Your itinerary
Day 1
Day 1: Bonjour Paris
You begin in Paris, where past and present weave through Haussmann boulevards, cafe terraces, museum doors and the quays of the Seine. After check-in, there is time to head into the city, where cafe conversations spill out onto the pavement and quieter corners wait just beyond the main avenues. You might catch the scent of a croque monsieur warming on the grill or glimpse your first view of the monuments that shape the capital. Today’s Optional Experience will pair a cruise along the Seine with a scenic drive taking in many of the city’s main sights from the sculpture lined Pont Alexandre III to the towering ironwork of the Eiffel Tower.
Day 2
Day 2: From the Arc de Triomphe to the Champs-Élysées
Today, your Travel Director guides you along Paris’ grand boulevards, through the heart of the city towards the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. The pavement stretches before grand avenues open out from the Arc like the points of a star. You may choose an Optional Experience to Montmartre, where you may catch the sweet buttery scent of crêpes wafting down cobbled streets and in Artist’s Square you explore neighbourhood once walked by Picasso and Dalí. An Optional Experience dinner will give you time to ease into the evening over food and conversation with your fellow travellers.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Day 3: Burgundy Colour and Lyon Flavour
With Paris behind you, your route turns towards Beaune, a medieval town known for local wine, patterned roof tiles and centuries-old walls. You have time to explore the 15th-century Hôtel-Dieu, where patterned roof tiles echo the autumn colours of Burgundy vines and stone courtyards carry the sound of your footsteps between centuries-old walls. From Beaune, the focus will shift to Lyon, moving from local wine to a city known for classical French cuisine. An orientation tour with your Travel Director will help you get your bearings, with an Optional Experience offering the chance to follow Lyon through the flavours and traditions that helped make it famous.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4
Day 4: Through the Rhône Valley, onto the Côte d’Azur
South through the Rhône Valley, Aix-en-Provence awaits you with worn stone streets, shaded corners and town squares laid over natural hot springs first known to the Romans. During free time, you can follow the town through gold-toned stone, shaded squares and the low murmur of fountains, with the thought of warm springs still flowing beneath the Roman foundations. The road stretches beyond inland Provence towards the Mediterranean coast as Aix-en-Provence’s golden squares give way to Monaco’s elegant boulevards and the Côte d’Azur.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 5
Day 5: Relax on the Riviera
With a free day on the French Riviera, you could breathe in the fresh sea air with a stroll along the beach or join an Optional Experience to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. In this walled hill town, stone streets, old façades and a quieter hillside setting contrast with the Riviera’s sleek cars, private yachts and waterfront life. It’s another side of the coast, felt through old walls, narrow streets and a softer sense of style.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Day 6: Brushstrokes of Arles and the Stone of Avignon
In Arles, Roman heritage lingers in the stonework around you, from streets and squares to riverside places that helped inspire Van Gogh’s paintings. You may choose an Optional Experience that follows the artist’s time in Arles more closely, moving through the scenes that helped shape his bold brushstrokes. Avignon brings you into the heart of Provence, where the Palais des Papes stands in pale fortress stone. The old city circled by chapels, thick walls and medieval ramparts. At the Pont du Gard, stones placed 2,000 years ago tower over you as you take in the arches of this first-century aqueduct.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7
Day 7: Journey From Carcassonne To Candlelit Lourdes
Ahead of you, the hillside hardens into Carcassonne’s fortified stone walls, 12th-century architecture and turreted medieval castle. From there, the foothills of the Pyrénées carry you towards Lourdes. Your visit follows in the footsteps of millions of pilgrims who have travelled here to honour St Bernadette and visit the basilica above the Grotto, where she is said to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. You may also have the opportunity to join a torchlight procession with the pilgrims, warm candlelight flickering through the crowd around you.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Day 8: Biarritz’s coastal elegance to Bordeaux’s hilly green
On the Atlantic coast, Biarritz sets you beside the ocean, with a resort-town elegance that has drawn European royalty since the 1800s. From the seafront, you might watch waves fold towards the shore or catch a glimpse of a local surfer gliding across the water. An Optional Experience into Basque Country takes you beyond sandy beaches towards lofty peaks. On the road to Bordeaux, the seaside gives way to rolling countryside as you travel through Les Landes.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9
Day 9: Discover Châteaux across Saint-Émilion And Loire
