Europe Tour

Arriving via Düsseldorf

We meet at the Turkish Airlines counter in the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport, 3 hours before the flight. After check-in and passport control we board Turkish Airlines flight TK 1523, departing at 08.00 for Düsseldorf. We land at 09.20 local time and start our city tour with our waiting vehicle.

Our city tour of Düsseldorf, one of Germany's leading cities for culture, art and industry, takes in the Rheinturm with its revolving restaurant, Schloss Benrath, the Königsallee shopping street and the green Hofgarten.

We then set off for Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, bordered by Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. Our city tour takes in Dam Square, Central Station, the National Monument, the Royal Palace and the Flower Market.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Amsterdam.

Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Fairytale Villages and Canals tour (Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Giethoorn, 110 Euro).

The first stop is Zaanse Schans, where historic windmills dating back to the 17th century are still at work among wooden houses and green fields; it feels like walking through an open-air museum. Our 2nd stop is Marken, once an island and now joined to the mainland by reclaimed land. Next comes Volendam, with its harbour, typical Dutch houses and locals in traditional dress, a good place to taste seafood and cheese and to pick up inexpensive souvenirs.

The last stop is Giethoorn, the "Hobbit Village" and one of the most storybook places in Europe. It owes its fame to the 1958 film "Fanfare" and today welcomes over 800,000 visitors a year. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Amsterdam.

Bruges, Ghent and Brussels

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Brussels. On the way, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Bruges and Ghent (90 Euro).

The first stop is Bruges, one of the most visited cities in Europe and protected by UNESCO since 1991. After exploring its medieval architecture, canals, narrow lanes, bridges and squares, we continue to Ghent, another city where time seems to have stopped. With 1400 years of history, Ghent grew up where the Scheldt and the Lys meet and was one of the largest and richest cities of the Middle Ages. After our tour of its historic monuments and university quarter, we continue to Brussels.

Brussels, one of the highlights of any Benelux route, stands out for its cosmopolitan character. On arrival we see the Royal Palace, the Chinese and Japanese houses, the cathedral, the main square, the Stock Exchange building, the Atomium and the Manneken Pis statue. After the tour we transfer to our hotel for free time. Overnight at our hotel in or around Brussels.

Arriving in Paris

After breakfast at the hotel we head for Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world. On arrival we see Charles de Gaulle and the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees, the Louvre and its Pyramid, Place de l'Etoile, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais exhibition halls, Place de la Concorde and its Obelisk, the French Parliament, the Alexandre 3 Bridge, the Seine, Napoleon's Tomb and the Eiffel Tower. After the tour we transfer to our hotel for free time. Overnight at our hotel in or around Paris.

A day among Paris icons

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Paris Masterpieces and Seine boat tour (110 Euro), covering the Eiffel Tower, a Seine boat trip, Montmartre, the Sacre Coeur Basilica and Notre Dame Cathedral.

We start at the Eiffel Tower, visited by millions every year, and go up to its 2nd floor for a view over Paris. A boat trip on the Seine, the river that divides the city, then passes the landmarks on both banks. Next we ride up Montmartre, the highest hill in Paris, where Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Dalida, Vincent van Gogh and Jean Marais left their mark. Our first stop there is the Sacre Coeur.

After a break at Place du Tertre, where you can shop or have your portrait drawn, we visit Notre Dame Cathedral, built on the orders of King Louis VII, who reigned from 1137 to 1180, to show the political, economic and cultural power of Paris. After a short photo stop we transfer to our hotel.

In the evening, guests who wish can join the optional extra Paris by Night tour (35 Euro). The city has a different beauty after dark, and we see the Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre and many more boulevards, buildings and squares under the lights. Afterwards we return to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Paris.

On to Luxembourg

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Luxembourg. The city tour on arrival takes in Notre Dame Cathedral, the Grand Ducal Palace, the City Hall and Constitution Square.

After the tour, guests who wish can join the optional extra History and Mosaics tour of Trier, Remich and Schengen (65 Euro). The first stop is Trier, founded by the Romans in 15 BC and regarded as the oldest city in Germany. Set among vineyard-covered red sandstone hills on the Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine, Trier is home to the Porta Nigra, the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps, Roman remains within a UNESCO World Heritage site, St. Peter's Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, the Basilica of Constantine and the house where the thinker Karl Marx was born.

Next is Remich, where Luxembourg's low taxes and border location make it the cheapest place on the tour to buy chocolate, coffee and spirits. The last stop is Schengen, where the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg meet and where the free movement agreement that removed passport controls between EU countries was signed. In this wine village you can taste local wines and see the monument and the building where the agreement was signed. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Luxembourg.

Strasbourg and the Alsace villages

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Strasbourg. Strasbourg, the jewel of Alsace and one of the most beautiful cities in France, has some of the largest cobbled medieval quarters in Europe, and walking them feels like travelling back in time. With its timber-framed houses, historic churches, cathedrals and works of art, it is also the city where the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", was written, and Alsatian culture and French architecture blend here. The city tour takes in Strasbourg Cathedral, the Rohan Palace, Place Kleber and the Petit France quarter with its traditional Alsatian houses.

After the tour, guests who wish can join the Alsace Fairytale Villages tour of Eguisheim, Colmar, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr (110 Euro). The first stop is Eguisheim, voted "France's Favourite Village" in 2013, whose colourful houses make a postcard of Alsatian architecture. We continue to Colmar, known for its medieval buildings, Gothic churches and brightly painted houses. Its well-preserved streets lead to St. Martin's Cathedral, built entirely of pink stone, Little Venice with its small canals, Maison Pfister, one of the oldest houses in town, and the Renaissance Maison des Tetes, decorated with carved faces.

The third stop is Kaysersberg, a medieval town of colourful houses and narrow lanes, watched over by its 13th century castle, Château de Kaysersberg, with the Gothic Sainte-Croix Church at its centre. Our last stop is Riquewihr, with its half-timbered houses, flower-decked old buildings and walls. We see the ruins of Riquewihr Castle and walk along the old ramparts of the village.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel in or around Strasbourg. Overnight at our hotel in or around Strasbourg.

Farewell via Freiburg and Basel

After breakfast we check out and set off for Freiburg. Freiburg, near the Black Forest, is known for its natural setting and medieval character. The city tour takes in the Münster, the Gothic cathedral that is the symbol of the city, the Markthalle covered market, Münsterplatz, Rathausplatz, Kaiser Joseph Strasse, Augustinerplatz, Adelhauser Platz and Gerberau.

We then continue to Basel, where our city tour begins on arrival. Basel, the third most populous city in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva, is small in size but rich in both modern and historic sights. Our city tour takes in Basel Cathedral, where the Dutch Renaissance writer Erasmus is buried, the main square Marktplatz, the Government Building and the Hotel Les Trois Rois.

After the tour we transfer to Basel Airport. After check-in and passport control we board Turkish Airlines flight TK1926, departing at 18.05 for Istanbul. We arrive at 23.15 local time, and our tour ends.