The Grand Quartet: Benelux, Switzerland, France & Germany – 7 Nights with Turkish Airlines

Meeting in front of the Turkish Airlines counter in the International Departures terminal of Istanbul Airport 3 hours before the flight. After baggage, ticket and passport procedures, we depart for Basel at 08:50 on Turkish Airlines flight TK 1923. Upon our arrival at 10:00 local time, our Basel city tour begins with our vehicle waiting at the airport. Basel, the third most populous city in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva, is a magnificent city that combines modern and historical textures and contains many treasures despite its small area. During our city tour, Basel Cathedral, where the famous Dutch Renaissance writer Erasmus is buried, the city’s main square Marktplatz, the Government Building and Hotel Les Trois Roi will be among the places to see. After our tour, we depart for Strasbourg, one of the most beautiful cities in France and the pearl of the Alsace region. While exploring Strasbourg, you will feel as though you are travelling through history in one of Europe’s largest cobblestoned medieval districts. With its fairytale-like nature and historical buildings, wooden houses, medieval churches, cathedrals and numerous works of art, it is truly a place worth seeing. Strasbourg also has historical significance as the place where the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” was written, and presents itself as a city where Alsatian culture blends with French architecture. During our city tour, Strasbourg Cathedral, Rohan Palace, Kleber Square and the Petit France district, decorated with traditional Alsatian houses, will also be among the places to see. After our tour, guests who wish may join the Magnificent Alsace’s Fairytale Villages (Eguisheim & Colmar & Kaysersberg & Riquewihr) tour. (110 Euros) Throughout our tour, where we will want to take photographs at every opportunity, our first stop will be Egusheim. Named the “Favorite French Village” in 2013, Egusheim is a village where history and nature dance together. Its colorful houses, reflecting the typical architecture of the Alsace region, create Equesheim’s postcard-like appearance. After our tour, we travel to Colmar, famous for its medieval historical buildings, Gothic-style churches and colorful houses. As we stroll through Colmar’s remarkably well-preserved streets, St. Martin Cathedral, built entirely of pink stones, Little Venice, which resembles the Italian city of Venice with its small canals, Maison Pfister, one of Colmar’s oldest houses, and Maison des Tetes, a Renaissance building decorated with faces, will be among the places to see.  Our third stop on the tour is Kaysersberg. Kaysersberg is a charming part of the Alsace region, a medieval town in France. It is famous for its colorful houses, narrow streets and historical texture. In particular, Château de Kaysersberg, a castle dating back to the 13th century, is one of the town’s most prominent landmarks. Sainte-Croix Church, located in the center of the town, draws attention with its Gothic architecture. After our tour, we proceed to our final stop, Riquewihr, one of the most enchanting towns in Alsace, featuring numerous half-timbered houses that give the town its charm. This historic village captivates visitors with its old houses decorated with colorful flowers, narrow streets and medieval character surrounded by ramparts. During our tour, we will also see the remains of Riquewihr Castle and walk along the village’s old walls, experiencing the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. After our tour, transfer to our hotel in Strasbourg. Overnight at our hotel in Strasbourg or the surrounding area.
 

After having breakfast at the hotel, we set off for Luxembourg. Upon arrival, our Luxembourg city tour begins. Notre Dame Cathedral, the Ducal Palace, the City Hall, and Constitution Square are among the sights to be seen. Following our tour, guests who wish may join the optional Magnificent History and Mosaics (Trier & Remich & Schengen) tour. (65 Euros) Our first stop on the tour will be Trier, founded by the Romans in 15 BC and known as Germany’s oldest city. Located in the Moselle Wine Region, among low red sandstone hills covered with vineyards along the Moselle River, one of the tributaries of the Rhine, Trier will offer us a city tour featuring Porta Nigra, the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps; Roman Ruins included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site; St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady; the Basilica of Constantine; and the house where Karl Marx, the revolutionary thinker and father of scientific socialism, was born. Following our visit to Trier, we head to the town of Remich, a tax haven and the place where you can shop at the lowest prices during our tour. Due to Luxembourg’s low-tax policies and its location near the border, you can purchase products such as chocolate, coffee, and alcoholic beverages here at very affordable prices. Finally, we visit Schengen, where the borders of Germany, France, and Luxembourg meet and where the free-movement agreement abolishing passport controls among European Union member states was signed. In this village, one of Europe’s important wine regions, you will have the opportunity to taste local wines and see the monument and building where the Schengen Agreement was signed. Following our tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Luxembourg or the surrounding area.
 

Following breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Paris, one of the world’s most romantic cities. Upon our arrival in Paris, the places we will see include Charles de Gaulle and the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, the Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Place de l’Étoile, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais Exhibition Palaces, Place de la Concorde and the Obelisk, the French Parliament Building, Pont Alexandre III, the Seine River, Napoleon’s Tomb, and the Eiffel Tower. After our tour, we will be transferred to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel in or around Paris.
 

