Loved that we used all forms of transportation and that we had time to explore on our own. However, with longer itineraries, you will have more time to explore Cairo and it is worth it. Fantastic experience!". Learn More: Hut to Hut Hiking in the Dolomites. This was a very pleasant tour. "There were so many "wow" moments, but two that really stand out for me were Roy's great tour of some of the treasures in the British Museum and a wonderful walking tour of the Borough Market.". Tim was a incredible guide and continually looked after the group and adding special items along the way such as regional treats. Other wow moment was the huge contrast between the new architecture and old in London - especially the financial district buildings. But my hip and back decided otherwise. Yes, it's possible to visit without a car. We have always enjoyed our RS tours and look forward to meeting the interesting tour members to interact with as we learn about the history, culture, transportation systems and architecture of the countries. This tour does not have the "big ticket" draws like London, Paris, or Rome, but has its own charms. I liked the balance of group time and individual time. Getting there is easy with an included round-trip transfer. Julie Last updated: October 26, 2022 Itinerary, Travel Inspiration 244 Comments. "My favorite "wow" moment was Keukenhof tulip gardens!! Beautifully maintained inside and out, so scenic and historic.". Have a great trip!! Having a smaller group made the trip so enjoyable, it made all the logistics so easy, and saved us so much time. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment. After last year's outstanding experience in Ireland, we wanted to confirm that it wasn't an anomaly. The tour was very immersive and really gave us a chance to participate and enjoy the culture. Enjoyed the cheese tasting in Holland, the brewery, and chocolate tours in Belgium. This huge temple complex is located in the city itself and is one of the main reasons why Luxor is often called the largest open-air museum in the world. Everywhere we went, people knew him, which made us feel most superior. Walking back to the hotel afterwards and seeing the lights reflected in the canals was magic. Almost every day we viewed fabulous great paintings from many periods in history. I felt like I was a part of the community. Since this is our fifth or sixth tour with Rick Steves, it amazes us at the excellent operation and facilities with every tour. I enjoyed myself so much that I would take it again. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The hotel was perfect - centrally located within easy walking distance to public transit and major attractions. Ten itineraries can be a lot to choose from. In autumn, crowds tend to lessen, but places like Italy, Paris, and Barcelona can still be very crowded until the calendar flips to November. I loved it all and learned so much! It exceeded my expectations in every way. The sites were fantastic, the hotel was clean and conveniently located, and, overall, it was an incredible week. The medieval character and charm of the city was enchanting.". The beauty of Westminster Abbey struck me as well, especially the fan vaulted ceiling. However, this tour provides a good overview of some major sights. Are many of the day hikes doable in that condition? Spend the late afternoon doing my guidebooks' Heart of Rome Walk (also available as a free audio tour). "I would say there were several "wow" moments. The size of Windsor Castle surprised me. The tour (1 week in London) was somewhat different than I expected. The patches of slippery snow on steep parts of the trail was a little scary at times, but in retrospect it just added to the adventure. My favorite view was early morning from our room in Bruge looking out over the canal". Dodging bicycles added to the fun. The visit to Keukenhof gardens was the highlight for me. We saw everything that we expected to see and more. I got a chance to talk to a couple of people who had traveled to London from around England to be a part of things and pay their respects. I like having some free time to do a few things that were not part of the tour such as seeing shows in the evening. "Can't do just one! On this itinerary, explore the mighty Alps. Early October is still promising, but you wouldnt be able to do this3-Day Tre Cime Trek, because the rifugios (mountain huts) close by late September. The guide went out of his way to value each member of the group. However, we will also layout itineraries for both 7 day and 10 day options in this guide too. "When I took a bike ride from Bruges to Damme by myself. "We did so much in our week, it is difficult to choose one event. "There were several. I would like to have spent an additional day in Delft. My mom and I are planning an 8 day trip to the Dolomites in September and this is so helpful! "It's difficult to nail down one "wow" moment, but the overall sense of history in London, from Westminster Abbey to Windsor and the Tower, and realizing you were walking where Kings and queens had lived and died. Early season hikes: "There were several. Tourism in Australia is an important part of the Australian economy, and comprises domestic and international visitors.In the financial year 2018/19, tourism was Australia's fourth-largest export and over the previous decade was growing faster than national GDP growth. Staying in a refuge/hut sounds like a fab idea and your walks sound just our cup of tea. Learn all about ancient Nubian culture and history at the excellent Nubian Museum. Because we were there during the queen's funeral, we got to experience the event firsthand! The local guides were excellent as well. Val di Funes Sleep in Bruges. Our local guide was definitely able to bring the war and time period to life. We were fortunate to only have 14 people in our group so we got to know everyone very well. I'll never forget seeing the Tower of London gates that Anne Boleyn traveled through, the writing on the walls there and, of course, the Crown Jewels. You also have the option to add on the trip up Mt. She handled everything with confidence and great humor. Any time between April and September is a good time to take a Heart of Belgium & Holland tour. Calm, confident and experienced. "It's hard to choose just one, but I'll pick the one that was most unexpectedvisiting the Watersnood Museum and learning how the Netherlands reacted to a flooding tragedy, embraced their water management challenges (windmills! In Val Badia and other valleys, youll see signage and names (e.g. "I can't think of a "wow" moment. Group meals were wonderful. On the way there or back, stop for sightseeing in Testaccio (great market scene in the morning and for lunch; excellent restaurants for dinner). Tom was a fantastic guide, so knowledgable. The tour included many key sites and experiences of London. