France and Germany

Explore Paris with a licensed local guide on a sightseeing tour of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Admire the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Élysées, stroll the grand boulevard lined with shops and cafés, and see the ornate 19th-century Opera House. Look up at the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World’s Fair, and visit Les Invalides, Napoleon’s military refuge, along with other historic sites.

The world’s largest art museum, the Louvre, is housed in a former medieval fortress and entered through I.M. Pei’s striking glass pyramid. Inside, discover masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory, along with vast collections of Egyptian antiquities, Greek ceramics, and works spanning seven departments. Please note: The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.

See the city from the water on an hour-long cruise along the River Seine. The Seine cuts right through Paris, dividing the city in half. Spot the Eiffel tower rising up on the Left Bank, the walls of the Louvre on the Right Bank. A guide will point out other monuments and architectural marvels as you pass, many of which are illuminated by clear white light at night.

Welcome to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace-Lorraine where French and German traditions meet. With a licensed guide, explore Petite France, the city’s medieval quarter of canals and half-timbered houses. Visit Strasbourg Cathedral, a sandstone masterpiece blending Romanesque and Gothic styles, and admire the intricately carved Maison Kammerzell, a reminder of the city’s rich mercantile past.

Explore part of the vast Maginot Line, France’s eastern fortifications built after World War I but unable to withstand the tanks and bombs of World War II. Tour Hackenberg, the largest fort, with underground tunnels, barracks, kitchens, and even trains moving soldiers and ammunition. Then shift from war to beauty in Colmar, a 16th-century trading town of canals, bridges, and flower-decked, half-timbered houses.

Hidden beneath the hills near Lembach, the Four à Chaux Fortress reflects the fears and defenses of pre-World War II Europe. Built of stone and steel, it once housed soldiers in a secret world of tunnels, doors, and strategy. Today, walking its passageways feels like stepping back into a moment of resilience frozen in time.

Join your Tour Director for a sightseeing tour of Heidelberg, a charming city surrounded by mountains, forests, and the Neckar River. Stroll through Market Square for views of Germany’s oldest university, then visit Heidelberg Castle, one of the most important Renaissance landmarks north of the Alps. Learn about its turbulent history from the Thirty Years’ War to a lightning strike in 1764, and explore the castle courtyard to see the world’s largest wine barrel, a symbol of the city’s enduring spirit and charm.

Take a Walking Tour of Rothenburg around the old walled city, beginning at its entrance, before exploring the windy cobbled streets, along to Herrngasse, which is famous for its mansions and courtyards.

Meet six influential figures from Germany’s history, then join a lively debate to argue their accomplishments and decide together who deserves the title of greatest German.