Welcome to Rome. On arrival complimentary airport transfers are provided to your hotel, at 09.30, 12.30 and 15.30, and the rest of the day is yours at leisure. Maybe sip a coffee in the piazza and soak up the city’s unique energy and ambiance? Later, meet your Travel Director and fellow travel companions for a delicious Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant.

Today the full day is devoted to discovering the Eternal City. Join a Local Expert for an in-depth visit to the Vatican City, and explore the Vatican Museums with Insight’s special priority entry to avoid the crowds. Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to the Bramante Staircase, a marvel of Renaissance architecture normally off-limits to visitors. Visit the Sistine Chapel where Popes are elected and admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica to wonder at another of his works and stand beneath the dome which was completed after his death. During a walking tour of Rome, toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and visit the impressive Pantheon.

A highlight for art lovers today is a visit to the Galleria Borghese, one of the most renowned art museums in the world. This beautiful, elegant mansion houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, featuring works from renowned artists including Caravaggio, Bernini, Tiziano, Raphael, Ruebens and Botticelli. The rest of the day is yours to explore before joining your fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant in the evening.

Traveling into the heart of Italy, we take in the flavors of the Umbria region. Enjoy a magical culinary experience, learn about local ingredients and Italian food culture as we join a local chef for a fascinating cooking demonstration, followed by lunch and a glass of wine. Continue through the idyllic landscapes into Tuscany and on to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance.

With a Local Expert, visit the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in Europe. Admire art collections from Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael amongst other great artists. Then embark on a sightseeing trip to see the multicolored marble Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore, and marvel at its bell tower and baptistry, adorned by Ghiberti’s “Gate of Paradise”. This evening is yours to enjoy the ambience of this timeless city.

Travel to the captivating town of Lucca, an almost perfectly preserved jewel of medieval architecture and buildings. Indulge in a wine and olive oil tasting with light lunch before heading to the fashion capital Milan. This evening, enjoy a delicious dinner featuring local flavors.

Today we explore the spectacular Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie with a Local Expert. An outstanding work of architecture, the Renaissance Church is world famous as the site of Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco of “The Last Supper” which is preserved inside its refectory* (dining hall) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later, visit La Scala Opera House, regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theaters in the world. The rest of the day is yours at leisure to discover Milan. Perhaps take an excursion into the Lake District? (*Tickets to The Last Supper entirely subject to availability.)

Today we say farewell to Italy and travel into the mountains of Switzerland for one of the greatest scenic highlights Europe has to offer. Climb to the top of Mount Stanserhorn by old-timer railway and the world's only Cabrio cable car. At the peak, there’s time to enjoy glorious views of the central Alpine chain, explore the hiking trails or just relax and enjoy the panoramic terrace before descending and continuing to lakeside Lucerne.

Traveling into the Burgundy wine region of France, we stop in the walled town of Beaune. Join your Travel Director for a walk through the cobbled streets and impressive medieval ramparts. Renowned for its wine production and architectural marvels, including stunning tiled roof of the Hospices de Beaune, the town boast a long and fascinating history from the pre-Roman era through to the Renaissance. Next continue to the French capital, Paris, where this evening we will enjoy a delicious typical French style dinner, at a local restaurant in the heart of the city.

This morning on your orientation of Paris, see the Eiffel Tower, the façades of the Louvre, the obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde and enjoy a drive along the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. We visit Paris’s first digital art Museum, Ateiler des Lumières. With state-of-the-art visuals and audio, artists works become an immersive and panoramic show. Then there is time free to explore Paris at your leisure. This evening we visit the renowned Louvre Museum at night, offering a totally different perspective. Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre has embraced the history of France for eight centuries and features works admired across the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo.

Join your Local Expert to visit the Musée d’Orsay. The former Gare d’Orsay of Beaux-Arts architecture is now one of the largest museums in Europe and home to the largest art collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Be enthralled by the works of Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne and Van Gogh, amongst others. This afternoon, perhaps join an optional experience to Monet’s garden in Giverny to see the inspiration for some of his most famous works before heading back to Paris.

Travel into Belgium today and make a stop in the sublime canal city of Ghent. A jewel of Europe, its center is renowned for medieval architecture such as the 12th century Gravensteen Castle and Graslei, a row of beautiful facades reflected in the River Lys. Relax at a cafe terrace, shop for Belgian chocolates, or simply take in the atmosphere. Our journey today ends in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, a vibrant metropolis and still a living museum of the 17th Century.

Admire world famous masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum. Among the collection are works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer. Then onto the Van Gogh Museum, home to the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings in the world.This evening enjoy dinner while cruising through the canals and celebrate our time on this extraordinary journey.

Today bid farewell to your fellow travelers as your artistic journey comes to an end. Airport transfers depart at 08.00 and 10.00.