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3e9fbd60136a0269e5413eab2db9d60" );document.getElementById("d2f8ec4791").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); We are David & Lina Stock, a married couple from NW Wisconsin who have been traveling together since 2001. The Dolomites/Italy isn't a budget destination. Sleep in Ghent. Great way to see a lot of interesting locations and there were a lot of them. "Two very different things: attending a free harp concert, and seeing/hearing an "uber" harp instrument created by musician; and seeing, and walking in actual trenches from WW I. Thank you Richa!! Overall we had an excellent time as we always do with RS tours. We felt like long lost friends. Be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. While we were there the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was rehearsing in the Chapel and that was real treat to sit and listen to amazing musicians practicing. I loved the variety of activities and destinations that were scheduled. "I believe the city of Ghent was a highlight for us. It was incredible to learn that so much of the world's exporting of flowers happens there, in the gargantuan warehouse. Oops, that's 3!". as we moved through the galleries. I took the round trip viewing 3 times!". Happy hiking, 7 tips to help you plan the perfect itinerary on your first trip to Europe. This was our first Rick Steves tour and we'll be back! I have recommended it my friends when I got home who are taking a Viking cruise and were going to spend and additional 2 days in London. Small group of 12, great guide, smooth logistics. "The Tower Bridge wowed me! The pace is brisk, but broken up with some afternoons and evenings to do as you wish. Otherwise the itinerary allowed both the organized and independent time I was looking for when going on a trip to Western Europe. She worked constantly behind the scenes to make sure in advance that each day came off as smoothly as possible. This is also a great time to visit London and Paris and Central Europe. It was a very busy trip including so many sites to see. The amount of time in each location was good, I would have enjoyed one more day in Ghent, when it would be a regular weekday so there would be more vendors open. If you're planning on visiting Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the toll is 35+ EUR for the drive up Rifugio Auronzo. Royal FloraHolland was also very impressive; highly organized chaos!". It was hard to tell where the patrons from one establishment ended and the next began. Rail Pass: The best rail pass for this itinerary is a Swiss Travel Pass, specifically for 15 consecutive days. I enjoyed the wWWI history and the history of the dike system. He did a beautiful job including my nephews (pre-teen/teen) in conversations. Everything about the tour was great, the hotel, Jeannie our fantastic guide, and the the many sights and activities. It was an amazing experience. Our tour guide, Jeannie, did a wonderful job of adjusting our rescheduling and adding additional stops. Adolf Munkel and Seceda (as I've described) are very easy, though wonderful. The many destinations were well-chosen and gave us as good a sense of the city as we could hope for in the time we had. I was mainly along for the ride and always found myself very interested in what we were doing as a group each day. Have lunch at the Borough Market 2.6. Also, is it an available service to get our luggage transported to the next hut if we wanted to use day packs on the trails (I have heard some popular hiking destinations offer this). "Windsor Castle, Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey. You choose Hadrian's Villa near Tivoli, Appian Way with catacombs, E.U.R., Testaccio sights, a food tour, shopping, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Castel Sant'Angelo, or more time at the Vatican. I was also surprised how moving the Flanders Fields day was. The tour was great ! Our group got on famously and we all seemed to have a lot of fun. Next, ascend along the Hans and Paula-Steger Path (trail 30) from Saltria in the direction of Compaccio. Hotel was in a perfect location to the underground, restaurants, and many of the major sites. Several museums were not open and there was no notice until we arrived. Windsor and seeing Queen Elizabeths gravesite, but I esp. "Seeing the tulip gardens outside Amsterdam. The Crown, orb and sceptre had been on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her funeral ceremony just 24 hours prior and we thought they may not yet had been returned BUT they were there on display! The places visited were great selections and the time spent in each place was adequate although an extra day in Delft would have allowed people to spend more than a few hours visiting The Hague. The theme of Flower Power brought back memories of the 60 & 70's in such a unique way. It worked out great. I just thought the whole experience was really immersive and in depth. Sleep in Amsterdam. It was definitely strenuous physically. "That London police were allowing the dozen "Just Stop Oil" protesters (each day in different spots) to create enormous traffic snarls & also very serious emergency ambulance preventions. I consider this tour an overview of these two countries, and I aim to return to the cities (and more) that I found particularly inkspiring. Each city had some beautiful art works in it. Learning about how the Dutch have been living with water for six centuries during our waterworks day was one. Plenty of time to explore on your own. On this page we have detailed itineraries for Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America, and Europe. We haven't planned a post-hiking lake trip, but if you like wine tasting, you could head to Tramin and explore the Alto Adige wine region. We suggest arriving a day or two before your tour begins to allow ample time to get over jet lag and be well-rested for the first few days of your tour. Who knew that it shone so? It's a lovely city that seemed to offer a wonderful snapshot of the beauty and culture of the region.". Unimaginable that they have survived for so many years.". Good luck with your blog (will keep an eye on other upcoming travel ideas) and stay safe! "Our first night in Dingle Joe arranged to have an amazing dancer from River Dance with his Mom and sister, join us after dinner for a performance. It epitomized the joy of the trip and oddly enough was taken from the dormer window (on the 3.5 story room) of our funky room. We hada truly wonderful experience! 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