Best of Greece, Italy, and France

In the morning, the light washes over the city once more to reveal the staggering beauty of the Eiffel Tower, which soars above the grassy field of the Champs de Mars. Locals and tourists wander around the lanes of the Left Bank, home to the Sorbonne University, which once attracted scholars from around Europe. After breakfast, you visit the Louvre Museum and meet your guide in front of the 20th century glass pyramid marking the gallery entrance. The Louvre was first built as a defensive fortress in the 12th century before it became a palace for the French monarchs by the 14th century. The current museum encompasses 782,910 square feet displaying 380,000 objects that range from prehistory to the 21st century.

The fantastic collection displayed across eight curatorial departments is almost overwhelming in its showcase of historical aesthetic, the evolution of art, and the combination of popular and overlooked masterpieces scattered across the galleries. You reach the painting by Georges de la Tour, known as The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds. The French masterpiece depicts four people playing cards around a table. The moment frozen in time shows a card shark about to dupe a flamboyantly dressed young man in a feathered cap. It feels as though the cheat is breaking the fourth wall as he conspires with the viewer of the painting while the servant provides a side-glance to the card shark.

At breakfast, the aroma of frothy cappuccino combines with the scent of decadent chocolate, which emanates from the patisseries serving freshly baked pastries in the morning. You depart from your hotel early to reach the gates of the opulent Palace of Versailles. The former hunting chateau turned luxurious royal residence was designed to dazzle visitors and members of the French court. The idyllic setting amid the country backdrop accentuated the decorative pomp emanating from the gilded details. The palatial complex became the official seat of political power in France in 1682.

You walk through the exuberant Hall of Mirrors, and pass the 300 mirror segments that create a dramatic reflection of the light as it pours in through the windows amid gilded statues and shimmering chandeliers that lead to the royal apartments. The King’s Grand Apartments include the reception rooms named for classical deities, such as the Salon d’Hercule. The room features a painting by François Lemoyne draped across the ceiling featuring The Triumph of Hercules. The work was crafted in the 18th century and shows Hercules rising to the rank of the gods amid his father Jupiter. The gardens on the chateau contain masterworks of landscaping with perfectly trimmed shrubbery, tidy lawns, and geometric patterns that highlights how the architect could manipulate the surrounding nature. Pools, blossoming flowers, and elaborate fountains adorn the garden’s 1,976 acres.

The streets around the Latin Quarter are quiet in the morning. The tranquility reveals the true beauty of the Panthéon, the mausoleum that hosts the tombs of France’s most prominent citizens. The 18 Corinthian columns betray the neoclassical design of the structure erected in 1790, inspired by the classical temples of ancient Greece. Figures like Emile Zola and Victor Hugo, as well as Voltaire and Rousseau are buried inside the monstrous structure. After breakfast, your private transfer will escort you to the airport for your flight to Rome.

You land at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and travel by private escort to the comforts of your hotel in the heart of the ancient city center. Rome bustles with activity blending the ancient, medieval, and contemporary history into the movement of daily life. Enthusiasts and locals refer to Rome as the Eternal City, forever changing with the rise of new generations while it showcases how the past has recycled the architecture in the form of churches utilizing marble from ancient structures. You follow your guide to the remarkable walls of the Colosseum for a half-day excursion into the Roman Republic and Empire. This tour will span the famous amphitheater and Roman Forum.

The Colosseum remains one of Rome’s most iconic structures with outer walls reaching nearly 158 feet tall and foundations dating back to the 1st century AD. In the past, the interior could hold up to 50,000 spectators. You look down into the center stage of the amphitheater to find the walls of a labyrinth that leads two-stories underground. The Hypogeum was once covered over by wood and sand hosting a series of tunnels and rooms in which gladiators trained.

The morning air in Rome fills with the scent of roasted coffee beans and fresh espresso. The aroma fades beneath the sweet herbaceous fragrance of fresh flowers that fill the markets and corner stalls. You reach the elaborate design of Piazza St. Peter early and meet your guide beside the historic obelisk at the center of the public square. The remarkable dome of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooks the piazza at a height of nearly 450 feet. Four rows of Doric columns create semicircular colonnades, which encircle the giant ellipses, acting as a funnel for visitors walking into the basilica.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the colonnades deliberately to represent the arms of the church welcoming pilgrims. The obelisk was brought to the city during the reign of Caligula and represents the historical connection between Rome and Egypt. Before entering the museums, you visit the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica. The building was erected in the 17th century atop an older 4th-century church. The lavish interior contains masterworks of art and architecture ranging from Bernini’s stupendous baldachin that hovers over the papal altar to Michelangelo’s celebrated Pietà.

