BENELUX & PARIS & COLOGNE & ALSACE & SWITZERLAND with Turkish Airlines, 7 nights, evening departure from Basel – evening return to Basel.

ISTANBUL – BASEL / ALSACE
After completing our baggage drop-off, check-in and passport control procedures at the International Departures Terminal of Istanbul Airport 3 hours before the flight, we fly to Basel at 16:00 on Turkish Airlines’ scheduled flight TK1925. After arriving at Basel Airport at 18:05 local time, we head to Basel city center by our private bus waiting for us, where we will take a city tour. Basel, Switzerland’s third-largest and most populous city after Zurich and Geneva, is located in the north of the country, on the borders of Germany and France. Basel is home to people of different origins from many parts of the world and, with this feature, is considered one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities. During our panoramic city tour of Basel, the main sights include Marktplatz, considered the city’s main square and home to the government building, Basel Gate (Spalen Gate), one of the city’s oldest structures, Basel Cathedral and the Rhine River. Following the city tour, free time will be offered before transferring to our hotel in the Alsace region. Check-in and free time to rest.
ALSACE/BASEL – BERN – (Swiss Alpine Villages by Train: Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen Tour) – GENEVA
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we depart for Bern. Bern is one of the few cities in Europe whose medieval character has remained intact since the Middle Ages. Due to its historic texture, it is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located within Switzerland and having German as its official language, Bern also reflects the influence of German culture in its architecture. Following our tour of Bern, built around the Aare River, guests who wish may join our optional Swiss Alpine Villages by Train: Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen Tour (80 Euros). The first stop of our tour will be Interlaken. Named “inter-lakes” because it is located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, Interlaken is famous for its natural beauty and breathtaking views, and we will take a tour there. The region’s important hotels, casinos and shopping streets are located along the walking route of our tour. The Victoria-Jungfrau Hotel, one of the town’s historical landmarks, and Höhematte Park are among the places we will see panoramically. After free time for photography and exploring the surroundings, we head to the train station to travel to Lauterbrunnen, the next stop of our tour. We arrive in Lauterbrunnen after approximately 20 minutes by train from Interlaken. We will feel the deep structure of the valley and its steep rock walls as soon as we leave the station. While walking toward the village center, we will see panoramic views of the fascinating Staubbach Falls cascading toward the valley floor and have the opportunity to take photographs. Lauterbrunnen is known for its small settlements and hiking paths lined along the valley, which is home to 72 waterfalls. During our walk along the designated route through the village, we will take plenty of photographs of the region’s traditional chalet architecture, the natural formations surrounding the valley floor and its magnificent, paradise-like scenery. We complete our tour by returning to Interlaken by train. After the tour, we depart for Geneva and organize our city tour upon arrival. Known as the “French Switzerland” and located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Geneva is a magnificent city where history, culture, science and nature come together. The presence of the headquarters of international organizations (CERN, the World Health Organization, UEFA, FIFA and the United Nations) in Geneva gives the city a central position in cultural and administrative terms. During our visit to Geneva, where museums, parks, historical monuments and streets meet clean air, the main sights include St. Pierre Cathedral, the Jet d’Eau fountain, which has become a symbol of Geneva and rises up to 140 meters, and the Reformation Wall. After the city tour, we arrive at our hotel in the Geneva region. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and free time to rest.
GENEVA – (Annecy Tour) – PARIS
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we set off for Paris. Along the way, guests who wish may join our optional Annecy Tour (50 Euros). Known as the “Venice of the Alps” thanks to the canals running through it and the Thiou River, Annecy fascinates visitors with its canal-based structure and extraordinary location between the mountains and the lake. During our visit, Château d’Annecy, built in the 17th century and restored in 1947, St. Maurice Church and Palais de l’Isle, an attraction for photography enthusiasts, will be seen panoramically. After a short period of free time on the shores of Lake Annecy, France’s third-largest lake, we complete our tour and continue our journey to Paris (Guests who wish may benefit from high-speed train transportation between Geneva and Paris for 95 Euros per person. The tour guide will accompany guests using the high-speed train and travel to Paris with them). Upon arrival at our hotel in the Paris region, check-in and free time to rest.
PARIS – (Paris Highlights 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 optional Paris Highlights and Seine River Boat Tour (85 Euros). We begin our Paris Highlights Tour with the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris and even France. This steel-and-iron structure, built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition, attracted great interest from tourists during and after the exposition, so its demolition was abandoned and it has survived to the present day. We offer free time around the Eiffel Tower for photography and exploring the surroundings. During this free time, guests who wish may take the elevator to the tower’s second floor, which consists of three sections (floors), each accessible by elevator, and enjoy the unique view of Paris while taking beautiful photographs (The optional Eiffel Tower elevator fee is €23 and is not included in the optional tour price). Following our Eiffel Tower visit, we take a boat tour on the Seine River. (The boat tour is included in the optional tour price.) The 776-kilometer-long Seine, one of the best-known rivers in the world, divides the city in two. During our tour aboard the long boats gently moving along the river, we will see many of Paris’s famous buildings and the 37 bridges over the river from a unique perspective. After our Seine River tour, we continue via the route of Invalides, viewing panoramically the Lady Diana Memorial, the Comédie-Française Square, which contains many historical buildings including the 17th-century royal entertainment center Palais Royal and the French State Theatre. We then visit a perfume museum displaying the development of the city and its perfume industry, as well as precious perfumes with essences and fragrances unique to France, exhibited in original bottles with aesthetically impressive designs. Finally, we arrive at the BENLUX Store, where free time will be offered for shopping and exploring the surroundings, including souvenirs, cosmetics, bags, watches and accessories. Guests who wish may visit the Louvre Museum during the free time offered after a photo stop at the museum. The Louvre was built as a defensive fortress during the Middle Ages and began to be used as a museum after the French Revolution; it was visited by nearly 10 million people in 2012 (The optional Louvre Museum entrance fee is €23 and is not included in the optional tour price). After the tour, free time in the city center. In the evening, guests who wish may join our optional Paris Icons Tour (65 Euros). We will first visit Montmartre Hill, the highest point in Paris, known as “Artists’ Hill” because bohemian life still continues there today, with its street painters and caricaturists, and because many famous painters have worked there. After visiting the Sacré-Cœur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart), rising 130 meters above the hill (the funicular transportation fee is included in the optional tour price), we will have free time to have our portraits drawn in Artists’ Square and explore the surroundings. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel.
