2024 Unusual Europe by Private Jet

Sep 1 - 3, 2024  •  Berlin, Germany -- Hotel Adlon Kempinski

Arrive at Berlin Brandenburg Airport where you are met with VIP Fastrack service and transferred to your renowned hotel just steps from the celebrated landmark, Bradenburg Gate.  Settle into your suite and perhaps stretch your legs on a walk down the “Unter den Linden” boulevard.  Meet fellow travelers and your Lakani Tour Managers at an evening cocktail party.

Discover the antiquities of the Neues Museum on a privately guided tour before the museum opens to the public.  Tour the city’s famous highlights, including Alexanderplatz, and nearby Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), the government home of Berlin.  Admire the murals painted on the remnant of the Berlin Wall, known as the East Side Gallery.  Enjoy lunch at the rooftop restaurant, Kaefer, in the Reichstag, followed by a walk inside the dome atop the building with a 360-degree view.  Continue your sightseeing of Berlin before returning to the hotel.

CHOOSE YOUR DAY ON TUESDAY

Day excursion to Potsdam with a guided tour of the magnificent Sanssouci Palace and gardens, and lunch at Villa Kellermann.

OR

Day excursion to include Potsdamer Platz, Friedrichstrasse, Markthalle Neun, some shopping and lunch.

Sep 4  •  Dresden, Germany / DAY STOP

After breakfast, board a luxury motorcoach for your drive to Dresden.  The capital of the German state of Saxony on the banks of the Elbe River was badly bombed during WWII and has been completely restored.  See the highlights of the city, including the two most important architectural landmarks, Frauenkirche and Zwinger Palace.  The 18th century church with its beautiful dome and lantern graces the skyline of Dresden.  The palatial Zwinger complex is considered one of the most impressive Baroque buildings.  Nearby is the Semper Opera House, designed by architect Gottfried Semper and built between 1838 and 1841.  After lunch, head to the airport and climb aboard the Lakani Private Jet for your first flight to England’s west country.

Sep 4 - 7  •  Bath, United Kingdom -- The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa

Arrive at Bristol International Airport and drive to your prestigious hotel located in the heart of the historic city of Bath where your deluxe suite awaits.

Explore the Roman Baths that gave the city their name and which were used for public bathing until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the fifth century AD.  The adjacent Grand Pump Room has been the social heart of Bath for over 200 years and is featured in books and films, including novels by Jane Austen.  Across the street is the splendid Bath Abbey, considered an excellent example of Perpendicular Gothic Architecture.

Take a walk across the picturesque Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon and note the shops that are built on both sides of the bridge in Palladian style.  Stroll through nearby Parade Gardens.  Visit the Royal Crescent, a stately Georgian building that has been home to many notable residents throughout its history.  Step inside one of the residences for a private tour of the interior.

Drive out of the city into the scenic countryside to some of the loveliest villages and towns in the Cotswolds.  Lacock’s Abbey was used to film some interior scenes at Hogwarts for the Harry Potter movies.  Charming Castle Combe is also a popular filming location, which has been used in the series Downton Abbey.

Sep 7 - 10  •  Turin, Italy -- Principi di Piemonte

Bid farewell to the picturesque countryside of Britain as you drive to Bristol Airport and board your Lakani Private Jet.  Enjoy lunch on board as you fly to Turin, the capital of Piedmont, Italy.

Upon arrival in Turin, drive to the National Automobile Museum, home to one of the rarest collections, and learn about the history and evolution of the automobile.

Discover the city located on the bank of the Po River on a guided walking tour.  Visit the Egyptian Museum, the second most important outside of Cairo.  Continue to Piazza Castello and visit the Royal Church of San Lorenzo.  Admire the architectural complex of Palazzo Madama and step inside the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, current home of the Shroud of Turin or Holy Shroud.  After lunch in the courtyard of the Palazzo Reale tour the main floor of the Royal Palace.  Drive to the Mole Antonelliana and ascend the famous building via its lift to the terrace for a spectacular 360-degree view of the city of Turin and the Alps.

