Europe Itinerary

Day 1 Leave Denver, Colorado USA

Meet at Kepner at 6:15 am and leave for Denver International Airport at 6:45 am.

At 10:47 am leave for Atlanta on Delta Flight #38.

Leave Atlanta at 5:35 pm on the overnight flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Amsterdam, Netherlands on Delta Flight #38.

Day 2 Arrival Amsterdam, Netherlands

Arrive in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, at 7:10 am (12:10 am MDT). After clearing customs we meet our EF Tour Director, Stephen Thorne.

Our EF Tour Director takes us on an introductory tour of Amsterdam.

Hotel – Holday Inn Schipol, Melbournestraat 1,1175 RM Lijnden, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Day 3 Tour Amsterdam, Netherlands

Visit Amsterdam’s most famous sights on a walk through the city. We will see the Westerkerk (West Church) where the remains of Rembrandt and his son are buried, visit Dam Square which is full of significant historical buildings and bridges and then to the Rembrandtplein, a square packed with terrace cafes, diamond shops, nightclubs and hotels.

Visit the Anne Frank House, where the young girl hid with her family from 1942 to 1944 and where she penned the poignant diary that has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide.

Day 4 Travel to Brussels, Belgium

En route to Brussels we will tour Aachen, Germany, a town on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands. Charlemagne used to spend his winters here. He built what is now the oldest cathedral in Northern Europe where he is buried and which also served as the site of 30 coronations for kings of the Holy Roman Empire.

Transfer via tour director-led sightseeing of Brussels – Brussels has come to be known as the unofficial capital of Europe—not only is it the first city of Belgium, but it also serves as the headquarters for NATO and the European Union. Pass the EU buildings as we head into the heart of medieval Brussels. Here we’ll see the Guild Houses lining the Grand’Place, “the most beautiful square in the world,” according to Victor Hugo (who lived here after being exiled from France). We’ll also stroll past Brussels’ oldest citizen, the Manneken Pis—ask about the legends surrounding the statue. In addition, you’ll view the Atomium; Brussels’ lasting exhibit for the 1958 World’s Fair represents an iron molecule magnified 200 billion times.

Hotel – Forum Art Hotel, Avenue du Haut-Pont, Brussels, B-1060, Belgium.

Day 5 Travel to Paris, France

EF walking tour of Paris – Our walking tour of the chic Opéra district and the haute couture boutiques of Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré. Stroll through Place de la Concorde, the city’s largest public square, built to honor Louis XV. The next Louis was not so lucky—he was beheaded here during the Revolution, along with Marie Antoinette. Continue through the geometric gardens of the Tuileries as we make your way to Place Vendôme, a vast square wrapped in 17th-century façades. Pass the Ritz hotel at no. 15, a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. (The exact walking route may vary depending on our hotel location and other activities.)

Visit to the Louvre • Built to defend the city in the 13th century, the Louvre safeguards one of the world’s greatest art collections. Enter the museum through world-renowned architect I.M. Pei’s 1989 modernist glass pyramid. Inside, discover priceless antiquities from Asia, Greece and Rome. We’ll also see precious objects from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as paintings by European masters, including the Mona Lisa.

Hotel – Novotel Charenton, 5 place de marseillais, Charenton Le Pont, Paris 94220, France.

Day 6 Tour Paris, France

Guided sightseeing of Paris – Discover the city on the Seine: from the imposing Arc de Triomphe commemorating Napoleon’s Grande Armée, to theÎle de la Cité, birthplace of Paris. Take a drive down the elegant Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde. Pass the Conciergerie, where prisoners of the Revolution spent their final days, and see Les Invalides, Louis XIV’s grand retirement home for wounded soldiers. We’ll also see the École Militairewhere Napoleon graduated to Lieutenant and was told he’d go far if circumstances allowed. Next, make a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower to marvel at the 6,000-ton centerpiece for the 1889 World’s Fair. Learn why this impressive, yet controversial, symbol of Paris was spared the wrecking ball in 1909.

Visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral – Victor Hugo once described the sculptured façade of Notre Dame as “a vast symphony in stone.” However, habit not been for the creation of his famous hunchback, Quasimodo, the cathedral might never have returned to her former glory. Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), helped inspire a 23-year restoration of the cathedral that began in 1841. Step inside to admire her stained-glass rose windows and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings. Built between 1163–1361 over the remains of an ancient Roman temple, it was here that Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804.

Day 7 Travel to London, England

After some free time in Paris, transfer via the Eurostar from Paris to London. In Paris, board the high-speed Eurostar, an 18-car train that runs through the tunnel connecting continental Europe with Britain. Completed in May of 1994, the Channel Tunnel provides travelers with easy access to and from the continent. Enjoy state-of-the-art technology as you are whisked under the English Channel to England.

Arrive in London, Europe’s largest city.

