Europe is an amazing travel destination if you are a travel enthusiast as I am, or if you are just going out for your holidays. It is one of the best continents to explore. You will get to experience the diversity of landscapes, cultures, and foods conjuring up an experience that you will live with for the rest of your life. To help make your trip unforgettable, I have chosen 25 fantastic experiences that you simply can’t miss.
Visiting Warner Bro Studios in London for Harry Potter Behind the scenes tops our list. A visit here gives you a one-of-a-kind experience to discover the magic of Harry Potter while exploring the behind-the-scenes secrets of the film series. You will also get to experience the green screen technology first-hand. You’ll also learn how some complicated prosthetics are used to transform actors into creatures. This wizardly adventure will simply uncover the power behind this iconic film series and leave you awed. Book your experience here.
A visit to the Colosseum and Ancient Rome in Italy is a one-of-a-kind experience. It lets you explore the highlights of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, including the Roman Senate, Arch of Constantine and mystical House of the Vestal Virgins. You will be able to follow in the footsteps of great emperors and learn about their complex political system. You will surely love the stories of gladiators fighting in the arena, the greatest in the Roman world. After you have absorbed enough history and architecture, you can then slide on your VR glasses, and see some of these structures recreated in their original glory. Book your Colosseum and Ancient Rome tour here.
A Guinness Connoisseur experience in Dublin, Ireland, is one other opportunity in Europe you should never pass by. Dublin is the home of this world-famous black beer. A visit will help you explore the rich heritage of the iconic brand and discover why it’s ‘Made of More’. At the storehouse, you will discover what goes into the making of each and every pint as you learn the 250-year-old art that is employed in this iconic stout. A visit to Dublin for the Guinness experience should definitely be in your Europe bucket list!
Travelling through the spectacular Highland scenery, this tour is the perfect way to see lots of Scotland and search for the famous Loch Ness monster. While here, you will be able to uncover a world steeped in history and untouched by time. Venture through Scottish historic sights, see Britain’s highest mountain, and travel through picturesque towns and untamed wilderness. You will also be able to take in the majestic Great Glen and Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain. As you head towards the highlands, you’ll get to see the amazing Forth Railway Bridge. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 2nd biggest bridge in the world! Book your Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands experience here.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Europe and the most visited paid-monument. Actually, it should have been in your bucket list even before reading this post. At the tower’s second floor, you get to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Paris. Though beautiful by day, the Eiffel Tower is especially romantic at night. As the sun begins to set, the colors in the sky get absolutely amazing. The views of the bright, colorful lights and the lit water are completely unmatched. You can see many of Paris’ popular landmarks from the top of the Eiffel Tower as well. A must go! Book your iconic tour of the Eiffel Tower here.
The other side of Paris is found under Paris herself. Far below the streets of Paris are the famed Parisian Catacombs. It serves as the final resting place of 6 million Parisians. It’s also the largest necropolis in the world. It’s not a tour for the easily frightened, but the experience is very powerful. The number of people that touch those walls and have trodden those tunnels is limited. However, the history of Paris is intrinsically linked to these claustrophobic and dark, enclosed spaces. Make sure you explore these unnamed and unmanned streets of Paris underground.
Amsterdam is the Dutch capital center, and a city in Europe that you must explore using its canal system. Taking a boat ride here is the best way to appreciate this urban canal ring and the city’s other waterways. Besides providing a stunning backdrop to the city’s historical center, floating down Amsterdam’s canals is one of the most memorable ways to discover the city’s sights and attractions. Everything about the city looks absolutely magical from this angle. You’ll also have the opportunity to combine your canal cruise with a skip-the-line admission to the Heineken experience. Book your Canal Cruise here.
On your European tour, make sure you visit Portugal’s prestigious Douro Valley for a full day wine tour from Porto. This unique day trip will introduce you to the sights, traditions and tastes of Portugal’s Douro valley. This a UNESCO site is famous for its production of port wine. It’s also quite scenic, with swathes of vineyards clinging to the hills around the Douro River. You can also enjoy the scenery around the Pinhão village, before wine-stating sessions in their fantastic wineries. Book your Douro Valley and Porto wine tour here.
