12 days · 8 countries
Europe Escape Christmas & New Year
From AED 15,085per person, twin share
A twelve-day trip through Europe’s best-known destinations during the festive season.
- Duration
- 12 Days / 11 Nights
- Route
- Starts and ends in Rome
- 8 countries on this tour
- Austria
- France
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Vatican City
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- 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
- Group tour, up to 34
- Guide
- English-speaking tour leader throughout, with a local guide in Florence
- Transport
- Air-conditioned coach
- Best time to go
- Runs in December over Christmas and New Year: cold across Europe, with a good chance of snow in the Swiss Alps and possibly in Munich too
Tour overview
This twelve-day Europe Escape Christmas and New Year tour starts in Rome and Venice, then visits Munich, Germany’s Rhine Valley and Amsterdam, where you spend Christmas Day, before continuing to Paris. You celebrate the New Year back in Rome and explore the Swiss Alps along the way.
Highlights
- Venice, Italy’s floating city
- The mountain scenery along Brenner Pass
- Innsbruck, an Austrian city
- Munich, the capital of Bavaria
- A German meal at one of Munich’s historic restaurants
- A Rhine River cruise
- A Rhine Valley wine tasting
- The Riekermolen windmill
Show all 19 highlightsShow fewer highlights
- A cheese and clog-making demonstration in the Netherlands
- A canal cruise past Amsterdam’s Light Festival displays
- Christmas dinner in Amsterdam
- Ghent, a medieval city in Belgium
- A driving tour of Paris
- Burgundy, a French wine region
- Scenic views on a Swiss mountain drive
- A stop at Lake Como
- Pisa’s Leaning Tower
- Florence with a local guide
- New Year’s Eve in Rome
See the journey come to life
Route and hotels
Where the tour goes and where you sleep, night by night.
Rome
Day 1 · start
Venice
1 night · Day 1
Hotel Venezia
Innsbruck
Day 2 · on the way
Munich
1 night · Day 2
Mercure Munich Neuperlach Sued
Rhine Valley
1 night · Day 3
Sunday Hotel Bad Honnef
Amsterdam
1 night · Day 4
Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol
Ghent
Day 5 · on the way
Paris
2 nights · Days 5–6
B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Show all 15 stopsShow fewer stops
Burgundy
Day 7 · on the way
Swiss Alps
2 nights · Days 7–8
Alpenrose Hotel and Gardens
Lake Como
Day 9 · on the way
Tuscany South
1 night · Day 9
Antica Tabaccaia Resort
Pisa
Day 10 · on the way
Florence
Day 10 · on the way
Rome
2 nights · Days 10–11
Excel Roma Montemario
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Start of tour in Rome – Venice
Rome is the starting point, where your tour leader and the group set off for Venice. On arrival, the city’s sights are there to look out for, among them St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal. The evening is free, and the optional Evening in Venice excursion shows the city the traditional way, by water taxi and gondola.
Included
- Free evening 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 2
Innsbruck – Munich – Bavaria
Breakfast and dinner included
The road continues through the Brenner Pass, with countryside views along the way, and a stop in Innsbruck before reaching Munich, Germany, in the afternoon. An orientation tour covers the highlights of this Bavarian capital, and in the evening, dinner is included at a local restaurant, offering a taste of Germany.
Included
- Scenic drive through the Brenner Pass
- Comfort stop and orientation tour in Innsbruck
- Orientation tour of Munich with your tour leader
- Dinner at a historic Bavarian restaurant
- Travel
- Venice → Innsbruck → Munich (Bavaria) by coach
- Overnight
- Munich
- Hotel
- Mercure Munich Neuperlach Sued
Day 3
Bavaria – Rhine Valley (Christmas Eve)
Breakfast and dinner includedChristmas Eve finds the tour in the Rhine Valley, with a Rhine River cruise past medieval towns, dramatic cliffs and castles that line the riverbanks. Afterwards, a local wine merchant offers a Rhine Valley wine tasting. In the evening, Christmas Eve is celebrated with an included dinner in a local restaurant.
Included
- Christmas Eve cruise on the Rhine, past its castles
- Wine tasting with a local merchant
- Christmas Eve dinner at a local restaurant
- Travel
- Bavaria → Rhine Valley by coach
- Overnight
- Rhine Valley
- Hotel
- Sunday Hotel Bad Honnef
Day 4
Rhine Valley – Amsterdam (Christmas Day)
Breakfast and dinner included
Christmas Day brings a stop at a Dutch windmill en route to Amsterdam, with a visit to a local farm to see how cheese and clogs, two Dutch icons, are crafted. On arrival in Amsterdam, a twilight canal cruise takes in the Amsterdam Light Festival displays, before the group gathers for a Christmas dinner.
