European Grandeur - Start Paris, End Amsterdam, Small Group

27 days
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
Map not provided by operator
Additional images not provided by operator
4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
97%
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
Group Tour
See Paris icons like the Champs-Élysées through the eyes of your local expert, enjoy the gastronomic delights of Pintxos tasting tours en route to San Sebastian in Spain and try your hand at Venice glassblowing in Italy, all on the grandest of European tours. From boutique fashionista shopping in the avenues of Paris to Picasso's trail blazing masterpieces in...

Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Choose between two carefully selected activities
    • Paris: Explore the romantic and trendy Marais district with your Local Expert and admire the beautiful garden at Sully’s Mansion.
    • Paris: Join an avid local foodie on a walk through a local food market - Bastille Marché. Visit a variety of stalls and sample local treats and delicacies along the way.
    • Choose between two carefully selected activities
    • Madrid: Join the pillars of the local community on a neighbourhood walking tour and learn the history of the women's movement in Spain firsthand.This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.Alternatively, visit the Reina Sofia Museum with an art historian to see Picasso's Guernica.
    • Madrid: Visit the Reina Sofia Museum with an art historian and see Pablo Picasso's masterpiece Guernica, one of the world's greatest anti-war paintings.Alternatively, join a neighbourhood walking tour to discuss social equity empowerment and learn about the history of women's movements in Spain.
    • Choose between two carefully selected activities
    • Vienna: Visit a traditional coffeehouse to enjoy Viennese specialities of coffee and Sachertorte.
    • Vienna: Listen to the musical masterpiece of Mozart and learn the Viennese Waltz, in an inclusive workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. Unique to Insight Guests, ‘Dancing without Barriers’ takes place in the dark, in a specially designed sensory studio, and will be a unique experience for all your senses. This specifically designed workshop focuses on inclusion and education around the topic of visual impairment. Through their foundation the organisation supports children from disadvantaged family and children with a visual impairment.This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.Alternatively, visit a traditional Viennese café to enjoy local specialties of coffee and sachertorte.
    • Choose between two carefully selected activities

What's this trip about?

    See Paris icons like the Champs-Élysées through the eyes of your local expert, enjoy the gastronomic delights of Pintxos tasting tours en route to San Sebastian in Spain and try your hand at Venice glassblowing in Italy, all on the grandest of European tours. From boutique fashionista shopping in the avenues of Paris to Picasso's trail blazing masterpieces in Madrid, this cultural tour de force is all encompassing. Barcelona dazzles with Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece—La Sagrada Família, while Avignon serves up a palate tantalizing taste of traditional farm to table cooking. The French Riviera offers an abundance of opulence, with harbors in Nice and Monaco packed to the brim with luxury yachts, and in Vienna the regal history of Austria's Habsburg dynasty fires up the imagination.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizePrivate - your group only
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal transport included (including local flights)
Start CityParis
End CityAmsterdam

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Education / Learning

Destinations

Attractions

  • Amsterdam
  • Avignon
  • Barcelona
  • Bordeaux
  • Ljubljana
  • Lucerne
  • Madrid
  • Nice
  • Paris
  • Pisa
  • Rome
  • Venice
  • Vienna

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing

Trip includes

    • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
    • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
    • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
    • Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
    • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
    • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
    • You may purchase arrival transfers from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports on arrival days, or when additional nights accommodation has been booked through Insight Vacations. If your departure flights are as per the itinerary end dates, departure transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way to the airport. Alternatively, please make your own way from/to the airport.

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Paris

Welcome to Paris, enjoy time at leisure to settle into your hotel. During your time here you will see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe. At 17:00 join your Travel Director at a local brasserie in the heart of Paris for a fabulous Welcome Dinner.

Crowne Plaza Paris - Republique.

Dinner with Wine

Day 2: Paris, the City of Light

Your exploration of Paris today begins with an Insight Choice. Choose between exploring aristocratic Marais district with your Local Expert, including a visit to beautiful Sully's Mansion garden. Alternatively, join a Local Expert who is an avid foodie, to explore the...

Day 3: Onto Bordeaux

Head southwards towards Châteaux Country. Take a scenic drive along the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is known as the Jardins de France for the beautifully maintained gardens that were created on vast estates as outdoor living areas. Visit the...

