European Whirl with Oberammergau

Relax after your journey or spend time exploring this exciting city.

See a host of sights including Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace during your morning guided sightseeing tour with a Local Specialist. Finishing in central London, you have the rest of the day to discover the city's delights.

This morning meet your Travel Director before travelling to London's St. Pancras International to board the Eurostar™ for a high-speed train journey to Brussels. Continue by luxury coach to Amsterdam. Enjoy an orientation of the historic city centre before joining your fellow travellers and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception dinner cruise.

Driving through the lush landscapes of The Netherlands and Germany, we arrive in Boppard where we board a cruise along the Rhine to St. Goar, passing vineyard-clad hills and medieval castles perched above riverside towns. Arriving in the Baroque city of Heidelberg, we explore its iconic and unexpected highlights before travelling to our Rhineland hotel.

Journey to Oberammergau this morning for a Trafalgar Highlight and display of unwavering faith - the Oberammergau Passion Play, which will be performed today as it has every ten years since 1634. Take your premium seats for this poignant performance, witnessing first-hand the covenant that the villagers made with God to spare them from the ravages of the plague and compelled them to honour His grace and mercy. Dine at a local restaurant this evening before returning to your seat for the continuation of the captivating depiction of the life and death of Jesus Christ as night falls.

Drive along the Brenner Pass into Italy and across the Dolomite Mountains to Venice. Here you will cruise by private launch to St. Mark's Square, viewing the Bridge of Sighs and the Doge's Palace along your journey. 'Dive into Culture' during a visit to a traditional glassblowing workshop, then spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the sights of your choice.

Travel south across the Veneto Plain, passing Bologna and the dramatic Apennine Mountains as well as the green and golden fields of Lazio before reaching Rome, the Eternal City.

Our first stop today sees us discover the divine beauty of the Vatican City. We'll visit St. Peter's Basilica with a Local Specialist to view Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece, the Pietà. We continue to ancient Rome to view the iconic Colosseum and Circus Maximus, once the site of exhilarating chariot races centuries ago. The afternoon is yours to explore the city on your terms. Sit on the Spanish Steps savouring a tasty gelato, shop up a storm on the trendy Via Corso or perhaps join an Optional Experience to see the magnificent frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

From Rome, we travel north through the rolling countryside of Tuscany and along the Arno valley to the Cradle of the Renaissance, Florence. Delve into the rich Medici heritage of this beautiful medieval city with your Local Specialist. Visit what was once the political hub of the city, Piazza della Signoria, with its impressive sculptures and stunning palazzi. View the imposing Duomo with its Brunelleschi dome and Baptistery renowned for its bronze doors filled with relief sculptures. Learn about the quality and workmanship of one of this city's historic industries at a demonstration of Florentine leathercraft. This evening, 'Connect with Locals' and sample home-grown Tuscan hospitality as you enjoy a Be My Guest dinner with a local family on their private estate on the outskirts of Florence.

Drive via the scenic Italian Lakes District, across the Alps into beautiful Switzerland, where we'll spend the next two nights in the medieval lakeside city of Lucerne.

This morning, view the mournful, mortally wounded lion hewn from rock to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending Louis XVI. Walk along the flower-lined 14th-century covered Chapel Bridge, crossing the River Reuss. We have some time later to discover the best Swiss chocolates in town.

Crossing the border into France this morning, we travel past the picturesque vineyards and country towns of Burgundy en route to the City of Light. Spend some time this evening strolling along the Seine and grand boulevards in search of a cosy bistro for fine French cuisine or consider an Optional Experience to a colourful Parisian cabaret.

Join a Local Specialist today for a sightseeing tour of this romantic city. View the sophisticated Champs Élysées, Place de la Concorde and the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe, honouring those who fought for France. Our European Whirl and spiritual interlude almost at its end, we spend the evening with our fellow travellers and Travel Director, enjoying a Farewell Dinner in a local bistro.

Today bid farewell to your fellow travellers and Travel Director at the end of your holiday. An airport transfer is available. Conditions apply.