Tour Highlights and Details Overnight stays: Paris (2) Heidelberg (1) Munich (1) Prague (2) Berlin (2) Comprehensive sightseeing tours led by an expert local guide of the following: Guided sightseeing of Paris Guided sightseeing of Munich Guided Sightseeing of Prague Guided sightseeing of Berlin Entrances included to the following sites: Louvre Notre Dame Cathedral Heidelberg Castle/Wine Barrel BMW Museum Golden Lane St. Vitus Cathedral Checkpoint Charlie Museum Potsdam (Sanssouci & Cecilienhof) Optional Excursions: Versailles $ 100 Optional excursion prices are based on 20 paying participants and may be purchased until 50 days prior to departure or on tour at an increased price. The prices of optional excursions are subject to change. Included in the Program Fee: Round trip airfare Transfers to and from the airport and hotel and between destination cities (as per program itinerary) Overnight in hotels with private bathrooms Continental breakfast daily Dinner daily Full-time services of an EF Tour Director Not included in the Program Fee: Customary gratuities for your tour director, local guide and driver Porterage Personal Insurance Beverages and lunches Public transportation to free time activities
Paris, Germany and Prague A private tour designed by Michel Collette and Catherine Warren, in conjunction with EF Customized Tours Requested departure date: Thursday, May 16, 2013 (Dates below are subject to change. Required date flexibility of 4 days on either side of requested departure date) Day 1 Thursday, May 16, 2013 Board your flight to Paris! Day 2 Friday, May 17, 2013 Arrive in Paris Tour Director-led walking tour of Paris (time permitting) Join our walking tour of the chic Opéra district and the haute couture boutiques of Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré. Stroll through Place de la Concorde, the city s largest public square, built to honor Louis XV. The next Louis was not so lucky--he was beheaded here during the Revolution, along with Marie Antoinette. Continue through the geometric gardens of the Tuileries as you make your way to Place Vendôme, a vast square wrapped in 17th-century façades. Pass the Ritz hotel at no. 15, a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. (The exact walking route may vary depending on your hotel location and other activities.) Visit to the Louvre Museum The Palais du Louvre, built to defend the city in the 13th century, now safeguards one of the world s greatest art collections. Enter the museum through world-renowned architect I.M. Pei s 1989 modernist glass pyramid. Inside, discover priceless antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and Asia such the statues of Venus de Milo and Nike of Samothrace, better known as Winged Victory. You ll also see some of the Louvre s most prized paintings by Renaissance and European masters, including Leonardo da Vinci s painting of the mysterious Mona Lisa. Visit to 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 The 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. Overnight in Paris Day 3 Saturday, May 18, 2013 Guided sightseeing of Paris Discover the city on the Seine during your morning bus tour. Learn about Paris origins as a Roman settlement as you pass through the Île de la Cité, where you will also see Notre Dame Cathedral. Pass by the imposing Arc de Triomphe, commemorating Napoleon s Grande Armée, and the École Militaire, where he graduated to Lieutenant. Continue down the elegant Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde, dedicated to King Louis XV and the site where Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette were executed during the French Revolution. Then, head through the Quartier Latin where you will see the world-renowned Sorbonne University, and drive along the Seine for wonderful views of the Musée D Orsay, the Louvre and the Pont de Neuf, or new bridge, which is ironically Paris oldest. Finally, make a photo stop at the iconic
Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World s Fair. Learn why this impressive, yet controversial, symbol of Paris was spared the wrecking ball in 1909. Optional excursion to Versailles Step back into le grand siècle as you experience the opulence of Versailles, the elaborate palace of Louis XIV. Built to be the envy of all Europe, France s most extravagant château continually threatened to bankrupt the national treasury. 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. You ll also tour the State Apartments of the King himself and walk through the historic Hall of Mirrors, where France, Spain and England officially recognized the independence of the United States in 1783, and where the Treaty of Versailles, which ended WWI, was signed. You ll also witness the ornate decor of the Queen s State Apartments, furnished for Marie Antoinette. After your visit inside the palace, be sure to take some time to stroll through the elaborate gardens, designed by André Le Nôtre. 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. Overnight in Paris Day 4 Sunday, May 19, 2013 Transfer to Heidelberg Arrive in Heidelberg, one of Germany s most beautiful towns, standing proudly on the River Neckar. While its castle dominates the skyline, the town also has wonderful shopping and a vibrant nightlife due to its large university population. Visit Heidelberg Castle Overnight in Heidelberg Day 5 Monday, May 20, 2013 Transfer to Munich Arrive in Munich Welcome to Munich! This center of culture boasts over 45 museums, 10 university buildings and two opera houses. The city is also home to the Olympic center with full facilities and more than the occasional beer-hall. Guided sightseeing of Munich Your guided tour takes you past the Olympic Stadium, the headquarters of BMW, and the fashionable Schwabing district. You ll also pass the Residenz (once home to the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria), the Deutsches Museum, the university, and the Alte Pinakothek. Your tour concludes at Marienplatz, Munich s medieval heart, where you ll see the city s famed Glockenspiel. Munich derives from the city s German name, München (little monk), so named because the original settlement bordered a monastery. Visit to the BMW Museum Visit BMW s museum and showrooms where you can get a glimpse at both the standard, and some of the most unique, models of BMW cars. Learn about the technology that goes into producing these automobiles. Overnight in Munich
