DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM BOSTON
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Paris.

DAY    2            ARRIVE PARIS (2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour Manager/Guide, where we will board our own private bus and transfer into Paris, "The City of Lights." Our morning commences with a Walking Tour of the Ile de la Cite & Ile St-Louis, the oldest area of Paris, once conquered by Julius Caesar in 53 BC. During our walk, we will also visit the cathedral of Notre Dame, begun in 1163 on a spot that had already been a religious shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, such as the coronation of Napoleon. We will also make a brief visit to the ethereal and magical Sainte-Chapelle, which is often hailed as one of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the Western world. We will be transported by the blaze of light created by the 15 magnificent stained-glass windows, separated by pencil-like columns soaring to the star-studded roof. The chapel was built in 1248 by Louis IX to house what was believed to be Christ's Crown of Thorns and fragments of the True Cross. This afternoon we will take a Seine River Cruise, which will take us under many of Paris' graceful bridges, and past many important landmarks and monuments along both banks - a perfect introduction to the beauty of Paris. This evening we make an ascent to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris' most recognizable landmark, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889.

DAY    3            PARIS
We begin this morning with a visit to one of Paris' most recognizable landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe. We will ascend this massive triumphal arch for magnificent views of Paris, and we will view the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our walk continues along the Champs Elysees, Paris' most well-known and popular thoroughfare. The tree-lined avenue offers a beautiful look at Parisian life, an abundance of spectacular architecture and an ideal place for a drink or bite to eat. Next we take a Walking Tour of St-Germain-des-Pres, an area synonymous with intellectual life, with lovely bars and cafes, filled with philosophers, writers, actors and musicians. Highlights of our walk will include: the famous café, Les Deux Magots, St-Germain-des-Pres Church, Café de Flore, Brasserie Lipp, the Palais Abbatial and St-Sulpice. We will also visit the Musee D'Orsay, dedicated to the rich diversity of visual arts from 1846 to 1914, and featuring masterpieces by: Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin and Lautrec. We continue on to the Hotel des Invalides, an imposing building from which the surrounding area gets its name. In 1671, Louis XIV commissioned the building for his wounded and homeless veterans, many of whom had become beggars. We will visit will be the Dome Church, built by Mansart for Louis XIV in 1676. The church is one of the finest examples of 17th century French architecture and is highlighted by the Tomb of Napoleon. This evening we will ascend to Montmartre, an area just on the outskirts of the city center and made famous as an artists haunt. We will enjoy dinner in a restaurant on Montmartre, before wandering through the Place du Tertre, a square known for its local artwork, and visiting to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica.

DAY    4            PARIS - FLIGHT TO ROME (3 NIGHTS)
Our day begins with a visit to the Louvre, where we will take a guided tour of one of the world's finest collections of art, including Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Mona Lisa, and master paintings and sculpture from Western Civilization. After our tour, we will have free time to explore the museum's collections at our leisure. This afternoon, we will stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, beautiful Neo-Classical gardens, to the Place de la Concorde, one of Europe's most magnificent and historic squares. Following time for lunch and final browsing in Paris, we will transfer to the airport for our late afternoon flight to Rome, "the Eternal City." Upon our arrival in Rome, we will transfer to our hotel. We will have dinner at a local restaurant near our hotel.

DAY    5            ROME (CITY OF THE POPES)
Today we will have an early start and head to St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, the world's smallest independent nation, and the center of the Christian world, where we will have a Papal Audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Following this we will have a specialist-guided tour of the Vatican Museums, which house one of the most impressive collections of art in the world. Our tour will include the map rooms, the tapestry rooms, and the magnificent Raphael Rooms, as well as the spectacular Sistine Chapel, highlighted by Michelangelo's ceiling and his Last Judgment. We will also have go inside St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the western world and the most important point of pilgrimage in the Catholic world. Highlights of our visit will include: The Pieta by Michelangelo, the tomb of St. Peter and Bernini's magnificent Baldacchino. After time to explore St. Peter's Square, we will continue with a walk to the Spanish Steps, the stairway of the Church of Trinita dei Monti, and "the sitting room" of the city.

DAY    6            ROME (THE CITY OF THE CAESARS)
Today we will explore Rome's most spectacular remains from the powerful Roman Empire, commencing with a specialist guided tour of the Colosseum, considered the symbol of Rome's eternity. Completed under Titus in 80 AD, over 55,000 spectators could watch the gladiatorial games. We continue with a walk through the ruins and excavations of the Roman Forum, featuring the remains of magnificent temples, basilicas and triumphal arches, which once formed the heart of the Empire. Our tour concludes with a brief visit to the Mamertine Prison, once reserved for those that posed a threat to the security of Rome, before viewing Trajan's Column and Markets and the grandiose Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument. Our afternoon commences in the Piazza Navona, built on the foundations of Domitian's Circus. This magnificent square, designed in the 17th century by Bernini, is full of life and is highlighted by one of Rome's most spectacular fountains, the fountain of the Four Rivers. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to the Pantheon, one of the grandest and the best-preserved Roman monuments, which today houses the tombs of Raphael, Vittorio Emmanuelle II, and Queen Margherita. Our day concludes at the spectacular Trevi Fountain, where it is traditional to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a return to the Eternal City.

DAY    7            DEPARTURE FROM ROME
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight home.