Depart From: Departures from the U.S. for overnight flight to London.

Morning: Various arrival and transfers to the program hotel. Exact transfer time is subject to final flight arrivals from the U.S. and will be posted in your final mailing prior to the start of the program. Early arrivals may not be able to check in to their rooms prior to 2:00 p.m. Rooms will be assigned for check in based on arrival time at the hotel.

Lunch: For those arriving early, lunch is not provided. Your Group Leader will be happy to make suggestions near the hotel.

Afternoon: Program Orientation: Check in at your hotel and take the afternoon to unpack and relax. In the early evening (5:30 pm) you will meet with your group for introductions, a review of the program itinerary and site orientation. You will also receive some expert advice on getting around in London.

Dinner: Welcome Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Tower Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: Expert presentation at the hotel focusing on the Royal Collection. Shaped by the personal tastes of kings and queens over more than 500 years, the Royal Collection includes paintings, drawings and watercolours, furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewellery, books, manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armour, fans, and textiles. Later we leave by coach for a panoramic overview of London's monuments and most famous sights. Your London expert continues a discussion of the city's history, as well as its architecture throughout the ages. We end the morning with an on-site lecture/field trip at the Royal Mews. Hear how the Mews serves the Queen in the performance of her official duties and prepares for major State and ceremonial occasions, from the State Opening of Parliament to royal weddings.

Lunch: Lunch at a local pub.

Afternoon: The afternoon is free to explore on your own and suggestions of interesting sites to visit will be made by your group leader.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Tower Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: On-site lecture/field trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Spanning six centuries of history, the Gallery tells the story of Britain through portraits of men and women who have made a significant contribution to British life. From Elizabeth I and Henry VIII to Shakespeare, Cromwell, Nelson, Dickens, Churchill and Beckham, gain an overview of the Collection seeing the highlights on display.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: This afternoon, join your local expert to visit the National Gallery. The National Gallery houses the national collection of Western European painting from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Hear curators, scientific and conservation staff talking about the techniques used to create some of the masterpieces in the National Gallery collection. Get beneath the surface of the paintings; find out what has been discovered using x-rays and modern scientific techniques.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Tower Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: We start the morning with a special presentation: Diana, glimpses of a Modern Princess. Later we make our way to Kensington Palace. As part of Kensington's transformation, Victoria Revealed, an exciting new permanent exhibition, explores Queen Victoria's life and reign through her own words. Experience Victoria's first day as Queen at Kensington Palace, the romance of her early relationship with Prince Albert, moments of family life, and aspects of Albert's involvement in the 1851 Great Exhibition.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: The afternoon is free to explore on your own and suggestions of interesting sites to visit will be made by your group leader, or please join your local expert to for a discovery walk in the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, taking public transport back to the hotel. At 145 hectares, Hyde Park is central London's largest open space. Henry VIII expropriated it from the Church in 1536, when it became a hunting ground and later a venue for duels, executions and horse racing. The 1851 Great Exhibition was held here, and during WWII the park became an enormous potato field. These days, it serves as an occasional concert venue and a full-time green space for fun and frolics.

Dinner: Dinner at or near the hotel.

Evening: Please don't forget to pack and settle your room charges. We have an early departure in the morning.

Lodging: Tower Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Breakfast: Early breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: Transfer from the hotel in London to the train station for your TGV train to Paris. The journey takes about 3 hours.

Lunch: Lunch at the Musee D'Orsay.

Afternoon: With your expert guide, discover the world's largest collection of Impressionist paintings at the Orsay Museum. Facing the Seine, the Musée d’Orsay is housed in a former train station (1900). It displays France’s national collection of paintings, sculptures, objets d’art and other works produced between the 1840s and 1914, including the works of the Impressionist, post-Impressionist and art nouveau movements.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: After dinner enjoy a scenic coach drive, by some of Paris' most famous monuments. Depending on the time of year you may enjoy the monuments during daylight or illuminated at night.

Lodging: Villa Pantheon

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: The morning discover l'Ile de La Cite and the Gothic quarter of Paris. Led by your local expert learn about and explore Gothic Paris with visits to Notre Dame Cathedral, the Conciergerie (where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned before her death by guillotine) and the exquisite Sainte Chapelle.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: The afternoon is free to explore on your own and suggestions of interesting sites to visit will be made on site. Thursday offers unlimited potential as all museums are open. Check with your Group Leader for suggestions or just wander the city discovering the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing read sipping a cafe au lait.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Villa Pantheon

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: This morning explore the Market and Food Culture of Paris, spend the morning exploring some small shops and the local market learning and tasting some incredible local flavors in a typical Parisian neighborhood.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: This afternoon explore the Musee Rodin, rated as one of the most enjoyable museum in Paris. The museum boasts the best collection of works by the sculptors Pierre August Rodin (creator of famous statue, "The Thinker") and Camille Claudel. It features an inside museum and a lovely outside garden showcasing Rodin's best work.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Villa Pantheon

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy a self-guided visit of the Louvre using an audioguide created exclusively for Road Scholar participants, containing informative commentary by lecturers sharing their passion for highlights of the Louvre. One of the largest museums in the world, the Louvre was once the royal residence of the kings of France and is now home to a collection of art unmatched by any other museum.

Lunch: Lunch on your own in or near the museum.

Afternoon: The afternoon is free to explore on your own and suggestions of interesting sites to visit will be made on site. You can also choose to join your local expert for an optional in-depth exploration of Montmartre, the Place du Tertre and the Sacre Coeur basilica, including some charming hidden streets. Montmartre offers one of the best views of Paris.

Dinner: Enjoy your Farewell Dinner.

Lodging: Villa Pantheon

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: Morning transfers from the hotel to the airport. Exact transfer time is subject to final flight departures to the U.S. and will be posted in your final mailing prior to the start of the program.

Meals Included: Breakfast