Ultimate Europe Tour 2025

We will depart from St. Louis on our flights to London. (IF)

When we land in London Heathrow, we will board our air conditioned bus and have an orientation tour of London on the way to the Millennium Gloucester Hotel where we will drop our bags. We will be traveling via THE TUBE, so your travel cards await you at the hotel. This afternoon there will be an off-road guided bike tour through some of London’s most famous parks, including Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Along with Buckingham Palace, you will see Kensington Palace and the Princess Diana Memorial. Bikes and helmets will be provided. Tonight’s meal will be in Covent Garden area where we can shop and watch some street performers.

We will begin our day with a Beefeater tour of the Tower of London. This historic palace was built by William the Conqueror after his invasion in 1066. Our tour will include the magnificent crown jewels. Later in the day, we will visit St. Paul’s, a magnificent church designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built in 1666. The energetic members of the group can climb the dome for incredible views of London. The afternoon will be at leisure, with some guided options available. We will meet up again in the West End Theater district to attend a performance of Les Mis.

Before we leave London, we will have two options for the day: 1. explore the secret headquarters of the greatest Briton, Sir Winston Churchill. The museum includes the underground nucleus of Britain’s war effort and an exhibition about all ninety years of Winston Churchill’s life. You will also be able to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the famous bell tower. 2. explore Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge Guide and see Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. In the afternoon, we will depart London for Windsor, where we will tour Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost a thousand years. Our tour will also include Queen Mary’s Doll House, St. George’s Chapel, and the State Apartments. We will then drive to Portsmouth and board our overnight ferry to France. The ferry has restaurants on board

We will land in St. Malo early in the morning, and our Tour Director will welcome us to France. We will have a tour of St. Malo, once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). Later in the day, we will visit one of the most iconic places in all of France. A magical island topped by a gravity defying medieval monastery, the Mont. St. Michel counts among France’s most stunning sights. We will then head to Caen and check in to our hotel and dine there for dinner.

Our full-day tour of the Normandy Beaches will include the Caen Memorial and entry to the Utah Beach Museum. Because of crowds, we will be a bit flexible, but other sites we will see include Pointe du Hoc, Colleville-sur-Mer, Arromanches, and Omaha Beach. Then, we will visit the American and German cemeteries and possibly have time to search for relative who were a part of the invasion. The evening will be free to explore Caen

On the way to Paris, we will tour Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, where he painted his famed water lily series. We will be having lunch at the gardens before we head to Paris. Our next highlight will be the magnificent palace of Versailles, home of French royalty, including the ‘Sun King’, Louis XIV. After time to tour the gardens, we will check-in to our hotel.

The Musée d’Orsay, once a railroad station, now houses a staggering collection of Impressionist art, as well as other items created between 1848 and 1914. After a guided tour of the paintings, we will have the afternoon will be at leisure to explore the famed "City of Lights."

Our day will begin with a visit to Notre Dame, the medieval cathedral by the River Seine. We will then take a half-day cooking class. We will create a starter and main course, with an option to learn about French wine from an expert sommelier. We will then enjoy stunning views of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, followed by a cruise on the Seine

Post Tour to Germany and Austria: We will take the high-speed TGV train from Paris to Munich and then transfer to the hotel. Our afternoon walking tour of the city will include sites of the Olympic Stadium, Nymphenburg Castle, the New and Old Pinakothek, Deutsches Museum, Marienplatz and the famous “Glockenspiel.” Our afternoon will have a tour of the city before we head to the tents to enjoy the culture, pageantry, and beer of OKTOBERFEST, Munich's most celebrated festival. (B/D) Hilton Munich City

Today, you can sleep in to prepare yourself for a day enjoying the entertainment at Munich's original Oktoberfest. We will have the ever-coveted tent, table, and beer vouchers so that we can enjoy the afternoon partying like the locals. We can enjoy the dancing, singing, and entertainment of this world festival. (B). Hilton Munich City

We will start the day at Dachau Concentration Camp to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of the Holocaust. Then, we will then drive to Neuschwanstein, one of the most photographed castles in Europe. It was the home of the reclusive King Ludwig II of Bavaria. We will tour the castle and then head for an overnight in Salzburg. (B) Imlauer and Brau hotel

We will tour the breathtaking landscapes that made the Sound of Music movie famous, as our guided tour takes us to locations that served as impressive backdrops to one of the world’s most-loved films. In the afternoon, we will tour Fortress Hohensalzburg, the Medieval star of Europe. Your tickets include audio guide and the funicular cable car return. OPTIONAL - Hitlers Eagle’s Nest Afternoon Excursion including guided tour, includes, coach, and admission If time permits, we will visit some sites related to Salzburg’s most famous resident, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. (B/D). Imlauer and Brau hotel

Transfer to the airport for return flight home to the USA! (B/IF)