Great Escape - 23 days

Embark on your overnight flight to London. Meals: In-flight Enjoy a free afternoon to relax and unwind. In the evening, we'll have our welcome orientation followed by a fun London pub crawl. Meals: Inflight Inclusions: Transfer from airport to hotel included with purchased AESU group airfare Welcome orientation Pub crawl Look up free time suggestions for: England Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey: These familiar names become familiar places on our morning tour of London. During an afternoon at leisure, browse the many food, craft and clothing stalls at popular Camden Market, walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter at Leadenhall Market aka Diagon Alley, or take a ride on the London Eye for a birds-eye view of the city and the opportunity to take great photographs. After dusk, consider taking in some Shakespeare at the Globe Theater by the Thames River or attending a West End show. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: 1-day group tube pass Tour of London guided by a local historian Personal audio headset See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge and more Travel through the "Chunnel" below the English Channel to Paris. Our local historian shows us the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine once stood. Tonight, dine on French specialties at our bistro dinner. Afterward, we take a romantic cruise down the river Seine. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: English Channel Eurostar train Tour of Paris guided by a local historian See the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe and more See Paris-by-night illuminations French bistro dinner Seine River cruise Look up free time suggestions for: France Enjoy a free day in Paris today. Join your tour director this morning on an optional visit to a French perfumery and museum. Afterwards consider visiting the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV's residence. with its stunning Hall of Mirrors and the King's Grand Chambers. Marvel at the sheer size of the palace, one of the most beautiful castles in the world with an astonishing 700 rooms. Later check out another one of the 70 museums and monuments in and around Paris, such as the world famous Louvre, housing the Mona Lisa, Musée d'Orsay and Musée National Picasso. Your Paris Visite Pass will provide unlimited public transportation throughout the city. This evening you may opt to see a can-can cabaret show at the world-famous Moulin Rouge. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: Paris travel card with unlimited access to public transportation system Optional activity: Optional visit and tour of the Fragonard perfumery & museum French cabaret show Motor to Belgium and stop in Brussels to see the Grand Place, a perfect medieval square, and the statue of naughty Manneken Pis. Continue to Amsterdam and enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure. Take advantage of your included Amsterdam travel card with unlimited access to local transportation. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: See Brussels' Grand Place, Mannekin-Pis and more Amsterdam travel card Look up free time suggestions for: Belgium Holland Today, we'll go biking through 13th-century Dutch fishing villages along the Ijssel Lake beaches, watch wooden shoes being carved and sample Edam cheese at a cheese farm. Free time this afternoon in Amsterdam will allow time to tour the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum, or visit Anne Frank's house. This evening we invite you to a scrumptious Dutch-Indonesian rice table dinner, a specialty in Holland as Indonesia was once a Dutch colony. Afterwards we admire the Netherlands' capital gliding through some of the 165 romantic canals aboard a glass-topped canal boat. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Bike riding in the Dutch countryside Visit to wooden shoe maker and Edam cheese farm Dutch-Indonesian rice table dinner Amsterdam canal cruise Cross the German border into Cologne, famous for the world's largest gothic cathedral. Embark on a cruise along the fabled Rhine River, passing steeply sloped vineyards, ancient castles, and the legendary Lorelei Rock. Continue to Heidelberg, the "City of the Student Prince" and climb to the ruins of the Castle of the Palatine Elector for a bird's-eye view of the city and the Neckar River. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: See the Cologne Cathedral Rhine River cruise See Heidelberg Castle Look up free time suggestions for: Germany Germany's Romantic Road takes us to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This medieval city is celebrated not only for its well-preserved gothic and baroque buildings and walls, but also for its unspoiled picturesque setting. Enjoy lunch at a local Gasthaus before continuing our journey to the fun-filled Oktoberfest city of Munich. Tonight you'll have a free evening to check out the oompah-pah bands at the famous Hofbräuhaus. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Inclusions: Drive along Germany's Romantic Road See Medieval Rothenburg Gasthaus lunch See the Oktoberfest city of Munich This morning we visit Dachau Memorial site, established in 1965, twenty years after it was liberated by American forces. During afternoon free time, consider visiting the BMW museum, seeing the Glockenspiel Chimes at the Marienplatz, visiting the 1972 Olympic Village or shopping for Bavarian beer steins and lederhosen on Maximilianstrasse. Tonight, we'll dine on authentic Bavarian fare. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Visit Dachau Memorial Site See Munich's Glockenspiel chimes, Marienplatz and more Traditional Bavarian dinner On our journey to Austria, we stop at a salt mine and enjoy a ride down slides, dressed in miner's clothing. Afterwards we continue to the city of Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and site where the classic movie, "The Sound of Music" was filmed. Explore the narrow streets lined with colorful wrought iron signs and shops before we continue our journey to Europe's largest alpine sports region. Be our pampered guest for two nights of fitness and fun while nestled in the snow-capped Austrian mountains. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Visit the Berchtesgaden salt mines See Europe's largest Alpine sports region See Mozart's city of Salzburg Hearty Austrian dinner Look up free time suggestions for: Austria All day today is at our leisure; go for a hike in the Alps or join the fun and excitement of whitewater rafting. A hearty Austrian dinner awaits after all of today's activity. