• 3 Dinner (D)
• 8 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Orleans: Stroll through the medieval streets of Orléans, once the stronghold of Joan of Arc. Explore timber-framed houses, lively squares and riverside views at your own pace. Uncover its past and present as you walk through the same streets that helped shape French history. 
• Bourges:
  Explore the medieval centre of Bourges with a Local Specialist. Hear the stories behind its timbered lanes and grand landmarks as you visit the 13th-century UNESCO-listed Cathédrale Saint-Étienne and the ornate Palais Jacques Cœur – a merchant’s palace that reflects the city’s wealth and power in the late Middle Ages. 

   

• 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.
• Beaune: Step inside the 15th-century Hôtel-Dieu, once a hospital for the poor and now a museum showcasing Burgundy’s medieval heritage. Admire its colourful patterned roof tiles, gothic architecture and beautifully preserved interiors as you explore the stories behind this historic building at the heart of Beaune.
• Dijon: Tour Burgundy’s last independent mustard mill, where traditional stone-grinding methods are still used. Discover how Dijon’s most famous condiment is made, then sample a variety of bold and unexpected flavours during a guided tasting that showcases this regional favourite.
• Dijon: Join your Travel Director for a walk through the heart of Dijon. See elegant squares, timber-framed buildings and the city’s iconic mustard shops. On market day, step inside Les Halles – the covered market designed by Gustave Eiffel – where stalls brim with Burgundy produce and regional specialities. 
• Colmar: Join your Travel Director to explore the heart of Colmar, where colourful half-timbered houses, canal-lined lanes and flower-filled squares give the town its storybook charm. As you walk, you’ll discover why this Alsatian gem has inspired artists, winemakers and visitors for centuries. 
• Strasbourg: Join a Local Specialist to discover Strasbourg’s blend of French and German heritage on foot. Walk through the city’s historic centre, learn about its shifting identity and see how different cultures have shaped its architecture, food and atmosphere over the centuries.
• Strasbourg: Stroll through the timber-framed houses and cobbled canals of the Petite France district. Take in the views of the River Rhine, then head to Place Kléber – the city’s central square and a hub of daily life, surrounded by cafes, shops and Alsatian character.
• Strasbourg: Admire the pink sandstone facade and towering spire of Strasbourg Cathedral – one of Europe’s finest examples of Gothic architecture. Inside, look up to see the intricate stained glass and the astronomical clock that’s drawn visitors for centuries.
• Metz: Stop in Metz to admire its impressive cathedral and medieval architecture before continuing to Épernay, set in the heart of Champagne country. This elegant town is home to grand boulevards lined with some of the world’s most celebrated Champagne houses. 
• Champagne Region: Travel through the vine-covered slopes of the Champagne region, shaped by centuries of cultivation. Neatly aligned rows of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier stretch across chalky soils, forming the landscape that defines this world-famous sparkling wine.
• Champagne Region: Sample Champagne in the region that gives it its name – and its character. Made using the méthode traditionnelle and a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, each glass reflects the region’s unique terroir and craft. 
• Champagne Region:
  Stop in Hautvillers, the village where Dom Pérignon lived and worked. See the statue that honours the Benedictine monk whose name now appears on one of the world’s most prestigious Champagne labels.
• Meaux: Stop in Meaux, a riverside town known for its Brie and mustard. Browse the farmers’ market, where stalls brim with seasonal produce, cheeses and local specialities. The market reflects everyday life in this part of France, with fresh ingredients and small producers at the centre of it all.
• Meaux: Learn how Brie de Meaux is made on a guided visit to the Saint Faron dairy. See traditional techniques in action, from curdling to ageing, and hear how this soft, creamy cheese became one of France’s most iconic regional products.

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays

Trafalgar

Explore the medieval streets of Orléans at your own pace, taking in timber-framed houses, lively squares and views towards the Loire. The city offers a chance to look beyond its handsome streets to the events that made it part of French history.

Orléans is closely associated with Joan of Arc and the siege of 1429, when her arrival helped turn the course of the Hundred Years’ War. Its historic centre remains an atmospheric place to encounter that legacy.

Join a guided walk through medieval Bourges with a Local Specialist, exploring timbered lanes and visiting two of the city’s defining monuments: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne and Palais Jacques Cœur.

The UNESCO-listed cathedral is celebrated for its Gothic architecture and stained glass. The ornate 15th-century palace tells a different story: that of Jacques Cœur, a merchant whose wealth and influence left a lasting mark on Bourges.

Meet Marie and Stéphane Devaulx de Chambord at their 14th-century family home, Château de Vieux Chambord. Tour the gardens, living areas and defensive features, including the dungeon and Courtyard of Honours, while hearing stories of the estate and its residents.

Once visited by King Henry IV of France, the château brings centuries of family history into focus. A hosted lunch in one of its original towers offers local flavours in a setting rarely experienced by visitors.

Walk through Beaune’s medieval centre with your Travel Director, passing timber-framed buildings, wine shops and market squares. This introduction brings the compact streets of Burgundy’s wine capital into focus.

Beaune has long been shaped by the vineyards and trade of the surrounding Côte d’Or. Along its historic lanes, you’ll hear how wine and local commerce remain woven into the town’s identity and everyday life.