At hilltop Saint-Émilion, château country spreads across the landscape below, with vineyards patterning the slopes beyond the village. You can choose an Optional Experience wine tasting at a French chateau, velvety tannins painting your palate while you hear the history of the vineyard. Later, you’ll continue towards the Loire Valley, finishing at your hotel near Tours.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 10
Day 10: Following the Loire Through Château Country
At Château de Chenonceau, the Cher River passes beneath you, lapping softly against the stone as your Local Specialist guides you across the checkered floor of the Long Gallery, crossed by royalty and resistance alike. Inside the Château, tapestries, paintings and Renaissance furniture fill the spaces with fabric, wood and the sense of lives once lived within these walls. Outside, the landscaped gardens draw you down garden paths and into the open air. In Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci’s presumed final resting place, you can wander through the town’s beautiful Château grounds or simply gaze out at the Loire Valley unfolding before you. The final Chateau of the day is one of the world’s most remarkable. Chateau de Chambord’s scale and detail are made to be taken in slowly. Back in Tours, you may choose an Optional Experience: a final evening in the Old Town over Touraine cuisine in a traditional restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11
Day 11: Normandy Shores: Mont Saint-Michel To Deauville
Mont Saint-Michel meets you in salt air and stone, its medieval town rising from a rocky outcrop above the sea. Here, you can hear how the Archangel inspired the Bishop of Avranches to build a church at the summit, a story that still feels woven into the abbey walls and narrow streets. At the D-Day beaches, the sea breeze mingles with whispers of history at the spot where Allied soldiers first landed on the French shore. At the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach, white marble headstones stand in long rows across the grass, with the sea stirring quietly beyond the bluff. Later, Deauville offers another face of Normandy, with its harbour, racecourse and long association with international film.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 12
Day 12: Artists And Cathedrals: Honfleur To Paris
In Honfleur, you can follow the harbour’s edge past moored boats and water brushing the quay, catching the colour, reflections and harbour light Monet and other artists returned to on canvas. In Rouen, the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, your path runs through cobbled streets between Gothic churches and the carved stone of its cathedral, with rough walls, pointed arches and old city corners. Paris waits at the end of the day. You may choose an Optional Experience dinner and cabaret performance, with food, music and a sense of celebration.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13
Day 13: Au Revoir Paris
This morning, your journey through France comes to an end. You’ll say a fond au revoir to your Travel Director and fellow travellers, taking the memories of the past 13 days with you as you begin the journey home.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Dining Summary
- 12 Breakfast (B)
- 3 Dinner (D)
Essentials
- See the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower
- Visit this charming town
- Orientation of this gastronomic city
- Visit the Principality
- Visit an artist’s paradise
- View the Palace of the Popes and the Pont d’Avignon
- Explore the walled city
- View St. Bernadette’s Grotto
- Visit this seaside resort
- Orientation tour
- Visit the famous wine village
- Visit the Château de Chenonceau with your Local Specialist
- Visit this iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site and view its famous abbey
- Hear about D-Day
- Visit this picturesque port
- View the cathedral
- Visit this elegant Provencal town
How You'll Travel
- Deluxe coach travel
- Selected hotel dinners, with optional meals to purchase
- 3-star stays
Iconic Experience
- Paris: With your Travel Director, you’ll wander through the heart of Paris along its grand boulevards, ornate balconies overhead as cream-stone buildings and tree-lined avenues stretch towards the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées.
- Beaune: Join your Travel Director for an orientation walk through Beaune’s medieval centre. Pass wine shops, timber-framed buildings and lively market squares as you get a feel for this historic Burgundy town. Along the way, hear how wine, trade and tradition have shaped daily life in one of France’s best-loved wine capitals.
- Lyon: Take in panoramic views of Lyon from Fourvière Hill and explore the city’s cobblestone streets on a sightseeing orientation.
- Monaco City: Bask in the stunning views on your Monaco Orientation.
- Arles: Get your bearings in Arles, a Provencal city shaped by Roman history and artistic spirit. See its honey-stone streets, lively squares and ancient landmarks as you discover why this atmospheric city inspired Vincent van Gogh. From its amphitheatre to its cafe culture, Arles offers a vivid introduction to southern France’s rich heritage.
- Pont du Gard: See the ancient Roman aqueduct bridge of Pont du Gard, spanning the Gardon River.
- Avignon: View the Pont d’Avignon and walk the medieval narrow streets of the Old Town to the Palais des Papes.
- Lourdes: Explore Lourdes, globally renowned as a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and attracting over three million faithful visitors every year.
