The View from The Shard + Champagne

Sites Visited: Oltrarno Neighborhood Piazza Santo Spirito Local bars and restaurants Inclusions: All Food , wine tastings, and gelato Expert, English-speaking, local foodie guide Small groups of max 14 people Exclusions: Gratuities Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off

Depart Edinburgh 09.15 and travel northwest through the historic area of Linlithgowshire, close to the historic palace. The tragic Mary Queen of Scots was born at Linlithgow palace, and became Queen when she was only 6 days old. According to legend her father James V died of a broken heart when he discovered his wife had given birth to a daughter and not the son he was hoping for! Your route along the Forth Valley is one which has been used for thousands of years by invading armies, it was the northernmost frontier of the Roman empire and was later used by the English King Edward I as he marched proudly towards Stirling (only to be sent homewards to think again!). Nowadays it’s at the centre of one of Scotland’s most important industries with huge oil refineries dominating the area. As you approach Stirling the magnificent castle dominates your view and you make your way up towards the high volcanic rock where it imposes itself upon the surrounding land. Known as the ‘Key to Scotland’, for centuries this was the most important castle in Scotland and the views from the top make it easy to see why. To the north is the 220ft high tower of the National Wallace Monument commemorating Scotland’s great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. From the castle you can look down over the scene of Wallace’s greatest triumph, the battle of Stirling Bridge, where he defeated the English army in 1297. To the south is Bannockburn where, in 1314, the great Scottish warrior-king Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of Edward II. The battle was fought for possession of Stirling Castle but eventually led to a far greater prize for Scotland – the restoration of independence. It’s an area alive with history and you stop at the castle to give you time to soak up the history and heritage of this great site. From Stirling you head into the Highlands and an area known as the Trossachs. Known as ‘The Highlands in Miniature’, it marks the point where the Lowlands meet the Highlands and entering this beautifully picturesque area feels like going into a different country. With its shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and forest-filled glens it’s easy to forget that this was once thought of as a dangerous frontier fought over by the fiercely territorial Highland clans. You stop here for lunch in the village of Aberfoyle, made popular in Victorian times due to its great location. After lunch you ‘take the high road’ or back-road to Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest lochs at over 22 miles long, passing Lochs Ard, Chon and Arklet along the way as you travel through the protected lands of Scotland’s first National Park. The route you take was described by the famous Scots comedian Billy Connolly as his favourite road in Scotland, and you can discover why – it’s stunning!! You stop at Inversnaid on the secluded north-east of the loch, making it the perfect place to enjoy a walk along the ‘bonny banks’, up to a viewpoint for a fantastic view of the loch and the mountain it’s named after, Ben Lomond. This tranquil setting was once the home of Scotland’s famous highland folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor. Made popular by many books and films Rob Roy lived an incredible life as a soldier, businessman, cattle-rustler and outlaw. By spending time on the trails by the loch you will undoubtedly be walking in the footsteps of one of Scotland’s great legends. There is also an alternative option to take a boat cruise around the north of the loch (Summer only) or merely enjoy a drink at the local hotel and sample the views. Leaving Loch Lomond you return to Edinburgh passing Scotland’s only lake – the Lake of Mentieth (although we have around 3000 freshwater lochs!). The legend states that after William Wallace was betrayed by his great friend the Earl of Mentieth and executed in London the name was changed from the Loch of Mentieth to the Lake of Mentieth so that nobody would ever forget the traitorous part the Earl played in his death.