Included
- Photo stop at a Dutch windmill
- Cheese and clog-making demonstration
- Twilight canal cruise, with the Amsterdam Light Festival displays
- Christmas Day dinner in Amsterdam
- Travel
- Rhine Valley → Amsterdam by coach
- Overnight
- Amsterdam
- Hotel
- Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol
Day 5
Amsterdam – Ghent – Paris
Breakfast and dinner includedThis morning’s stop is the port city of Ghent, Belgium, known for its well preserved medieval architecture, with time for a bite to eat and a stroll through the historic centre. Paris follows, with a driving tour through the French capital taking in landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Arc de Triomphe, ahead of a local dinner.
Included
- Free time in Ghent to see its medieval centre
- Driving tour of Paris past the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe
- Travel
- Amsterdam → Ghent → Paris by coach
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Day 6
Paris: Free Day
Breakfast includedToday is free to explore Paris as you wish. The optional Paris Like Locals excursion fills the day with a stop at a perfume museum, time at Galeries Lafayette, a macaron tasting, and free time in the Latin Quarter. The evening can finish with Montmartre and a Cabaret show.
Included
- Free day in Paris to explore at your own pace
Optional extras
- Paris Like Locals · AED 300 per person
- An Evening in Montmartre · AED 235 per person
- Parisian Cabaret with drinks · AED 400 per person
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- B&B HOTEL Paris Nord 18ème
Day 7
Paris – Burgundy – Swiss Alps
Breakfast and dinner included
Paris gives way to a lunch stop in Burgundy, right at the centre of French wine country, with well known wine to try or the Hospices de Beaune to visit. From there, the Swiss Alps come into view, where the tour stays for the next two days, among alpine surroundings and festive spirit.
Included
- Lunch stop in Burgundy wine country
- Scenic drive to the Swiss Alps for two nights
- Travel
- Paris → Burgundy → Swiss Alps by coach
- Overnight
- Swiss Alps
- Hotel
- Alpenrose Hotel and Gardens
Day 8
Swiss Alps: Free Day
Breakfast includedA free day in the Swiss Alps is best spent on the optional Jungfraujoch excursion, billed as the journey to the Top of Europe. At Jungfraujoch, there is snow to play in, wide panoramas to take in, the Sphinx Observatory to visit and an Ice Palace to explore. In the evening, the optional Alpine Dinner Experience is a way to warm up.
Included
- Free day in the Swiss Alps, with time to explore the local village
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 9
Swiss Alps – Lake Como – Tuscany
Breakfast included
The route continues into Italy, with a stop at Lake Como in the Italian Lake District, its lakeside villages, blue waters and mountain backdrops all on show. There is a spot for lunch here before the scenery gives way to Tuscany, a region known for its wine, food, art and architecture, where the group settles in at the hotel.
Included
- Stop at Lake Como for lunch
- Travel
- Swiss Alps → Lake Como → Tuscany by coach
- Overnight
- Tuscany South
- Hotel
- Antica Tabaccaia Resort
Day 10
Pisa – Florence – New Year's Eve in Rome
Breakfast and dinner included
New Year’s Eve celebrations start with a visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, before the day moves on to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, for a locally guided walking tour. The optional Taste of Tuscany excursion offers lunch, ahead of the journey back to Rome, where dinner with the group rings in the new year.
Included
- Photo stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Guided tour of Florence with a local guide, including Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo
- New Year’s Eve dinner with the group in Rome
Optional extras
- Taste of Tuscany · AED 235 per person
- Travel
- Tuscany → Pisa → Florence → New Year’s Eve in Rome by coach
- Overnight
- Rome
- Hotel
- Excel Roma Montemario
Day 11
Rome: Free Day
Breakfast included
A free day in Rome starts the new year, a city once at the centre of the Roman Empire and known as the Eternal City. The optional Conquer the Capital excursion takes in several Rome highlights, among them the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum, followed by a local dinner and gelato tasting.
Included
- New Year’s Day free in Rome to explore at your own pace
Optional extras
- Festive Rome: Conquer the Capital · AED 255 per person
- Overnight
- Rome
- Hotel
- Excel Roma Montemario
Day 12
End of tour in Rome
Breakfast includedAfter 12 days of festive Christmas and New Year fun, the tour in Rome draws to a close after breakfast today, a good moment to swap details with fellow travellers before saying goodbye.