If there’s a place in Barcelona that you must visit, it’s the Sagrada Familia. This is Barcelona’s “Wow” sight, and Antoni Gaudí designed it as his last project. A 1.5-hour guided tour will highlight its sheer verticality, opulent ceilings, and stained glass windows. You’ll also learn about its unfinished constructions and charismatic creator. The architectural design and historical significance that this building holds are not to be missed! Book your Sagrada Familia tour here.
The ancient city of Pompeii was famously ruined in the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D 79. The eruption covered most of the city with a thick layer of volcanic ash, perfectly preserving the city and its inhabitants. Centuries later, after the city was excavated, it became the most important archeological site in Italy. A two-hour guided tour will let you skip the lines and ensure that the exploration is intimate and engaging. You will be able to follow in the footsteps of the citizens of Pompeii and see how they lived, loved, worked, and played. Walk down the street for a slice of ancient life. You’ll even get to see millennia-old houses, shops, temples, cafes, and even a brothel! Book your private guided tour of Pompeii here.
The State Hermitage Museum is one of St. Peterburg’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s also one of the world’s largest and most prestigious museums. The museum holds over 3 million pieces of superb artwork. They include pieces from the Middle East, Western Europe, Russia and many other regions. The museum houses masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Ticiano, Rafael, Matisse, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Picasso. Taking a guided tour will just leave you in awe of its glorious artwork. Book your tour of the Hermitage Museum here.
A trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, gives you the perfect opportunity to combine incredible scenery with a great wine tasting tour. Dubrovnik itself is located in a dramatic location, between mountains and the Adriatic. It’s also famously surrounded by two kilometers of majestic medieval walls. The region contains several distinct wine regions and a number of individual winemakers. Today, the area boasts over 100 indigenous grape varieties and produces some of the best wines in Europe. Whether you like a full-bodied red, a dry white or a fruity rosé, you can’t go wrong with visiting Dubrovnik’s wineries! Book your wine tasting tour here. Even better, after a quick, four-hour ferry ride from Dubrovnik, you can also fulfill your dreams of experiencing an epic Split, Croatia stag do!
Iceland has many beauty offers that draw many visitor from around the world. These include uncrowded landscapes, natural hot springs, geothermal energy, geysers and volcanoes. However, one thing that surely stands out is the Blue Lagoon, found in Reykjavik. This is Iceland’s most famous attraction, and it rightly is. The Blue Lagoon affords you the opportunity to relax in its milky-green waters, which actually appear blue. These warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur. Bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases like psoriasis. There aren’t many spas in the world that can match the Blue Lagoon, so you can’t miss this when touring Europe. Book your tour of the Blue Lagoon here.
Taking a day trip in Athens is the best way to explore the Delphi Ruins in Greece. You get to immerse yourself in the myths and monuments of classical Greece on this full-day tour of Delphi from Athens. Here, you can to explore the hilltop museum and ruins, a place famous for its amphitheater and temple of Apollo. The archaeological site of Delphi is one of the most important in Greece, second only to the Acropolis of Athens, and Europe as a whole. The archaeological museum contains many important ancient Greek artifacts from the excavations at Delphi. Stand in awe before the Temple of Apollo and visit the handicraft towns of Arachova and Levadia on the way back to Athens. Book your Delphi tour here.
On your day trip from Athens, get to Cape Sounion. Here, you will find the temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, which dominates the southernmost tip of Attica, where the horizon meets the Aegean Sea. The temple is perched on the craggy rocks here and provides a perfect opportunity to watch the sunset. This is a lovely spot to sit down and relax watching the sun go down, with the ancient temple as a backdrop and facing the blue sea. Book your sunset tour at Cape Sounion here.
On a half day trip from Florence, Italy, do your Chianti wine tasting. Chianti is renowned as one of the main production areas of Tuscan wine due to its traditions and the quality of its wine. On your tour, you’ll be able to visit at least 2 wineries, each set in scenic villages. There you can sample some of the most revered Tuscan wines and taste prestigious labels as you learn the characteristics of each blend and hear the winemaker’s secrets. Book your Chianti wine tasting tour here.
The Uffizi Gallery Museum is definitely one you shouldn’t miss when in Florence. It is one of the most famous museums in the World, as well as one of the oldest. The Museum houses some of the most famous works of art and masterpieces that have marked man’s artistic innovation through the centuries. You will recognize and see close-up original world-famous paintings that you have been seeing all along in magazines, books, and on TV. Having a proper look at these famous artworks will make you understand why Florence is usually referred to as the birthplace of Rennaissance. Book your Uffizi Gallery visit here.
