Arrive in Italy
Touch down in bella Roma, the Eternal City. Here, Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope in A.D. 800. After clearing customs, you are greeted by your EF Tour Director, who will remain with you throughout your stay.

Visit Vatican City
Today, you will explore Vatican City, the world’s smallest country. Begin at the Vatican Museum, where elaborate galleries filled with one artistic masterpiece after another lead you directly to the Sistine Chapel. Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted some of the world’s finest pictorial images on the chapel’s ceiling. This was his first attempt at working in fresco, which he did by standing up and craning backward from a scaffold. Next, tour St. Peter’s Basilica, erected on the site where the saint was martyred. Enter the basilica under the watchful eyes of the brightly dressed Swiss Guard. Inside, admire Michelangelo’s Pietà, the only sculpture he ever signed.

Guided sightseeing &
Wallking Tour of Rome
Get to know Imperial Rome on a panoramic tour. Then spend time exploring the mighty Colosseum, Rome’s largest amphitheater. Its elaborate construction spanned two emperors—building began between A.D. 70 and 72 under Vespasian and was completed in A.D. 80 under Titus. Originally built to accommodate nearly 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum played host to some of the most incredible spectacles of the day, including gladiatorial combat, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and even dramatic performances based on classical mythology. Later, pass by the Forum Romanum, once the heart of the Roman Empire.

As part of your walking tour of Rome, stop at the Trevi Fountain and make sure to toss in a coin to ensure your return to Rome. Then view the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in the city, commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian around A.D. 120. This temple to “all the gods” features the second-widest dome in Rome. Then, during free time, continue to the Piazza Navona before meeting at the Spanish Steps prior to dinner.

Optional excursion to Pompeii
Learn how wealthy Romans lived 2,000 years ago in Pompeii, one of the richest archaeological sites in the world. When neighboring Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, volcanic ash completely buried the Roman resort. Now it is fully excavated, and you can see the ruins of villas, ancient temples and Stabian Baths, as well as ancient frescoes and mosaics that miraculously survived the city’s demise. On this full day excursion you will have a guided tour as well as an included lunch and free time.

Rome to Florence
Arrive in Florence, birthplace of the Italian language, the Renaissance and opera.

Guided sightseeing of Florence
Fall under the spell of the powerful Medici family on your guided tour. Pass the classical statues of the Piazza della Signoria, where Michelangelo’s David originally stood and now the site of an impressive replica. From behind the Uffi zi Palace, you will see the Ponte Vecchio, one of the city’s only bridges to survive WWII and now one of its most photographed sites. The bridge provided the Medici easy access from the Pitti Palace to the Uffi zi. Continue past the Chiesa di Santa Croce, final resting place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo.

Next, you will visit the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better known as the Duomo, or dome, that dominates Florence’s skyline. Th e dome was sculptor and architect Brunelleschi’s finest work, and the nearby campanile (bell tower) was designed by the painter Giotto. Look for the famous bronzed doors—Ghiberti’s legendary Gates of Paradise—at the Baptistery opposite the Duomo. Later, watch artisans at work at a local leather-making demonstration.

Night Train to Paris
Tonight, enjoy couchette accommodations aboard your overnight train bound for elegant Paris.

Disembark in Paris, cosmopolitan City of Light.

Visit to the Louvre
Built to defend the city in the 13th century, the Louvre today safeguards one of the world’s greatest art collections. Enter the museum through world-renowned architect I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid, constructed in 1989. Inside, discover priceless antiquities from Asia, Greece and Rome. You’ll also see precious objects from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as iconic European paintings such as the Mona Lisa.

Walking tour of Paris
Begin at the Louvre and cross over the Seine river. On the left bank, watch the bouquinists selling old books and postcards and catch glimpses of the Conciergerie and St. Chapelle from the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in the city. Continue through the Latin Quarter, an area dominated by the Sorbonne, Paris’ most famous university, founded in 1253. Th e quarter was named for its inhabitants’ native tongue; Latin was the offi cial language until 1793. As you stroll, look for the Panthéon, created by Louis XV because of a promise he made during a severe illness to build a church dedicated to Saint Geneviève if he survived. Your tour will end at Notre Dame Cathedral.

Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
Built between 1163 and 1361 over the remains of an ancient Roman temple, it was here that Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804. Victor Hugo once described the sculptured façade of Notre Dame as “a vast symphony in stone.” However, had it not been for the creation of his famous hunchback, Quasimodo, the cathedral might never have returned to its former glory. Hugo’s novel Th e Hunchback of Notre Dame helped inspire a 23-year restoration of the cathedral that began in 1841. Step inside to admire the stained-glass rose windows and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings.

Guided sightseeing of Paris
Discover the city on theSeine from the imposing Arc de Triomphe, commemorating Napoleon’s Grande Armée, to the Île de la Cité, birthplace of Paris. Take a drive down the elegant Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde. Pass the Conciergerie, where prisoners of the Revolution spent their final days, and see Les Invalides, Louis XIV’s grand retirement home for wounded soldiers. You’ll also see the École Militaire, where Napoleon graduated to lieutenant and was told he’d go far if circumstances allowed.

Next, make a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower to marvel at the 6,000-ton centerpiece for the 1889 World’s Fair. You’ll hear the story of how this impressive— but once highly controversial—symbol of Paris was spared the wrecking ball in 1909.

Optional excursion
to Versailles
Join an optional half-day excursion to Versailles, the elaborate palace of Louis XIV. Here, the Sun King held court in the most lavish style imaginable. At one point, 1,000 nobles were attended by 4,000 servants inside the palace, while 15,000 soldiers and servants inhabited the annexes. Stroll through the elegantly landscaped gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, tour the State Apartments of the King himself, walk through the historic Hall of Mirrors, admire the ornate decor of the State Apartments of the Queen, and enjoy free time for lunch. (Please note: Because of the extreme popularity of Versailles, guided visits of the interior cannot be guaranteed during peak seasons. In this case, your group will hear a presentation from your guide before entering the palace. Versailles is closed on Mondays. Participants must enroll in this excursion no later than 50 days prior to departure.)