Your program fee includes:

- Round Trip from Toronto
- Airport and City Transfers

- Flight transfers
- Accommodation at University  

  residences in London & Paris

  & 4 star hotel in Rome 

 - Breakfast and Dinner daily
- Academic Instruction
- Course materials

- Global Journeys Backpack

- City Tours of major districts

  &

While in London:

- Piccadilly Circus

- Trafalgar Square

- Covent Gardens

- Big Ben/Parliament Buildings

- Buckingham Palace

- Westminster Abbey

- Visit to British Museum

- National Gallery
- Walk through Hyde Park

- Visit to Leicester Square

- Harrods Complex

- Portobello/Camden Markets

While in Paris:

- Champs-Elysées

- Arc de Triomphe

- Eiffel Tower

- Montmartre/Basilique du

  Sacré Coeur

- Musée du Louvre

- Notre Dame/Picnic on Seine

- Latin Quarter

- St. Germain shopping district

While in Rome:

- Trevi Fountain & Gelato

- Spanish Steps

- Via Veneto

- Piazza Navona

- Piazza del Popolo

- Piazza Colonna & Pantheon

- Picnic/Villa Borghese Gardens

- Colosseum

- Roman Forum

- Palatine Hill

- Capitoline Hill

- Piazza Venezia/Victor-

  Emmanuel Building

- Vatican & St. Peter's Square

While in London

Stonehenge, Salisbury and Roman Baths   

Sitting on the Salisbury plain, treeless with few buildings around for miles, this site is one of the most awe-inspiring reminders of the past and still today we are not absolutely sure why they were built.  Thought to be an observatory, temple, altar, or maybe a tomb dating back to around 5,000 BC, Stonehenge is the most important pre-historic monument in the British Isles.  The circle of stones is majestic and stands tall, often seen in pictures as one of the wonders of the world.  Our guide will take us through showing the effects of the magnetic fields, giving us time to stop and wonder about the purpose of Stonehenge and take in its impressive stature. We will also visit the town of Salisbury with its amazing examples of architecture from the thirteenth century – namely the gothic style Cathedral which houses an ancient clock – one of the oldest operating mechanisms in the world dating back to1386 AD.

City of Bath

This elegant city, whose name and fame derive from its hot springs, is full of color, style and life.  Bath stands on the River Avon among the hills of England’s west country and reveals some of the most picturesque sights in Europe.  The ancient Celts were the first to inhabit the area and believed that Bath’s hot springs were sacred.  It was the Romans who built the Temple of Minerva in dedication to the goddess Minerva and the famous baths, many of which still exist today in their original grandeur. Bath is known as a World Heritage site because of its Roman remains and a wealth of fine Georgian architecture built centuries later around the Roman bath structures.  The extensive remains of the Roman Public Baths and the Temple of Minerva are an incredible site to visit and will transport you back in time. You will also have free time to visit the entire city of Bath itself with its quaint streets, shopping areas and the Jane Austen Centre.  Jane Austen, well-known author of the 19^th century lived 4 years of her life in Bath from 1801-1806 and her knowledge of the City is reflected in her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. 

Windsor Castle & Hampton Court

Full Day Excursion

The glorious Royal Palace, which is one of the Queen’s official residences, has been inhabited for the past 900 years, and remains a working palace today.  It was William the Conqueror, who chose the site for the castle in Windsor as a fortress high above the River Thames, to protect London from western invaders.  Upon your visit you will have the opportunity to walk around the State Apartments and view the overwhelming splendour and tremendous riches each room in the castle has to offer.  Various works of art and pieces of furniture from the Royal Collection are also on display. Another popular feature within the royal residence is a miniature mansion, better known as Queen Mary’s Doll House, which has every detail imaginable of a real life size castle.  Unfortunately, in 1992 a fire broke out in the castle damaging over 100 rooms. A restoration plan was immediately initiated, and 5 years later the Castle was restored to its former glory with Prince Charles’ input. Much of the restoration was funded by the Queen and with the help of visitors’ entrance fees.  

Hampton Court originally belonged to the Archbishop of York, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who resided there in 1514. When he became Henry VIII’s Lord High Chancellor he began to expand the “manor” in which he was living. Wolsey splurged on the property, building additional rooms and designing lavish interiors. With the expansion of 1000 rooms he had 500 staff members attend to the property. The Manor’s grandeur caught the attention of King Henry’s eye and in 1562 Wolsey was forced to give up Hampton Court as a “gift” to the King. Once Hampton Court became the property of the King, it was necessary to expand the building once again to accommodate Tudor Court making it the King’s favourite manor. Hampton Court remained a royal residence until the death of King George II in 1760.

Much of the palace exits today as it did centuries ago and it is the reigning Queen who now owns the property. Hampton Court is meticulously maintained, with beautiful and unique lavish gardens that surround the palace grounds and famous maze gardens through which you can stroll and find your way out – eventually! Inside the palace where magnificent collections of tapestries, furniture, clocks and paintings are housed, you will have free time to wander in amazement and experience its grandeur. 

