Wednesday 5th April – Andorra la Vella

• Arrive at your convenience into Andorra la Vella – the capital city of Andorra which has no airport and no railway connections. If you need help, we are ready to assist you with getting to Andorra, either from Toulouse or Barcelona would be a good option.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guides.
• Head out for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in Andorra.

Thursday 6th April – Andorra la Vella

• Today we will spend the full day in the sixth-smallest country of Europe: Andorra. We will start with a short walking tour of Andorra la Vella, the highest capital city in Europe. Along the way we’ll see landmarks like the Dali Monument, Central Park, Casa de la Vall and fine examples of Romanesque granite architecture in the historical centre.
• When you’re in one of the smallest countries of the world, you can’t pass on the Miniature Museum! We will visit the museum in the Romanesque mountain village of Ordino, passing the medieval Sant Antoni de la Grella Bridge.
• After lunch we’ll explore the shady past of Andorra. For a long time Andorra was known as a smugglers paradise. As a matter of fact, alcohol and tobacco are still awfully cheap! We’ll take a look at the smugglers route that connects the country with Spain. Along the way we’ll experience the beautiful nature of the Pyrenees.
• Time to head for the local brewery for food and drinks!
• Overnight in Andorra.

Friday 7th April – Andorra – Llívia – Roquebrune-Cap-Martin / Monaco

• Time to hit the road in our private minivan!
• Near Andorra lies the Spanish enclave of Llívia. This cartographic anomaly is completely surrounded by France. But don’t expect to see many Spanish flags – Llívia is fiercely Catalan and rumour has it that this is where the independence struggle for Catalonia started. We’ll pay a quick visit to this interesting place.
• We will continue our drive towards the Mediterranean Sea, stopping for lunch on the way and continuing along the French Riviera.
• Dinner and overnight in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (France), on the doorstep of our second microstate, Monaco.

Saturday 8th April – Monaco

• Two square kilometres of glitter and glamour: Monaco is a country for the rich ‘n’ famous.
• After an early start we’ll climb the hairpins of La Turbie and walk to the Tête de Chien for a view of the whole microstate. In Monaco proper, our walking tour will take in the famous sights of the country, including the Royal Palace, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (where the Grimaldis are buried), Théâtre du Fort Antoine and – don’t tell anyone – a secret beach! (Feel free to bring your swimming gear.)
• Free afternoon: hit the casino at Monte Carlo, stroll the botanical gardens for an immense view of the country, visit the world famous Oceanographic Museum or stare at all the expensive cars and yachts that cruise around.
• Dinner at one of the great restaurants of Monaco.
• Overnight in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

Sunday 9th April – Monaco – Seborga – Cinque Terre

• Time to leave France behind and stay in Italy for a while. But wait, maybe not…
• First stop is Seborga and some theoreticals – what’s the difference between a microstate and a micronation? We will find out in Seborga, a village stating it was never officially included in the Italian unification and therefore claims its own independence. It even has its own flag, currency and royal family. But is this unique place truly a microstate? Let’s see for ourselves.
• Along the way we’ll have a stop for a proper Italian lunch.
• We continue our drive towards Cinque Terre. This is one of the most famous sights in Italy, and when we cruise down along the Ligurian coast, you can clearly see why! Colourful houses, right next to the sea.
• Upon arrival there’s free time to explore Cinque Terre – or go for a good glass of Italian wine with food.
• Overnight in Cinque Terre.

Monday 10th April – Cinque Terre – Rome

• Once again we hit the road with our minivan, driving onwards to Rome.
• At the town of Rosignano we will stop at a beautiful picturesque white beach alongside bright turquoise water. It looks just like the Caribbean – until you turn around and look at the chemicals factory behind you. Yes, if you fancy a seaside holiday full of mercury, cadmium and lead, Spiagge Bianche is the perfect Mediterranean beach for you!
• After a lunch break on the road, we will arrive in Rome in the afternoon.
• Overnight in a convent to get in the mood for the Vatican.

Tuesday 11th April – Vatican – SMOM – Rome

• Time for our next microstate: the smallest country in the world! Did you ever walk around an entire country? Today is the day!
• After the 45 minute walk we’ll head to the dark side of the Vatican, a tour of the Vatican Necropolis
• This afternoon you can explore more of the Vatican or other famous sights in Rome. Or… head to a secretive nation called SMOM – The Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Recognized by over a hundred countries as a sovereign state, tiny SMOM is not keen on welcoming visitors. We’ll try to get in through the back door and buy some souvenir stamps.
• If you’ve been in Rome before, we suggest some more odd sights such as Villa Torlonia (former bunker of Mussolini), Chiese di Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte (church with famous fresco’s and a chamber made of human bones) or the Pyramid of Cestius.
• Overnight in Rome.

Wednesday 12th April – Rome – Sansepolcro – San Marino

• Today we’ll drive north through the amazing scenery of Tuscany. Along the way, we’ll stop for a lunch break in the town of Sansepolcro.
• We’ll leave Tuscany and slowly reach our final destination for the day, the microstate of San Marino. Infamous for its soccer team and Eurovision artists, but famous for being the oldest constitutional republic in the world.
• Upon arrival we’ll head straight for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in San Marino.

Thursday 13th April – San Marino

• We will spend the whole day exploring the republic of San Marino, the third smallest country in Europe. After breakfast we will start with a walking tour through the country.
• Along the way we will visit famous sights as Cava dei Balestrieri, the Basilica di San Marino, Palazzo Publico and Guaita, Falese and Montale – the three towers guarding Monte Titano.
• In the afternoon we’ll have an optional hiking excursion along the Cammino del Titane or a San Marino wine tasting.
• Overnight in San Marino.

Friday 14th April – San Marino – Campione d’Italia – Grüsch

• It’s going to be a long day of driving, heading north towards Switzerland. Here we will pay a visit to Campione d’Italia, an Italian exclave surrounded by Swiss territory. Home to Europe’s largest casino up to 2018, this exclave is another must for those obsessed with geographic anomalies.
• Overnight in Grüsch, Switzerland.

Saturday 15th April – Liechtenstein – Grüsch

• Welcome to Liechtenstein! This microstate is wedged between Austria and Switzerland in the middle of the Alps. Today we’ll have a full day to explore this country.
• We’ll start the day with a visit to the Burg Gutenberg, a castle in the balmy south of Liechtenstein. Next we’ll explore the capital Vaduz. While Vaduz isn’t great on tourist attractions we’ll check out the Old Rhine Bridge and Vaduz Castle.
• After lunch we’ll have a bit of free time to explore (for example) the museums of Vaduz, after which we’ll go for an easy hike around the Alps. Here you’ll have grand vistas of the entire Principality.
• Our final farewell dinner in Liechtenstein, expect proper celebrations at the end of our Microstate adventure!
• Overnight in Grüsch, Switzerland.

Sunday 16th April – Grüsch

• Breakfast at hotel and tour concludes for all members.
• Departure on your own. We can drop you off at the train station or check with us if we can drop you somewhere along the way to the airport.

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