12 days · 9 countries
Essential Europe
From AED 12,190per person, twin share
A twelve-day loop around Europe, from London to Paris, through Switzerland to Rome, and on to Amsterdam.
- Duration
- 12 Days / 11 Nights
- Route
- Starts and ends in London
- 9 countries on this tour
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- France
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Vatican City
- Austria
- Germany
- Activity level
- Moderate (3 of 5)
- A fast-moving coach tour with a hotel change most nights, guided walking tours of up to three hours and some sites with plenty of steps. You carry your own bags, including up hotel stairs where there is no lift
- Accommodation
- 11 nights in 3- and 4-star hotels throughout
- Meals
- 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners
- Group
- Small group, up to 22
- Guide
- English-speaking tour leader throughout
- Transport
- Air-conditioned coach
- Best time to go
- Runs March to November: mild spring and autumn, and warm summer across France and Italy
Tour overview
The Essential Europe tour takes you from Paris to the Swiss Alps and on through Pisa and Tuscany to Rome, Venice and Amsterdam, with a canal cruise in Amsterdam. Along the way you see the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Pisa’s Leaning Tower, sample Tuscan, German and Dutch food, and get free time of your own in Paris, Rome and Amsterdam.
Highlights
- A driving tour of Paris’s highlights
- Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy
- Scenic views on a Swiss mountain drive
- A photo stop at Pisa’s Leaning Tower
- Florence with your tour leader
- Venice, Italy’s floating city
- The Austrian city of Innsbruck
- Munich on an orientation tour
Show all 14 highlightsShow fewer highlights
- Raising a glass in a traditional German beer hall
- A Rhine River cruise
- A Rhine Valley wine tasting
- A local Dutch cheese farm and a clog factory
- An Amsterdam canal cruise
- Ghent, a medieval Belgian city
See the journey come to life
Route and hotels
Where the tour goes and where you sleep, night by night.
London
Day 1 · start
Paris
2 nights · Days 1–2
B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Burgundy
Day 3 · on the way
Swiss Alps
2 nights · Days 3–4
Alpenrose Hotel and Gardens
Pisa
Day 5 · on the way
Tuscany South
1 night · Day 5
Antica Tabaccaia Resort
Florence
Day 6 · on the way
Rome
2 nights · Days 6–7
Excel Roma Montemario
Show all 14 stopsShow fewer stops
Venice
1 night · Day 8
Hotel Venezia
Innsbruck
Day 9 · on the way
Munich
1 night · Day 9
Mercure Munich Neuperlach Sued
Rhine Valley
1 night · Day 10
Sunday Hotel Bad Honnef
Amsterdam
1 night · Day 11
Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol
London
Day 12 · end
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
London – Paris
Dinner included
The tour begins with a crossing of the English Channel to Paris, where a driving tour passes the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the grand boulevards, an introduction to the City of Lights. In the evening, a French dinner, included, is served at a local restaurant.
Included
- Driving tour of Paris past the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe
- Dinner at a local Parisian restaurant
- Travel
- London → Paris by coach
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Day 2
Paris: Free Day
Breakfast includedParis belongs to you today, free to explore at your own pace or on the optional Paris+ excursion, which includes a macaron tasting, a stop at a perfume museum and a cruise on the Seine. In the evening, you can join the optional Evening in Montmartre, a walk through its winding streets with a hilltop dinner included in the excursion, and close the night at an optional Parisian cabaret show.
Included
- Free day in Paris to explore at your own pace
Optional extras
- Paris+ · AED 230 per person
- Parisian Cabaret with drinks · AED 400 per person
- An Evening in Montmartre · AED 235 per person
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Day 3
Paris – Burgundy – Swiss Alps
Breakfast and dinner included
The buzz of Paris gives way to small-town France, with a stop in Beaune, a Burgundy town whose wine and history are well known. There are cobbled streets to stroll, the Hospices de Beaune to see and the region’s vintages to sample. From there, the landscape shifts on the crossing into Switzerland, where the Alps rise into view around you. This evening’s dinner is included.