Hotel – Premier Inn Docklands, Travel Inn Docklands, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1SL, United Kingdom

Day 8 Tour London, England

Guided sightseeing of London – A local guide leads you on a panoramic tour of London. Begin in Grosvenor Square, which is sometimes called “Little America” because it’s the site of the U.S. Embassy and the house where Eisenhower once lived. Continue to Hyde Park Corner, located at the southeast corner of Hyde Park, one of London’s largest parks. At bustling Piccadilly Circus, the intersection of five busy streets, check out the bright lights and big-city displays, before heading to Trafalgar Square. Pass Speaker’s Corner, where anyone with something to say is invited to speak his mind. Snap a photo of the famous Tower of London and London Bridge.

Guided visit to the Tower of London – A professional guide will take you through over 900 years of royal history at this World Heritage Site. The oldest of the 20 towers, known as the White Tower, was completed in 1097, at which time it was the tallest building in London. Here, you can see the original armors of Henry VIII and Charles I, as well as former instruments of torture. Learn about the history of some of the tower’s prisoners, including Guy Fawkes and Anne Boleyn. See the magnificent Crown Jewels in the Martin Tower, and say hello to the site’s most faithful residents, the ravens. Later on, travel by boat down the Thames and back to the center of London.

Day 9 Tour London, England

EF walking tour of London – Stroll through the heart of London on our EF walking tour, which begins along the banks of the River Thames. As you walk along the ancient embankment, note that these shadowy waters gave the city its name, which derives from Llyn-Dyn, Celtic for “city of the lake.” Walk along the Strand and see the spot from which all distances to London are measured. Enter Trafalgar Square, where you’re sure to meet the world’s most famous pigeons, and pause at Nelson’s column, a symbol of Britain’s once unrivaled naval power.

Continue on to Leicester Square, where duelists once fought to the death. Then saunter through London’s tiny Chinatown. Your walk ends at chic Covent Garden, where street performers (or “buskers”) and stylish passers-by amuse the lively crowds. (The exact walking route may vary, depending on your hotel location and the day’s other activities.)

Guided sightseeing of London – Our guided tour takes you past the major landmarks of England’s regal capital. Snap a photo of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Pass Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Hyde Park, the “lungs of London.” If the Royal Standard flag at Buckingham Palace is flown at full mast, the queen is in residence. On your tour through the City of London, the metropolis’ one-square-mile core, you’ll learn about London’s Great Fire of 1666 and visit St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Day 10 Home to Denver, Colorado USA

Return home – Your tour director assists with the transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return flight home. We leave London Gatwick Airport, connect through Atlanta, Georgia and arrive at Denver International Airport. After you collect your baggage, we leave for Kepner Middle School and should arrive there at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Washington, D.C. Itinerary

Day One Leave Denver, Colorado

4:00 a.m. Meet in at Kepner Middle School. Leave for Denver International Airport. Fly from Denver to Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C. After arrival, check into the Embassy Suites. Dinner in Atrium from The Burro.

After dinner, walk to Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Menorial and Albert Einstein’s statue on West End of the Mall. Return to hotel and rooms for journal writing, quiet time and reading the itinerary for the next day.

Day Two Washington, D.C.

Visit the White House, the National Air and Space Museum in the morning, then lunch at Tony Cheng’s Mongolian Restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Native American History (Alternate: Museum of American History or Natural History Museum) and spend free time on Mall.

Dinner at Union Station with journal writing while waiting for dinner. After dinner, return to hotel for swimming, then back to rooms for journal writing, quiet time and reading the itinerary for the next day.

Day Three Washington, D.C.

After breakfast, class in the Atrium on the Holocaust. Leave for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and attend tour of museum until mid-afternoon. Spend remainder of afternoon at Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin. All-you-can-eat dinner at Phillips and follow-up class on the Holocaust. Swimming then lights out!

Day Four Washinton, D.C.

Meet for breakfast then take metro to the Capital. View sculture garden and tour Capital Building. Lunch at Red Hot and Blue Memphis Pit Barbecue. Walk to Marine Corps War Memorial - Iwo Jima. Next, arrive at Arlington National Cemetery for tour. Pizza dinner at Embassy Suites. Swimming and back to rooms for journal writing, quiet time and reading the itinerary for the next day.

Day Five New York City, New York

Meet in Atrium with backpacks and pick up sack breakfast and lunch. Take 6:30 a.m. Amtrak Train to New York City. Complete the Junior Park Ranger Booklet and the Pre-Visit Activities for School Groups before arrival. Arrive New York City and take subway to Battery Park. Lunch at Times Square. Visit Empire State Building. To Penn Station for dinner. Leave Penn Station on Amtrak Train. Write in journal and read the itinerary for the next day. Arrive at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Back to Embassy Suites and lights out!

Day Six Washington, D.C.

After breakfast in Atrium, take metro to Ford’s Theater (Possible alternate Museum of American History). Spend morning viewing Theater (Museum). Have lunch and go up the Washington Monument. Tour National Archives. Free time on the Mall. Pizza dinner at Embassy Suites. Swimming then to rooms for journal writing, quiet time and reading the itinerary for the next day.

Day Seven Home to Denver, Colorado

First breakfast, then take metro to Supreme Court. Tour Supreme Court. Lunch at Union Station. Ride metro to airport. Leave Reagan National Airport mid-afternoon and arrive at Denver International Airport that evening. Arrive at Kepner Middle School late evening.