Compare Amsterdam, Paris & London by EF College Break (EF Ultimate Break) vs European Affair & The Chelsea Flower Show - 2022 by Insight Vacations

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Board your overnight flight, bound for Europe.

Day 2: Arrive in London

Welcome to London! It’s huge, it’s cosmopolitan, and it’s brimming with famous sights, fun pubs, great music venues and endless things to do.

Welcome Mixer

Get to know your fellow travelers at an authentic local spot over some drinks and light appetizers.

Day 3: Sightseeing tour of London (local guide)

Hit the highlights of London with a local guide giving you all the inside info. Most of the tour will be on a bus ride around the city—you’ll see the famous sights like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. You’ll also get a chance to walk around and explore on foot.

Day 4 Excursion

Beyond London: Explore Oxford Extra Cost

See the countryside roll by as you escape to Oxford, the picturesque city that doubled as Hogwarts and influenced the likes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Albert Einstein and many more throughout the centuries. After a guided tour, enjoy free time to explore museums, grab lunch at the Covered Market, go punting on the River Thames (summer only) or simply wander through a place as magical as the stories it inspires.

Free Time in London (night)

Top 3 nightlife suggestions:

1. Comedy Store – Laugh till you can't anymore at the heart and soul of the UK comedy scene.

2. Fabric – A huge underground dance club with three dance floors, plus some mellower spaces.

3. Shepherd's Bush Empire – This popular medium-sized music venue has hosted the likes of Björk, Cold War Kids and Cee Lo Green.

Day 5: Train to Paris

Head to Paris! The French capital is visited by more than 30 million people a year, drawn by the famous monuments, great food, and some of the world’s best art museums. Paris is comprised of 20 districts, or arrondissements, so there’s plenty of diversity and personality to discover.

Bonjour! Welcome to Paris.

Upon arrival, head to your accommodation and drop your bags. Your Tour Director will take you on a quick walk to orient you with the area and point out some incredible landmarks.

Evening Seine Cruise and Eiffel Tower

Float past Notre Dame Cathedral and under some of Paris’s famous bridges, then visit the most iconic tower in the world as its dazzling lights sparkle with the setting sun.

Day 6: Sightseeing tour of Paris (local guide)

Enjoy a combination bus/walking tour of Paris’ top highlights. Your expert local guide will tell you all about the city as you see its most well-known sights.

Your guide will also take you off the beaten path to some of Paris’ more authentic arrondissements, and give you the inside scoop on Parisian culture. Get to know the fashionistas, eccentric royals, epic revolutionaries, bougie bourgeoisie, and enlightened intellectuals that shaped the City of Light.

Free Time Suggestions

Edit Sober: Visit the cafe haunts of literary giants like Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and many others.

Fall in Louvre: Paris is home to some of the world’s most incredible art collections. Head to The Louvre and Musee d’Orsay. The Louvre displays art from before the 18th century, and houses the Mona Lisa herself. The Orsay is your place for modern art.

Latin Quarter: Around the Sorbonne, the bars and clubs here are open late and frequented by locals and travelers alike.

Excursion: Versailles  (extra cost)

Spend the afternoon at the over-the-top palace of Louis XIV. Not far from Paris, this is where French royalty reveled in their extravagant lifestyle in the decades before the Revolution. At one point, a thousand nobles were attended by 4,000 servants inside the palace, while 15,000 soldiers and servants lived in the annexes. Walk through the landscaped gardens, tour the State Apartments of the King and the Queen, and see the Hall of Mirrors.

Day 7: Free Day in Paris

Today is yours to explore! Paris is immense, yet intimate. While it can be overwhelming at first, there’s a bounty of hidden gems around every corner.

Free Time Suggestions

Go Subterranean: The Paris catacombs are dark, underground crypts where the city’s dead have been buried for centuries.

Bon Appétit: French food is some of the finest in the world. Demanding customers, meticulous preparation and the freshest ingredients combine for an unparalleled culinary experience. Parisians eat dinner late between 8 and 10pm, so plan accordingly.

