Day 1: Arrive Paris: 

After arriving in Paris and checking into your hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure to rest or explore your surroundings. Your Paris Visite Pass becomes valid from the first use. It allows unlimited travel for 3 consecutive days on the entire Ile de France network, using the Metro, RER, Bus, and the Montmartre funicular. Activate it when it's convenient for your schedule. The pass for Zones 1-3 includes travel within central Paris including stops near all major tourist sites however, it does NOT include entrance fees.

(Accommodations, Paris)

Day 2: Paris: 

After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby for your Small Group City Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting.

Your tour includes a number of stunning landmarks, You'll visit the Place de la Concorde with its Egyptian obelisk, fountains, statues and columns and the Madeleine church that looks like a Greek temple. Then see the Opera Garnier with its gorgeous architecture from the 19th century, the rue de la Paix with its luxurious jewelers and Place Vendome with its column commissioned by Napoleon. After, you view the Eiffel Tower,  built for the Universal Exhibition in 1889. Follow the Seine river bank where you will see most of the major historical buildings of the city: Le Grand and le Petit Palais, the Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid, the Tuileries gardens, the Place des Vosges in the Marais district and its narrow medieval streets and finally, the Bastille square and its columns celebrating the French revolution.

You will cross the river Seine to join the left bank, then continue on with the Latin Quarter, Le Pantheon, the Luxembourg gardens, St Germain, St Sulpice churches and Les Invalides, built in the 18th century and home of Napoleon`s tomb.

You will be crossing some of the most prestigious bridges during this trip: Alexandre III, Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge of the city. Finish this visit with the village of Montmartre where you will have time to stroll the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and to the Place du Tertre where all the artists and painters used to show their works.

After the tour, we will bring you to the restaurant Noces de Jeannette, next to Opera Square. Here you will enjoy a delicious lunch and a wine tasting. This tour will end at the restaurant.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Paris)

Day 3: Paris: 

Today is free for independent exploring. Take advantage of your City Guide and the Visite Pass to experience all that Paris has to offer. You can shop on Boulevard Haussman in Galeries Lafayette or Printemps with real Belle Epoque grandeur, or cross over to the chic Left Bank with its numerous boutiques. Spend time in a couple of smaller art museums; the Orangerie in the Tuileries and Musee d'Orsay on the other side of the river.

For history lovers, there's Invalides, the military museum holding the tomb of Napoleon, and the Pantheon. Some of France's best-known authors and scientists are interred in this former church including Voltaire, Curie, Braille and Alexandre Dumas. If you prefer an "outdoor museum", Père Lachaise Cemetery in the northeast area of Paris. Some of their more famous residents include Chopin, Moliere, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and of course, Jim Morrison of The Doors.

This evening, your driver will meet you at the hotel for a romantic and festive dinner on board the Les Bateaux Parisiens. This glass-encased boat provides the best views of Paris as you float along the Seine, admiring the illuminated monuments and bridges of the City of Lights. An all-inclusive menu, including dessert and wine awaits you. Dinner is accompanied by live musical entertainment during your 3-hour cruise.

(Breakfast, Dinner & Accommodations, Paris)

Day 4: Paris to Strasbourg: 

After breakfast, make your way to Gare de l'Est station and enjoy the leisurely 2-hour ride on the TGV train to Strasbourg; the historic capital city of Alsace nestled along the Rhine river. After checking in to your hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure.

The "old city" is relatively small so you reach much of it on foot. Stop at the cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece and the second most visited French cathedral after Notre Dame. Just next to the cathedral, in and around the Palais Rohan, is a cluster of museums, the most impressive of which is the Strasbourg art gallery, or Musée des Beaux Arts.

Then stroll through the picture-book historic quarter of Petite France, with its half-timbered medieval houses and its quays overlooking branches of the river. Stop at one of the winstubs (Alsatian taverns) that line canals for lunch. You'll find a distinctive cuisine that's more German than French. Look for Flammekueche, a cross between quiche lorraine and a pizza, and choucroute, which is the local sauerkraut.

(Breakfast, Paris; Accommodations, Strasbourg)

Day 5: Strasbourg: 

After breakfast, meet your guide for a full-day wine tour in the Alsace vineyards. The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than 170 kilometers (106 miles) along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. It has become famous all over the world for its exceptional natural beauty as it leads visitors across rows of undulating, vine-covered hills, and through quaint villages.

You'll visit several of the wine-producing regions including Mittelbergheim, Dambach, and the famous towns of Ribeauville/Riquewihr. There will be two wine tastings where you will sample some of their renowned wines; Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. In addition, time will be allotted for lunch on your own in one of these two medieval towns.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Strasbourg)

Day 6: Strasbourg to Munich: 

In the morning, depart from Strasbourg station for your rail journey to the Bavarian capital, Munich. After checking in to your hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure.

(Breakfast, Strasbourg; Accommodations, Munich)

Day 7: Munich: 

After breakfast, you'll meet your guide at the designated departure point for a shared walking tour. You'll explore the most important places in Munich's old town with a local guide, who'll provide interesting stories as you stroll through this historic city. You'll visit some of the famous attractions, including Marienplatz, Viktualien Market, Royal Residence, Opera House, the Frauenkirche and, of course, the famous beer halls. After the tour, you can explore on your own or return to your hotel.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Munich)

Day 8: Munich: 

Today is at your leisure for independent sightseeing. The tower of the New Town Hall houses the Glockenspiel, a beautiful chiming clock that is over 100 years old. Come here at 11 a.m. to hear it ring and watch the 32 life-sized figures reenact historical Bavarian events. Just a few blocks northeast of the Munich city center is the English Garden, Munich's largest park. Bigger than Central Park in New York, this green oasis is a wonderful place to explore.

West of the English Garden is a unique ensemble of three museums, each of them highlighting a different period in European art. The Alte Pinakothek is one of the oldest art galleries in the world and home to over 800 European masterpieces from the Middle Ages, the Neue Pinakothek features art and sculptures from the late 18th to the beginning of the 20th century, and the Pinakothek der Moderne is the largest museum for modern art in Germany.

This evening meet your guide for an informative and fun Beer and Food Walking Tour. You'll follow the traces of the 500-year-old history and culture of beer in Munich and Bavaria. Along the tour, your guide will point out discreet bars where locals go to drink, plus you'll have the opportunity to sample several types of beer and traditional food. Later there will be a private tour of the Oktoberfest Museum as well as a visit to the famous Hofbrauhaus.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Munich)

Day 9: Departure: 

After breakfast, make your way to the airport or rail station for your return home or on to your next Avanti Destination!

(Breakfast, Munich)