Day 4: Bordeaux and San Sebastián

Join a Local Expert for a guided tour of France's best 18th century architecture. The facades of the quaysides, the Grand Théâtre, Triangle d'Or and magnificent Esplanade des Quinconces all contribured to Bordeaux earn inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Next, ...

Day 5: On to Madrid Relaxed Start

Continue along the Guadarrama Mountains to the plateau of New Castile and Spain's elegant capital of Madrid. In the evening, why not see the city lit up it all its glory, with a drive along the grand avenues and past the spectacular fountains?

Hotel Riu Plaza España, Madrid.

Breakfast

Day 6: Madrid Relaxed Start

Join your Local Expert for a sightseeing tour of the Old Town as well as, along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana and past the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles. Explore Madrid with Insight Choice. Visit the Reina Sofia Museum with an art historian to see Picasso's Gu...

Day 7: Madrid and beautiful Barcelona

Cross the Castilian plain, past Zaragoza, and continue to the vibrant port of Barcelona. In the evening, why not try delicious local Catalan cuisine and as night descends, view the city from the heights of Montjuic, with lights sparkling below from the mountains to sea.

Hilton Barcelona.

Breakfast

Day 8: Barcelona, City of Gaudi Relaxed Start

Join your Local Expert for a view of the Gothic Quarter and the cathedral. Travel by the Ramblas and along the Passeig de Gràcia, adorned with some of the most flamboyant Modernist buildings. Continue through the Eixample district to see Gaudi’s extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerising Sagrada Família.

Hilton Barcelona.

Breakfast

Day 9: Avignon, the City of Popes

Journey to Avignon to see the famous Pont d'Avignon, once spanning the Rhône and immortalised in songs. Walk within the medieval narrow streets of the Old Town to stand in the shadow of the old Palais des Papes, resembling a fortress. Learn about olive oil and enjoy a...

Day 10: On the shores of Nice

Journey along the French Riviera to the elegant town of Nice, where the rest of the day is at your leisure to stroll along the fabled Promenade des Anglais or relax on the beach.

Hotel West End, Nice.

Breakfast

Day 11: Monaco and Pisa

Travel to Monaco where you are driven along part of the Grand Prix circuit, before walking with your Travel Director through the old town. See the Royal Palace where the Grimaldi family live, the yacht-filled harbour and visit the cathedral, housing the tombs of the l...

Day 12: Renaissance Florence Relaxed Start

Walk with your Local Expert to the marble-clad cathedral and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. The next stop is Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance mas...

Day 13: The Eternal City of Rome

Relax and enjoy the grand landscapes of the Chianti hills and Umbria, before passing the Apennine Mountains to arrive at the Eternal City, filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. In the evening, enjoy a traditional meal at a local restaurant.

Veneto Palace Hotel, Rome.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 14: Exploring Papal Rome

A Local Expert introduces the grandeur of the city, starting with the Vatican State, the richest community on the world. Visit the Vatican Museums, full of priceless treasures collected by the Popes. Insight provides special, fast-tracked entry to avoid the crowds, to...

Day 15: Rome at Leisure Relaxed Start

The day is yours to enjoy Rome at your own pace. Perhaps take an optional experience to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Alternatively, spend some time in the boutiques of the Via del Corso, the Vi...

Day 16: Autostrada del Sole to Venice

Journey through peaceful Tuscan landscapes, to descend past Bologna into the fertile Valley of the River Po. Arrive at the glorious city of Venice by water taxi and savour a cocktail at sunset whilst you are serenaded by an ensemble of talented musicians, long after t...

Day 17: The Magic of La Serenissima

Wake up ready to embrace this romantic city. Admire the Doge’s Palace and its adjoining Bridge of Sighs. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you witness the skill of glassblowers on a visit to a traditional arts centre, before taking a private cruise to St. Mark'...

Day 18: Venice to elegant Ljubljana Relaxed Start

Depart Venice by water taxi and continue your journey to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. A Local Expert shows you Prešeren square with the Triple bridge, baroque Franciscan Church and and the lively banks of Ljubljanica river. Perhaps join an Optional Experience t...

Day 19: Ljubljana to Vienna

Follow the Drava River and cross over the Slovenian border to reach the 700-year-old university town of Maribor. Continue past Graz through Styria's forested mountains and on to Vienna.

Hilton Vienna Park.