The Széchenyi Baths are natural hot springs greatly celebrated in Budapest where the thermal pools have temperatures of 74 C and 180 F. These are actually the largest baths in Budapest, with 18 indoor and outdoor pools. Get ready to get the ultimate spa experience here, as you hop between the pools since they have different temperatures. This is surely one place in Europe and Budapest that you’d love to go back and again! Book your Szechenyi Spa here.
Lisbon is a universe of flavors just waiting to be discovered. With a guided tour, you can be able to make the most out of this Portuguese capital. On a 3 hour guide, you will be able to go to some of Lisbon’s great cafes and restaurants, which will seek to teach you more about Portugal’s incredible mix of Mediterranean traditions and the exotic influences from Europe, Africa, America, China, Japan, China etc. You will also get to enjoy the best selection of Port wines along the way to make your tour memorable. Book your food and wine tasting tour in Lisbon here.
The Prado Museum is widely considered the world’s best collection of Spanish, and it’s a top cultural sight in Madrid, Spain. It houses priceless paintings and sculptures by Spanish art masters Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, not to mention the largest collection of works by Italian masters outside Italy. Explore their masterpieces and learn more about these legends’ work of art as you admire the interiors of this 18th century building. This is definitely a unique experience you simply cannot pass up if visiting the Spanish capital. Book your visit to El Prado Museum here.
The Murano is today majorly known as the island of glass-making, and it’s not far away from Venice. While in Italy, make sure you visit this island and discover the ancient art of making glass. You can first take a walk to a glass factory, where a glass master will demonstrate to you the art of glass blowing to create a unique piece. This glass is worked in different elements, shapes and colors to make a distinctive pendant or ornament. You can also dive into the art at a mosaic or a glass beads jewelry and try to make your own key holder, bracelet or earrings. After experiencing the art, you can get some free time to explore the quiet streets of Murano on your own. Book your tour of the Murano glass blowing here.
Turkish cuisine is very diverse and world-renowned. However, on your visit to turkey, you need to forget about those international fast food chains and experience authentic Turkish food. When you are in Istanbul, there are many local restaurants that you can pop in to try Turkish food and taste a variety of mezes (hot or cold appetizers0 fresh fish, sea food dishes, kebabs and vegetable based home cooking foods. You can accompany these with Raki, their traditional alcoholic drink and end the day in a style! Book your Turkish Cuisine tour here.
Vienna is famous for the famous tunes of Mozart and Straus. At exclusive concert halls in Vienna, you can listen to the best orchestras of Vienna playing the masterpieces of the Viennese classic. You will get the chance to be enchanted with a musical firework of the leading representatives of the Viennese classical music. These concerts are performed by virtuosic musicians, excellent opera singers and charming ballet solos who present you with an evening full of Viennese charm. Book your Mozart Concert at the Grand Hall here.
Munich is famous for its legendary beer-making history. The first commercial beer brewery in Germany was situated here and the city has long been hailed as the beer capital of the world. Start your beer tour by hitting the breweries and witnessing the traditional methods of brewing, which have been refined and perfected over time. You’ll get to listen to the master brewers as they divulge the secrets of their success. You can then head to the beer halls which can be found right across town. Make sure you pay a visit to the most famous one, Hofbräuhaus. Book your beer hall and breweries tour here.
The Czech are the biggest beer drinkers is the world per capita. This means that they therefore harbor unmatched beer traditions and history. It is here that the world’s first golden beer was made in 1842, at the Pilsen brewer. This marked the beginning of Pilsner. Visiting Prague allows you to discover the venues at the center of Prague civic life, with ancient breweries being their pride for centuries. Experience Prague’s vibrant beer scene from historic breweries to local microbreweries. Get to enjoy the charm of authentic pubs and dive deep into the beer culture of the Czech people. Book your beer tour in Prague here.
Whether you got only a few days or several weeks, you can get the most out of Europe. Simply add the 25 experiences in europe you can’t miss to your bucket list and start your exploration!
NOTE: Before you travel internationally, make sure all of your necessary travel documents are up-to-date! Keeping copies of them with you can help make your travel experience a smoother, less stressful experience.
Counter
101 Countries • 1432 Cities