Included
- Stop in Beaune, Burgundy’s wine capital, with free time to explore
- Scenic drive through the Swiss mountains
- Travel
- Paris → Burgundy → Swiss Alps by coach
- Overnight
- Swiss Alps
- Hotel
- Alpenrose Hotel and Gardens
Day 4
Swiss Alps: Free Day
Breakfast includedJungfraujoch is today’s optional excursion, with snow throughout the year, glaciers and views stretching across the peaks, one of the most popular on the tour. Those who would rather stay lower can wander the local town, taking in the crisp Alpine air and some Swiss chocolate. In the evening, the optional Alpine Dinner Experience closes the day in Swiss style.
Included
- Free day in the Swiss Alps, with time to explore the local town
Optional extras
- Jungfraujoch: Journey to the Top of Europe · AED 960 per person
- Alpine Dinner Experience · AED 215 per person
- Overnight
- Swiss Alps
- Hotel
- Alpenrose Hotel and Gardens
Day 5
Swiss Alps – Pisa – Tuscany
Breakfast includedThe Alps are left behind for the south, with a stop at one of the world’s most recognised landmarks, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, for a photograph, before the route continues into Tuscany, where rolling hills, cypress trees and the spa town of Montecatini Terme follow. In the evening, the optional Evening in Montecatini offers a funicular ride and a traditional Tuscan dinner.
Included
- Photo stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Optional extras
- An Evening in Montecatini · AED 230 per person
- Travel
- Swiss Alps → Pisa → Tuscany by coach
- Overnight
- Tuscany South
- Hotel
- Antica Tabaccaia Resort
Day 6
Tuscany – Florence – Rome
Breakfast and dinner included
On arrival in Florence, a guided walk takes in Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, with free time afterwards to take in more of the Renaissance atmosphere. The optional Taste of Tuscany lunch is worth joining, before the route heads south towards Rome, with a dinner included on arrival in the Eternal City.
Included
- Guided walk past Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria in Florence
- Dinner with the group in Rome
Optional extras
- Taste of Tuscany · AED 235 per person
- Travel
- Tuscany → Florence → Rome by coach
- Overnight
- Rome
- Hotel
- Excel Roma Montemario
Day 7
Rome: Free Day
Breakfast includedToday in Rome is free to spend as you wish. The optional Colosseum and Roman Forum guided tour gives a close look at ancient Rome, best booked in advance, while the optional Conquer the Capital excursion covers Rome’s best known landmarks, from the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain, with lunch and a gelato tasting included.
Included
- Free day in Rome to explore at your own pace
Optional extras
- Colosseum & Roman Forum Guided Tour · AED 365 per person
- Rome Conquer the Capital · AED 255 per person
- Overnight
- Rome
- Hotel
- Excel Roma Montemario
Day 8
Rome – Venice
Breakfast included
Venice is next, a city known for its canals, gondolas and landmarks such as St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. The optional Evening in Venice excursion is the best way to see this floating city, with water taxi rides, a gondola trip, a demonstration of glass-blowing and an included Venetian dinner.
Included
- Free time to explore Venice on arrival
Optional extras
- An Evening in Venice · AED 535 per person
- Travel
- Rome → Venice by coach
- Overnight
- Venice
- Hotel
- Hotel Venezia
Day 9
Venice – Innsbruck – Munich
Breakfast and dinner included
The border crossing into Austria brings a lunch stop in Innsbruck, with time to walk Maria-Theresien-Strasse and see the Golden Roof Museum, along with the mountain scenery, before the route continues to Munich. An orientation walk covers the city centre, in the heart of Bavaria, followed by a traditional German dinner at a historic local restaurant.
