European Encounter with Contiki

16 days

17 Jul 25 to 17 Jul 25

Book by 31 May 25

Short on time, big on bucket list goals? The European Encounter has you covered. In just under 2.5 weeks, you’ll hit 8 countries—soak up the sun on the Italian Riviera, devour pizza in Rome, and wander fairytale castles in Prague. If there’s a better way to spend your time, we’re all ears!

Includes

16 Day Contiki Guided Holiday
15 Nights accommodation: 6 nights in hotels, 1 night featured accommodation
Meals: 15 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 3 Dinners
Transport by coach
Expert Trip Manager, Driver and Local Guides
Optional free time add on experiences (additional costs apply)
Included experiences
Marvel at the White Cliffs of Dover
Browse East Side Gallery
See Dresden highlights and much more!

Excludes

Flights
Arrival/ departure transfers
Visas
Travel Insurance
Spending money and items of a personal nature

Extras

You have to be between the age of 18 and 35 years old to travel with Contiki
Additional costs apply for optional free time add on experiences
Secure your spot today with a deposit from as low as R1000* and pay the rest 60 days before departure

Highlights

15 Nights accommodation
19 Meals
Included experiences and sightseeing

Itinerary

Day 1: London to Amsterdam

London Your heart-pounding adventure kicks off today. Meet up with your Contiki posse & share notes on London town before hitting the road to Amsterdam. Dover Shortly before we find our ferry for Europe, we'll be taking in the English coastline beauty of the White Cliffs of Dover. Calais Off the ferry we arrive in the port town of Calais - French soil! We travel north via Belgium before reaching ... Amsterdam! Amsterdam Tonight, the famed for fun Amsterdam is ours to explore. An undisguised Red Light District & plenty of bars are there for the curious. Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam North Riverside (or similar) Included Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is cute as a button & sure to win your heart with its canals, obscure museums & a café culture like no other. Today use your time to get local, bar hop, museum crawl, and see what other tastes take your fancy, this place is famous for pancakes, frites and so much more. This evening, opt in to enjoy a delicious dinner with the rest of our Contiki fam. Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam North Riverside (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Amsterdam to Berlin

Amsterdam Out of Amsterdam, onto the autobahn and on the fast-track to uber-cool Berlin. That's on today's agenda. Berlin On the world map of cool party vibes, Berlin has a gold star. We've got two nights to explore every inch of this amazing city, and we'll kick it off with a bit of history into the city and its troubled and interesting past. Once we arrive your Trip Manager can point you in the right direction to go and see the sights. Accommodation: Ibis Berlin Messe (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Berlin

Berlin Get into the mood of exploration. Berlin has so much to offer the hungry traveller, from the obvious icons like Checkpoint Charlie to all the obscurities tucked away in the side streets. Today we’ll embark on an Alternative Berlin walking tour, taking us to all the city’s hipster haunts and historical hotspots. Accommodation: Ibis Berlin Messe (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Berlin to Prague

Berlin Finishing Berlin off on an important note we see the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall known as East Side Gallery and one of the city's symbols, covered in graffiti from head to toe. Next up, we head to the border and stop at a town called Dresden. Dresden A drive from Berlin to Prague would not be complete without stopping in Dresden. Destroyed by World War II, the rebuilt town is now a symbol of resilience, soaked in the rebirthed beauty of an Opera house, the domed Frauenkirche, & the Royal Residence. Prague On arrival in the compact & lovable city of Prague, we'll get out and go exploring, seeing castles and cathedrals and learning of Bohemian Kings and gothic history. Prague is a paradise for beer lovers and in the afternoon you have the chance for a local expert to take you on a tour of some of Prague's coolest drinking spots. Accommodation: B&B Hotel Prague (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Prague

Prague With a full day to loiter, expect an entire photo album of Gothic architecture, market antiques & you cheers-ing local beer; not to mention life! Tonight choose to get up close to Czech culture with a live music performance & traditional dancing over dinner and drinks. live music performance & traditional dancing. Accommodation: B&B Hotel Prague (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 7: Prague to Salzburg

Prague We warned you about falling head over heels for Prague! Sorry kids, you cannot live here forever. Salzburg Onwards we go - it's time for the mountain ranges that made the Sound of Music famous. Also home to Mozart, you can be pretty certain this place knows a beat. Today we'll also see the largest preserved fortress in Central Europe - Hohensalzburg - and have the chance to partake in the Sights & Sounds of Salzburg. Never a dull moment! This evening opt to join our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and venture off the beaten path visiting a farming family in the hills above Salzburg who invite us into their home to eat, drink and learn about their lives. The family have lived on this farm for many generations and now look to tourism to help support them and their local community. The ribs you will eat come from the next-door neighbour, the fruit for the schnapps from the village and the service from the locals. Accommodation: A&O Salzburg (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Salzburg to Venice

Salzburg Austria, you are an overwhelming beauty. Although it would be nice to stay forever, it's time for us to cross the border and prepare to stuff ourselves full of all things pizza & pasta. Yes, traveller we're making our way to Italy! Venice You'll think you've seen enough beauty for one day after taking in the Central Austrian Alps, and then we'll arrive in Venice & your jaw will hit the floor over hidden lanes, story book bridges & a private canal boat ride. Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 9: Rome to Venice