Oxford University

Half Day Excursion

We will take the day to visit the world famous university grounds of Oxford, situated north of London. This historic location with incredibly designed colleges topped with spectacular spires, tended gardens and grand entrances is built around green park areas and is bustling with museums, bookstores, shops and cafes. Meandering around the colleges of Oxford is the River Cherwell which provides the opportunity to go Punting  - comparable to gondola rides, but you will have to do all the work!

While in Paris

Chateau de Versailles 

Half Day Excursion

Once the seat of power from 1682 to 1789, the Chateau de Versailles today remains as an impressive and glorious palace with beautifully kept gardens and a fascinating history - well worth a visit. The Chateau was the final home of King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette before they were taken to Paris during the French Revolution. Originally it was a hunting lodge belonging to his father – and King Louis XIV decided that he wanted to turn it into a palace big enough for his entire court of 6000 people. It took some 30,000 workers and soldiers to complete the structure according to the King’s extravagant tastes that symbolized wealth and power, and this ultimately was financially devastating for the kingdom. Once the Chateau de Versailles was completed it consisted of an enormous palace building with vast gardens and pools. Hundreds of artisans decorated every moulding, cornice, ceiling and door with the most luxurious trimmings, marble and woodcarvings which you will see as you wander through the ‘Grands Appartements’ and the Hall of Mirrors. You will also have the opportunity to stroll through the gardens which are famed for their geometrically aligned terraces, flower beds, tree lined paths, ponds, fountains and numerous statues situated around the grounds, created by only the finest sculptors of the period. 

Chartres & Giverny

Full Day Excursion

Chartres is a very quaint and well preserved medieval town located along the River Eure with narrow streets, flower gardens and homes from centuries past. Many of the buildings where trades took place along the riverside still stand today and will give you an idea of what town life must have been like 1000 years ago. Just south of this area is an impressive gothic cathedral from the 13^th century with beautiful stained glass windows  – a masterpiece named Cathédral Notre Dame, and actually built before Notre Dame in Paris. Much of the town along with the original cathedral had been destroyed by fire in the 12^th century but was rebuilt over a very short period of time by locals. After a tour of the cathedral you will have time to wander through the town to explore. 

The home and gardens of Claude Monet – one the most well-known and leading impressionist painters of the 19^th & 20^th century - is now a museum located in the tiny village of Giverny. Here you will experience the breathtaking gardens and lighting that Monet captured in his paintings, together with the Japanese bridge and pond full of water lilies depicted in his painting entitled Nympheas (Water Lilies). Monet was fascinated by the effects light had on surfaces and created a series of paintings of landscapes in very large dimensions – a style which greatly influenced many other artists. The location is stunning to see in the summer!

While in Rome

Full Day Excursion

 Hike up Mount Vesuvius & Visit Naples for Lunch

Our coach will take us to the base of Mount Vesuvius but we will hike up the last 500m so bring good walking shoes and lots of water. The winding trail up to the summit will take about 1 hour. Once you arrive you will be able to walk around the rim and peer into the empty hole of the volcano. Before the massive eruption in 79 A.D. the area was a basin covered with dense growth of vegetation and was used as a camp for rebel slaves led by Spartacus in 73 BC – until thousands of Roman soldiers attacked! As you look deep into the crater you begin to understand the sheer force of the volcano that blew the basin and caused the destruction of the ancient city Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 A.D. Steam still escapes from the volcano today, although it is presently dormant!

After our morning hike we will head to Naples and give you time to enjoy the city and a great traditional lunch such as the Napolitano Pizza made with tomatoes, garlic, basil and anchovies – you can hold the anchovies if you wish!

Naples is situated in the Bay of Naples, and  is overshadowed by the imposing sight of Mount Vesuvius. Originally occupied by the Ancient Greeks and called Palaepolis (old city), Neapolis (new city) later developed in the surrounding areas. Naples’s early character was, as a result, influenced by its Greek roots as well as by the Romans who later settled there - evidence of which can still be found today. After centuries of conquests and occupations, it finally became part of Italy in 1860 and now is a major trading port.

 Afternoon on Island of Capri

Only 5 km across the sea from Sorrento is this beautiful island with its mountainous landscape, fascinating geological formations, quaint medieval villages, amazing beaches and numerous grottos. Capri was a favourite place for Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius where they spent much of their time in magnificent imperial villas.

To get to Capri we will take a ferry across and explore the island for the day! Upon our arrival we will embark on a tour of the many grottos around the island including the Blue Grotto -  a sunken cavern 20 m. below sea level and because of its position there is no source of direct sunlight except for an opening under the sea. This penetrating sunlight creates unusual light effects where everything reflected has turquoise and silvery tones. The boat enters through an opening at sea level and goes through winding passages and tunnels often full of stalactites, and here we can also see remains of a small Roman quay. It is believed that the area was once a complex subterranean system that connected Roman buildings above. On this tour you will also visit the Faraglioni – a series of geological rock formations for which Capri is known!

Later we will take a cable car up to the central square of Capri -  “piazzetta”, and give you time to hike around the island, shop, visit the ancient ruins and of course enjoy the beaches and incredible scenery before returning to Rome.

Our programs are enhanced by additional excursions which go beyond the focus of the course and give students the option to explore areas outside of the region in which our programs are located, in a supervised environment with private coaches and guides. Schedules and costs of these excursions are provided to students in March.