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, our guests who wish may join the optional Magnificent Paris Masterpieces & Seine River Boat Tour (Eiffel Tower & Seine River Boat Cruise & Montmartre Painters' Hill & Sacré-Cœur Basilica & Notre-Dame Cathedral). (110 Euros) The first stop on our tour is the Eiffel Tower, the city's iconic landmark visited by millions of tourists every year. You will have the chance to see Paris from above by going up to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. We then take a boat tour on the Seine River, which divides Paris in two. After seeing the historical monuments on both banks of the river during the boat tour, we take a cable car up to Montmartre Hill, the highest point in Paris. At this hill, which bears the traces of important artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Dalida, Vincent van Gogh and Jean Marais, Sacré-Cœur (the Church of Vows) will be the first place we visit. After seeing this structure up close, we take a break at Place du Tertre, where you can shop and have your portrait drawn, and then visit Notre-Dame Cathedral, described both as a symbol of French history and an indispensable part of Paris's skyline. Notre-Dame Cathedral was built by order of King Louis VII, who ruled between 1137 and 1180, to demonstrate Paris's political, economic and cultural power to the world. After seeing this magnificent structure, we take a short photo break. We then transfer to our hotel. In the evening, our guests who wish may join the optional Paris Under Magnificent Lights tour. (35 Euros) The city of Paris is beautiful in its own way by day and by night. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to see the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre Museum and many other boulevards, buildings and squares illuminated at night. After our tour, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Paris.
 

We are departing for Brussels. Brussels, one of the most notable stops on Benelux tours, stands out with its versatility. In this cosmopolitan city, which offers travelers many different opportunities, we will visit a variety of valuable landmarks. Among the places we will see upon arrival are the Royal Palace, the Chinese and Japanese houses, Brussels Cathedral, the city square, the Stock Exchange Building, the Atomium Monument, and the Manneken Pis Statue. Following our tour, transfer to our hotel and free time. Overnight at our hotel in Brussels or the surrounding area.
 

After having breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Amsterdam. Along the way, our guests who wish may join the Magnificent Cities Brugge & Gent tour, organized as an optional extra. (90 Euros) Our first stop on the tour is Brugge, famous for its magnificent beauty. Today, the city of Brugge is one of the most visited cities in Europe and was placed under UNESCO protection in 1991. With its medieval architecture, canals, narrow streets, bridges, historic buildings, and squares, it has succeeded in becoming one of Europe’s most cherished cities. After exploring this beautiful city, we travel to Ghent, another city where time seems to have stood still. With a history dating back 1,400 years, Ghent was established at the confluence of the Scheldt and Lys rivers and was one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Middle Ages. After our tour of this city, famous for its medieval historical monuments and university, we depart for Amsterdam. During our city tour in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, which borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, we will see Dam Square, Central Station, the National Monument, the Royal Palace, the Flower Market, and the Red Light District among other sights. Following our tour, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Amsterdam or its surroundings.
 

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, guests who wish may join the Magnificent Fairytale Villages and Water Canals tour, which will be organized as an optional extra (Zaanse Schans & Marken & Volendam & Giethoorn Hobbit Village). (110 Euros) Our tour begins in the town of Zaanse Schans. One of the hidden paradise towns of the Netherlands, Zaanse Schans is famous for its old historic windmills dating back to the 17th century and still in operation, as well as its untouched nature. In the Dutch town of Zaanse Schans, which boasts unparalleled beauty with its historic windmills and wooden houses, you will feel as if you are visiting an open-air museum. The second stop on our tour is Marken. After exploring the interior of this wonderful island, which was once an island but was later connected to the mainland by filling in the area between them, we depart for Volendam. Volendam is a place that captivates people at first sight with its harbor, characteristic Dutch houses, and traditionally dressed people. After spending a pleasant time in this town, where you can taste delicious seafood and cheeses and buy inexpensive souvenirs, our final stop is Giethoorn Hobbit Village. Considered one of the most beautiful places in the world, Giethoorn is one of the most fairytale-like places in Europe. Giethoorn gained its popularity after the 1958 film “Fanfare” was filmed here, and since then it has become increasingly famous, welcoming more than 800,000 tourists annually. After our tour, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in or around Amsterdam.

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Cologne. Upon arrival, our city tour begins. Cologne is one of Germany’s most important transportation, cultural, scientific, artistic and commercial centers. During our city tour here, the Gothic Cathedral, the Rhine River and the shopping streets are among the places to see. Following our tour, during our city tour in Düsseldorf, one of Germany’s most important cultural, artistic and industrial cities, the revolving restaurant Rheinturm, Schloss Benrath, where Germany’s most important thinkers were educated, Königsallee shopping street and Horfgarten with its lush green areas are among the places to see. Then, we depart for the airport. After the baggage, ticket and passport procedures, we depart for Istanbul at 18:35 on Turkish Airlines flight TK1528. Arrival at 23:55 local time and the end of our tour.