This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour features a combination of escorted and independent travel. Part of your journey will be enjoyed as a group experience, led by expert tour leaders or local guides. The remainder is self-guided—whether by rail, cruise, or overland—allowing you the freedom to travel between destinations independently and explore at your own pace.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised for its customer response during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and well-being of our customers has always been our highest concern and, with 7 day expert support, flexible terms and low deposits, you can be certain that your next adventure is booked with confidence.
✓ Incredible sightseeing including a guided city tour of Paris and entry to the Eiffel Tower, explore picturesque Chillon Castle built on Lake Geneva, and discover incredible mountain scenery and quaint villages in the European Alps
✓ 10 nights in centrally located 3 and 4 star accommodation
✓ Daily breakfast and 1 special lunch
✓ English-speaking Tour Director throughout the tour
✓ Arrival airport transfer and meet and greet
✓ Dedicated transportation as outlined in the itinerary
✓ All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Paris! Transfer from airport to your hotel and enjoy free time to explore before meeting your guide and fellow travellers. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon, or you can check the informative panels in the hotel reception area.
This evening, transfer to the Montmartre quarter, a Bohemian district known for its artists. The visit includes a ride in the funicular railway to the top of the hill which has wonderful views of Paris.
Today enjoy a comprehensive tour of Paris with a local guide, visiting the Champs Elysees, Arch of Triumph, Concorde Square, Latin Quarter, Luxembourg Palace, Garnier Opera House, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Town Hall of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Your tour includes admission to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, affording stunning views across Paris.
The visit is followed by a spectacular cruise on the river Seine which divides the north of Paris from the south. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore as you choose. At sunset enjoy the evening transfer to “Quartier Latin”, a very picturesque area of the historic centre where a wide variety of international cuisines await you. Return to hotel.
Today is yours at leisure to explore Paris. You may wish to join the included transfer to the centre of Paris, the area of the Louvre Museum. Enjoy free time to stroll in the city. If you wish, we can accompany you to Benlux, one of the most complete and best-known perfumeries in Paris.
This morning we depart Paris and travel to the center of France. We cross the region of Bourgogne, an area known for its wines. The first stop today is in Semur en Auxois, with time for a walk and a coffee in this small medieval village surrounded by impressive walls. Later we stop in Beaune, a charming small village in the middle of the wine region of Bourgogne; Its streets full of flowers, its hospice, its wine museum. Enjoy time to walk and have lunch.
At 5pm this evening we arrive in Lyon. On the banks of the Rhône River, Lyon is the third city of France and was once the capital of the Roman Gallia. The historic centre of this lively city has been declared a World Heritage site. We include a funicular climb to Notre Dame de Fourvière where we have a great view of the city, before an evening at leisure.
This morning we depart Lyon and enter stunning mountainous areas as we travel to Switzerland. Our first stop is Geneva, a city next to Lake Leman that houses the European headquarters of the United Nations, the headquarters of the World Trade Organization, the Red Cross and many other international organizations. We will see them from the bus and enjoy free time to stroll through the old city.
After lunch our road follows the shore of Lake Leman and we travel amidst magnificent World Heritage -listed vineyards. Early this aftrnoon we arrive at Chillon Castle, where we have time to enter this fantastic medieval castle built in the waters of the lake. We continue our journey through magnificent mountain scenery as we cross areas of pretty villages with wooden architecture.
The next stop is Gruyere, a very picturesque walled tourist village in the centre of the famous cheese production area. Very near to Gruyere are some of the main Chocolate manufacturers of Switzerland (NESTLÉ among them). We visit the Cailler factory, with a sweet tasting included! Afterwards we continue through mountainous regions and beautiful Swiss villages, before arriving in Gstaad.
We travel through mountain landscapes and past lakes of great beauty before arriving in Grindenwald. Enjoy time to have a coffee at this mountain resort in the Bernese Alps before taking the Cable Car (ticket included) to Grindelwald First, the largest ski center in the region. We will take a short walk between impressive alpine landscapes to take the "footbridge over the emptiness", enjoying the glaciers that surround us. Lunch included for all passengers.
Our next stop is Meringen, where we will enter the spectacular Aaresluch Gorge for a walk. We leave with the bus taking one of the most spectacular mountain roads to the region of Switzerland where the official language is Italian. We overnight in Chiasso, a Swiss city on the Italian border.
This morning we arrive in Lugano, the cosmopolitan capital of Italian Switzerland with its beautiful lake. We have time to stroll around the beautiful town. We continue on the highway, crossing the mountains to get back to German -speaking Switzerland.
Our next stop is Bürglen, with time to stroll in the tiny village where William Tell was born. We shall see the 16th century chapel with paintings illustrating his life. You can also visit the museum of William Tell (additional expense).
Our next stop is Altdorf, where in its central square you will also find traces of the history of William Tell. Early this afternoon we arrive in Lucern – with free time to explore this beautiful city by the lake that bears its name.
Depart Luzern this morning for Einsiedeln. Its immense baroque abbey is the main point of pilgrimage in Switzerland. You can visit the abbey and walk around the city. Afterwards we continue towards the East of Switzerland to the border of Liechtenstein and Austria. At midday we arrive in Mainfeld the village which inspired Heidi’s story that you may know from the popular cartoons.
Enjoy a walk in its historic center before visiting Heidi’s House. We briefly enter the small independent country of Liechtenstein and stop in the capital Vaduz, with its castle that rises on a steep hill in the middle of the city.
We have time to walk and have lunch. At 5pm we arrive in Feldkirch in Austria, on the border with Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany. Feldkirch is a charming walled town with beautiful medieval old town and castle.
We enter to Switzerland again before arriving in St Gallen. St Gallen's city center is World Heritage-listed, with a wonderful cathedral and its historic center. Afterwards we follow Lake Constance, between Germany and Switzerland. We stop in Constance with time to stroll through this elegant city. Our next stop is the Island of Mainau, with access by pedestrian bridge. We include the entrance to know its beautiful botanical garden. Enjoy time for lunch.
Afterwards we arrive in Stein Am Rhein, a typical village on the Rhein River with precious houses with painted walls. We then visit the Rhein Waterfalls (entry included); the waterfalls with the most abundant flow in Europe. Arrive in Zurich, our last destination on this increible adventure.
With our guide, we will take a walk around the most populated city of Switzerland, which is also the country’s financial and cultural capital. The city of banks has been twice declared the city with the best quality of life in the world. At 10 -30am we start our almost two -hour cruise on Lake Zurich.
The boat makes brief stops to allow us to admire the villages along the way. Early this afternoon we visit Rapperswill, a small, picturesque village overlooked by its medieval castle where we have time for a stroll and lunch.
We return to Zürich by train, and will see the efficiency and punctuality of the Swiss railways. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon free.
Today your incredible journey through France and the European Alps comes to an end.
Booking Process
Booking On Request
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be affected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $912.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Available upon request.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visas may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
Group size varies from package to package. Depending on the services provided, the group size might range from private 2 person experiences up to coaches of 60 people depending on your selected holiday.
Tour Type - Partially Escorted
A portion of this tour runs as a group tour where you will be escorted by an expert tour leader. Another portion is self-guided. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible. The choice is yours.
Children
Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.
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