you visit the Spanish Steps. These 135 steps connect the Trinità dei Monti church atop and the Piazza di Spagna below. In the Renaissance these steps attracted Italy’s best artists and writers who created some of the world’s most beloved masterpieces. Today the Spanish Steps are still a center for both locals and visitors as it is one of Italy’s favorite attractions.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll head to the airport for your return trip home.