Day 6 Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Transfer to Prague Encounter the legendary beauty of Prague, former capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Dubbed the City of One Hundred Spires, the city boasts an enchanting mix of diverse architecture, Bohemian culture, and storied history. Despite many recent changes, the undeniable charm of centuries past still permeates from the cobblestone streets and countless gothic spires piercing the skies. Tour Director-led walking tour of Prague (time permitting) Follow the coronation route on your Tour Director-led walking tour. As you stroll through the City of One Hundred Spires, pass the concert hall in which Mozart himself conducted the premiere of Don Giovanni. Overnight in Prague Day 7 Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Guided sightseeing of Prague Your tour begins at the celebrated Prague Castle (Hradcany). In the castle s courtyard, you ll visit the magnificent St. Vitus Cathedral, which took over 600 years to complete. On the nearby Golden Lane, royal alchemists once labored (unsuccessfully) to turn lead into gold. More recently, on the same street, Franz Kafka turned his angst into some of the century s finest fiction. You ll also stroll through the quaint, cobbled streets of the Mala Strana, the backdrop for Milos Forman s Amadeus. Cross the Charles Bridge, adorned with 30 beautiful baroque statues, to the 13th-century Old Town (Stare Mesto). Here you ll see Market Square, famous for its 15th-century astronomical clock. You ll also wander through Josefov, the traditional Jewish Quarter, home to the oldest synagogue in Europe (built in 1270). Free time in Prague Enjoy free time to discover the wonders of Prague. Because of the compactness of the city, you may wander from the city s castle district, across a medieval bridge, and drink a leisurely coffee on Wenceslas Square in under half an hour. Consider a visit to the birthplace of Franz Kafka, the National Gallery, or the Jewish Museum. Wander through the elegant Wallenstein Gardens or browse for locally made crystal and glassware. Overnight in Prague Day 8 Thursday, May 23, 2013 Transfer to Berlin via Dresden Tour Director-led sightseeing of Dresden Arrive in Berlin Arrive in historic Berlin, once again the German capital. For many years the city was defined by the wall that separated its residents. Since the monumental events that ended Communist rule in the East, Berlin has once again emerged as a treasure of arts and architecture with a vibrant heart. Overnight in Berlin Day 9 Friday, May 24, 2013 Guided sightseeing of Berlin Ride past the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (left unrestored as a reminder of the ravages of war) and down the glittery Kurfürstendamm, Berlin s liveliest street. Pass the Rathaus Schöneberg, where 1,500,000 West Berliners flocked to hear President Kennedy s famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech in 1963. On your way to the Eastern sector, pass the Reichstag, former seat of the parliaments of the
German Empire and the Weimar Republic. Arrive at the Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of the undeclared Cold War, and now the symbol of a reunited Berlin. It was at this gate that the famous images of East and West Berliners dancing atop the crumbling Berlin Wall were filmed and broadcast around the world. As you see where the Berlin Wall actually stood, imagine the bleak watchtowers and piercing spotlights that guarded the border until November 1989. Journey down Unter den Linden, once considered one of the world s most elegant boulevards. Visit to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum On the site where Checkpoint Charlie once guarded the border between East and West Germany, you ll visit a museum devoted to the era of the Berlin Wall. Inspect the escape cars once used to cross the border. See if you can find the secret compartment where escapees hid. Then view a photo exhibit that evocatively portrays the 30-year separation of East and West Germany, reunified in 1989 Excursion to Potsdam Take a guided journey to Potsdam, the pride and joy of former East Germany. It was here that American, British and Soviet leaders drew up preliminary plans for the postwar administration of Germany at the Potsdam Conference in 1945. Potsdam was also the royal playground of Frederick the Great, king of Prussia. As you tour the city, you ll see the Baroque palaces, pavilions and well-groomed gardens of his royal residence. The emperor lavished his fortune on the Brandenburg Gate (1770) and several palaces, including Sans Souci Palace (1745-47) and the New Palace (1763-69). Overnight in Berlin Day 10 Saturday, May 25, 2013 Transfer to the airport for your return flight Your tour director assists with your transfer to the airport, where you ll check in for your return flight home. Itinerary is subject to change For complete financial and registration details, please refer to the Booking Conditions at www.eftours.ca/bc.