Enchanting European Capitals Grand Adventure - 11 Days

Vienna. On arrival, we’ll transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free – you can relax after your journey or take a short stroll nearby. In the afternoon, please check the information boards at hotel reception for details about the start of your tour. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

This morning we set out on a panoramic tour of Vienna with a local guide, taking in the city’s grand avenues, elegant palaces, spacious parks and lively centre. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace. In the evening, we include a transfer to Grinzing – once a wine growing village and now part of the city – known for its traditional taverns. You’ll have time here to choose where to dine.

We depart Vienna and, after around three hours, arrive in Budapest, Hungary’s capital. Our first stop is the lively Váci utca area, where you’ll have free time for lunch. We then begin exploring with an included boat trip on the Danube – Buda on one bank and Pest on the other – followed by an included panoramic tour of the city often known as the Queen of the Danube. You’ll have some free time afterwards. In the evening, you can choose to join an optional Magyar show with dinner.

We leave Budapest early and travel to Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital on the Danube with an attractive historic centre. You’ll have free time to explore and to have lunch. We then continue into the Czech Republic, arriving in Prague in the evening. On arrival, we include a transfer to Old Town Square – a central spot that offers an excellent first introduction to Prague’s atmosphere and sights – where you can choose a restaurant for dinner, with options including Czech, Chinese, Indian and Italian. We return to the hotel afterwards.

We spend today discovering Prague. With a local guide, we set off on a panoramic tour, taking in the city’s Baroque character and major monuments. We include entry to Prague Castle – admission is covered – then see the skyline from the water on an included boat ride along the Vltava. The afternoon is free, so you can explore at your own pace.

We depart Prague early for Pilsen in western Bohemia, renowned for its beer. You’ll have time to explore the historic centre, including the Old Town Square, the cathedral, the Plague Column and a town hall from the Renaissance. We then cross into Germany and follow part of the Romantic Road to Rothenburg, a remarkably picturesque town considered one of the most beautiful villages in Germany. Later, we continue to Frankfurt, the country’s financial capital, arriving in the evening. You can spend your free time in the historic centre, where there is a wide choice of restaurants offering Indian, Asian, Italian and international cuisines.

Today we travel from Frankfurt to the Rhine and board a scenic cruise between Rüdesheim and St Goar – the river’s most picturesque stretch. We then continue to Cologne, known for its immense Gothic cathedral, before crossing into the Netherlands and arriving in Amsterdam in the evening.

We spend the morning in classic Holland – first at Zaanse Schans, with its traditional wooden houses, canals and windmills, then in Volendam, a scenic fishing village. From Volendam we take a short boat ride to Marken, once an island and now linked to the mainland by a fixed dyke – its houses were traditionally built on stilts to protect against flooding. In the afternoon we return to Amsterdam for a guided city tour that takes in a classic windmill and the Rembrandt statue, the contemporary elegance of the South district, and the longstanding tradition of diamond cutting around Museum Square. We finish at Central Station, and your guide will share practical tips so you can explore Amsterdam’s canals, street markets and cafés at your own pace.

After breakfast we travel south into Belgium – Brussels lies just over 200 km away. Before reaching the centre, we make a brief stop at the Atomium, the city’s most iconic landmark. In the historic heart, we visit the Grand Place and pass the Manneken Pis, taking in the elegant streets of the Belgian capital and seat of major European institutions. In the afternoon we continue into France, arriving in Paris towards the end of the day.

Today we visit the Palace of Versailles – admission not included – famed for its magnificent gardens. Returning to Paris, we explore Montmartre, the bohemian neighbourhood known for its artists, painters and cabarets. We then take a panoramic tour with a local guide to see the city’s grand avenues and iconic monuments before returning to the hotel. In the evening, you can choose to attend an optional variety show.

We begin in central Paris with a visit to the Eiffel Tower – tickets to the second floor are included. We then enjoy a relaxing cruise along the Seine lasting about one hour and fifteen minutes. The afternoon is free for you to continue exploring at your own pace – the transfer back to the hotel is not included. If queues at the Eiffel Tower are very long, we may adjust the timing of the visit – possibly to Sunday – to keep the day running smoothly. Our journey concludes here. Please check your flight time in case you need an additional night.