Europe Jewel Christmas & New Year

This festive adventure begins in Amsterdam. Meet up with your tour leader before heading into the Dutch countryside to see how cheese and clogs are made. Then, visit the charming windmill village of Zaanse Schans and enjoy free time for lunch in Vollendam. Next, it’s back to Amsterdam for a canal cruise! Finish day one with a delicious welcome dinner.

Cross the border into Germany and travel to the beautiful Rhine Valley. Arrive and enjoy a wine tasting at Boppard before embarking on a riverboat cruise to St Goar. Enjoy the scenic views along the riverbank. Disembark and see how local steins and cuckoo clocks are made! Travel to tonight’s accommodation and enjoy dinner with the group at the hotel.

Today, travel to Prague via Nuremberg. The city was painstakingly rebuilt following WW2, with some buildings using the original stone. Later, arrive in Prague. This beautiful city boasts elaborate Baroque, Gothic, Art Nouveau and Cubist architecture, and is home to many quirky bars, cobbled lanes and courtyards. Tonight, enjoy a festive Christmas Eve dinner with your group!

Merry Christmas! Embark on a locally-guided walking tour of Prague’s top sights including Old Town Square and Charles Bridge. The rest of Christmas day is free. Join the Prague+ optional excursion to tour Prague Castle, explore Mala Strana and cruise the Vltava River while enjoying a buffet lunch! Tonight, enjoy an optional Czech meal complete with folk music and dancing!

Today, head for the grandeur of Vienna, visiting Bratislava, Slovakia’s charming capital, along the way. Arrive and enjoy a guided walking tour of Vienna’s UNESCO-listed city centre. See sights like the Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Dinner tonight will be in a historical Viennese wine cellar! Afterwards, choose to enjoy an orchestra performance in the gorgeous Schönbrunn Palace Orangery.

Wave goodbye to Vienna and travel to the striking Hungarian capital of Budapest. On arrival, get an overview of this historic city on a locally-guided driving tour. Start on the Buda side of the river and spot the spectacular Houses of Parliament. The rest of the day is free. Why not enjoy an optional dinner cruise along the Danube tonight?

Leaving Budapest, travel to the beautiful Lake Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe! Next, stop in Maribor in Slovenia for an orientation tour and free time. Then it’s on to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. Join a local guide for a walking tour of this fairytale city. Afterwards, join the Taste of Ljubljana excursion to discover local wine and cuisine!

Say farewell to Slovenia and ciao to Italy! Today’s destination is Venice. This floating city is famous for its canals, gondolas and artistic masterpieces! This evening, enjoy free time to explore or join the Evening in Venice optional excursion. This is your chance to enjoy a classic Venetian experience - a gondola ride and water taxi trip along the canals!

Travel towards Florence and admire the rolling hills, vineyards and countryside vistas along the way. Arrive and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. Next, enjoy a locally-guided walking tour of this Renaissance city followed by an Italian leather-making demonstration. Tonight, indulge in a Tuscan dinner at a local restaurant. Tonight’s hotel is in the Tuscan countryside.

En route to the Swiss Alps, make a stop at one of the world’s most famous buildings - the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Afterwards, cross the border into Switzerland. Enjoy a scenic mountain drive before arriving in the Swiss Alpine town which will be home for two nights. Tonight, celebrate New Year’s Eve surrounded by the beauty of the Swiss Alps.

Happy New Year! Make the most of New Year’s Day and enjoy the splendour of the Alps! Today’s optional excursion is one of our most popular. Journey to Jungfraujoch,  the highest train station in Europe, and surround yourself with spectacular snow-capped peaks and white winter snow! Tonight, choose to warm up with a delicious Swiss fondue dinner!

Travel through the gorgeous French countryside and arrive in Paris this afternoon. Head off on a driving tour of the “City of Lights. The city’s most famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are on the itinerary! Following the driving tour is a group dinner of delicious French cuisine at a restaurant in the city.

Explore Paris at your leisure today! Consider joining the Paris+ optional excursion featuring visits to a macaron shop and parfumerie, a Seine River lunch cruise, and a trip up Montparnasse Tower for sweeping city views. As evening falls, experience charming Montmartre village, home to the Moulin Rouge, on an optional tour or enjoy a late-night Parisian cabaret. C'est la vie!

This festive two-week tour comes to an end today with one last stop along the way! Travel to Ghent in Belgium. Enjoy a lunch stop and free time to explore the charming medieval city centre. Afterwards, journey to Amsterdam where the tour will conclude. Before saying farewell, be sure to swap contact details with your new travel friends!