European Highlights

Day 1 London to Paris
Meet up with your Contiki Crew before we hit the road and take a ferry past the White Cliffs of Dover. We travel via World War 1 battle fields in the Valley of the Somme to Paris. If you’re adventurous, get right into French culture when you arrive at the campsite. Your Contiki Cook will prepare authentic escargots (snails) for the group. It’s a perfect opportunity to try out this national delicacy. You’ll also get to toast the start of your tour together in style with our special “Taste of France” welcome. Your Crew will serve champagne and local cheeses before we kick start Paris with the “Tour of Illuminations”, where the French capital transforms into the ‘City of Lights’. Lamp-lit bridges and cool little cafes give us a real taste of Paris’ romance. Your Tour Manager will fill you in on the world’s most recognised monuments, like the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.

Day 2 Paris
This town is loaded with possibilities. Discover its many bistros, museums, tree-lined avenues and diverse quartiers (neighbourhoods). Get a feel for French flair by window shopping on the Left Bank, step into the Notre Dame cathedral or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre and get up close to the famous Mona Lisa. Try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris’ many green spaces. Tonight, treat yourself to a real Parisian night out, starting with an optional dinner in an atmospheric restaurant, where you can get to know your group. Then sign up for an authentic cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls and champagne.

Day 3 Paris to Beaujolais Wine Region
Southbound, we roll on through Burgundy’s wine country to Beaujolais’ green hills and vineyards. Our team will make you feel right at home in Contiki’s very own 16th Century chateau. There’s a wine tasting within the chateau’s working winery, where our resident expert will teach you about Beaujolais wine as you swirl and sip on wines made in the area for centuries.

Day 4 Beaujolais Wine Region to French Riviera
Unwind on the coach, listen to your MP3 and take in the rustic beauty of Provence, known for its pretty landscapes of lavender, sunflowers and wild herbs. A lunch stop in the Popes’ fomer seat of power, Avignon, means a real taste of the Provencal lifestyle and look into the town’s Roman heritage. Wander through the cobbled streets and learn about Avignon’s past when you see the Papal Palace’s impressive walls and the town’s signature bridge. Next stop is the French Riviera and home to the French Perfume industry, where we visit Fragonard Perfumery. Learn about how perfume is made and some of its more surprising ingredients. It’s also a chance to pick up a bottle or 2 at great prices. Then it’s back on the road to the rugged coast line of the stunning Cote d’Azur. Follow the beautiful sapphire waters past the movie-star glamour of Cannes (famous for its annual film festival), to Antibes.

Day 5 French Riviera
In your free time live a bit of the riviera lifestyle with a visit to one of the neighbouring towns like Cannes or Nice. Try out the region’s produce like lavender honey, aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and mouth-watering rosé wine. Window shop the chic boutiques or choose a beach and catch some sun among all the bronzed bodies! Tonight get a taste of the high life in Monaco, the glamourous principality packed into just 1.92km2 and home to the Formula 1. Get the inside story on the royal family and their place of residence from your Tour Manager. Try your luck at a casino later on.

Day 6 French Riviera to Florence
Onwards to Italy, land of passion! Heading to Renaissance Florence, we stop by Pisa and get up close to the famous Leaning Tower. The scene-stealing Duomo cathedral rises above Florence, which serves up frescoes, markets and priceless art. Tonight, there’s a choice of a group dinner - an authentic Tuscan feast. Try regional dishes in the pretty Tuscan country setting. Then keep it moving with a night out and get your groove on at Florence’s biggest club.

Day 7 Florence to Rome
Jump start the day uncovering this open-air museum. Our local guide gives you the inside track as the group learns about Florence’s cultural beginnings and explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then take a look into a skillful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region’s traditional art. Travel through Tuscany’s rustic hills, past the recognisable cypress tree landscapes of this olive-oil producing region, to vibrant Rome. Stylish Rome oozes energy and overflows with relics from another age. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Tour Manager shows you the Colosseum and Piazza Venzia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in the fountain’s waters (it’s meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.

Day 8 Rome
This morning, make the most of our Local Guide’s inside knowledge and uncover the remains of an ancient empire with a fantastic optional tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Then check-out the smallest country in the world and home to the Pope, the Vatican City. You’ve got plenty of time to take a closer look at St Peter’s Basilica or Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Take off into the city and absorb the atmosphere, as vespas flash past timeworn monuments that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafes and bars. Before you hit the shops, let your Tour Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys. In your free time, live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, like the Romans do.

