Rome to London

Arrive in Rome and make your own way to our accommodation for the start of the tour, and join up with your Expat Explore tour leader and fellow travellers at midday. We'll take the subway into the city centre to meet up with our local guide, who will introduce us to the incredible history of this unique city on a guided walking tour. Rome reigned supreme as the focal point of the Roman Empire, and the local guide will introduce us to highlights such as the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Roman Forum and of course the Colosseum.

Rome boasts ancient ruins, historical landmarks, religious buildings and a buzzing atmosphere like no other. The Colosseum is spectacular, offering fabulous views of the city, and an unbelievable feeling of drifting backwards in time, to when gladiators, chariots and lions dominated the arena. Later this afternoon you'll have the opportunity to take advantage of an optional excursion to visit the Vatican City - the smallest country in the world! Inside the walls you can visit the Sistine Chapel and see for yourself the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, as well as numerous other famous art pieces dotted around the buildings.

Our first stop is the Tuscan town of Siena, which is famous for its cuisine, wine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year. You will have time to explore before we continue on our journey. Later, we arrive into Venice in the early evening, a city immortalised in literature, film and art for centuries. Its timeless waterways and artistic masterpieces (more per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth) make it truly unique – this is a city that will capture your heart and imagination. Being Italian, there’s no shortage of incredible food and culture either! You have the evening free to relax at the hotel, or explore Venice with the option to join your tour leader on a twilight water taxi cruise of the Venetian canals.

You’ll start your stay in Venice with an orientation tour led by your tour leader so you can get your bearings, after which you have free time to explore this unforgettable city at your leisure. Every visit to Venice should include a gondola ride, which your tour leader can organise for you, as well as a trip further out into the lagoon to visit Murano and Burano. These islands are famous for their glass-blowing and lace-making crafts respectively, and rows of beautiful multi-coloured houses. Alternatively you can simply relax and soak up the sun on the sandy beaches at Jesolo or Lido. There’s also St Mark’s Square, The Bridge of Sighs and the Doge’s Palace to see – and any number of culinary delights to sample too!

Crossing the border into Switzerland, we stop off in Bellinzona, a beautiful city in the foot of the Swiss Alps famous for its three UNESCO World Heritage Site castles. You'll have some free time for lunch and to visit one of the castles if you wish. We continue on to the Swiss Alps, climbing higher into the mountains to our accommodation in a typical Swiss mountain village in the Jungfrau region. One of the most popular alpine destinations, it’s a great introduction to the magic of the mountains – and makes for a memorable drive too. Dinner is at your hotel and afterwards relax, drink , chat with your fellow explorers and grab an early night as tomorrow you can join us on our most popular optional excursion – Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe!

Enjoy a free day to explore and take in the spectacular local scenery. One of the ‘must see’ highlights of this tour is to take the optional excursion train ride to the ‘Top of Europe’ – Jungfraujoch. The views will leave you breathless (and that isn’t just because of the high altitude!) This 4000m glacier has a beauty all of its own, and the combination of ice, snow, rock and epic views will stay with you for life. There is snow all year round, even in the middle of summer!

Departing from the Swiss Alps the road leads us to Germany’s Black Forest. Have your camera at the ready as you drive past beautiful rivers and forested hills and valleys. Our lunch stop is in Baden-Baden, famous for its thermal baths and casino, with some free time to explore and have lunch. Then we’ll drive on to the Rhine Valley, where we’ll hop aboard a Rhine riverboat for a cruise past castles, vineyards and picturesque villages. After the cruise you’ll be treated to an included wine tasting led by a local wine merchant. If the harvest has been good, you may even get to try eiswein (ice wine), a very sweet dessert wine during the freezing winter months and produced in only very small quantities. For travellers looking to buy souvenirs, you’ll have the chance to pick up authentic examples of cuckoo clocks and beer steins today.

The Netherlands is our next stop, and we arrive first at the windmill for a quick photo stop. Afterwards enjoy a traditional cheese-making demonstration, and learn about how that most quirky and quaint of footwear choices – the clog – is made, before travelling onward to Amsterdam. Here we’ll check in to our hotel before joining a complimentary Amsterdam canal cruise! Watch the city drift past as you sail by, and listen out for tips and interesting insights into the city from your tour leader. The evening is yours - explore the canals and Dam Square, and enjoy your time in this fascinating city.

The day is yours to further explore Amsterdam. There is so much on offer, from visiting Anne Frank’s house and the Van Gogh museum, to taking a canal boat cruise.

After breakfast, it’s back to London, stopping en route for a short comfort stop in the medieval city of Bruges that is famous for many things... including beer and chocolates!