Venice Farewell floating city, but Italy, we're not done with you yet. Our next destination the Eternal City of Rome is just around the corner. Rome All roads lead to Rome as we uncover Italian icons in the country's capital and get a glimpse of its glory by night. Enjoy a Contiki family dinner at La Trattoria: local food served by local people. Gelato, pizza, and ancient monuments - perfetto! Accommodation: A conveniently located hotel Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Rome

Rome Rome wasn't built in a day - so get up and get going early to make the most of this ancient city. Hit the streets for your own discoveries. Learn a thing or two as you pass the Colosseum, throw coins in fountains and sip espresso in a pretty street watching Italian life float by. Accommodation: A conveniently located hotel Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 11: Rome to Florence

Rome We may be hitting the road again, but we're not done with Italy just yet. We have one more city to lust over… Florence The dome of Duomo Cathedral sits above the city making certain we know we have arrived in Florence. Take a moment to take in the unique beauty of this beautiful city where culture and la dolce vita is evident in every direction you look at. Tonight you can choose to begin your Tuscan love affair with a dinner of Bistecca, a Florentine Steak. Accommodation: A conveniently located hotel Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 12: Florence to Parma via Pisa and Cinque Terre

Florence Hopefully by now you are head to toe in fresh leather, you've eaten your body weight in antipasto, and you're feeling fresh as a daisy and ready to farewell Florence. Pisa No trip around Europe is complete without seeing the world's most famous #AwkwardLean, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Once you've got that perfect snap of you holding the thing up like you're Arnold Schwarzenegger, we'll be on the fast-track to the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre Hello beautiful! The 'Five Lands' or Cinque Terre is completely beautiful and will take your breath away with their stunning colours, washing hanging out windows and picture perfect setting. Perched on a cliff and overlooking the Ligurian Sea this is 100% bucket list worthy destination, use the included day pass to explore this colourful heaven, stopping for an Aperol Spritz on the way too, all in the name of culture of course! Parma Feeling all lovey dovey from our day in the Cinque Terre, we’ll rest our heads in Parma for the night – ready for more magic on the morrow. Accommodation: A conveniently located hotel Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 13: Parma to Lucerne

Parma Parma, it’s been short and sweet but we must move on. Next stop, Lucerne! Lucerne Swans float under wooden bridges, snow-capped mountains stand regally behind us & chocolate tastes like heaven on earth. You're in the Swiss Alps & you cannot wipe the smile off your face. Accommodation: Ibis Budget Luzern City (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 14: Lucerne to Paris

Lucerne Out with the altitude, in with the inner-city Parisian bliss. Once we've crossed the border out of Switzerland we will be coasting through the pretty wine producing region of Burgundy before our arrival in Paris. Paris Lamp-lit bridges, a sparkling Eiffel Tower, & evening coffee haunts, tonight we fall in love with everything Paris. Our Trip Manager fills us in on the city's secrets, then to celebrate our first night in the city, we'll head up to the viewing platform on Montparnasse tower. Accommodation: Ibis Paris Porte D'Orleans Hotel (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 15: Paris

Paris If you're waiting for a chance to indulge yourself in all things Paris, today is your day. With our last night looming, we'll start with a morning visit to Montmartre's cobbled street, village-esque cafes, street artists and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Later you have plenty of time to wander up the Champs-Élysées for a pastel-hued macaron at the original Ladurée, then pop in to local favourite Colette, drool over haute couture on rue Saint-Honoré, admire the Notre-Dame cathedral while juggling coffee & sugared crêpes, or hustle your way through the crowds for a glimpse of the enigmatic Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Just don't wear yourself out, because tonight you have the chance to grab tickets for dinner at the Moulin Rouge cabaret show, an optional group evening out to perfectly top off your time in the city of lights. Accommodation: Ibis Paris Porte D'Orleans Hotel (or similar) Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 16: Paris to London

Paris Soak up your last dose of Paris this morning over a coffee and croissant and marvel at how much you've seen. And how close you've grown to your Contiki pals. Sob! Hop back on the coach for a complimentary transfer to CDG airport this morning, or stay onboard for the ride back to London. Plenty of time to start planning the next reunion... Calais Dover London What a journey! Say a fond farewell to the group as you wrap up the trip on arrival in London. Included Meals: Breakfast

Terms & conditions

Prices are per person twin share/multi share as per itinerary, and are subject to availability and rate of exchange changes. Offers above are a guide only and will vary depending on departure date, our guide price is based on the cheapest departure within the stipulated season and availability is correct at time of loading. Visas may be necessary and insurance is essential. Pentravel and Tour Operator terms and conditions apply, and may be found on our website. Contiki reserves the right to validate bookings and will remove any additional offers added online that are not combinable. Savings and discounts are not valid on all itineraries and/or departure dates, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice and have already been included in the advertised price. Offer is not transferable to other dates. Offer can be removed at any time without prior notice. Trips are valid for travellers aged 18-35 years. Normal penalties apply for full cancellation without rebooking or cancellations within 60 days of departure. R1,000 per person deposit is the land only deposit and excludes any additional deposits or flights if applicable (this excludes any applicable taxes, included flight costs, National Park fees, festival tickets, port taxes, extra accommodation, and optional experiences). R1000pp deposit secures your booking, valid for new bookings only and land portions of the trip price only with full payment due 60 days prior to departure. This deposit policy may change or be withdrawn at any time without notice. At time of loading this may not be a definite departure, please enquire with one of our agents. Pentravel is not responsible for technical or system errors that may interfere with or otherwise prohibit the use of the promotion. These packages are based on CASH price. E&OE;.

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