Included
- Lunch stop in Innsbruck, with the Golden Roof Museum and Maria-Theresien-Strasse
- Orientation walk through central Munich
- Dinner at a historic Bavarian restaurant
- Travel
- Venice → Innsbruck → Munich by coach
- Overnight
- Munich
- Hotel
- Mercure Munich Neuperlach Sued
Day 10
Munich – Rhine Valley
Breakfast and dinner includedA scenic drive from Munich leads to the Rhine Valley, with cliffs studded with castles, old vineyards and some of Germany’s striking landscapes. A Rhine River cruise follows, along this stretch of the Rhine, listed by UNESCO, past Gothic fortresses, ending at Boppard for a tasting of wine with a local merchant. In the evening, an included dinner awaits at the hotel.
Included
- Cruise along the Rhine, past its gothic castles
- Wine tasting with a local merchant in Boppard
- Travel
- Munich → Rhine Valley by coach
- Overnight
- Rhine Valley
- Hotel
- Sunday Hotel Bad Honnef
Day 11
Rhine Valley – Amsterdam
Breakfast and dinner included
The route leaves Germany for the Netherlands, through the Dutch countryside, with a tasting of cheese, a demonstration of clog-making and a photo stop at the Riekermolen Windmill. On arrival in Amsterdam, a canal cruise takes in the city from the water, with free time to follow and dinner, included, at a local restaurant.
Included
- Cheese and clog-making demonstration
- Photo stop at the Riekermolen windmill
- Canal cruise in Amsterdam
- Travel
- Rhine Valley → Amsterdam by coach
- Overnight
- Amsterdam
- Hotel
- Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol
Day 12
End of tour in London
Breakfast includedThe last stop before home is the medieval Belgian city of Ghent, worth the detour for its cobblestone streets, grand guild houses and Belgian chocolate and waffles to try, along with moules et frites and a farewell glass with the group. From there, the route crosses the English Channel back to London, where it is time for final goodbyes.
Included
- Free time in Ghent to see the medieval centre
- Travel
- Amsterdam → Ghent → London by coach
Dates & prices
Prices per person, sharing a double or twin room. A single room costs the supplement shown.
18 dates
Tue 16 Mar – Sat 27 Mar 2027
Available
AED 13,615
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 13 Apr – Sat 24 Apr 2027
Available
AED 13,615
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 4 May – Sat 15 May 2027
Available
AED 13,615
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 25 May – Sat 5 Jun 2027
Available
AED 15,865
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 15 Jun – Sat 26 Jun 2027
Available
AED 16,320
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 29 Jun – Sat 10 Jul 2027
AvailableBest price
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 6 Jul – Sat 17 Jul 2027
Available
AED 14,440
Single room +AED 5,810
Mon 19 Jul – Fri 30 Jul 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 27 Jul – Sat 7 Aug 2027
Available
AED 14,440
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 17 Aug – Sat 28 Aug 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Show all 18 datesShow fewer dates
Tue 31 Aug – Sat 11 Sept 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 7 Sept – Sat 18 Sept 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Mon 13 Sept – Fri 24 Sept 2027
Available
AED 12,785
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 21 Sept – Sat 2 Oct 2027
Available
AED 12,785
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 28 Sept – Sat 9 Oct 2027
Available
AED 13,615
Single room +AED 5,810
Mon 4 Oct – Fri 15 Oct 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 19 Oct – Sat 30 Oct 2027
Available
AED 13,615
Single room +AED 5,810
Tue 2 Nov – Sat 13 Nov 2027
Available
AED 12,190
Single room +AED 5,810
What’s included
Included
- 11 nights in mostly 3-star and 4-star hotels, in twin rooms with a private bathroom
- A room to yourself for a single supplement, subject to availability
- 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners
- A modern coach with air conditioning, reclining seats and a toilet
- Public transport the tour uses, except on free days
- Guided from start to finish
Not included
- Flights to the start of the tour and home from the end: we can book them from Dubai
- Travel insurance: take out a policy that suits your trip
Optional extras
Excursions and upgrades you can add to the tour. Prices are per person.