The renowned sculptor created the piece when he was 24 years old. He used remarkable detail to create a realistic effect that depicts Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion. After exploring the wonders of the Vatican Museums, you discover the tremendous history on display in Rome’s open-air galleries that lead you to the famous Trevi Fountain. The 17th-century work of art has been immortalized in film, literature, and artworks. The façade hides the 1st century BC Roman aqueduct with elaborate images of Oceanus surrounded by horses, tritons, and shells.

The early hours of the morning provide a profound quiet around the forecourt of the Pantheon, an ancient symbol for resisting the effects of time. The magnificent structure was erected in the 1st century AD over a previous temple damaged by fire. The extraordinary dome reaches 141 feet above the surrounding cobblestone streets with an interior that reflects the importance of the structure throughout the millennia. The structure has hosted iconic figures from deities to famous Italians like Victor Emanuel II, the First King of a United Italy. You travel by fast train to Florence after breakfast. Discover a city frozen in time between the medieval and Renaissance eras capped by the masterpiece of the Duomo’s dome, the largest unreinforced brick dome in the world.

The Uffizi Gallery was originally commissioned as the offices of the magistrate under the rule of Cosimo I de’ Medici in the 16th century. The inner courtyard acts as a long narrow passage with an open Doric screen that looks out to the Arno River. The museum hosts one of the world’s most impressive and important collections of Western art between the 14th and 18th centuries. The rooms are organized by artistic era as it displays contemporary artists and artwork side-by-side to reveal the evolution of the masters over time. The Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca in the 15th century represent an expressive movement toward realistic authenticity by not flattering the subjects and instead including the aquiline nose, wrinkles, and thin lips.

The daunting figure of Dante Alighieri stands watch over the Piazza Santa Croce beside the entrance to the eponymous basilica. The interior contains artistic charms of Donatello, Bardi, Peruzzi, and Gitto, as well as the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. You will have a private escort to the train station where you board the scenic fast train bound for Venice. The fascinating city on the lagoon becomes a labyrinth of fabulous surprises beginning with the famous winding waterway of the Grand Canal.

Marble palaces, sensational churches, and marvelous bridges decorate the cobbled lanes that link the 118 separate islands to create the single cityscape divided into six sestieri. Your guide will greet you in the lobby of the luxury hotel eager to lead you through the gorgeous history of Venice at St. Mark’s Square. The bell tower was erected in the 16th century to accompany the bulbous Byzantine domes of St. Mark’s Basilica. A gilded weathervane crowns the bell tower at nearly 325 feet tall.

The religious complex broke ground in the 11th century decorated with 500 columns cast from rare marble and stone, as well as sensational gold mosaics spanning 45,639 square feet. The porch and gallery contain open vaulting, which dates back to the 16th century. The mosaics leading right to left depict stories from the Bible including the tales of Creation, Noah’s Ark, and the Tower of Babel. The interior contains huge pillars that support the five large domes. There are also 16 windows that flood the ceiling and walls with natural light, which glints against the treasured golden mosaics, gold leaf, and tiny colored glass pieces.

The Venetian Lagoon encompasses over 212 square miles with countless islands connected to the history of Venice and the Venetian Republic. Today, you will set out onto the waters of the Grand Canal early. Travel down more than two miles of winding, wide passageways to reach the lagoon’s more open waters. The Renaissance marble façade of Palazzo Corner della Ca’ Grande highlights the elaborate designs of master architects and the stately styles of aristocratic families who desired to impress their communities.

You reach the island of Burano, which houses a quaint fishing village accentuated by the vibrantly painted homes. Women historically wove lace goods while waiting for their husbands, sons, or fathers to return from the open sea each day. The Scuola dei Merletti, Lace School, hosts a small museum dedicated to the craft of lace-making, and classes for those interested in learning the fine skill of weaving together lacework. After the initial shock of the fascinating colors, Burano welcomes you with a quiet allure hidden by pea-green, hot-pink, and royal-blue houses.

A bridge spanning nearly 170 feet long connects Burano with the neighboring island of Mazzorbo. While small, settlements on the historic island date back to the 7th century AD with few treasured ruins reflecting the island’s golden age in the 13th to 14th centuries. Vineyards and orchards juxtapose the cobblestones, marble, and waterways of Venice’s main island. The fields lead to rows of private houses and a gothic villa once owned by famous Venetian resident Giacomo Casanova.

The past looms large in Athens. This city is a constant symbol of Western Civilization with a heritage that dates back more than 3,000 years. The cultural attractions merge with daily life as the winding 19th-century streets on the outskirts of the ancient city remain in view of the renowned Acropolis. Byzantine churches and neighborhoods with village-like ambiance accentuate the charms of the city in the shadow of the rich past. After your flight lands at Athens International Airport, your private transfer escorts you to the center of the contemporary city, which offers spectacular views to the looming image of the Parthenon.

