Flavours of Europe
Experience Overview
Take your taste buds on the Flavors of Europe guided tour as you experience hand picked menus from Rome to Paris. Explore Michelangelo's epic Sistine Chapel on your tour of the Vatican City, with fast-track access. See Florence through the eyes of your Local Expert and marvel at the green marble of the Duomo, before a boat whisks you to the crown jewel of the Italian Riviera, Cinque Terre. Enjoy the epic scenery of the Italian Lake District before adventuring through the snow-capped Swiss Alps to the lush surrounds of Lake Lucerne. Paris rounds out the vacation with a celebratory dinner exploring the flavors of Europe.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 8 Breakfast (B)
Choice Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Paris: We walk up and down the "quartier" and we see the school, the food stores, the housing situation, the heritage landmarks, the sports facilities and the theaters, in this car-free, pedestrianized, neighborhood. Landmarks will include passages couverts, perhaps also Patrick Blanc's spectacular jardin vertical 'oasis d'Aboukir', the Napoleonic "Egyptian" district etc.
- Paris: Join an avid local food lover on a walk through the streets of Paris. Visit a variety of patisseries, boulangeries and chocolatiers and sample local treats and delicacies along the way.
Additional Included Highlights
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- 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.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then 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 from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
- Rome: Savor a four-course dinner complete with wine, to the rich tremolo of some of Italy's best-loved opera.
- Lucerne: Choose from a selection of restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening and hand-pick your preferred ambience, cuisine and drinks for an intimate culinary experience.
- Paris: Join an avid local food lover on a walk through the streets of Paris. Visit a variety of patisseries, boulangeries and chocolatiers and sample local treats and delicacies along the way.
- Paris: Rendezvous with your newfound friends at La Coupole for a rousing dinner with wine.
Insight Choice
- Paris: We walk up and down the "quartier" and we see the school, the food stores, the housing situation, the heritage landmarks, the sports facilities and the theaters, in this car-free, pedestrianized, neighborhood. Landmarks will include passages couverts, perhaps also Patrick Blanc's spectacular jardin vertical 'oasis d'Aboukir', the Napoleonic "Egyptian" district etc.
Insight Experiences
- Rome: Enjoy exclusive access to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes during an after-hours visit. This 9th-century basilica’s simple facade guards the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics. The history of the church springs to life as you admire the interior’s treasured collection, including Bernini's first sculpture and the renowned mosaics, illuminated for your visit. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is a rare and unforgettable insight into Rome and its religious history.
- Vatican: Visit the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and see St. Peter's Basilica.
Make Travel Matter
- Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7 & 15: Affordable and Clean Energy & Life on Land.
Top Rated Highlights
- Rome: During your orientation with your Travel Director see the medieval buildings, including Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches, scattered throughout the city.
- Rome: Experience Rome through the eyes of a local, as a passionate Roman guides you through vibrant backstreets, showing you how modern life takes place around ancient treasures.
- Florence: Join a Local Expert to view the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square. See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods.
- Cinque Terre: Led by your Local Expert, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site with dedicated time to explore one of the charming fishing villages.
- Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit.
- Lucerne: See the emotive Lion Monument, Jesuit Church and Chapel Bridge.
- Paris: Experience the magic of Paris with Insight Vacations as you explore its iconic sights, landmarks, and charming streets. Meander along the picturesque banks of the River Seine, delving into the rich history of its beautiful bridges and renowned landmarks, including the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées, and the Arc de Triomphe. Whether from the comfort of your coach or a scenic vantage point, immerse yourself in the timeless stories that bring this enchanting city to life.
Well-being
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Trip Details
Product Code: 22168
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Insight Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 76.504
Starts: Rome, Italy
Finishes: Paris, France
Duration: 9 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $6,115 ($679 /day)
Itinerary
2025 marks a Jubilee Year, a momentous Roman Catholic event celebrated every 25 years, turning Rome into a center of celebration. As festivities unfold, itineraries may be adjusted to ensure you make the most of your time as you visit the Eternal City. Rome is one of the world’s most historic cities, filled with classical antiquities, medieval buildings, renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers to your hotel depart Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Then this extraordinary city is yours to discover. Later, join your Travel Director for dinner and enjoy the opportunity to mingle and get to know your fellow travelers.
Accommodation: Bettoja Massimo D'Azeglio, Rome
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Rome is about art, antiquity, piazzas and palaces, and your morning walking tour with a Local Expert includes this in abundance. Toss a coin into the spectacular Trevi Fountain and see the best-preserved monument from the Roman period - the Pantheon, before enjoying free time to do as the Romans do, in Piazza Navona. Perhaps join a tour inside the Catacombs with our local expert. This evening, enjoy a private visit to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, welcomed by the Rector of the basilica. Admire the stunning 9th-century Byzantine mosaics illuminated for this exclusive visit as you view the legendary well and renowned chapels.
