European Essentials

DAY 01 / DEC 17 MANILA / ROME                                                                                            Depart Manila on board a prestigious airline for an overnight flight to Rome. Enjoy in-flight meals and entertainment.

DAY 02 / DEC 18 ROME (D)
Welcome to Rome! Upon arrival, proceed to the exit where our representative will meet and assist you. Dinner and transfer to your hotel.

DAY 03 / DEC 19 ROME (ABF,D)
Drive to the city for a full day city sightseeing tour which includes a visit to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Afterwards, continue the tour seeing the Colosseum, Roman Forum, the beautiful Piazza de Venezia, the Spanish Steps and the Fountain of Trevi. After dinner return to your hotel.

DAY 04 / DEC 20 ROME – ASSISI (Approx 3 hrs) ASSISI – PISA (Approx 3 hrs) (ABF, D) Ascend to Assisi, the beloved town of St. Francis, to visit the Upper and Lower Basilica and see the Tomb of St. Francis where you can offer some prayers. Drive to Pisa for a photo stop of the famous Leaning Tower and Pisa Cathedral. Transfer to your hotel in Pisa for dinner and check-in.

DAY 05 / DEC 21 PISA – VENICE (Approx 4 hrs) (ABF, D)                                                        Continue your drive to Venice. Upon arrival, take your boat to Venice Island. See San Marco Square and admire the Byzantine St. Mark’s Cathedral, the Clock Tower, the Bridge of Sighs and a panoramic view of the lavish Doge’s Palace. Afterwards, see a Murano Glass blowing demonstration. Then re-board your coach for dinner and check in to your hotel for overnight.

DAY 06 / DEC 22 VENICE – SALZBURG (Approx 5 hrs) (ABF,D)
Cross the Austrian border today to Salzburg. Upon arrival, proceed to visit the Mirabelle Gardens and the Old Town to see the house of Mozart. The rest of the day is at leisure.

DAY 07 / DEC 23 SALZBURG – INNSBRUCK (Approx 2 hrs) INNSBRUCK – VADUZ (Approx 2 hrs) VADUZ – ZURICH (Approx 2 hrs) (ABF, D)                                                             Check out of your hotel and transfer to Innsbruck, see the Golden Roof before your visit to the Swarovski Crystal Gallery for a chance to buy some crystal ornaments. Later, cross the border to Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, dominated by its Castle perched on a hilltop. Continue to Switzerland on your way to Zurich for dinner and overnight.

DAY 08 / DEC 24
ZURICH – LUCERNE (Approx 40 mins) LUCERNE – ZURICH (Approx 40 mins) (ABF,D) This morning, drive to Lucerne and board your Rotair cable car on your way to Mt. Titlis for a magnificent view of the other surrounding peaks before spending the rest of the day at the Old Town shopping for famous Swiss products like, knives, chocolates, Bally shoes and perhaps, a Rolex or an Omega watch. Return to Zurich for overnight.

DAY 10 / DEC 26 RHINELAND AREA – COLOGNE (Approx 3hrs 30min)
COLOGNE – AMSTERDAM (Approx 3hrs 30min) (ABF,D)
After breakfast, see more of the German countryside sceneries as you make your way to Cologne and visit the 13th – century Gothic Cathedral with its soaring twin – spires. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. Then cross over the Dutch border to Amsterdam.

DAY 11 / DEC 27 AMSTERDAM (ABF,D)
This morning, visit a Cheese and Clog Farm and learn how the Dutch people mastered the art of making cheese and clogs. Afterwards, take photos of a picturesque Windmill then drive to a Diamond Polishing House for a visit. Later, drive to Volendam, a fishing village outside Amsterdam then return to the city and go on a Canal cruise aboard a glass-roofed launch and admire the gabled houses and humpback drawbridges.

DAY 12 / DEC 28 AMSTERDAM – BRUSSELS (Approx 3hrs) BRUSSELS – PARIS (Approx 4 hrs) (ABF, D) Drive through the Belgian border to Brussels. Stop in Heysel district for photos of the famous Atomium, forming the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, before heading to the beautiful Grand Place, surround- ed by opulent guildhalls and two larger edifices, the city’s Town Hall, and also see the Mannekin Pis, best known symbol of the people of Brussels and embodying their sense of humor and their independence of mind. Later, cross the French on your way to Paris for dinner and overnight.

DAY 13 / DEC 29 PARIS (ABF,D)
After breakfast, drive to the city for a half-day city tour of Paris as you see the sights of both banks of the River Seine: the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Concorde Square, the Place Vendome, Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower plus a River Seine Bateaux Mouche Cruise. After a short free time for shopping, proceed to dinner then return to your hotel.

DAY 14 / DEC 30 PARIS / MANILA (ABF)
Your memorable tour concludes today with a transfer to the airport for your flight back to Manila

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