25-Nights European Grandeur - Start Paris, End Amsterdam, Small Group

European Grandeur - Start Paris, End Amsterdam, Small Group
See Paris icons like the Champs-Élysées through the eyes of your Local Expert, enjoy the gastronomic delights of pintxos tasting tours in San Sebastian, the foodie city of Spain and try your hand at Venice glassblowing in Italy, all on this grand European tour. From boutique fashionista shopping in the avenues of Paris to Picasso's trail blazing masterpieces in Madrid, this cultural tour de force is all encompassing. Barcelona dazzles with Gaudi's masterpiece-La Sagrada Família. The French Riviera offers an abundance of opulence, the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, the harbor of Monaco packed to the brim with luxury yachts, and in Vienna the regal history of Austria's Habsburg dynasty fires up the imagination.


Dining Summary

• 8 Dinner (D)
• 25 Breakfast (B)

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Paris: Join a 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: 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.
• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Vienna: Visit Capuchins Crypt, the burial place of the Habsburg family.
• Vienna: Visit a traditional coffeehouse to enjoy Viennese specialties of coffee and Sachertorte.

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

• Paris: Join your Travel Director and fellow guests at a local restaurant for a delightful dinner.
• San Sebastián: Enjoy an evening of pintxos, dining with locals in this Basque tradition. Your delicious dinner includes a wide variety of finger food delicacies, each with their own regional flavor, flair and presentation.
• Venice: In St Marks Square at sunset, long after the day-trippers have gone to their mainland hotels, sip cocktails canal-side before dinner at a local restaurant.
• 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.
• Amsterdam: Toast the culmination of your travels during a fabulous Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant.

Insight Choice

• Paris: Join a 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: 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.
• Vienna: Visit Capuchins Crypt, the burial place of the Habsburg family.
• Vienna: Visit a traditional coffeehouse to enjoy Viennese specialties of coffee and Sachertorte.

Insight Experiences

• Madrid: Visit the Reina Sofia Museum with an art historian and see Pablo Picasso's masterpiece Guernica, one of the world's greatest anti-war paintings. Alternatively, join a neighborhood walking tour to discuss social equity empowerment and learn about the history of women's movements in Spain.
• 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 City: Visit the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and see St. Peter's Basilica.
• Rhineland: The beautiful scenery of the Rhine River is punctuated by the many castles dotted along its banks. Delight in a private estate viewing of one of these Rhineland castles and learn more about these living cultural monuments located along the Middle Rhine.

Make Travel Matter

• Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditiona