European Grand Tour

The 'City of Love' has always dazzled visitors with its vibrancy, unique history and romantic moments by the River Seine. Paris is seductive, stunning whatever the weather, but above all, timeless. There's plenty to do and see in Paris, but it's a city that captivates its guests with the little things: strolling the cobbled avenues, people-watching in the finest French cafés and savouring freshly-baked pastries from a local boulangerie. Paris oozes chic, with trendy boutiques and haute-couture labels dotted all over every arrondissement. Paris is also home to the most visited art museum in the world, The Louvre, and boasts many other fascinating museums, with dynamic and developing exhibitions.

Take in the highlights of Paris as you enjoy a driving tour around the French capital city, admiring the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Le Grand Palais, l'Opera Garnier and Palace Vendome.

The Palace of Versailles dates back to 1038 and was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 until 1790. Used by Louis XIV initially as a hunting lodge, he had the property expanded to become the magnificent site of French classical architecture that it is today. The interior showcases beautiful examples of baroque furnishings, a rare collection of objects d'art and the famous grand Hall of Mirrors.

From the central window of the Hall of Mirrors, you look down on the grand perspective that leads the gaze from the Water Parterre to the horizon. This vast perspective stretches from the façade of the Château de Versailles to the railings of the park. In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre with the design and the laying out of the gardens of Versailles which, in his view, were just as important as the Château. The works were undertaken at the same time as those for the palace and took 40 years to complete. Enjoy a short walk around the gardens before visiting the Marie Antoinette Estate.

The creation of Marie-Antoinette’s estate is part of a project that aims to show Versailles’ contrasts: classical and Baroque, destitution and extravagance, male inspiration from Louis XIV and female inspiration from Marie-Antoinette to Madame de Pompadour.

This tour then includes exclusive access to apartments and rooms closed to the public, such as the apartments of Madame de Tourvel, secret passages and a gallery located above the Hall of Mirrors.

The Louvre is one of the most important and most visited museums in the world and extending over 210,000 square metres, it's the largest in Paris. You'll discover the Louvre's three great ladies - Venus de Milo, Victory of Samothrace, and Mona Lisa, as well as other key works.

Board the Belmond Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express in Paris and settle into your private cabin. A delicious four-course dinner will be served in the restaurant car, and after you can return to your cabin which has been turned into a cosy bedroom.

In the morning, you'll wake to the magnificent mountain scenery as breakfast is served in your cabin. Spend the morning relaxing before a three-course lunch. While away the afternoon admiring the beautiful landscape before crossing the Venetian lagoon and pulling into Santa Lucia station.

Sat within a shallow lagoon between the mouths of Po and Piave rivers, Venice consists of 118 islands formed by some 170 canals connected by over 400 bridges. The entire city is considered a World Heritage Site, an extraordinary architectural masterpiece in which even the smallest building may contain works by some of Europe's greatest artists.

Iconic attractions on the main Rialto islands are evocative by name alone - Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, Doge’s Palace, Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Grand Canal - a unique collection of brooding Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque architecture. Days can be spent discovering hidden galleries, museums and palazzos.

If you imagine landing in Venice from the sea, as did those who came inland by ship, the first thing you see rising out of the water is the unmistakable shape of the Doge's Palace - the city's most famous building. This building, considered the most representative symbol of Venice's culture, together with the Basilica of San Marco, forms one of the most famous scenes in the world. For centuries, the Doge's Palace had fundamental roles, as the Doge residence, the seat of government and as the palace of justice.

Your historical walking tour will then take you through the backstreets of Venice to the shimmering, mosaic-filled St. Mark's Basilica, the mightiest of Venetian monuments. Its architecture, a mixture of Byzantine, Roman and Venetian, is the work of artists and craftsmen who travelled from all over the world to contribute to the structure.

No visit to Venice would be complete without experiencing a gondola ride. Travel like a Venetian on a gondola down the city’s iconic canals, giving you a very special vantage point for absorbing the beauty of this city, as it is from the water that Venice offers its most spectacular views.

