ISTANBUL – BRUSSELS – (Bruges Tour) – PARIS
We gather at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport International Terminal 3 hours before our flight, and after completing baggage drop-off, check-in, and passport control, we fly to Brussels on Pegasus Airlines scheduled flight PC921 at 09:50. Upon arrival at Brussels Charleroi Airport at 12:20 local time, we depart for Paris with our vehicle waiting for us at the airport. Along the way, our guests who wish may join the extra Bruges Tour (50 Euro) program. Bruges, known as the “Venice of Belgium” thanks to its houses on the water and streets made up of canals, is known as a dreamlike city. The city’s historical structure and medieval architecture, which were not damaged by chance during World War II, have survived to the present day. The colorful one-story, cake-like houses, churches, statues, and cobblestone medieval streets that appear in the city square will draw us into a fairy tale. After the city tour we will carry out in Bruges, we continue our journey to Paris. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Paris area, check-in and free time for rest.
PARIS – (Paris Phenomena Tour and Seine River Boat Tour) – (Paris Icons Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day of free time. Guests who wish may join our extra Paris Phenomena and Seine River Boat Tour (85 Euro). We begin our Paris Phenomena tour with the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris and even of France. Built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris III. Universal Exhibition, this steel-and-iron structure, after attracting great interest from tourists during and after the 1889 Universal Exhibition, was spared demolition and has survived to the present day. We offer free time around the Eiffel Tower for photos and sightseeing. During this free time, guests who wish may go up to the 2nd floor of the tower, which consists of 3 sections (floors) and is reached by elevator to each section, and enjoy Paris’s unique view and take beautiful photos (Optional Eiffel Tower elevator ascent fee is 23€, not included in the extra tour price). After our Eiffel tour, we organize a Seine River (Sen) boat tour. (Boat tour is included in the extra tour fee.) The 776 km long Seine River, one of the most well-known rivers in the world, divides the city in two. During the cruise on long boats moving slowly along the river, we will see many famous Paris buildings and the 37 bridges over the river from a unique angle. After our Seine River excursion, via Invalides (Veterans) Square, we panoramically see the Lady Diana Memorial, Palais Royal, the royal entertainment center of the 17th century, and Comedie Française Square, which includes many historical buildings including the French National Theater. Then we visit the perfume museum, where the city’s development and the development of its perfume sector are showcased, as well as original bottles with aesthetically impressive designs and valuable perfumes with France-specific essences and scents. Finally, our tour reaches the BENLUX Store, where we give free time for shopping and sightseeing for souvenirs, cosmetics, bags, watches, accessories, and similar products. Our guests who wish may visit the Louvre Museum during the free time that will be given after our photo stop at the Louvre Museum, which was built as a fortress in the Middle Ages for defense purposes but began to be used as a museum after the French Revolution and was visited by nearly 10 million people in 2012 (Optional Louvre Museum entrance fee is 33€, not included in the extra tour price). After the tour, free time in the city center. In the evening, our guests who wish may join our extra Paris Icons Tour (65 Euro) program. On our tour, we will first go to Montmartre Hill, which is still home to bohemian life today, known as the "Painters' Hill" thanks to street painters, caricaturists, and many famous painters who worked there, and which forms the highest point of Paris. After visiting the Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Vow Church) rising atop this 130-meter hill (transportation fee by funicular is included in the extra tour fee), we will have free time for portrait drawing and sightseeing in the painters' square. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel.
PARIS – (Annecy Tour) – GENEVA
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we set off for Geneva. Along the way, our guests who wish may join the extra Annecy Tour (50 Euro) program. Thanks to the canals and the Thiou River running through it, Annecy, which has earned the title “Venice of the Alps,” enchants visitors with its structure of canals and its extraordinary location between mountains and a lake. During our excursion in Annecy, we will see panoramically the Chateau d’Annecy, built in the 17th century and restored in 1947, St. Maurice Church, and the Palais de l’Isle, a point of attraction for photography enthusiasts. After a short free time on the shore of Lake Annecy, the third largest lake in France, we complete our tour and continue our journey to Geneva. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Geneva area, check-in and free time for rest.
GENEVA – (Swiss Alpine Villages by Train: Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen Tour) – BERN – ALSACE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we organize our city tour. Known as “the French city of Switzerland” and located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Geneva is an extraordinary city where history, culture, science, and nature come together. The fact that the headquarters of international organizations (CERN, World Health Organization, UEFA, FIFA, United Nations) are located in Geneva places the city in a central position culturally and administratively. During our excursion in Geneva, where museums, parks, historical monuments and streets, and clean air come together, the St. Pierre Cathedral, the Jet d’Eau fountain, which has become the symbol of Geneva and rises up to 140 meters, and the Reformation Monument are among the main places to see. After the city tour, we depart for Bern. Upon arrival in Bern, during the free time that will be offered, our guests who wish may join the extra Swiss Alpine Villages by Train: Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen Tour (75 Euro) program. Our first stop on the tour will be Interlaken. We will carry out our tour in Interlaken, which takes its name from being located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and is famous for its natural beauty and the enchanting views of these beauties. Important hotels of the region, casinos, and shopping streets are located along the route of our walking tour. The Victoria Jungfrau Hotel, one of the city’s historical symbols, and Höhematte Park are among the places we will see panoramically. After the free time to be offered for photos and sightseeing, we move to the train station to go to Lauterbrunnen, the next stop of our tour. With our train departing from Interlaken, after about a 20-minute journey we arrive in Lauterbrunnen. We will feel the deep structure of the valley and the steep rock walls as soon as we exit the station. While walking to the village center, we will panoramically see and have the chance to photograph the enchanting structure of Staubbach Falls hanging down toward the valley floor. Lauterbrunnen is known for its small settlements and walking paths lined along the valley that is home to 72 waterfalls. During our walk along the route determined within the village, we will take plenty of photos of the region’s traditional chalet architecture, the natural formations surrounding the valley floor, and its wonderful heavenly landscapes. We return to Interlaken and complete our tour. After the tour, we return to Bern and organize our city tour. Bern is one of the few cities in Europe that has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Due to this historical texture, it is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. German influence can also be seen in the architecture of Bern, which is located within the borders of Switzerland and has German as its official language. After our tour in Bern, built around the Aare River, we head to our hotel in the Alsace region. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and free time for rest.