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Hiking in the Austrian Alps Alpine dinner Optional activity: Whitewater rafting The picturesque landscape of the Austrian Lake District makes way for sunny Italy's Venice-"The Sinking City in the Sea." Our private boat takes us to Murano Island, Venice's glassmaking center since the 13th-century, where we visit a workshop and watch famous Venetian glass being made. Back in Venice, we walk along the narrow maze of back streets and bridges that take us to St. Mark's Square with the Campanile, Doge's Palace and flocks of friendly pigeons. Consider a romantic gondola ride this evening gliding through the intricate maze of canals beneath arched bridges and passing by 12th and 18th-century marble palaces. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: See Venice's Doge Palace, St. Mark's Square and more Private boat to Murano Island Glass blowing workshop and demonstration Look up free time suggestions for: Italy Optional activity: Gondola ride Through the fertile Po Valley we approach Florence, Golden City of the Renaissance and birthplace of Michelangelo. Our Florence art tour includes the Gates of Paradise, the marble Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, and Giotto's bell tower. Afterwards enjoy free time for shopping and museums. Tonight, enjoy our dinner of traditional Florentine fare. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: See the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Giotto's Bell Tower and more Tour of Florence guided by a local historian Personal audio headset Traditional Florentine dinner A free day to explore the Uffizi Gallery and see the collections of Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael and da Vinci. The Galleria dell'Accademia houses several sculptures by Michelangelo including his famous David (advance reservation requred). Opt to join us for time under the Tuscan sun starting with a picturesque drive through the vineyards of one of the best known wine growing areas, Chianti. Our excursion includes a tour of the winery and a tasting of a selection of local wines. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: Florence city sights Optional activity: Chianti excursion This morning we continue our travels south to the capital of Italy. Get ready to soak up Rome's dolce vita lifestyle as we explore the city's picturesque streets and piazzas with our local historian. Ancient icons such as the Colosseum or Caesar's Roman Forum remind us of the city's golden age as the capital of the world. Vatican City with St. Peter's Basilica towering over the square, and colossal cathedrals throughout the city, tells stories of its history as seat of the Catholic Church. Use your included Roma pass to visit the Colosseum (reservations required) and take advantage of the included unlimited use of public transportation Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: Tour of Rome and Vatican City guided by a local historian Personal audio headset See Caesar's Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Pantheon and more Visit St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City Roma pass entrance to Palatine Hill and Forum Special access and discounts with Roma Pass Unlimited access to local transportation with Roma pass A free day in Rome may find you exploring Piazza Navona, climbing the famous Spanish Steps and tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain to ensure your return to Rome. Try numerous flavors of the fabulous gelato ice cream or find yourself window-dreaming on the Via dei Condotti, one of Rome's fashionable shopping streets. This evening, we cross the Tiber River to Trastevere, one of Rome's oldest neighborhoods, for our fun Italian Pizza Party. Toppings range from a simple drizzle of olive oil, rosemary and salt, to mushrooms, proscuitto ham and artichokes. Buon appetito! Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: See Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and more Special access and discounts with Roma Pass Unlimited access to local transportation with Roma Pass Pizza party in Trastevere Look up freetime suggestions for: Vatican City Sunny olive groves line the way south to Pompeii. Under the shadow of Vesuvius, the volcano that buried this ancient city in 79 A.D., explore the excavated wonders including homes, markets and temples that remain intact, and streets that still bear the marks of chariot wheels from 2,000 years ago. Afterwards, we cross the Italian "boot" and board our overnight ship to Greece. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: Tour of the Pompeii excavations guided by a local historian Personal audio headset Scenic overnight ship from Italy to Greece After cruising through aquamarine waters, our ship docks at Patras. Motor along the Corinthian Sea across the Peloponnese to Galatas and the island of Poros. Relax and unwind with three days of living like a Greek god or goddess. Enjoy a welcome drink at the pool bar before exploring this idyllic island. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Relaxing pool and beach time Enjoy iconic Greek sunsets Traditional Greek dinner Look up free time suggestions for: Greece Today is free to enjoy at your leisure. Go for a swim, bask in the golden sun, or take part in optional watersports such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, parasailing, banana-boating or tubing. Dancing like Zorba at a local tavern is always a must-do evening activity. Meals: Breakfast Inclusions: Explore the white-washed village center of Poros Traditional Greek dinner Beach and pool Optional activity: Watersports Poros old town center has great shopping or the more adventurous can venture to the 6th-century BC ruins of Poseidon's Temple on the island's highest peak. Bicycles will be provided today, which offer an opportunity to further explore the island. Tonight, we invite everyone to our fun toga party. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Bike rental on the Isle of Poros Beach and pool Greek BBQ dinner Greek toga party In the morning we board our ferry to Athens. See the 2,400-year-old Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Constitution Square. A free afternoon may find us wandering the paths of Plato, Socrates and Sophocles or trying our bargaining skills at the markets of Monastiraki. This evening follow the sounds of traditional bouzouki music and join our farewell taverna dinner in the Plaka District - Athens' oldest neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Inclusions: Tour of Athens guided by a local historian Acropolis admission Greek tavern farewell dinner Greek music and dancing Reluctantly we say farewell to Europe and new-found friends. Jet back home with thoughts of planning your next adventure! Meals: Breakfast, In-flight Inclusions: Transfer from hotel to airport included with purchased AESU group airfare