Tauck European Tours

When in Rome… go to gladiator school! Our family-friendly tour of Italy brings Roman history into focus as you visit ancient ruins, learn gladiator skills and wander underground catacombs. You'll also tour the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel after hours. Pompeii reveals its mysteries as you walk its ancient streets and excavated buildings. And how sweet it is to see Sorrento, where you'll take a pizza-making class on a family farm… hop aboard a high-speed ferry to the enchanting Isle of Capri for further exploration via convertible and funicular… and break for gelato!

This is Scotland. Tartans and kilts... the fields of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie lost his chance at the crown and a piece of the nation's heart... the King's residence at Holyroodhouse... Cawdor Castle (home of Macbeth)... St. Andrews (the home of golf)... Edinburgh and the Royal Mile of pubs, shops, and enchanting historical sites... you'll become part of the unique story of Scotland, today and yesterday...

Follow the Seine on an 8-day river sojourn, winding from Parisian suburbs to the sea and back, discovering small towns, romantic chateaux and medieval cities, windy seascapes, and colorful gardens that inspired Impressionist painters. Walk in Van Gogh's footsteps at Auvers-sur-Oise... admire the breathtaking view from the heights of Richard the Lionheart's castle at Les Andelys... before opening hours, immerse in the picture-perfect beauty of Monet's gardens and lily ponds at Giverny... stand awestruck at the island monastery of Mont St. Michel, and the D-Day beaches at Pointe du Hoc... wander the cobbled streets of medieval Rouen, and the charming seaside port of Honfleur, where Monet learned to paint with oils, and Impressionism was born. Along the way you'll also find the soul of Norman cuisine, the essence of calvados, and enjoy special evenings as the royals once did at elegant centuries-old Château de Bizy and Château du Taillis.

Food and art are passions in Southern France and key ingredients for the culturally curious. An idyllic walk down lanes that inspired Cézanne in Aix, contemporary art on the grounds of a classic Provençal château, an insider tour with a van Gogh art scholar in St. Rémy, a picnic in a lavender meadow, exploring the Roman ruins of Glanum, soft landscapes changing hues in the waning sun, and a farewell at a private, family-owned winery in Châteauneuf-du-Pape... and the palette of our Provence tours becomes richer still.

Hands-on family fun has everyone's eyes a-smiling... attend a farm-fresh cooking demonstration and dinner with entertainment at the acclaimed Ballymaloe Cookery School, set in a 100-acre organic farm... attend a private barbecue dinner during a three-night stay at a resort in Cork... explore Dublin on a treasure hunt that takes you back in time, from the Viking ages to the Middle Ages... uncover the real story of the Titanic... learn all about sheep dogs at a demonstration at a sheep farm and birds of prey at a falconry experience... discover your artistic side at a hands-on demonstration in Irish pottery making... and revel in the real Ireland along the "Wild Atlantic Way"...

Featuring accommodations in the Leading Hotels of the World, this new all small group trip takes guests on a weeklong excursion that ensures an authentic look at la dolce vita sunrise to sunset. Enjoy sea view rooms at a historic hotel in Naples that Enrico Caruso once called home, embark on a day's excursion to Ischia via high-speed ferry, spend two nights indulging in Mediterranean island pleasures in a former villa on Capri, and stay in a cliffside hideaway in Amalfi with the splendors of one of the most beautiful coasts in the world right outside your door.

Traveling by high speed train from Venice to Florence and Rome reveals Italy's history in just one week... etched into art in the Uffizi... poured in Tuscan wines aged in a 4th-century abbey cellar... sculpted in timeless antiquities and architectural masterpieces... and frescoed with astonishing splendor in the Vatican Museums. Take a walking tour of Venice with a local guide. Meet Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and other Renaissance artists at the Uffizi Gallery during a private after-hours visit. Attend a wine-pairing lunch, with a taste of locally produced olive oil and cellar-aged Sangiovese wines. In Rome, go to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel after hours – no lines, no waiting...

Imagine ancient Rome on a drive through the heart of the city to see real-life relics of times past... picture Michelangelo painting frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during your special after-hours visit... go underground in hidden Etruscan caves... meet famous Renaissance paintings and statues in the famed Galleria dell'Accademia and Galleria degli Uffizi... taste the magic of gelato, strike a pose beside the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and make your own authentic pizza... stay at an award-winning hotel on a private island in the Venetian Lagoon, and cruise past opulent palaces on the Grand Canal in Venice...

