Trace the story of the Normandy landings with a specialist guide, from Ranville to the Pegasus Bridge Memorial, scene of the 6th Airborne Division’s daring night assault. Hear how strategy and courage shaped the opening hours of liberation.

Continue to the Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer and the moving Juno Beach Centre, then survey Arromanches’ remains of the Mulberry harbour from a vantage over Gold Beach. Time is given to pause for photos and reflection.

Ascend the Montparnasse Tower by Europe’s fastest elevator to the 56th-floor observatory for 360° panoramic views across Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to La Défense.

Explore interactive displays, pause at the 360 Café, or step onto the open-air rooftop terrace for the ultimate vantage point. Entrance only; this optional visit is at additional cost, payable locally and bookable on board.

Join a guided walking tour of Normandy’s capital, threading half-timbered lanes to Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc met her fate. Hear tales of merchant wealth and river trade before arriving at the Gothic marvel of Rouen Cathedral.

Step inside to admire the soaring spire, a facade famously painted in a series by Claude Monet, and the tomb bearing the heart of Richard the Lionheart. Boutiques, antiquarians and cobbles complete a vivid portrait of Normandy’s historic soul.

Join a guided visit through Auvers-sur-Oise, pausing by the church Van Gogh painted and the modest cemetery holding the final resting place of Vincent van Gogh and his brother. Call at the Auberge Ravoux to see the preserved room where the artist spent his final months.

Continue to the Château d’Auvers for evocative installations that illuminate Impressionism’s rise, then wander manicured gardens scented with roses and box hedges. The village’s light, fields and riverbanks reveal why artists flocked to the Oise valley.

Visit Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny, exploring the painter’s studio and riotously planted Clos Normand before crossing to the water garden. Gaze over the lily pond and the sinuous Japanese Footbridge that inspired the monumental Water Lilies series.

In the soft morning light, willows, bamboo and irises glow—revealing the palette, reflections and textures that obsessed Monet for decades. This serene encounter connects brushstrokes to landscape in one of art’s most intimate settings.

Explore the riverside village and the cliff-hugging Château de La Roche-Guyon, where elegant salons open to geometric kitchen gardens sloping to the Seine. Discover troglodytic chambers carved into limestone cliffs and terraces lined with orchard trees.

Those who wish can ascend the steep stairway tunneled inside the rock to the cliff-top keep for sweeping valley views. The château also served as Field Marshal Rommel’s 1944 headquarters, adding a poignant wartime chapter to this dramatic site.

Step inside the Palace of Versailles to traverse the opulent Royal Apartments and the glittering Hall of Mirrors, where chandeliers shimmer across 357 panes. Your guide evokes courtly ritual in gilded salons, the Royal Opera and the intimate chapel.

Beyond the palace, stroll André Le Nôtre’s gardens—a masterpiece of French classicism—where ornamental lakes, statues and musical fountains animate vast parterres and arrow-straight allées.

Savour Normandy’s terroir at a family dairy and sample regional cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin—Camembert de Normandie, Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque and Neufchâtel—while learning age-old methods.

Explore Lisieux’s basilica or cathedral at leisure before touring a coastal estate’s orchards and cellars for tastings of cider and calvados. This full-day culinary alternative runs concurrently with the D-Day excursion, showcasing Normandy’s artisanal side.

Wander the Vieux Bassin, Honfleur’s postcard harbour framed by slate-clad houses and seafood bistros. Painters and photographers still work these quays, echoing the town’s Impressionist legacy.

Step inside Sainte-Catherine Church, the largest timber-built church in France, then meander cobbled lanes of ateliers and galleries. Stories of Eugène Boudin, mentor to Monet, reveal how estuary light shaped modern art.

Discover the white cliffs of Étretat, where the sculpted Aiguille needle and the sweep of the Aval Arch rise from the Channel in dramatic chalk forms beloved by painters.

Choose a bracing cliff-top walk or visit Les Jardins d’Étretat for avant-garde landscaping and panoramic viewpoints. The changing light that drew Monet and Boudin invites you to frame your own coastal compositions.

Explore MuseoSeine, an engaging museum of river lore, tides and trade where models and multimedia reveal how the Seine shaped communities and commerce.

Admire Caudebec’s flamboyant Gothic church with lace-like stonework, pass the Maison des Templiers and remnants of medieval towers, then amble the embankment as barges glide by—an unhurried portrait of Norman river life.

Wander the pale-stone towers and open nave of the Abbey of Jumièges, a haunting monument to Norman Romanesque architecture set amid tranquil parkland.

Continue to the working Abbey Saint-Wandrille, founded in the 7th century, where cloisters and carved capitals evoke centuries of devotion. When schedules allow, the sound of monastic chant heightens the serenity of this sacred place.

Taste your way through Normandy during an on-board cheese and cider tasting hosted by a local producer. Sample artisan Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l’Évêque alongside crisp farmhouse ciders and rillettes.

Learn the craft from apple to brandy—pressing, fermentation and distillation—while comparing aromas of orchard fruit and cellar-aged complexity. A flavour-led window onto rural traditions, enjoyed in the comfort of your ship.

Settle into the lounge for musical entertainment as a French vocalist performs classic chansons in a heartfelt homage to Édith Piaf.

Timeless melodies—from La Vie en Rose to contemporary standards—float across the river, pairing perfectly with a nightcap and the gentle motion of the Seine after dark.

Cruise central Paris on a Bateaux Parisiens sightseeing cruise to view icons like the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d’Orsay from the water, accompanied by an English audio guide.

The UNESCO-listed riverbanks unfold in one hour of classic vistas and photo moments. This experience is at additional cost—bookable on tour or in advance, and operates subject to minimum numbers.

Join a guided panoramic tour through central Paris to admire the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and the elegant sweep of the Champs-Élysées. Glide by the grand Place de la Concorde and across the Seine to Île de la Cité for views of Notre-Dame, as your local expert sketches the city’s personalities and quartiers.

Trace Paris’s layers from medieval island to Haussmann boulevards, with glimpses of the Left Bank’s Musée d’Orsay and the formal Tuileries Gardens. This introduction orients you with landmarks and neighborhoods while capturing the rhythm of café terraces and riverside quays that define the City of Light.