Arrival in Rome. Transfer to hotel and the rest of the day at leisure. In the evening we will all meet before going out to dinner.
In the morning we have a sightseeing tour of Rome including the Colloseum and Roman Forum before going to Vatican City to visit the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral. In the afternoon you are free to visit the Forum or the Borghese Gallery to see Bernini’s David, or to visit the Capitoline Museum. Rome is the Eternal City. There is so much to do and so much to see. It would take a lifetime!Tonight let’s all celebrate and go to a fabulous Roman dinner with music!
In the morning we will take a walking tour to see the Piazza Navona, visit the church of San Luigi dei Francesi to see the Caravaggio paintings, visit Il Gesu and then the magnificent Pantheon. We finish at the Trevi Fountain near the Spanish Steps. From there you can shop on the fashionable Via Condotti or sit and have a gelato. Tonight why not go to Trastevere where all the Romans go!
We say Arrividerci to Rome this morning and depart for Florence. On arrival we'll do a walking tour of the city to see the Cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio and over to the enormous church of Santa Croce to marvel at its treasures and see the tomb of Michelangelo.
This morning we begin by visiting the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and then visit the Uffizi Gallery, the great repository of Renaissance art. Leonardo, Botticelli, and the rest of the Italian masters are all there. The afternoon is free for you to visit Michelangelo’s house or the Bargello sculpture museum to see Donatello’s David or go to the Pitti Palace or the market . Florence is full of good food so tonight let’s go to the Chianti hills to a countryside inn and have a Tuscan feast while being serenaded by Italian music.
Early departure for Venice! On arrival we walk to the Church of the Frari to see the paintings of the great Venetian artist Titian and then visit the Scuola San Rocco decorated by Tintoretto. Then we continue over the Rialto Bridge to San Mark’s Square and visit a famous factory and see how they blow glass. Tonight, how about taking a gondola ride?
Free to experience Venice! See a special exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi, or go to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, shop, go to the Lido to swim or simply explore this fascinating city of water and bridges. Its treasures are endless. Say goodbye to Italy and sip a cappuccino in St. Mark’s Square. Tonight let’s take a boat and go on the Venetian lagoon to the colorful island of Burano for a fabulous seafood dinner!
This afternoon we board the train for an unforgetable journey. The ride goes through the Italian and Austrian Alps with breathtakingly beautiful views. We pass Verona, Innsbruck and Rosenheim. Watching the natural and architectural changes from vineyards to the mountains is stunning!
This morning a sightseeing tour of Munich and lunch at the Marienplatz where we can see the Glockenspiel. We’ll visit the High Baroque church of the Assam brothers nearby. In the afternoon we go to the Alte Pinakothek Museum, one of the Great Museums of Europe, which has wonderful works by Renaissance and Baroque masters. There is so much to do and see in Munich that you’ll love to mix with the Germans tonight, eat sausages and pretzels and dance to an oompah-pah band!
Today we take the train to arrive in the charming capital of Switzerland, Bern. We'll explore the medieval city center which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and visit the open air markets. Tonight let's all eat raclette and hear some Swiss music.
This morning there is a visit to the Fine Arts Museum and the new Zentrum Paul Klee designed by Renzo Piano in 2005. In the afternoon you are free to enjoy the city and eat Swiss chocolates or cheese. Tonight relax and get ready for Paris!
From Bern it's only a few hours until we reach the City of Lights and arrive in Paris. After our arrival, tonight let’s celebrate and go to dinner at a restaurant in Montmartre and then take an Illumination tour seeing all the best sites of this most beautiful city.
This morning our sightseeing tour will take us to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower, Concord Square, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. We then visit the Louvre Museum, one of the Great Museums of Europe and the world. Tonight how about going to a cabaret show?
Today it's the Impressionist Museum, the D'Orsay, where we will see the paintings of Monet, Renoir, Degas and many others. . In the late afternoon you might like to visit the Picasso Museum or go to the Pompidou Museum which is open late. Tonight, go to the Left Bank, the student district, to dine at any of the many ethnic restaurants and then sit in the fashionable cafes and take in the Parisian atmosphere.
Leaving Paris we head to the fascinating medieval city of Bruges, called the Venice of the North because of its many canals. We visit the Groeninge Museum to see the works of the Northern Renaissance artists and visit the Church of Our Lady to see the Madonna of Bruges sculpture done by Michelangelo.
We depart Bruges and take a short drive to Antwerp to see the Cathedral and the altarpieces done by the great Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens. Next we stop in the city of Den Hagg to visit the Mauritshaus Museum. After lunch we head off to our final destination, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, or better known as Holland.
This morning we visit the Rijksmuseum to see the Rembrandt paintings and other Dutch masterpieces and then visit the nearby Van Gogh Museum filled with his breathtaking canvases. It's off to Volendam for lunch and then in the late afternoon you might like to visit the Anna Frank house or go to the Stedelijk Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Amsterdam. Tonight, how about going to the Leitseplein and see how the Dutch party?
Transfer to Schiphol Airport for those who are returning to Hawaii. For those going on to London we will drive to Brussels, the headquarters of NATO and capital of the European Union to see the Grand Place and the famous little Mannekin Piss and have time for lunch. Then we depart via the Chunnel Train from Brussells to London. Arrival in London and transfer to hotel.
Sightseeing tour of London in the morning includes Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, the Tower of London, Big Ben, the houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and more. In the afternoon after lunch we visit the British Museum to see the sculptures from the Greek Parthenon, the Egyptian and Mesopotamian art and the Rosetta Stone. This evening is perfect to go to take in a show at one of the many West end London Theatres.
The morning will be spent at the London National Gallery, a perfect ending for the Great Museums Tour. In the afternoon you are free to go to the Tate Gallery or the Tate Modern, one of London’s newest museums, or visit any of the many other attractions in Britain’s capital or do some last minute shopping. Tonight let’s celebrate at a pub and have some fish and chips!
Return to Hawaii with great memories and a better grasp of art history!