Day 2 Arrival in Rome, Italy. (Wed.) Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your tour director and traveling companions, and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome's fine restaurants. (D)

Day 3 Rome. (Thu.) Sightseeing with your local guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL (arranged next morning if closed today), world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings including The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE and BASILICA. Proceed across the Tiber for a stroll along the Via Sacra at the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph, and finally visit the COLOSSEUM and hear about gladiatorial combats. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities: Tivoli, and an Italian feast at one of the fine restaurants. (BB)

Day 4 Rome-Florence. (Fri.) Follow the Aurelian Way along the Tyrrhenian coast to Pisa. Here take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 16 feet out of the perpendicular. Then on to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany. Arrive in time for a first glimpse of the Renaissance treasures. (BB,D)

Day 5 Florence-Venice. (Sat.) Guided sightseeing includes magnificent SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. To top it off, admire Michelangelo's celebrated David in the GALLERY OF FINE ARTS. Time afterwards to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry before you head across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Hills to the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea. Tonight is your chance to sample Venetian fare. (BB)

Day 6 Venice. (Sun.) Start morning sightseeing in style as you glide by private boat along the Giudecca canal to meet your resident expert. Highlights of your walking tour are St. Mark's Square and the Byzantine splendor of ST. MARK'S BASILICA, lavish DOGES' PALACE and the Bridge of Sighs. Also watch VENETIAN GLASS BLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D)

Day 7 Venice-Vienna, Austria. (Mon.) Carinthian lakes and resorts, stately Styrian crossroad towns, and scenic Semmering Pass provide the ever-changing backdrop to today's journey through the loveliest parts of Austria. Early evening arrival in Vienna, once the center of the mighty Hapsburg Empire. For tonight your tour director will suggest a restaurant with local specialties and typically Viennese entertainment. (BB)

Day 8 Vienna. (Tue.) Start your sightseeing with vistas of the Prater amusement park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the ultra-modern United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House and stop at famous Heldenplatz for a picture of the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Imperial Royal Family. During your walking tour of the old town, see the synagogue and visit ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. Afterwards time to watch the famous midday parade of historical figures at the musical Anker Clock. Afternoon at leisure. An optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace is available. You may want to spend the evening in Grinzing, for a taste of Heurigen and the merry wine village atmosphere. (BB)

Day 9 Vienna-Innsbruck. (Wed.) Morning drive through the area made famous by the Nibelungen epic, and lunchtime arrival in Salzburg. A local guide takes you through the historic center of Mozart's hometown: admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER'S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Then take time to browse in the shops of the charming Getreidegasse or visit the birthplace of the musical genius if you wish. Late afternoon travel to Innsbruck. (BB,D)

Day 10 Innsbruck-Liechtenstein-Lucerne, Switzerland. (Thu.) Take a pleasant stroll through Innsbruck's quaint medieval lanes to the city's greatest attraction ­ Emperor Maximilian's Golden Roof. It's a three-story balcony on a house in the old town, capped with over 2,500 gold-plated tiles. Via lofty Arlberg Pass you reach the pocket-sized principality of Liechtenstein, known for its fancy postage stamps and its beautiful alpine scenery. Spend the next two nights in Lucerne in the heart of Switzerland. (BB,D)

Day 11 Lucerne. (Fri.) Medieval heritage every step of the way this morning. Sightseeing includes the LION MONUMENT, a masterful stone sculpture in honor of the heroic Swiss Guard of Louis XVI; the famous covered WOODEN BRIDGE; and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town. Afterwards shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car; take a cruise on the fjord-like lake; sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of alpine merrymaking. (BB)

Day 12 Lucerne-Rhineland, Germany. (Sat.) On the way north to Germany see the thundering RHINE FALLS at Schaffhausen, a 70-foot cataract on the River Rhine. From here take the scenic route through the lush valleys and pine-clad hills of the Black Forest, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. Before driving to your Rhineland hotel, stop in Heidelberg, famous for its red-walled castle. (BB,D)

Day 13 Rhineland-Amsterdam, Holland. {Sun.) A special treat this morning. Board an excursion steamer and cruise along the most scenic section of the Rhine River: castle-crested hills, terraced vineyards, pretty wine towns, and finally the Lorelei cliff. During your lunchtime break in Cologne visit the awesome twin-spired GOTHIC CATHEDRAL. Then a passing glance at the region best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far on the way to Amsterdam, Holland's 700-year-old capital. (BB,D)

Day 14 Amsterdam. (Mon.) A local expert takes you first to the RIJKSMUSEUM where you admire Rembrandt's masterpieces. Visit a major DIAMOND CENTER to appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. And to top it off, cruise aboard a glass-roofed launch through the canals of Holland's Golden Age. The afternoon is at leisure, and an excursion to Volendam can be arranged. (BB)

Day 15 Amsterdam-Brussels, Belgium-Paris, France. (Tue.) South past the busy seaport of Rotterdam to Belgium for a leisurely lunchtime break in Brussels, proud capital of the European Union. See the ornate Baroque guildhalls of Grand' Place and famous Mannekin-Pis. In the afternoon continue to Paris, the beautiful capital of France. (BB)

Day 16 Paris. (Wed.) Morning sightseeing with a local guide on both banks of the Seine: Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Louvre, Champs-Elysées... For a panoramic view take the elevator to the first floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. Of course you also visit Paris' greatest treasure, the Gothic cathedral of NOTRE DAME with its gleaming stained-glass windows. Balance of the day at leisure and lots to do. Optional excursions are available to the Louvre or to the palace and gardens of Versailles. Tonight, a lively cabaret show might be fun. (BB)

Day 17 Paris-London, England. (Thu.) Memories of World War I battles come alive on the way through Picardy and the Somme to the French coast. After an exciting Hoverspeed ride across the Channel, arrive in London in the late afternoon. An optional evening cruise on the River Thames is a great way to get a feel for the British capital. (BB)

Day 18 London. (Fri.) Morning sightseeing with a professional London guide includes all the famous landmarks: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the area's splendid museums, Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, and Westminster Abbey. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, if held. Afternoon at leisure or for an optional excursion to the Tower of London with its fabulous Crown Jewels. How about celebrating the success of your tour by taking in a West End show tonight? (CB)