Breakfast

Day 20: Vienna and the Habsburgs Relaxed Start

In the morning, there is the option to join a private tour of Maria Theresa's Schönbrunn Palace and formal gardens. Later, get your camera ready for a drive around the famous Ring Road. This grand boulevard, built alongside the lines of the old city walls, showcases m...

Day 21: Salzburg and onto Innsbruck

Pass the impressive Benedictine monastery of Melk before reaching the enchanting city of Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and the iconic musical 'The Sound of Music'. A Local Expert will show you the formal gardens of Mirabell Palace, including the fountains and statues...

Day 22: Liechtenstein to Lucerne Relaxed Start

Journey past flower-filled meadows and picturesque chalet-style villages to the Principality of Liechtenstein. Spend some time in its tiny capital, Vaduz, then cross into Switzerland and through glorious mountains to lakeside Lucerne. On arrival, visit Lucerne's proud...

Day 23: Lucerne and Mt Stanserhorn

In the morning, embark on a scenic journey by funicular railway and open-top cable car to the summit of the stunning Mount Stanserhorn. Breathe in the pristine mountain air and, on a clear day, witness views as far as Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany. Explore Mo...

Day 24: Legends along the Rhine

Enjoy travelling through Germany and follow the Rhine Valley north to Königswinter.

Maritim Hotel Königswinter.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 25: The Canals of Amsterdam

Delight in a private estate viewing of one of the famous Rhineland castles and learn more about these living cultural monuments situated along the Middle Rhine over a glass of wine. Continue your travels to Amsterdam. The best way to see this remarkable city is from t...

Day 26: Depart Amsterdam

After breakfast, transfers arrive at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 08:00 and 10:00.

Breakfast

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip

Dates & Availability

Price From $9,540
Price per day$353
Last Updated: 8/16/2023

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Insight Vacations Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5  Excellent
Excellent
13,426
Great
2,909
Average
933
Disappointing
255
Terrible
215
Write a Review

Other Insight Vacations Reviews

T

Trusted Customer

Nov 2024

Written on

Lovely Northern Spain with wonderful medieval sights

The coach had generous space and the tour director and coach captain were both attentive and smiley

Write a Review

Travelers also viewed

Tour Operator

Insight Vacations

premier
View Profile

As the global leader in premium tours, Insight Vacations delivers all the sights and insights of destinations up close and personal. Each tour is crafted in true comfort and style with premium 5 and 4 star hotels, small groups and customized coaches with extra leg room. The brand’s category leading dining options including the unique dine-around and dine-at-home experiences means that guests enjoy a culinary journey through the places they visit. An extensive Vegetarian option across all tour series further compliments the elevated dining offering. With a Make Travel Matter Experience®, that creates a positive impact for both the visitor and visited, plus also supports the United Nations sustainable Development Goals, included on each and every trip, Insight Vacations leads the way in immersive responsible travel.

Insight Vacations is part of the family-owned and run The Travel Corporation (TTC), driven by service for over one hundred years.

Why we love this operator
They really care about everyone's individual needs on each tour and they have an incredible attention to detail.
What they’re known for
Premium worldwide tours for curious travelers who want to get closer to the destination in comfort and style.

Associations

About Travelstride

Find your perfect trip

An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. Thousands of itineraries from over 1,000 trusted travel companies.

Save time

Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. Don't sweat the logistics — travel providers plan for you.

Save money

Book directly with the operator. See inclusive packages for the best values, and get access to amazing deals.

Travel confidently

Read unbiased user reviews, pick the operator that suits your needs, and connect with them directly.

Logistics

Accommodation

  • Crowne Plaza Paris - Republique.
  • Pullman Bordeaux Lac, Bordeaux.
  • Barceló Costa Vasca, San Sebastián.
  • Hotel Riu Plaza España, Madrid.
  • Hilton Barcelona.
  • Cloître Saint-Louis, Avignon.
  • Hotel West End, Nice.
  • NH Firenze, Florence.
  • Veneto Palace Hotel, Rome.
  • Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio, Venice.
  • Hotel Lev Ljubljana.
  • Hilton Vienna Park.
  • AC Hotel Innsbruck.
  • Hotel Astoria, Lucerne.
  • Maritim Hotel Königswinter.
  • Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
insightvacations-SE915CN118

Become a member

(it's free)
  • Save up to $700 per person
  • Access members-only specials
  • Personalize trip recommendations
Sign up and save
Top Tour Companies on Travelstride:
All 1,600+ companies >