Explore the Barolo wine country on a full-day excursion.  Visit the Bank of the Wine in Pollenzo and learn about the history of wine from an expert.  Discover the Chapel of Barolo and the historic cellars of the Marchesi de Barolo, a family estate that controls 430 acres of UNESCO World Heritage Vineyards.

Sep 10  •  Ajaccio, Corsica, France / DAY STOP

Say arrivederci to Italy and board the Lakani Private Jet for the one-hour flight to the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.  Ajaccio is the capital of the French island and the birthplace of Napolean Bonaparte.  Visit the Maison Bonaparte, the family ancestral home which is now a national museum.

Step inside the city’s town hall and enter the Salon Napoleonien, a richly decorated gallery with sculptures, paintings, medals and engravings connected to Napoleon including his birth certificate and a full-length portrait.

Drive to the “Routes des Sanguinaires” for lunch at the historic Dolce Vita.  Travel along the scenic “Corniche Ajaccienne” a raised, bending road on the rugged coast to Pointe de la Parata, a Genoese watchtower built to defend the coast against Barbary pirate attacks in the 16th century.

Sep 10 - 13  •  Tunis, Tunisia -- Four Seasons Hotel Tunis

Re-board the private jet for your flight to Tunisia.  Upon arrival in the capital city of Tunis, transfer to your sea view suite at the luxurious seaside resort.

Explore both sides of Tunis: the French side (Ville Nouvelle) and the Maghreb side, including the Medina quarter of Tunis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Islamic cities in the world.  Walk through meandering streets, seeing the architecture of residential quarters as well as the activity and excitement of the souks.

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said.  Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians in 814 BC, and the earliest settlements of Punic Carthage can still be seen on Byrsa Hill.  The most remarkable early remains are the two basins of the Punic Ports, evidence of the Carthaginian’s mastery of the sea.  Another important site of pre-roman Carthage is the Tophet, a burial ground and sanctuary of the Punic deities Tanit and Baal.

The vibrant interior of Sidi Bou Said town with the sky-blue and whitewashed color scheme is reminiscent of Santorini and Mykonos in the Greek Aegean.  The hues were started by the French musicologist Rodolphe d’Erlanger who plastered the stucco walls of his home with the endearing tones in the 20’s, and his palatial mansion at the Ennejma Ezzahra is now a museum to his legacy.  Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to your resort for some leisure time.

Sep 13 - 16  •  Istanbul, Turkey -- Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Board the Lakani Private Jet for your final journey to Istanbul, enjoying lunch en route.  Arrive and transfer to your luxury suites in the heart of the Old City.  Settle in and freshen up before embarking on a private sunset cruise along the Bosphorus.  Admire Ottoman palaces and waterside mansions that line the European and Asian shores.  Arrive at the dock of the Feriye Palace and delight in the tasting menu of its Michelin recommended restaurant.

Discover the rich history of Istanbul on a walking tour of the Old City, also known as the Sultanahmet District.  Visit the Hagia Sophia, built in the 6th century for Justinian the Great.  It was an Eastern Orthodox church until 1453 when it became a mosque.  In 1935, Ataturk converted the building into a museum and restoration revealed mosaics not seen in 500 years.  It remains one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture.  Stroll across the square to the iconic 17th century Blue Mosque.  Admire the stunning blue Iznik tiles adorning the interior that give the mosque its name.  Tour the Ibrahim Pasha Palace, which houses an excellent collection of Turkish and Islamic arts.  After lunch, walk through the 500 year old Grand Bazaar, home to 4,000 shops.  Then visit the rooftop where James Bond rode a motorcycle in the filming of “Skyfall” and see incredible views.

Explore more of Istanbul’s highlights beginning with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, built for Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the 1400’s.  Visit the Harem and Treasury quarters of the palace complex now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Istanbul.

Drive through the Eurasia Tunnel under the Bosphorus to the Beylerbeyi Palace, a 19th century Ottoman Royal Family residence that still retains its original interior.  Return to the European side of the Bosphorus by motorboat and visit the Pera Palace, where Agatha Christie is said to have written “Murder on the Orient Express”.

Gather for a farewell reception on the rooftop terrace followed by dinner.

Sep 16  •  Homeward Bound

Bid farewell to Europe and your newfound friends as you depart for the airport for your homeward bound or onward destination flight.