PARIS – (Bruges Tour) – BRUSSELS – AMSTERDAM
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we depart for Brussels. Along the way, guests who wish may join our optional Bruges Tour (50 Euros). Known as the “Venice of Belgium” thanks to its houses situated over the water and its canal-lined streets, Bruges is regarded as a dream city. The city’s historic character and medieval architecture survived to the present day, having escaped damage by chance during World War II. The colorful, single-story houses resembling cakes in the city square, churches, statues and cobblestone medieval streets will make us feel as though we have entered a fairy tale. After our city tour of Bruges, we continue our journey to Brussels. Brussels, 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 succeeded in preserving many historical works throughout its history. After our city tour of Brussels, home to the Grand Place, one of Europe’s most famous and lively squares, and venues renowned for their historic architectural character in the Gothic style, we set off for Amsterdam. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Amsterdam region, check-in and free time to rest.
AMSTERDAM – (Giethoorn Hobbit Village Tour) – COLOGNE
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we depart for our Amsterdam city tour. The main sights on our city tour include Dam Square, the Royal Palace and Central Station. Following our tour, during which we will explore Amsterdam from different angles by walking through its local neighborhoods and narrow streets, famous for their paths and canals, and visit its world-famous streets, free time will be offered before we set off for Cologne. Along the way, guests who wish may join our optional Giethoorn Hobbit Village Tour (65 Euros). During our tour, we visit Giethoorn, known as the “Fairy-Tale Land” for its peaceful atmosphere and canals. With its pristine nature free from motor vehicles, bridges, canals and charming houses that are architectural wonders in their own right, Giethoorn ranks first among the most peaceful places in the world. Following our exploration of Giethoorn Hobbit Village, during the free time offered, guests who wish may pay an additional fee (optional Boat Tour fee: 10 Euros) to take a wooden boat ride through the canals of this fairy-tale village and view the charming houses resembling the Hobbits’ living spaces from a different perspective. After our tour of Giethoorn, we continue our journey to our hotel in the Cologne region. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and free time to rest.
COLOGNE – (Cologne Tour) – LUXEMBOURG – STRASBOURG
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we set off for Luxembourg. Along the way, guests who wish may join our optional Cologne Tour (50 Euros). Located around the Rhine River and having maintained 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 numerous historical structures. Cologne Gothic Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge and the Kaiser Wilhelm II Monument are among the main sights we will see during our city tour. After free time following our visit to Cologne, we complete the tour and continue our journey to Luxembourg. According to IMF and World Bank data, Luxembourg is the world leader in terms of per capita income. The capital, Luxembourg City, which shares its name with the country, is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the only city to have been named European Capital of Culture twice, in 1995 and 2007. After our city tour of Luxembourg, one of Europe’s smallest countries in terms of area, we transfer to our hotel in the Strasbourg region. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and free time to rest.
STRASBOURG – (Colmar Tour) – BASEL – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we take a city tour of Strasbourg. Located at the borders of Germany, Switzerland and France, and also the largest city in the Alsace region, Strasbourg will welcome us like a scene from a fairy tale, with the beauty of a painting. During our panoramic city tour, walking through Strasbourg’s pedestrian-only center and streets, the city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 and has hosted the European Parliament since 1992. The places we will see include Gutenberg Square and its statue, Notre Dame Cathedral, the city’s most important structure located in its very heart, and Kammerzell House, the city’s oldest house, which continues to serve as a hotel and restaurant today. After free time following our Strasbourg tour, we set off for Basel Airport for our return flight to Istanbul. Along the way, guests who wish may join our optional Colmar Tour (50 Euros). During our tour, we will visit the fairy-tale city of Colmar and see the Old Customs House, Pfister House and Petite Venise (Little Venice), the city’s most famous district, with its colorful houses around the Rhine River. In this unique setting surrounded by the Rhine River and canals, you will have the opportunity to enjoy many delicious foods according to your taste and purchase numerous souvenirs. At the end of the Colmar tour, we continue our journey to Basel Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, after completing our baggage drop-off, check-in and passport control procedures, we fly to Istanbul at 19:00 on Turkish Airlines’ scheduled flight TK1926. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 23:05 local time and the end of our tour.