Accommodation: Bettoja Massimo D'Azeglio, Rome
Meals: Breakfast
Start the day with your Local Expert they introduce you to the grandeur of the city, starting with the Vatican State, the richest community in the world. Visit the Vatican Museums, full of priceless treasures collected by the Popes. Enjoy fast-track entry to avoid the crowds and admire the Papal art collection. Once inside the Sistine Chapel, admire Michelangelo's famous ceiling. Your travels continue through peaceful Umbria and Tuscany, to arrive at the city of Florence. A Local Expert will accompany you to the Duomo, where the Gates of Paradise adorn the baptistery. Continue to Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city. Lined with fountains and statues, it acts as an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Take time to gaze at Neptune and David as you explore the historic city center.
Accommodation: Bettoja Massimo D'Azeglio, Rome
Meals: Breakfast
The famous Italian Riviera and the Cinque Terre are a highlight of your journey. Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Italy’s most beautiful landscapes. With a Local Expert, appreciate the views as you approach one of the picturesque fishing villages by boat (weather permitting). Please note that the cruise is weather dependent. Spend time exploring the old medieval quarter or the popular sandy beach. Continue to your resort on the Italian Riviera. Savor authentic Italian cuisine with a delicious dinner.
Accommodation: B and B Park Hotel Suiss, Santa Margherita Ligure
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Pass Milan as you head north for the Italian Lake District via Lake Lugano. Continue into the heart of the Swiss Alps, passing through the Saint Gotthard Tunnel, one of the longest road tunnels in the world. Travel alongside towering mountains and past rushing torrents, down to scenic Lake Lucerne, where you are leisure for the rest of the afternoon.
Accommodation: Astoria Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, as an open-roof deck cable car, powered by solar panels, takes you to the summit. Stroll along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, and discover the local wildlife and flora. Upon returning to Lucerne, visit the town's iconic Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the heroic Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Afterwards, take a leisurely stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge and admire the Baroque Jesuit Church. The rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure—perhaps shop for fine watches and delectable Swiss chocolates. This evening, enjoy a selection of fine restaurants to choose from during your Dine-Around evening.
Accommodation: Astoria Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Journey through the rural French countryside of Burgundy, famous for its vineyards and wines, to arrive in the vibrant City of Light. During your time in Paris, see the impressive Eiffel Tower, the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral and the imposing facades of the Louvre. Discover the banks of the Seine with its many romantic bridges, see the obelisk in the center of the Place de la Concorde and drive along the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. With the evening free, there are countless opportunities to enjoy the lively atmosphere of this glittering city. Why not visit one of the world-famous cabaret shows?
Accommodation: Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
Meals: Breakfast
Start your day with an Insight Choice. Choose to explore community life in the picturesque Montorgueil district. Alternatively, join an avid foodie to explore small shops and sample local treats and delicacies. In the evening, indulge in refined French cuisine during your Celebration Dinner at the iconic restaurant La Coupole, frequently visited by the French entertainer Josephine Baker.
Accommodation: Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Bid farewell to your traveling companions as your journey comes to an end. Transfers arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Insight Vacations (CA)
Part of The Travel Company (TTC) family of brands, Insight Vacations began operations in 1978 and is based in Cypress, CA. Journeys are featured to destinations, such as the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland. The company offers are a variety of tours under the classifications of Regional Journeys, Country Roads, Discovery Journeys, Easy Pace trips, and Special Interest tours. Insight is the ideal name for the tour operator, as the journeys provided by Insight Vacations allow travelers to gain further insight into whatever destination they wish to explore. For example, Discovery Journeys are the ideal choice for first-time visitors to Europe. Itineraries include Dine-at-Home or Farm-to-Table experiences so travelers can learn more about how locals live and dine. Regional Journeys allow trip-goers to see a specific location in Europe that they have always wanted to see – Poland, Switzerland, Italy, etc. The carefully planned trips enable customers to immerse themselves in one specific region or country and to become acquainted with its culture, traditions, and people. For anyone seeking travel off the beaten track, Insight Vacations offers Country Roads – trips that lead travelers off the well-tread tourist trail to explore hidden gems where visitors can savor the local produce with Farm-to-Table dining. Some trips are offered under the Easy Pace travel style – the ideal trip choice for trip-goers who wish to slow their pace during their vacation. During these tours, vacationers stay at least 3 nights at each destination, giving them some additional time to explore a place and enjoy it. Regardless of the travel style, many of the vacations offered by Insight Vacations begin with Relaxed Starts – giving travelers time to sleep in a little, spend more time at breakfast, or explore an area on their own. The tour company prides itself on providing business class tours that features luxury coaches with 40 seats. While most coach touring operators provide vehicles with 53 seats, Insight Vacations has re-configured its motor coaches to hold up to 40 guests. This gives passengers extra leg room while traveling and offers them more space and privacy.
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