Day 9 Rome to Venice
Crisscross the Apennine Mountains, pass wildflower fields, quaint hilltop villages and Umbria’s rolling valleys, to Venice. Known as the “floating city” Venice is packed with character, crammed with hidden lanes and linked by a network of canals. The group travels on our private boat through the waters of the lagoon to visit the city’s historical heart. The limestone Bridge of Sighs, the gothic arches of Doges’ Palace and the expanse of St Mark’s Square (pigeons and all!) show off Venice’s unique beauty and way of life. Learn about local artistry with a traditional glass blowing demonstration – a craft the city has been famous for since the 13th century. Take some time to explore the floating city and lose yourself in the backstreets. There’s an optional walking tour where you can discover the labyrinth of interweaving lanes, waterways, palaces, piazzi and markets with our Local Guide. You’ll see historic monuments, hidden treasures and the Rialto market - a local favourite for food shopping. Maybe grab a table on St Mark’s Square and eat some delicious Italian food al fresco. Cap off the day with an optional gondola ride with your friends. Take a bottle of prosecco (Italian champagne) and toast this unforgettable experience as you are punted through the waterways.

Day 10 Venice to Munich
Today, it’s northbound to the home of the world-famous Oktoberfest, Munich - a city that blends traditional Bavarian culture and a modern lifestyle. Explore the heart of Munich’s Old Town with the crew, and head to Marienplatz. It’s a central gathering spot famous for the Glockenspiel - a gothic clock, complete with 32 dancing figures and 43 chiming bells. Then head off with some friends for a taste of tradition to a typical beer hall and park yourselves at a long wooden table. In this optional excursion, you’ll feast on hearty local food, like roasted pork knuckle, and quench your thirst with a stein of one of Germany’s 5000 brews.

Day 11 Munich to Rhine Valley
Leaving Munich behind, remember one of history’s darkest moments with a sobering stop at Dachau concentration camp. Learn more at the museum and walk through the remaining living quarters. The coach follows the Rhine River, weaving through valleys dotted with castles and vineyards. Next stop - the pretty, old-world village of St Goar, complete with fairy-tale castle and even a free-standing cuckoo clock! Learn about local know-how and get savvy on the craft of beer steins. Then kick back with a glass of local wine and choose to find out more with the optional wine tasting in a candlelit underground cellar.

Day 12 Rhine Valley to Amsterdam
In an intro into Dutch culture, see how clogs are made and try some of the famous Dutch Edam at a cheese farm. Cruise into the countryside and bike around like the laid back locals, past working windmills, to the world-famous cheese village of Edam. Head into the buzzing capital of Amsterdam and check out the eye-opening Red Light District, where the creative and the wacky come together on narrow cobbled streets, 24/7.

Day 13 Amsterdam
There’s free time this afternoon to experience Amsterdam’s coffee shops, museums and quirky, cool boutiques. Wander along the canals and past gabled houses or experience Amsterdam’s multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food. With an optional evening canal cruise, there’s a chance to toast your travels with the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover Amsterdam at water level as you drift past the city lights. For your last night on tour, treat yourself to a feast at a rice table dinner with the group in a popular restaurant. With this fun way to eat, you’ll be served loads of dishes from colonial times. Get some pointers from your Tour Manager, dive into Amsterdam’s night action with your friends and finish up your travels with a night to remember.

Day 14 Amsterdam to London
Circle back to France via Belgium and ferry across the English Channel to England. A short drive brings us back to London where the tour ends and it’s time to say farewell to your new friends.

Highlights

Paris: Evening Tour of Illuminations; See the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Champs Élysées, and Notre Dame Cathedral; See Château Fontainebleau (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Burgundy: See Chablis, Burgundy and Beaujolais vineyards; Beaujolais wine tasting
Avignon: Visit Avignon & see the Papal Palace
French Riviera: Visit a French Perfumery; Scenic drive along the Cote d'Azur; Visit Monaco & see the Royal Palace; Visit a Monte Carlo casino
Pisa: See the Leaning Tower
Florence: See the Duomo, Basilica Santa Croce, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry & Piazza della Signoria; Florentine leather craft demonstration; Walking tour with a local guide
Rome: See Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Colosseum & Roman Forum
Vatican City: See St. Peter's Basilica
Venice: Private motorboat to the historic islands; See the Bridge of Sighs, the Doges' Palace & St. Mark's Square; Murano glass-blowing demonstration
Brenner Pass: Scenic drive past vineyards, orchards & castles
Munich: See the Glockenspiel & Marienplatz
Rhine Valley: Scenic drive along the Rhine River; Visit the riverside town St. Goar
Amsterdam: See the canals, gable houses and city by night; Visit a fishing and cheese village; Bicycle tour of the Dutch countryside; Visit a cheese farm & clog maker's house

Only with Contiki

Paris illuminations night tour with French champagne, cheese & escargot
Special access Rome sightseeing coach tour
Private boat to the islands of Venice
See canals & a windmill on a countryside bike tour in Edam
Special stopover: Contiki’s Chateau & wine tasting
Contiki onsite Reps

All this, from only R12,505 per person incl food fund of R1,825