Visit Venice’s most famous islands, Murano, Burano and Torcello, and learn about their importance in history and trade. Your first stop will be in Murano, world-famous since the 1200s for the art of glassmaking, where you'll visit one of Venice’s most important glass factories and have a private show of how the intricate glasswork is made, as well as a tour of the showroom to spot works of great glass masters like Signoretto.

The second picturesque island is Burano, a fisherman island known for its brightly coloured houses and for its lace school. You'll see the women who still work this antique technique of lace-making by hand. The last stop is Torcello, the first island to be inhabited in the lagoon, where you'll hear the history and see its beautiful cathedral with its magnificent mosaics dating back to the 1100s. In Torcello, you'll also see the Locanda Cipriani where Ernest Hemingway stayed when in Venice and wrote A Farewell to Arms.

Surrounded by rolling Tuscan hills, the beautiful city of Florence is one of Europe's most enchanting and historically influential cities. If anywhere in the world can claim to have shaped modern Western consciousness, it is Florence's grand piazzas and palazzos. The world's greatest Renaissance artworks and sculptures can be found at every turn in the historical centre, an area that can be traversed on foot in under an hour.

Explore Florence’s Renaissance past with this guided walking tour of the city's historic centre. The Accademia Gallery is home to Michelangelo's David, one of the finest sculptures ever created, and though there are many copies across the city, this is the real deal. You'll also admire the church of Santa Maria del Fiore – the famous Duomo - and Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome; the nearby Campanile of Giotto (bell tower); and Ghiberti’s enchanting ‘Gates of Paradise’, the door to the Baptistry. Continue to the Piazza della Signoria, centre of Florentine politics and home to a captivating outdoor sculpture gallery.

This is an idea of what you can see during your tour of Florence but it can be tweaked to suit your interests - chat with your guide on the day and they will come up with an itinerary that's perfect for you.

Today, you'll discover the beautiful Chianti region with a private driver at your disposal. Learn about some of the most excellent Italian wines, or perhaps simply explore the enchanting Tuscan countryside and its scattered Medieval towns.

Your tour starts at the Piazza del Duomo with the spectacular Romanesque and Gothic cathedral. The square is surrounded by the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital, the Archbishop's Palace, the unfinished Duomo, Opera del Duomo Museum, the crypt and the baptistry. You'll then reach the Piazza del Campo, a unique shell-shaped area, which was paved with bricks in the 14th century. Be sure to look out for the different animals and symbols that represent the city's 17 contradas; giraffes, dragons, owl, unicorns and caterpillars all appear on the outside of buildings and competition between them is fierce during the Palio horse race, which happens twice a year.

Located on a hilltop in the beautiful Umbrian countryside, Orvieto is sure to capture your heart with its churches, cobbled lanes and medieval piazzas; the stunning Gothic cathedral is not to be missed.

Rome, Italy’s capital and largest city, needs little introduction. One of the most historied locations in the world, glorious reminders of Rome’s illustrious past, from ancient Roman wonders to Renaissance masterpieces, are all on show. That’s not to say that its cosmopolitan streets do not embrace the now; Rome is as exhilarating and forward-thinking as ever.

The Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, covering just 0.44 square kilometres. At the sprawling Vatican Museum, you'll tour the seemingly endless collection of treasures as you make your way to the single work of art that dwarfs them all: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. This tour will end with the extraordinary St. Peter’s Basilica designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

No visit to Italy would be complete without tasting an authentic Italian pizza, but what better way to experience this iconic Italian dish than through making your own? You’ll be welcomed by a professional pizza maker and be taken through the process of pizza making. You'll get to knead the dough, create the topping, pop it into the oven and best of all, you'll get to eat your creation too.

Discover the great Roman Forum, for centuries the centre of civic life as the site of triumphal processions, elections, public speeches and criminal trials. Then, along the Via Sacra (Sacred Way), head to the Palatine Hill, one of the most ancient area of the city, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium. Last but not least, enter the magnificent Colosseum, considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering, and capable of seating up to 50,000 spectators.