Trip style: Local Life & Culture, History & Heritage Language Tour: English Full Itinerary Get the local lowdown on a city that's seen its fair share of drama in recent years on this historical Detroit tour that takes you through the city's crazy past. Begin your Detroit tour at a cafe on Broadway, where you'll meet your local guide and head out onto the streets. From the minute you leave the meeting point you'll start seeing some famous Detroit landmarks, such as the 95-year old Detroit Athletic Club, the renovated Opera House, the vacant Wurlitzer Building, and the fine new downtown YMCA. Your local guide will be telling you all you need to know about these spots, and what they mean to the city of Detroit.   Continuing on your tour in Detroit, see the site where one of the biggest department stores in the US once stood. When it closed in the 1980s, it left a hole in the city that hasn't been filled.  There are not many stores in the old retail district, but apartments and lofts have brought some new life to the area. Next on this Detroit city tour, the Compuware Building from 2002 is worth a visit, for its 15-story atrium and colorful fountain. Outside that building you'll see a panorama that includes landmarks like the 47-story Penobscot Building from 1928, the Guardian Building from 1929, and the Renaissance Center from 1977, which is home to the tallest hotel in the entire Western Hemisphere (72 floors!) as well as the headquarters of General Motors. Then you'll see Campus Martius Park in the heart of downtown, which opened in 2004 and features an ice-skating rink in winter and activities year-round. It recently won an award as the nation's most transformative urban park, and is a fine example of how Detroit is making a serious comeback. A visit to the Guardian Building gives you a picture of the greatness of Detroit in the late 1920s. The lobby and banking room of this art-deco skyscraper are truly incredible. We'll take a stop here, and then we take a ride on the elevated People Mover, which has been moving people around downtown Detroit since 1987.  From the Michigan Avenue Station, see the $800 Million MGM Grand Casino and hotel that were completed in 2008, and the new Rosa Parks Transit Center (named for "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement") with its dramatic canopies.    If the weather is nice, we'll walk to a nearby hotel that's a great example of Detroit's rise, fall and renewal.  When it opened in 1924 it was the tallest hotel in the world and one of the fanciest, but it closed in the 1980s and stood vacant for more than 25 years on a prominent street corner. Detroiters were thrilled when it reopened after a $200 million renovation as the wonderful, a proud moment in Detroit's history! A block down from here is one of the world's tallest vacant buildings at 36-storeys high. Your leader will tell you stories of its past and how it awaits a new life. Next, we visit the area near Grand Circus Park, which is full of examples of Detroit's rocky history. Here we'll find even more vacant buildings as well as legendary parks and music venues that have hosted the like of Bruce Spingsteen and Detroit's own Eminem. This gives us many more opportunities for your guide to let you in on all the local secrets behind them. It's one thing simply seeing these buildings, but to get to know the history behind them makes the experience even more special, especially when it comes from the mouth of a local! Our last stop will be at a local brewpub, where you can sip on a local beer or soft drink and continue to chat about Detroit with your local guide. The first drink's on us!

How to Use the Brussels Card? Your Brussels Card is valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours from when it's first used in a museum You must use your Brussels Card for the first time within a year of its purchase date. How to Use the Brussels Card at the Museum? For as long as your card is valid, you can visit the same museum as many times as you like. You won’t have to pay anything. Simply present your Brussels Card at the ticket desk and it will be electronically validated. Your Brussels Card will be automatically activated the first time you use it. The Brussels Card gives you free access to all permanent collections of the museums. Most of the temporary exhibitions are also included, except for the Old Masters Museum, the Natural Sciences Museum and the Cinquantenaire Museum where you pay the normal entrance fee if you want to visit the temporary exhibitions. How do Discounts work? The discounts for the various attractions, tours, shops, restaurants and bars provided in this guide are for single use only! The discounts remain valid, even after your Brussels Card has expired. To obtain your discount, simply present your Brussels Card and hand over the corresponding voucher you find at the back of the guide. Free Entry to 40 Museums * Participating Museums are updated every February Art et Marges Musée - Museum Autoworld Belgian Brewers museum Belgian Chocolate Village BELvue museum Villa Empain - Boghossian Foundation Botanique Centre for Fine Arts - BOZAR Choco Story Art & History Museum Museum of the City of Brussels Charlier Museum Museum of Fashion & Lace (Museums of the City of Brussels) Erasmus House Musée Fin-de-Siècle Museum Freemasonry museum Halle Gate – RMAH MIM - Musical Instruments Museum (MRAH) La Fonderie - Brussels museum of work and industry The René Magritte House Museum Magritte Museum (Royal museums of Fine Arts) Musée de la Médecine (ULB) Royal Museum of Army and Military History MIMA the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art Museum MOOF - Museum Of Original Figurines CENTRALE for contemporary art Planetarium of Brussels Natural Sciences Museum Autrique House Sewers museum Musée Oldmasters Museum experience.brussels Wiels - Contemporary Art Centre The Belgian Comic Strip Center Coudenberg Palace Jardin botanique Meise Jews in Belgium museum Train World Kanal - Centre Pompidou