ALSACE – (Colmar Tour) – STRASBOURG – LUXEMBOURG
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Strasbourg. Along the way, our guests who wish may join the extra Colmar Tour (50 Euro) program. On our tour, we go to the fairy-tale city of Colmar and see the Old Customs House, the Pfister House, and the colorful houses around the Rhine River, as well as the city’s most famous area, Petite Venise (Little Venice). In the unique atmosphere surrounded by the Rhine River and its canals, you will find many delicious foods to suit your taste and the opportunity to buy many souvenirs. After the Colmar tour, we continue our journey to Strasbourg. Located on the borders of Germany, Switzerland, and France, and also the largest city in the Alsace region, Strasbourg will welcome us in a picturesque way, as if it came straight out of a fairy tale. During the panoramic city tour we will carry out on foot in the car-free center and streets of Strasbourg, which was added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1988 and has hosted the European Parliament since 1992, Gutenberg Square and Statue, Notre Dame Cathedral, the city’s most important structure located in the very heart of the city, and the Kammerzell House, the city’s oldest house and still serving today as a hotel and restaurant, are among the places we will see. After the Strasbourg tour and the free time to be offered, we set off for Luxembourg. Luxembourg is the world leader in terms of per capita income according to IMF and World Bank data. The capital, also named Luxembourg, is protected by the UNESCO World Heritage List and is the only city that has achieved the status of European Capital of Culture twice, in 1995 and 2007. After the city tour we will organize in Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in Europe in terms of area, transfer to our hotel in the Luxembourg region. Check-in and free time for rest.
LUXEMBOURG – COLOGNE – OUTLET – AMSTERDAM
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Cologne. Built around the Rhine River and maintaining its importance as a major trading center since the Middle Ages, Cologne is an important German city known for its chocolates, Roman-era artifacts, Roman walls surrounding the city, medieval churches, and many historical structures. Cologne Gothic Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and the Kaiser Wilhelm II Monument are among the main places to be seen during our city tour. After our Cologne visit and the free time to be offered, we head to Amsterdam. Along the way, we visit the outlet center. After the free time offered for affordable and quality shopping in the outlet center, which hosts the stylish stores of prestigious brands, cafes and restaurants, and personal activity areas, we continue our journey to Amsterdam. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, on our city tour we will see Dam Square, the Royal Palace, and Central Station as the main attractions. After the free time to be offered, transfer to our hotel in the Amsterdam area. Check-in and free time for rest.
AMSTERDAM – (Geithoorn Hobbit Village Tour) – ZAANDAM – (Fairy-Tale Villages & Windmills Tour) – BRUSSELS
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Zaandam. Along the way, our guests who wish may join the extra Geithoorn Hobbit Village Tour (65 Euro) program. On our tour, we visit Geithoorn, called the “Land of Fairy Tales” for its peaceful atmosphere and canals. Giethoorn, with its pristine nature away from motor vehicles, bridges, canals, and charming houses that are unique architectural wonders, ranks first on the list of the world’s most peaceful places. After the sightseeing in Giethoorn Hobbit Village, during the free time that will be offered, those who wish may pay an additional fee (optional Boat Tour fee 10 Euro) and take a trip on wooden boats through the canals of this fairy-tale town, also having the chance to view the charming houses resembling the living spaces of Hobbits from a different perspective. After our tour in Giethoorn, we continue our journey to Zaandam. Located in the north of the country by the Zaan River, Zaandam is among the favorites of Instagram influencers with its features of being an open-air museum where modern shopping opportunities and historic traditional green Zaan houses come together. In Zaandam, which holds the title of being the place where the first McDonald’s restaurant in Europe opened, during the sightseeing and free time we will offer, our guests who wish may join the extra Fairy-Tale Villages and Windmills Tour (75 Euro) program. On our tour, we first arrive in Volendam. After the walking tour we will carry out on the streets of Volendam, surrounded by well-kept and beautiful houses, and on the waterfront full of restaurants and cafes, we move to Zaanse Schans, our next stop. This historic town, with its windmills, museums, nature, and culture, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands. After our Zaanse Schans excursion, where we can see mills used today in paint and oil production as well as shops where you can find souvenir handicrafts such as wooden clogs (entrance fees to the archaeological site are included in the extra tour fee. Optional Zaanse Schans museum entrance fee of 15€ is not included), we depart for Brussels. Brussels, which is also considered the capital of Europe and the European Union because it hosts many institutions related to both Belgium and the European Union and NATO, is a city that has managed to preserve many historical artifacts throughout history. After our city tour in Brussels, where the Grand Place, one of Europe’s most famous and lively squares, and venues famous for their Gothic historical and architectural texture are located, transfer to our hotel in the Brussels area. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and free time for rest.
BRUSSELS – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we head to Brussels Charleroi Airport for our return flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival at the airport, after completing baggage drop-off, check-in, and passport control, we fly to Istanbul at 17:30 on Pegasus Airlines scheduled flight PC924. Arrival at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 21:45 local time and end of the tour.