We will meet our tour leader at 6pm for our KM Malta Airlines flight to Lyon airport departing at 8.30pm and arriving at 10.50pm. We will proceed to our 4-star Odalys Lyon in Apart’hotel Bioparc in Lyon for our first night.

After a good night sleep, together with the tour leader, we shall head for an optional excursion to explore the city of Lyon before heading to Évian-les-Bains, where we will be spending the rest of the stay. Lyon, the third-largest city in France, known for its rich history, vibrant culture and world-renowned gastronomy. We shall visit Vieux Lyon (Old Town), which is one of the largest and best-preserved old towns in Europe. We will have time to explore the beautiful churches, including the stunning Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral. Late afternoon, we board our coach and head to Évian-les-Bains and check-in into our 3-star Hôtel Le Bourgogne.

This morning’s full-day optional excursion will take us to Lausanne in Switzerland, famous for its grandeur and for hosting the Internal Olympic Committee. The city is situated on the shores of Lake Genève, at the foot of the Alps, and it faces the Frech town of Évian-les-Bains. The Olympic Museum is also worth visiting (entrance extra). The afternoon will be free for personl sightseeing and shopping.

Our full-day optional excursion will drive us up the mountains. We will head to Chamonix, a world-famous skiing resort on the French side of Mont Blanc. Here, we take the tram (extra) up to Montenvers, where we will see the famous Mer de Glasse with the opportunity to visit the Ice Cave. The Mer de Glace is one of the important sites of the Chamonix Valley, where it is known as the largest glacier in France.

Today, we shall spend an optional full-day in Switzerland. We will start with a visit of the Chillon Castle (entrance extra) built in 1536 and situated on the edge of Lake Geneve. We later proceed to Montreux, the world famous spa. The town is exceptional with palm trees and camellias lining the lake’s promenade where we can see Queen’s pop singer Freddie Mercury’s monument. Our last stop for the day is in Gruyères, where we visit the lovely hill town with its magnificent medieval appearance.

Today’s full-day optional excursion will take us to Genève. This famous Swiss city is best known as the second seat after New York for the United Nations. Natural beauty is one of the Genève’s strongest assets, a wonderful scenario from the lake with its 6km shoreline and backdrop of Alpine peaks covered in snow. Lake Genève is the largest water reservoir in Europe. We shall visit the old town dominated by St Peter’s Cathedral and admire the fine jewellers’ boutiques in Place Molard. We will also have time for personal sighteeing and shopping.

Our last full-day optional excursion will take us to Bern and Thun. We shall start by visiting Switzerland’s capital city, Bern. Our first stop will be at the Rose Garden for an impressive panoramic view of Bern. Later, we see the Bears’ Pit, the Fountains, the Basilica Minster and the Zeitglockenturm (the clock tower). On the way back to the hotel, we shall make a short stop in Thun which is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland.

We shall check-out from our rooms, and head to Annecy, also called “the Little Venice of France”. Here, we will see the Annecy Castle overlooking this medieval town, the Basilica of the Visitation, the St. Claire Gate, the Island Palace, which is perhaps the most photographed in France because of its beauty and grandeur, and other monuments. We will have some free time, during which we will be able to take a boat ride (extra) on the lake. We will then head towards Lyon airport for our return KM Malta Airlines flight departing at 11.40pm and arriving in Malta at 1.50am next day.