Jet off to the trip of a lifetime awaiting you in Europe!

Check in at the Contiki Village and explore this stylish, cosmopolitan city for the afternoon. Later meet up with your Contiki Crew and get to know your fellow travelers over dinner.

• Contiki Village

• Dinner

This town is loaded with possibilities. Discover its many bistros, museums, tree-lined avenues and diverse quartiers (neighbourhoods). Get a feel for French flair by window shopping on the Left Bank, step into the huge Notre Dame cathedral or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre where you can get up close to the famous Mona Lisa. Try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris’ many green spaces.

Tonight, treat yourself to a real Parisian cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls, dinner and champagne and get to know your crew. But don’t stop there – hit the clubs and start your trip off with a fun night out.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast

Three countries in one day today! Leaving France, we travel through Belgium and into the Netherlands and its most famous city, Amsterdam.

• Hotel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Cruise into the country side and bike around like the laid back locals, past working windmills, to the world-famous cheese village of Edam. In an intro into Dutch culture, see how clogs are made and try some of the famous Dutch Edam at a cheese farm.

Free time this afternoon to experience Amsterdam’s coffee shops, museums and quirky boutiques. Wander along the canals and past gabled houses or try out Amsterdam’s multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food.

With an optional evening canal cruise, you’ve got a chance to get to know the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover another angle on Amsterdam at water level. Get some pointers on the city’s hot spots from your Tour Manager and head into town for a fun night out.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

Motor down the autobahn and get ready for a dose of über-cool Berlin.

With 2 nights in this historical hot spot, you’ve got time to find out what makes Germany’s capital one of the most cutting-edge cities in the world. It’s hard to believe that this funky town has had such a troubled past.

• Hostel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

We’ll give you the background on Berlin’s troubled history in our morning city tour. Learn about the East/West split at the Berlin Wall and check out the controversial Reichstag (German Parliament) as well as Tiergarten (one the world’s biggest parks), while you Tour Manager points out the little details and peels back the layers of history. Visit Checkpoint Charlie, where many East Berliners tried to escape to the West, and be reminded of Germany’s darker past at the Brandenburg Gate.

With free time, get inspired by Berlin’s creative scene and check out its galleries and street art. As a world forerunner in contemporary art, Berlin’s walls are covered in cutouts and graffiti.

Shopping-wise, this town has it all and is right up there defining style. Berlin is great for small boutiques, funky fashions and one-of-a-kind buys. Your Tour Manager knows Berlin’s ins and outs, so get some pointers before you splurge.

Experience the world of espionage in an optional evening Eye Spy Berlin tour with our Local Guide, and enjoy a fascinating look into the Stasi (what was once the East German Secret Police).

Do as the Berliners do and grab a curry wurst (a local favourite) and kick back at a bierkeller (German beer house). Then top off your time in Berlin with some of your new friends and explore the city’s legendary nightlife. With cool cocktail bars and some of the best techno clubs in the world, there are heaps of fun choices.

• Hostel

• Breakfast

Heading south, we roll on to the region of Dresden, often dubbed “Florence of the North” because of its beauty.

This town completely rebuilt itself after being flattened in World War II. Your Tour Manager will show you Dresden’s signature buildings, like the Opera house, the domed Frauenkirche, the Royal Residence – once home to the Saxon Kings – and the Zwinger Fortress, a massive palace where royals went to party!

Lunchtime! Go local and hang out in a river side beer garden, order some hearty German dishes with regional specialities like sour roast and potato soup.

Then we head over the border and into the Czech Republic to Prague.

• Hostel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

This morning’s sightseeing tour includes Hradcany Castle, the Cathedral of St Vitus and Wenceslas Square. Then time to explore the Jewish Quarter.

• Hostel

• Breakfast

Journey south to Vienna, the majestic capital of Austria. This afternoon join us for a sightseeing tour of the Burg Ring and then a chance for an evening of local culture.

• Hostel

• Breakfast

Your Tour Manager starts the day by introducing the group to the city’s historical heritage. There’s the imperial grandeur of Schönbrunn Palace, the elegantly ornate State Opera House and St. Stephen’s Cathedral – a Gothic masterpiece. Cruise down Kärterner Strasse, Vienna’s main shopping spot and buy some traditional ceramics and materials for gifts back home.

There’s free time to check out the magnificent squares and majestic palaces or the city’s art galleries. Take a break in a coffee house like the locals do, chill out in Vienna’s manicured gardens or wander along the Danube River.

Get schnaps savvy with a behind-the-scenes look into this local liqueuer’s production in an optional excursion to the Old Vienna Schnaps Museum.

• Hostel

• Breakfast

Cross through Slovenia en route to the newly buzzing Balkan gem of Zagreb.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

Travel through Bosnia before reaching Croatia’s sparkling coastline and continuing on to the picturesque, ancient walled city of Dubrovnik.

• Hostel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Travel north to Zadar, a historic port city on the Adriatic Sea.

• Hostel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Today it’s on to the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. Tonight take some time to stroll the narrow streets of the old town or maybe relax in a cafe to the tunes of local street musicians.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

Soak up the scenery & adventure activities before heading to Venice.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Known as the “floating city” Venice is packed with character, crammed with hidden lanes and linked by a network of canals.

The group travels on our private boat through the waters of the lagoon to visit the city’s historical heart. The limestone Bridge of Sighs, the gothic arches of Doges’ Palace and the expanse of St Mark’s Square (pigeons and all!) show off Venice’s unique beauty and way of life.

Learn about local artistry with a traditional glass blowing demonstration – a craft the city has been famous for since the 13th century.

Take some time to explore the floating city and lose yourself in the backstreets. There’s an optional walking tour where you can discover the labyrinth of interweaving lanes, waterways, palaces, piazzi and markets with our Local Guide. You’ll see historic monuments, hidden treasures and the Rialto market – a local favourite for food shopping.

Maybe grab a table on St Mark’s Square and eat some delicious Italian food al fresco.

Cap off the day with an optional gondola ride with your friends. Take a bottle of prosecco (Italian champagne) and toast this unforgettable experience as you are punted through the waterways.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast
• Dinner

We travel to Pisa, home of the famous Leaning Tower. From here it’s a short journey to the most spectacular of Renaissance cities, Florence.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast

Jump start the day uncovering this open-air museum and its city centre.

Our local guide gives you the inside track as the group learns about Florence’s cultural beginnings and explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then take a look into a skillful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region’s traditional art.

With bargains and bustle, the city’s markets are a great place to hang out. Grab a gelato and enjoy this gorgeous city.

Travel through Tuscany’s rustic hills, past the recognisable cypress tree landscapes of this olive-oil producing region, to vibrant Rome.

Stylish Rome oozes energy and overflows with relics from another age. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Tour Manager shows you the Colosseum and Piazza Venzia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in the fountain’s waters (it’s meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast

This morning, make the most of our Local Guide’s inside knowledge and uncover the remains of an ancient empire with a fantastic optional tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

Then check-out the smallest country in the world and home to the Pope, the Vatican City. You’ve got time to take a closer look at St Peter’s Basilica or Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel.

Take off into the city and absorb the atmosphere, as vespas flash past timeworn monuments that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafes and bars. Before you hit the shops, let your Tour Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys.

Use your free time and live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, like the Romans do.

• Contiki Village

• Breakfast
• Dinner

The tour ends after breakfast and it’s time to say “arrivederci” to your new friends.

• Breakfast