Dates & prices
Prices per person, sharing a double or twin room. A single room costs the supplement shown.
Tue 22 Dec 2026 – Sat 2 Jan 2027
Available
AED 15,085
Single room +AED 4,155
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.
An Evening in Venice
Day 1AED 535per personA water taxi to San Marco from Piazzale Roma, followed by a gondola ride through Venice’s canals, with dinner at a local restaurant: your choice of pizza or pasta. €125. Book it before the tour: add it to your booking notes.
See day 1 in the itineraryParis Like Locals
Day 6AED 300per personA walking day with your tour leader through central Paris, with a macaron tasting, a perfume museum visit, time at Galeries Lafayette, lunch at a local crêperie, the Louvre and an orientation tour of the Latin Quarter. €70, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 6 in the itineraryAn Evening in Montmartre
Day 6AED 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 6 in the itineraryParisian Cabaret with drinks
Day 6AED 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 6 in the itineraryJungfraujoch: Journey to the Top of Europe
Day 8AED 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 8 in the itineraryAlpine Dinner Experience
Day 8AED 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 8 in the itineraryTaste of Tuscany
Day 10AED 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 10 in the itineraryFestive Rome: Conquer the Capital
Day 11AED 255per personA walking tour through central Rome taking in the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, with dinner and a gelato tasting included. €60, booked with your tour leader on the day.
See day 11 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.
Traveller reviews
No reviews yet
Travelled on this tour with us? Be the first to tell other travellers how it went.
Good to know
Practical details to read before you travel.
Passport & visas
This tour stays entirely within the Schengen area, visiting Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, plus Vatican City, which has open borders with Schengen, so one Schengen visa covers the whole trip.
UAE passport holders do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180, and will need the EU’s new ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts: we can tell you where it stands when you book. Most other nationalities living in the UAE need a Schengen visa, applied for in the country where you spend the most nights, which on this tour is Italy.
Apply up to six months before you travel. Dubai appointments fill up quickly before Christmas, so start early. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen 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 Schengen applications: ask us when you book.
Flights and timings
Flights to and from Rome aren’t included: our team can book your flights from Dubai to match the tour.
Day 1 starts at your hotel in Rome at 08:00 (the exact hotel is confirmed closer to the time). The tour ends in Rome on day 12, after breakfast, with checkout by 10:00.
Meals and dietary needs
The tour includes 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners: a Christmas Eve dinner in the Rhine Valley, a Christmas Day dinner in Amsterdam, and further dinners in Bavaria (Munich), Paris, the Swiss Alps and on New Year’s Eve in Rome; day 1 has no meals included beyond breakfast the following morning.
Tell us about any dietary needs, halal included, when you book, and we pass them on before the tour.
Money
Euro in Austria, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Swiss franc in Switzerland. A card without foreign transaction fees is the easiest way to pay across this route.
Optional extras booked on tour are paid to your tour leader in cash or by card, in the currency shown.
Weather and packing
Running in December, this tour is cold throughout, with a good chance of snow in the Swiss Alps, where Jungfraujoch has snow year-round, and a possibility of snow in Munich too.
Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, gloves and comfortable, broken-in shoes with a good grip. Several days include walking tours lasting up to three hours, with some sites having a fair number of steps.
Christmas and New Year on tour
This tour runs over the festive season, with Christmas Eve in the Rhine Valley, Christmas Day in Amsterdam, where the canal cruise takes in the Amsterdam Light Festival displays, and New Year’s Eve in Rome. Some shops, restaurants and attractions close or run shorter hours on 25 December and 1 January.
Your tour leader will confirm exact timings for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day once you are on tour.
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 Rome 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. Up to 34 people share this tour, and most 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 Europe Escape Christmas & New Year?
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
More tours
8 countries
12 days
Europe Escape
Seven European countries in twelve days, from Venice through the Rhine Valley and Amsterdam to Paris and beyond.
FromAED 12,465 per person
Next: Tue 22 Dec 2026
8 countries
10 days
Europe Highlights Christmas
Ten days and seven countries across Europe, taking in its best-known cities and scenery over the festive season.
FromAED 13,475 per person
Next: Tue 22 Dec 2026
8 countries
10 days
Europe Highlights
Ten days from Rome to Munich and Paris, taking in some of Europe’s best-known sights and cities.
FromAED 11,180 per person
Next: Sun 28 Mar 2027
From AED 15,085per person, twin share
Book now