- Bordeaux: See Bordeaux’s boulevards, squares and 18th-century architecture on an orientation drive through the city. Set on the Garonne River, Bordeaux has long been shaped by trade and winemaking, with a historic centre that reflects its place as one of France’s best-known wine capitals.
- Chateau Chenonceau: Visit Château de Chenonceau or commonly known as ‘Ladies Castle’ which got its name from the many women who influenced its construction.
- Mont-Saint-Michel: Savour your first sight of the fortified island of Mont Saint-Michel and cross the causeway to explore the tidal island town.
- Omaha Beach: Join an emotive journey tracing the story of the D-Day landings and visit Omaha Beach.
- Honfleur: Admire the harbour town of Honfleur and its beautiful colourful storefronts.
Paris Panoramic Orientation: Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées
Discover Paris on a guided panoramic tour, taking in the Arc de Triomphe, the sweep of the Champs-Élysées and graceful Haussmann boulevards lined with wrought-iron balconies and café terraces. Glimpses of the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde frame the capital’s grand perspective.
Hear how imperial ambition and modern style shaped this city of ceremony and light. Trace the star-shaped avenues radiating from the Arc and learn why these elegant streets became the stage for parades, fashion and everyday Parisian life.
Beaune Orientation Walk in Medieval Burgundy
Explore Beaune with your Travel Director, passing wine merchants, timbered facades and cobbled squares that speak to Burgundy’s mercantile past. See the patterned rooftops of the Hôtel-Dieu (Hospices de Beaune) and breathe in the calm of arcaded courtyards and quiet side streets.
Learn how the wine trade and charity shaped this town’s identity from the 15th century onward. The multi-colored glazed tiles and stout walls reflect both prosperity and protection, while nearby cellars hint at centuries of craftsmanship beneath your feet.
Lyon Panoramic Views & Old Town Orientation
Take in panoramic views from Fourvière Hill before descending to Lyon’s UNESCO-listed old town. Walk lanes laced with Renaissance courtyards and traboules—hidden passageways once used by silk workers—and see the riverfront where the Rhône and Saône converge.
Hear how Roman origins, silk weaving and gastronomy forged Lyon’s character. From basilica domes to bouchon-lined streets, this orientation reveals a city where cobblestones meet culinary tradition and history feels intimately close at every turn.
Aix-en-Provence Town Visit & Fountains Walk
Stroll the elegant Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence, where plane trees shade café terraces and stone mansions open onto wrought-iron balconies. Follow the gentle burble of moss-draped fountains into sunlit squares and honey-colored lanes.
Learn how Roman baths and Provencal aristocracy shaped a town of leisure and learning. The golden limestone glow, market fragrances and studio legacy of Cézanne combine to express the refined, quietly creative spirit of Aix.
Monaco Orientation: The Principality & Palace Views
Experience Monaco’s dramatic setting on a guided orientation through the Rock of Monaco, with views over Port Hercule’s yachts and the curve of the Riviera coastline. See the facade of the Prince’s Palace and the chic atmosphere flowing toward Casino Square.
Uncover how a medieval stronghold evolved into a sovereign state synonymous with motorsport, glamour and sea. The mixture of cliffside serenity and polished boulevards gives the principality its distinctive blend of pageantry and Mediterranean light.
Arles Orientation: Roman Stones & Van Gogh Settings
Walk Arles with a Local Specialist to see the Roman amphitheatre, ancient walls and squares that captured Vincent van Gogh’s eye. Honey-toned streets and café-lined corners reveal a Provencal city where classical heritage and artistic spirit meet.
Hear how Arles flourished as a Roman provincial center and later inspired bold brushwork under the southern sun. The marriage of stone and light gives Arles an evocative texture that still resonates in its living streetscape.
Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct Visit
Stand before the Pont du Gard, a first-century aqueduct whose triple tiers stride over the Gardon River. From the riverbank, admire precisely cut stones fitted without mortar, a feat of Roman engineering both functional and monumental.
Learn how this elevated channel once carried water to Nîmes, sustaining baths, fountains and daily life. The harmonious arches and canyon setting create a timeless scene that connects nature’s stillness with human ingenuity.
Avignon Old Town Walk & Palais des Papes View
Explore Avignon’s walled heart, walking medieval lanes toward the Palais des Papes and viewing the storied Pont d’Avignon over the Rhône. Cobbled streets, chapels and ramparts reveal a city once seat of papal power.
