Day 1 - LONDON - BRUGES - AMSTERDAM

Meet your Tour Director and drive to Dover for the channel crossing to Calais. Follow the coast to medieval Bruges in Belgium. Walk through the cobbled streets to the old market square, a perfect introduction to Europe! Now enter your fourth country, the Netherlands, passing windmills on the way to lively Amsterdam. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Drink with your Tour Director before savouring a traditional Dutch 'Rijsttafel' (literally 'rice table') dinner at a local restaurant. Your meal is complemented by an informative presentation on the origins, ceremony and contents of this colonial-style feast.
Hotel: The Convent (HD)

Day 2 - AMSTERDAM SIGHTSEEING - VOLENDAM EXCURSION

An orientation tour reveals the Mint Tower, Dam Square and Royal Palace. Then board a special sightseeing boat to cruise under low bridges, past the canal-side mansions built by wealthy merchants. This afternoon choose an included drive through the pleasant Dutch countryside to the traditional fishing village of Volendam, situated on what was once the Zuider Zee. This is followed by a photo-stop at one of the windmills and a visit to a cheese farm and 'Klompenhuis', where wooden clogs are made. Back in Amsterdam round off the day with a visit to a diamond cutting factory, whose industry dates back to the 16th century. (BB)

Day 3 - AMSTERDAM - RHINE GORGE - HEIDELBERG

Leave Amsterdam bound for Germany. Pass Arnhem, renowned for its 'Bridge Too Far', then cross the Ruhr Basin to head for the Romantic Rhine Gorge. Time to explore the quaint wine village of Boppard before taking to the water for a delightful cruise past fortified towns and leafy vineyards. Pass the twin strongholds of the 'Enemy Brothers', the Cat and Mouse castles and hear the legend of the Loreley Rock. Rejoin the coach at St. Goar and continue to the town of Heidelberg.
Hotel: Marriott (BB,D)

Day 4 - HEIDELBERG - BLACK FOREST - LUCERNE

Enjoy some time this morning in the city of the 'Student Prince', to view the ruined cliff top castle. Take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley to the ancient city of Freiburg, before climbing into the heart of the Black Forest, home of the cuckoo clock industry. Enjoy an informative presentation on their origins and see how these clocks are made, then continue past Lake Titisee and cross the Swiss border. See the Rhine River thundering over the Rhine Falls before driving via Zurich to lake-side Lucerne. Check into your hotel, shop for chocolate or a special timepiece, and consider joining an optional Swiss Fondue Party in the evening.
Hotel: Astoria (BB)

Day 5 - LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING

See Lucerne's proud Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the Swiss Guards who died defending the King during the French Revolution. Take time to stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge and see the baroque Jesuit church. Later, embark on an exhilarating ride by cog-wheel train and cable-car to the summit of Mount Pilatus. Admire the stunning panorama of snow-capped peaks - including the Eiger and Jungfrau - before descending over mountain crags and pine forests back to terra firma. For dinner tonight, choose your own style of cuisine from our selection of restaurants. (BB,DA)

Day 6 - LUCERNE - PARIS

Leaving the Alpine region, cross the Rhine at Basel and continue into France. Travel past the fortified town of Belfort and along the forested ridges of the Jura Mountains into Burgundy. Continue through leafy vineyards and past the forests of Fontainebleau to arrive in the glittering French capital of Paris for a two-night stay. Why not sample the fabulous local cuisine tonight?
Hotel: Marriott Rive Gauche (BB)

Day 7 - PARIS & VERSAILLES

This morning travel out to the elegant town of Versailles to visit the immense palace built for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Your guide leads you through the royal apartments and there is time to take a stroll in the fine formal gardens. Return to Paris where a sightseeing tour with a local guide takes you by the Île de la Cité to see Notre Dame Cathedral with its famous tale of Quasimodo. Pass the immense facades of the Louvre and Garnier's splendid Opera House. See the obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde and drive along the grand Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Ascend to the viewing platforms of the Eiffel Tower for spectacular views of the city. Tonight, why not join in the fun at a world famous cabaret show? (BB)

Day 8 - PARIS - LONDON

Cross the World War One battlefields of the Somme and pause for a moving visit at the WWI cemetery in Fromelles. Learn how our conservation partner, The Centre for Battlefield Archaeology, helped find a final resting place for many of these brave men. Continue to the port of Calais for your return Channel crossing to England. The white cliffs of Dover will welcome you as you sail back into England. From here it's a short drive through the Kent countryside to London, where your tour comes to an end. (BB)