Paris+
Day 2AED 230per personA day out with your tour leader: a macaron tasting at a well-known patisserie, a visit to a perfume museum, lunch, a cruise on the Seine and some free time to explore the Latin Quarter. €53, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 2 in the itineraryParisian Cabaret with drinks
Day 2AED 400per personA cabaret show at one of Paris’s best-known venues, with elaborate costumes, music and dance, and a glass of champagne or a soft drink included. €94, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 2 in the itineraryAn Evening in Montmartre
Day 2AED 235per personAn evening in Montmartre, past the Moulin Rouge and up by funicular to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, followed by a three-course French dinner with vegetarian options available. €55, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 2 in the itineraryJungfraujoch: Journey to the Top of Europe
Day 4AED 960per personA cable car and train journey to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, with snow-covered views, the Aletsch Glacier and an ice palace to explore. €225, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 4 in the itineraryAlpine Dinner Experience
Day 4AED 215per personA cheese fondue starter, a hearty Swiss main course and a sweet finish, in the traditional style of the Alps. €50, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 4 in the itineraryAn Evening in Montecatini
Day 5AED 230per personA return trip on the Montecatini funicular with views over the town, followed by a three-course Tuscan dinner with vegetarian options available. €54, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 5 in the itineraryTaste of Tuscany
Day 6AED 235per personA family-style Tuscan meal in Florence, with bistecca alla Fiorentina, bruschetta al pomodoro, a glass of Chianti and a traditional dessert. €55, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 6 in the itineraryColosseum & Roman Forum Guided Tour
Day 7AED 365per personA guided walk through the Colosseum and the Roman Forum’s ruins, led by a local expert, with entrance included. €85. Book it before the tour: add it to your booking notes.
See day 7 in the itineraryRome Conquer the Capital
Day 7AED 255per personA walking tour through central Rome taking in the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, with lunch and a gelato tasting included. €60, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 7 in the itineraryAn Evening in Venice
Day 8AED 535per personA water taxi to San Marco from Piazzale Roma, followed by a gondola ride through Venice’s canals, with a glass-blowing demonstration and dinner at a local restaurant. €125, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 8 in the itinerary
To add an extra, mention it in your booking notes, and we confirm it with your seats before you pay. Some are booked with your tour leader on the day instead: their description says so.
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Good to know
Practical details to read before you travel.
Passport & visas
This tour visits the United Kingdom, then France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany, as well as the Netherlands and Belgium, all in the Schengen area, plus Vatican City, which has open borders with Schengen.
UAE passport holders do not need a visa for the Schengen countries for stays of up to 90 days, and will need the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you travel. Most other nationalities living in the UAE need both a UK Standard Visitor visa and a Schengen visa: apply for the Schengen visa in the country where you spend the most nights, which on this tour is Italy.
Apply up to six months before you travel. Appointments in Dubai fill up quickly before the summer, so start early. Your Schengen passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave the area and have been issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; your UAE residence visa must be valid for at least three months after you return.
Our visa team handles both the UK and Schengen applications: ask us when you book.
Flights and timings
Flights to and from London aren’t included: our team can book your flights from Dubai to match the tour.
Day 1 starts early at the tour hotel in London: your tour leader is there from 06:00, so plan to arrive the night before. The tour ends in London on day 12, after breakfast and a final stop in Ghent.
Meals and dietary needs
The tour includes 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners, with dinners falling in Paris, the Swiss Alps, Rome, Munich, the Rhine Valley and Amsterdam.
Tell us about any dietary needs, halal included, when you book, and we pass them on before the tour.
Money
Pound sterling in the UK. Euro in France, Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Belgium. Swiss franc in Switzerland. A card without foreign transaction fees is the easiest way to pay in most of Europe.
Optional extras booked on tour are paid to your tour leader in cash or by card, in the currency shown.