Hear how 14th-century pontiffs transformed Avignon into a court of art and diplomacy. The fortress-like palace and riverside vistas set a mood of solemn grandeur, balanced by lively squares where Provencal life continues at an easy pace.
Carcassonne Walled Citadel Visit
Enter the double walls of Carcassonne’s Cité, a turreted medieval stronghold rising above the Aude. Walk past the Narbonnaise Gate and along narrow lanes where stone keeps, slate cones and timbered fronts conjure life in a fortified town.
Discover how crusades, trade routes and restoration by Viollet-le-Duc shaped this UNESCO-listed icon. The ring of ramparts and echoing passageways deliver an atmospheric encounter with the Middle Ages.
Lourdes Sanctuary & Grotto of Massabielle
Visit the Sanctuary of Lourdes, where chapels cluster around the Grotto of Massabielle associated with the visions of St Bernadette. Walk the esplanade and pause at the basilicas, their spires rising above flowing spring water and candlelight offerings.
Learn how devotion drew pilgrims from across the world, and why themes of healing and hope resonate here. The hushed atmosphere and mountain backdrop lend a contemplative tone to this remarkable spiritual site.
Biarritz Seaside Promenade Visit
Walk Biarritz’s oceanfront from the Grande Plage toward the Rocher de la Vierge, watching Atlantic swells fold against the Basque coast. Elegant villas and belle-époque hotels recall an era when European royalty summered by the sea.
Hear how surfers, seawater cures and imperial favor reinvented this former fishing village. The salt-laced breeze, lighthouse views and cliffside paths define Biarritz’s enduring coastal allure.
Bordeaux Orientation Drive & Riverfront
See Bordeaux on an orientation drive, passing the neoclassical facades of the Place de la Bourse and the shimmering Miroir d’Eau beside the Garonne. Broad boulevards and 18th-century squares reveal a city shaped by wine and trade.
Learn how Atlantic commerce, Enlightenment planning and vineyard wealth produced a harmonious urban ensemble. The riverside quays and limestone elegance give Bordeaux a refined, maritime character.
Saint-Émilion Village Stroll in Wine Country
Wander the steep lanes of Saint-Émilion, a hilltop village encircled by Grand Cru vineyards. Honeyed stone, cloisters and wine shops set the scene for a place where geology, faith and viticulture intersect.
Hear about monastic origins and limestone quarries that created a unique terroir. Views over checkerboard vineyards capture the quiet rhythm of Bordeaux’s right bank and the craft behind its celebrated reds.
Château de Chenonceau Guided Visit with Local Specialist
Step inside Château de Chenonceau with a Local Specialist and cross the Long Gallery over the River Cher, its checkerboard floor leading past windows to mirroring water. Rooms dressed with tapestries and fragrant blooms tell stories of queens and courtiers.
Discover how the “Ladies’ Castle,” steered by Catherine de’ Medici and Diane de Poitiers, blended power with grace. Formal parterres and the arched span across the river create a uniquely poetic Loire Valley silhouette.
Amboise Town & Château Grounds Visit
Explore historic Amboise, where streets climb toward the château terrace overlooking the Loire. Stroll gardens and lookouts linked with Leonardo da Vinci, who spent his final years nearby at Clos Lucé and rests within the château chapel.
Hear how Valois kings transformed this riverside stronghold into a Renaissance court. The panoramic terrace, slate roofs and flowing river below evoke the elegance and innovation of the Loire’s golden age.
Château de Chambord Park & Façade Viewing
View the colossal Château de Chambord, its skyline of chimneys and lanterns rising above vast parklands. From the lawns and canal-side paths, admire Renaissance geometry and the famed double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo’s influence.
Learn how Francis I envisioned Chambord as a royal hunting lodge and statement of power. The ornate roofscape and symmetrical wings showcase the Loire’s most audacious expression of princely ambition.
Mont Saint-Michel Causeway Crossing & Village
Cross to Mont Saint-Michel and wind through stone lanes toward the abbey crown of this tidal island. Ramparts, half-timbered houses and sea-sprayed views create a striking dialogue between medieval devotion and the ocean’s tides.
Hear how the Archangel’s vision inspired a sanctuary above shifting sands and powerful currents. The dramatic tidal landscape and fortress-like silhouette make this UNESCO site one of Europe’s most memorable pilgrim towns.