C’est Magnifique!: Head to Montmartre, a neighborhood filled with street art, incredible views overlooking the city and the famous Sacré Cœur Cathedral. This is the perfect place to take a stroll, grab lunch and admire a more authentic side of Paris.

Day 8: Train to Amsterdam

Enjoy views of the European countryside as you travel by train to Amsterdam.

Arrive in Amsterdam

Welcome to Amsterdam! There’s so much to love about Amsterdam, from the canals to the Van Gogh to the legendary laid-back attitude. Home of the famous Red Light District and a population that consists of more bikes than people, Amsterdam is one-of-a-kind.

Day 9: Sightseeing Tour of Amsterdam (local guide)

Get a feel for the city’s history and unique culture as you walk through busy Dam Square. Then take in scenic views of the Amstel River before finishing up in Rembrandtplein, a bustling square packed with outdoor cafés, shops and clubs.

Farewell Dinner

Share some last laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with the group.

Day 10: Fly Home

It's time to say your goodbyes. Head to the airport for your flight back home.

Day 1: Welcome to London

On arrival, you are transferred to your hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure to relax or explore London. This evening join your Travel Director for a Welcome Drink and trip briefing at the hotel.

Day 2: Chelsea Flower Show

Today is dedicated to the famous Chelsea Flower Show, run by the Royal Horticultural Society, this is the ‘mecca’ of all garden shows. Bringing together the very best show gardens, flowers, and gardening from around the world, lose yourself amongst the magnificent floral displays and show gardens. Enjoy elaborate displays featuring courtyard, city and roof gardens, and hear from the experts. This evening dine on a spectacular Thames River Dinner Cruise.

Day 3: London to Amsterdam

Travel to Dover for the channel crossing to Calais, and transfer to Amsterdam. Later we board our canal boat and dine as we gently glide along the canals, past traditional Dutch-gabled houses built right on the water’s edge, and under picturesque bridges.

Day 4: Floriade

Start your day at the famous Aalsmeer Flower Auction, the largest of its kind in the world. Experience the intoxicating bustle of the auction floor and witness the incredible number of blooms sold every day. Later visit the Floriade Expo 2022, a once-in-a-decade horticultural and international garden exposition. The theme is “Growing Green Cities”, you will have time to visit the Green Island and other districts focusing on food, energy and health.

Day 5: Amsterdam to Bruges

Continue to medieval Bruges in Belgium. Stroll along the cobbled streets lined with high, gabled houses from the Golden Age of the 16th century. Visit the market square dominated by the 272ft Belfry of the Market Hall. Then explore Burg Square with its ornate Gothic town hall and glorious frescoes on the walls of the Holy Blood Chapel. Afterwards, enjoy a relaxing canal cruise, followed by a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 6: Bruges at Leisure

A free day to explore medieval Bruges at your own pace. Don’t forget to try some of the tempting chocolates or beers for which Belgium is renowned for.

Day 7: Bruges to Paris

Depart Bruges for glittering Paris. Enjoy sightseeing with a Local Expert, taking in the imposing facades of the Louvre and Garnier Opera House. See the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde and drive along the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and see the Eiffel Tower, completed for the World Exhibition in 1899.

Day 8: Loire Valley Excursion

Today take a day trip from Paris to visit two of the most famous Chateaux of the Loire Valley: the picturesque Château de Chenonceau, and perhaps most magnificent of them all, the Château de Chambord. You’ll witness the glamour and grandeur of French royalty and aristocracy, and gain insights into ‘castle life’ in these iconic Renaissance riverside estates.

Day 9: Versailles and Giverny

Spend the day admiring two of Europe’s most celebrated gardens, Versailles and Giverny. France’s royal history is revealed at King Louis XIV’s majestic palace of Versailles which, along with its magnificent garden, became the quintessential model for palaces in Europe. Visit the luxurious Grand Apartments, the chandelier-lit Hall of Mirrors and the Chapel of Versailles. Then we head to Giverny to view the gardens that inspired many of Impressionist Claude Monet’s paintings.

Day 10: Farewell Paris

Your memorable journey comes to an end as you bid your Travel Director farewell. Transfers arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport at 08.30 and 11.00.