Set out on a Greek epic with your guide as you traverse the ancient neighborhood of the Plaka en route to the top of the Acropolis. The Plaka provides a picturesque image of ancient life in Greece with cheerful plazas and houses colored with pastel paints and trimmed, blossoming bougainvillea. Local restaurants fill the air with the aromas of slow-cooked lamb, roasted vegetables, and the sweet flavors of honey-soaked baklava. You continue up the hill to the Propylaia, the entrance gate to the Acropolis that was erected in the 5th century BC. A deep portico on the west hosts Ionic columns while six Doric columns decorate the portico.

You enter the plateau and find the stoic Parthenon overlooking modern Athens. The structure was erected between the 5th and 4th centuries BC to celebrate the cult of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, as well as the guardian of the city.  Exactly 136 Doric columns supported the structure in decorative rows. The design generated a sense of harmony, which was highlighted by the optical illusion of a perfectly balanced structure from the narrowing dimensions of each column from bottom to top. Your guide points out the intricate image of the Birth of Athena from the head of Zeus located on the east end of the pediment.

Mount Olympus may have been the home of the Gods in Ancient Greece, but Delphi acted as the center of the world as it drew pilgrims from across the far reaches of Greece eager to visit the Sanctuary of Apollo. You leave Athens early in the morning to reach the stunning village of Delphi, situated on a mountainside at 1,837 feet above sea level. The cliffs plunge to the base of Mount Parnassus and overlook the coastal plains and valley of Phocis. Traditions accounted for the construction of four temples that date back to the 6th century BC. The structures are documented by the poets Pindar and Pausanias, as well as the Homeric Hymn to Apollo.

The first temple was constructed out of olive branches and the second out of bees’ wax. Walk along the Sacred Way, a route that leads to the entrance of the Temple of Apollo. Votives once lined the walkway connecting the religious monuments to various Greek cities, which reflected both the diversity and political importance of Delphi in Ancient Greece. Many of the votive bases have survived time amid the sporadic standing columns. The Temple of Apollo retains the foundations of the original structure as well as Doric columns, which date back to the fourth century BC.

You can see the point at which the Pythia, or high priestess, would voice the words of the famous Oracle at Delphi whose messages derived from the god Apollo. A refurbished Doric temple known as the Treasury of the Athenians was initially erected in the 6th century BC with marble for the island of Paros. It was rebuilt in the early 20th century and retains copies of the fabulous frieze, the original of which is not located in the Delphi Museum.

The Mediterranean light washes over the neighborhood of Psiri in the morning. It reveals the antique homes and neoclassical buildings that host trendy bars and charming boutique shops. The aroma of Greek coffee emanates from picturesque taverns and the cozy cafes scattered around the narrow streets. You reach Athens’ port and board a large boat bound for the famous islands of the Aegean Sea. You step onto the quiet streets of Hydra, a gem on the Saronic Gulf free of cars and zipping scooters. Marble shapes the cobbled lanes and donkeys carry visitors around the jumble of hills, rocks, and seaside cliffs amid exquisite architecture preserved in the form of stone mansions and picturesque churches.

Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion has an ochre exterior, which stands high above the wading boats that decorate the harbor. The mansion helped move forward Greece’s struggle for independence and features remarkable 18th-century architecture with original furnishings, handcrafts, and clothing on display. On Poros, you find homes decorated with bright pastel hues and a clock tower crowning the hillside before you reach the gorgeous scenery of Aegina. You move beyond the port to find the welcoming, sleepy ambiance of a typical Greek island known for its own blend of delicious cuisine that stems for vibrant pistachio orchards, ancient and Byzantine ruins, and lively weekends consisting Athenians absconding to the nearby islands for the weekend.

More than 30 Byzantine churches punctuate the history of the rocky heights along a remote citadel hosting the refurbished ancient town of Paleohora. The town acted as the island’s capital from the 9th century to the medieval era before it was eventually abandoned in the 1820s. The town contrasts the preserved remains of the Temple of Aphaia, which stands out from the hill covered in pine trees overlooking the Saronic Gulf. The structure was erected in the 5th century BC to celebrate a local pre-Hellenistic deity. The pediments once contained sculptures that depict the stories of the Trojan War.

The neighborhood of Anafiotika in Athens reflects the vibrant architecture of the Cyclidic islands that shine with small, whitewashed walls and blue trim. The neighborhood dates back to the 19th century. Many islanders fled to Greece’s largest city for work to erect the Royal Palace of King Otto, the first king of a united Greece. At breakfast, the aroma of sweet local pastries blends with the rich scent of Greek coffee. Your private transfer will greet you in the hotel lobby when you are ready, and escort you to Athens International Airport for your flight home.