Weather and packing
This tour runs from March to November, with cool, changeable spring and autumn weather in the UK and northern Europe, warm summers in France and Italy, and cooler conditions in the Swiss Alps at any time of year.
Pack layers, a rain jacket and comfortable, broken-in shoes. Several days include walking tours lasting up to three hours, with some sites having a fair number of steps.
Plan your trip
Our Dubai team arranges what goes around the tour, so it is booked in one place.
Visas
One Schengen visa covers the Schengen countries on this route. Our visa team in Dubai applies for UAE residents once the tour is booked.
Flights
Flights are not included. We can book them with the tour: Dubai to London and back. Tick “Flights” when you book and we quote them with your confirmation.
Pay in instalments
Split the cost with Tabby or Tamara, or over 3 to 12 months on a UAE bank credit card for bookings from AED 1,000.
Book this tour
Book in a minute. Your seats are held as soon as you book; you name the other travellers and pay once we have confirmed them.
Questions before you book? Our support team is on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001.
Questions about this tour
What will my days look like?
Days are full. Most start with breakfast, then the main sights with a local guide or your tour leader. Afternoons often leave free time to wander, stop for a coffee or join an optional extra. Expect a fair amount of walking: some days mean two or three hours on your feet, so bring comfortable shoes.
Who will I be travelling with?
Travellers from all over the world, of different ages and backgrounds, who share a wish to see more. This tour runs as a small group of up to 22, and most people know each other’s names within a few days.
What are the hotels like?
Mostly 3 and 4 star, all clean, comfortable and well located, with private en-suite bathrooms. They are chosen so you sleep well and are ready for the next day. The destinations come first, but the hotels are never an afterthought.
How active is this tour?
You carry your own luggage, sometimes up hotel stairs. Some walking tours run for up to three hours, and a few sites have plenty of steps. The itinerary and the activity level at the top of this page show whether the pace suits you.
How do optional extras work?
Optional extras run in the tour’s free time, and your tour leader tells you what is on offer as the tour goes. Some are booked with your tour leader on the day. Others sell in advance and must be bought before the tour starts: to add one of those, mention it in your booking notes and we confirm it with your seats. Each extra in the Optional extras section says which way it is booked.
Will I have time to explore on my own?
Yes. The itinerary builds in free time to wander at your own pace, and your tour leader can point you to the places that suit you, so you are never left to work it all out alone.
What support do I have while I’m on tour?
Your tour leader travels with you from start to finish. They know the places most visitors miss, can suggest a restaurant before you ask, and deal with whatever crops up on the way. Transport and hotels are all arranged for you.
There is also an emergency number staffed 24 hours a day, and our team in Dubai is there to help.
How do I book Essential Europe?
Press Book now, choose a date, your travellers and rooms, and give your name, email and mobile. We hold your seats and email your booking reference straight away; you then add each traveller as their passport shows on your booking page. Our Dubai team confirms the seats with the tour operator, then emails you a secure payment link. Nothing is charged when you book.
When do I pay?
Once the tour operator confirms your seats. We email you a secure payment link for the total in AED, and your booking is complete when it is paid. To pay in instalments, say so in your booking notes.
Is the price per person?
Yes. Prices are per person sharing a double or twin room. Travelling alone? A single room costs the supplement shown next to each date.
Are flights included?
Only when the tour lists them under what is included. We can book flights from the UAE to the start city and home from the end city with your tour.
Do I need a visa?
That depends on your passport and the countries on the route. Our visa team arranges Schengen and other visas for UAE residents, and can apply for yours once the tour is booked.
Payment plans
Take the trip now. Pay for it in pieces.
Every booking qualifies, from holidays and tours to visas. Spread it over 3 to 12 months at 0% on a credit card plan, or with Tabby or Tamara; some banks add a one-time processing fee.
- Credit card plans from AED 1,000
- Tabby and Tamara, no minimum
- Terms from 3 to 12 months
Find your bank’s plan
Credit cards, from AED 1,000
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