Omaha Beach & Normandy American Cemetery
Visit Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery, where aligned white markers overlook the Channel. Walk the bluff and shoreline where the 1944 landings unfolded, pausing for reflection amid windswept dunes and simple crosses.
Hear accounts of courage, logistics and loss that shaped the liberation of Western Europe. The quiet surf and long horizon carry a solemn weight, underscoring the scale and sacrifice of D-Day.
Honfleur Harbour Stroll
Stroll the Vieux Bassin of Honfleur, where slate-clad houses rise above the masts of fishing boats and cafés face the water. Harbourside reflections and painterly light recall the Impressionists who worked along these quays.
Learn how tidal rhythms, timber trade and artistic circles shaped this Norman port. The narrow facades and cobbled lanes frame a setting that’s both intimate and richly atmospheric.
Rouen Cathedral Quarter Walk
Walk Rouen’s cobbled center to view the Cathédrale Notre-Dame with its lacework spire, and pass the square where Joan of Arc met her fate. Half-timbered houses lean into narrow streets alive with Gothic silhouettes.
Hear how merchants, monarchs and Monet left their mark on Rouen. The echoing cathedral nave and storied marketplace bring Normandy’s layered history into vivid relief.
Seine River Cruise & Paris Illuminations Drive
Cruise the River Seine past Île de la Cité, the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay before a scenic drive reveals Paris by night. Bridges glow above the water while boulevards and monuments shine in elegant relief.
Hear how the “City of Light” earned its name as spotlit facades and river reflections set an evening mood. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Montmartre Artists’ Quarter Walk
Explore Montmartre, climbing toward the Sacré-Cœur and wandering cobbled lanes where cafés and ateliers frame Place du Tertre. Street sketches, vineyard patches and stairways evoke the hill’s bohemian past.
Trace the steps of Picasso and Dalí while taking in views across Paris’ rooftops. The village-on-a-hill atmosphere contrasts with the city below. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Lyon Gourmet Tasting Tour
Taste your way through France’s culinary capital on a guided walk featuring local charcuterie, cheeses and praline-pink pastries, with an introduction to bouchon traditions and seasonal specialties.
Learn how silk workers, riverside markets and canny mothers-in-law (mères lyonnaises) shaped a cuisine of generous flavor. The market aromas and warm kitchens bring Lyon’s appetite for good living to life. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Arles Van Gogh Trail
Follow Van Gogh’s Arles with curated stops linking letters, canvases and real locations—from the riverside to café terraces—where his most luminous works took shape.
Discuss color, brushwork and the emotional charge of the Provencal light that transformed his art. The sun-drenched settings offer vivid context for the paintings you know. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence Hilltown Excursion
Discover Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a walled hilltown of stone alleys, artists’ studios and Mediterranean views. Walk bastions and squares that captivated painters, writers and film stars of the 20th century.
Hear how ramparts guarded a village that later blossomed into a Riviera arts enclave. The quiet lanes and sun-washed stone reveal a gentler coastal rhythm. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Basque Country Scenic Drive from Biarritz
Venture into the Basque hinterland, where whitewashed villages with red timbering sit below the Pyrenees. Pause for photos in hill towns and look across green valleys and rugged peaks rolling toward Spain.
Learn about Basque language, farmstead traditions and coastal-mountain lifeways. The contrasting Atlantic and alpine landscapes make this a richly scenic complement to the shore. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Saint-Émilion Château Wine Tasting
Visit a Saint-Émilion château to tour cellars and taste structured reds shaped by limestone soils and Merlot-led blends. Discuss vintages, barrels and terroir with your host.
Gain insight into Right Bank traditions and how climate and craft yield wines of poise and longevity. The velvety tannins and cellar aromas offer a delicious window into the region. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Traditional Touraine Dinner in Old Tours
Savor a convivial evening in Tours’ Old Town, where half-timbered fronts frame lively squares. Enjoy regional dishes—perhaps rillons, goat’s cheese and Loire wines—served in a traditional restaurant.
Hear how the “garden of France” shapes local menus through produce and vine. The candlelit ambiance pairs perfectly with Touraine’s easygoing charm. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
Paris Dinner & Cabaret
Celebrate one evening with a Parisian dinner followed by a classic cabaret performance. Expect live music, sparkling costumes and a spirited homage to the city’s nightlife heritage.
Learn how Belle Époque stages evolved into today’s polished revues. The theatre lights and effervescent mood provide a festive finale to your time in Paris. This is an Optional Experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.
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