For the culturally curious, this journey through Italy is a feeling that you've become much more savvy after an art history briefing. It's walking through the medieval alleys of Siena... or bicycling atop the walls of Lucca. It's laughter. It's sharing vino made from grapes in the vineyards you've just walked through and kicking back. It's about becoming a part of day-to-day Italy... and new views on life... Learn to cook Italian-style... enjoy the beauty of nature along the Italian Riviera... explore Cinque Terre villages overlooking the sea, connected by walking trails... and go off-the-beaten-track for an Italian cultural connection unlike any other.

Unique experiences include a Tauck Exclusive evening at Château du Taillis, a palatial private residence in Normandy, where guests will enjoy a reception, dinner, music, and a tour of the château's small museum of World War II artifacts; and a private early-opening guided visit to the home and gardens of the painter Claude Monet at Giverny, where he painted many masterpieces, followed by free time to explore the nearby Impressionist Museum as you please; and in Paris, a choice of museum visit. Highlights include Versailles, for guided visit inside Louis XIV's magnificent palace and gardens at Château de Versailles; Rouen, where a walking tour includes visits to Cathédrale de Rouen and Joan of Arc Square with a local guide; the D-Day Beaches of Normandy, with guided visits to Pont du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery along with lunch at Chateau la Cheneviere; Les Andelys for a guided walking tour and a visit to Château Gaillard; and Tilly, for cider and Calvados tastings and a Normandy farm tour.

Impressions of France... rendered on canvas within famed art or quickly captured by street artists in Montmartre, gilded into a golden palace at Versailles, indulged during a château dinner, distilled into apple brandy and cider, carved into a clifftop castle, and floating in a Water Garden... linger long after you return home. Follow the Seine to coastal Normandy on a 10-day journey that's sure to impress. Discover the art of Paris before a 7-night cruise to Rouen, Honfleur and Giverny, immortalized by Impressionist artists. Visit D-Day beaches, sample Calvados where it is made, dine at a private château and more before returning to Paris via riverboat.

Discover bella Italia on one of Tauck's most popular journeys... in scenic Tuscan hill towns, centuries-old cities and countryside villages, and along the Amalfi Coast… in the treasures of Florence, coloring an era of enlightenment with a rich palette of paintings and architecture by Renaissance luminaries like da Vinci, Botticelli and Brunelleschi... along saltwater roads in Venice lined with magnificent palaces frozen in time... in sun-dappled Tuscan villages, medieval icons reigning over vineyard-draped landscapes that produce wines and foods that are regionally inspired, locally flavored and ultimately delizioso... and on an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel for an extraordinary look at ageless masterpieces – without the crowds – during a three-night stay in the Eternal City...

The ribboned waterscapes of Holland and Belgium take on a special glow in December when storybook villages and fairy tale towns celebrate the joys of the season with holiday traditions centuries old. Experience yuletide spirit onboard and ashore on a river cruise that delights day and night… during a visit to a town steeped in 17th-century Holland life and historic windmills... and an illuminating Amsterdam canal cruise…  while having cheese and stroopwafels in Gouda… in Delft or Rotterdam, as you choose… on sightseeing excursions in Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp dressed in their holiday best… in market squares where merry making entices with hot mulled wines, waffles hot off the press, beers locally produced and chocolates laced with care… and at special receptions, dinners and cultural presentations aboard a riverboat decked out with cruising delights that make you feel right at home wherever we roam.

The ribboned waterscapes of Holland and Belgium take on a special glow in December when storybook villages and fairy tale towns celebrate the joys of the season with holiday traditions centuries old. Experience yuletide spirit onboard and ashore on a river cruise that delights day and night… during a visit to a town steeped in 17th-century Holland life and historic windmills... and an illuminating Amsterdam canal cruise…  while having cheese and stroopwafels in Gouda… in Delft or Rotterdam, as you choose… on sightseeing excursions in Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp dressed in their holiday best… in market squares where merry making entices with hot mulled wines, waffles hot off the press, beers locally produced and chocolates laced with care… and at special receptions, dinners and cultural presentations aboard a riverboat decked out with cruising delights that make you feel right at home wherever we roam.

Embark on a small ship odyssey to Greek islands and the 'Land of Four Seasons' - Turkey, where you'll experience unforgettable wines, local cuisines, cultures, ruins of lost empires, blazing sunsets, temples, Crusader citadels, and far flung, mystical landscapes where gods and mythologies were born.