Schedule: Summer (Apr - Oct)  Daily 14.00 Winter (Nov - Mar) Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun 12.00 Distance: 9 miles Duration: 3 hours 30 mins Ability: Easy Sight List: Tate Modern Gallery Shakespeare’s Globe Borough Market London Bridge Greater London Authority Buildings Tower Bridge St Katherine’s Dock Wapping London Docks Tobacco Dock Shadwell Basin The Capt’n Kidd Riverside pub (for a drink) Cable Street The City of London Jack the Ripper The Gherkin skyscraper Lloyds of London Building Leadenhall Market The Royal Exchange Bank of England Mansion House St Paul’s Cathedral The Wobbly bridge

Sitios que se visitan:
Coliseo
Museos del Vaticano
Basílica de San Pedro (opcional)
Capitolio con vistas al Foro Romano
Panteó
Piazza Navona
Fontana di Trevi Incluye:
Entrada Express al Colireo, los Museos del Vaticano y la Basílica de San Pedro
Transporte entre los diferentes sitios en taxi o autobús
Helado casero gratuito
Guías locales expertos Excluye:
Propinas
Información importante: Hay una nueva regla en el Coliseo, el Foro Romano y el Monte Palatino que sólo permite la entrada de mochilas pequeñas y bolsas de mano de tamaño regular en el interior. Los clientes con bolas más grandes o maletas no podrán entrar con estas y tampoco hay taquillas para guardarlo. Recuerde que todos los visitantes deberán pasar por un control de seguridad antes de entrar al Coliseo. El Coliseo ha cambiado la política de admisión para garantizar un máximo de 3.000 personas en su interior, de manera que habrá menos multitudes durante las horas de máxima afluencia. A pesar de que las entradas exprés para ahorrarse colas son reservadas con antelación, puede haber un poco de retraso en la hora de entrada si el lugar ya ha alcanzado su capacidad máxima en ese momento. Este tour combina dos opciones diferentes que tenemos: "Lo mejor de Roma – Coliseo y Lugares de Interés" junto a nuestro tour por la tarde llamado "Lugares de Interés del Vaticano – Museos y Capilla Sixtina del Vaticano". También incluye un helado casero y transporte en taxi o autobús desde el centro de la ciudad hasta el Vaticano. ¡Todo junto por un mejor precio que si lo compra por separado! La Basílica de San Pedro y la Capilla Sixtina son lugares sagrados y, por tanto, la vestimenta debe ser apropiada para la visita. Se les pide a ambos hombres y mujeres que usen ropa que cubra al menos los hombros y las rodillas. Tours Guiados por el Vaticano no se hace responsable de la entrada negada pop una vestimenta impropia.  Su recorrido terminará en la Basílica de San Pedro, donde tendrá entrada exprés para ahorrarse colas, aunque no hay una explicación guiada por el interior de la iglesia. Asegúrese de que todos los miembros de su grupo llevan una identificación válida el día de la visita. Importante en visitantes que cuentan como estudiantes, niños o jubilados. TENGA EN CUENTA: todos los Museos del Vaticano están equipados con ascensores para el acceso en silla de ruedas, aunque no están convenientemente ubicados en el recorrido de las visitas guiadas y sólo permiten el acceso a lugares específicos de los museos.