Wind through fishing ports and medieval towns, tasting Normandy cuisine, visiting the D-Day invasion beaches of Normandy, finding the deep essence of calvados, pausing in ancient abbeys and the picturesque haunts of Impressionist painters, dining at a chateau in Rouen, exploring cobblestone lanes, walking in Monet's garden at Giverny, visiting Van Gogh's muse in Aubers-sur-Oise, a visit to a private castle, and incomparable Paris... well, riverboating seems like the only way to go! Private tasting tours, from wine to cheese to chocolate... a tale of two cities you'll want to tell over and over again.

During your eight-day adventure, family fun awaits you at every stop… from Lake Lucerne and Mount Titlis in Switzerland... across the mountains aboard the Glacier Express to famous St. Moritz... into the Austrian Alps and Innsbruck... and on to the Bavarian magic of Munich! Go whitewater rafting, mountain bicycling, rock and rope climbing... enjoy a look at Neolithic life and traditional Tyrolean fun and games... ride cable cars and go zip-lining... watch an exciting ski-jump demonstration and more!

Walk with us to places immortalized with local color, sip and savor wines masterfully crafted, toast traditions and tales fondly shared, and become part of the stories, past and present, that make your vacation memories last lifetimes. Guided visits and shore excursions choices include revered UNESCO World Heritage sites as you cruise between Venice, the Dalmatian Coast and Montenegro. Discover the architectural masterpiece that is Venice... the Gothic Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Sibenik... the ancient Roman Palace of Diocletian in Split... the walled city of Dubrovnik, renowned for its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monasteries, palaces, fountains, and churches... the stunning harbor town of Kotor... and the lavender-scented island of Hvar, where Stari Grad Plain astounds with its intact ancient Greek land system. Your elegant ship is perfectly sized and ideally suited for island exploration where the bigger ships can't go, charts a course for destinations of scenic serenity like the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, where private shore excursions reveal maritime treasures and seaside settlements worthy of leisurely discovery. Two nights at a premier hotel in Venice bring the aura of daily life amidst architectural masterpieces, ancient squares and the ever-present lacework of canals.

Explore Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Bratislava, Budapest and more, visiting homes these musical greats lived and composed in, and concert halls and palaces where they performed... enveloped by their glorious music throughout a magical journey filled with Tauck Exclusives! Along with your Tauck Cruise Director and Tauck Directors, your cruise is accompanied throughout by Tauck's "maestro." Active music scholars and performers, our maestros include current doctoral recipients in music history who are passionate and knowledgeable about European music and the destinations you'll visit. They'll guide your explorations ashore and enrich your onboard experience with interactive music workshops, seminars and much more!

Spend 12 unforgettable days in the heart of Europe, exploring Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary on a Danube odyssey of cosmopolitan cities, medieval villages, castles, cathedrals, wineries, ruins, and abbeys. Immerse in the opulence of the royal Residenz at Munich, or make a pilgrimage to BMW's ultramodern car museum. Take a train-ride to the clouds and the Top of Germany for breathtaking views of alpine peaks and glaciers. Discover the soul of Bavarian beer at Weltenberg Abbey, marvel at Oberammergau's parade of medieval painted houses, and lose yourself in the Romanticism of Mad King Ludwig's fairytale castles. Sail through the Wachau Valley, the heart of Austrian wine country, with tastings along the way. Enjoy a gala evening of dinner, music, and pageantry at a palace in Vienna, for Tauck guests only. Drink in the eccentric spirit of Bratislava, its colorful history, and eclectic architecture on a walking tour with local guides, and enjoy an evening of Slovakian cuisine, music, and dance. In Budapest, find a feast for the senses around every corner, bursting with medieval castles and monuments, romantic Parisian-style architecture and elegance, and a vibrant, cosmopolitan spirit. Best of all, a river runs through it.

A wonderfully preserved medieval castle and town in the Czech Carpathian mountains are as awe-inspiring as the palaces and museums of Imperial Vienna. As you cruise from port to port, explore the cobblestone streets and market squares in the Old Towns of Budapest, Bratislava, Cesky Krumlov, Grein, and Passau, each offering unexpected cultural treasures and culinary pleasures around every bend. And the pièce de résistance – a Tauck Exclusive gala evening with music and dancing at a private palace conjures up elegant Old World Europe just for Tauck guests!