Step inside the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, a 15th-century hospital now preserved as a museum. Explore its historic interiors and admire the glazed, patterned roof tiles that make the building one of Burgundy’s most recognisable sights.

Founded to care for the poor, the former hospital reveals how charity, faith and civic life intersected in medieval Beaune. Its Gothic architecture gives the stories of patients and benefactors a remarkably tangible setting.

Visit Moutarderie Fallot in Beaune to discover how one of Burgundy’s signature condiments is made. Learn about traditional stone-grinding methods and sample a selection of mustards during a guided tasting.

Mustard has deep roots in the region’s food culture, where its sharpness complements everything from sauces to local dishes. This working producer offers a close look at the craft behind a familiar French flavour, rather than just the finished jar.

Join your Travel Director for an orientation walk through Dijon, where elegant squares, timber-framed buildings and mustard shops speak to the city’s Burgundian character. On market day, step inside Les Halles to browse stalls of produce and regional specialities.

The covered market is associated with Dijon-born Gustave Eiffel. Its bustle offers a vivid glimpse of local food culture, while the surrounding streets recall the city’s importance as a historic capital of Burgundy.

Explore Colmar on foot with your Travel Director, following canal-lined lanes past colourful half-timbered houses and flower-filled squares. The walk introduces the distinctive streetscapes of this Alsatian town at a comfortable, observant pace.

Colmar’s architecture reflects its long history in a region shaped by both French and German influences. Its waterways and preserved old town create an intimate setting for discovering the traditions of Alsace’s wine-growing heartland.

Discover Strasbourg with a Local Specialist on a guided walk through its historic centre. Visit Strasbourg Cathedral, stroll among the timber-framed houses and canals of Petite France, and see Place Kléber, a centre of daily city life.

The cathedral’s pink sandstone facade, towering spire, stained glass and astronomical clock reveal the ambition of Gothic builders. Across the old town, architecture and streetscapes reflect Strasbourg’s layered French and German heritage.

Stop at Café Joyeux in Strasbourg for a light refreshment and meet staff building careers in hospitality. The café trains and supports people with disabilities, making an everyday café visit an opportunity to see inclusive employment in practice.

Conversation, service and a welcoming local setting reveal the people behind the initiative. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports the goal of reducing inequalities through practical training and meaningful work.

Explore the historic centre of Metz and admire its imposing cathedral amid the city’s medieval architecture. The stop offers a chance to take in the streets and landmarks of this northeastern French city.

Saint-Étienne Cathedral is especially known for its vast expanse of stained glass, a defining feature of its Gothic design. Metz’s historic setting reflects the cultural influences that have shaped this part of France over centuries.

Visit a Champagne house in Épernay and taste the sparkling wine made famous by the surrounding region. In this town known for its celebrated producers, the tasting brings Champagne’s character into focus through the glass.

The region’s chalky soils and vineyards planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier help shape its wines. Learn about the craft associated with traditional-method Champagne while experiencing the drink in the place that gives it its name.

Stop in Hautvillers to see the statue of Dom Pérignon in the village where the Benedictine monk lived and worked. The visit connects one of Champagne’s best-known names with an actual place in the wine-growing landscape.

Dom Pérignon’s name now appears on a prestigious Champagne label, while Hautvillers retains the scale and character of a village among the vineyards. It is a brief, distinctive encounter with the region’s winemaking heritage.

Visit the Saint Faron dairy in Meaux to learn how Brie de Meaux is made. On a guided visit, discover the traditional stages of production, from curdling through to ageing.

This soft cheese is closely tied to its home region and to French cheesemaking traditions. Seeing the techniques behind its creamy texture and distinctive character gives a familiar market staple a sense of place, craft and continuity.

Browse the farmers’ market in Meaux, where stalls display seasonal produce, cheeses and regional specialities. Take time to observe the ingredients and small producers at the centre of everyday food culture in this riverside town.

Meaux is particularly associated with Brie and mustard. Its market offers a grounded look at the flavours of the region: not a staged tasting, but the lively exchange between local shoppers and the people who grow or make their food.

Cruise the Seine for a different perspective on Paris, viewing the capital’s riverfront and bridges from the water. The changing panorama offers a relaxed way to appreciate the city’s grand buildings and the life unfolding along its banks.

The Seine has shaped Paris’s development for centuries, linking its historic heart with the wider city. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an Optional Experience featuring a regional dinner during your time near Bourges. The meal offers a dedicated opportunity to sit down with fellow travellers and explore local French flavours beyond the tour’s included dining.

The Bourges area sits within a region with its own culinary traditions, giving the evening a sense of place. The itinerary does not specify a venue or menu. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a local Burgundy vineyard for a wine tasting and a typical lunch. Sample the region’s wines in a setting connected to the vines, with time to savour the flavours that have made Burgundy central to French wine culture.

Burgundy’s vineyards are renowned for wines made principally from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering a closer look at the culinary landscape around Dijon and Beaune.

Cruise Strasbourg’s canals to see the city’s waterways and historic architecture from a different angle, and visit the European Parliament. The combination brings together two distinct sides of Strasbourg: its old-town setting and its contemporary European role.

Water has long shaped the city’s streets and neighbourhoods, while Strasbourg’s European institutions reflect its position near the French-German border. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cross the Rhine for dinner and drinks at a Gasthaus, experiencing the convivial atmosphere of a traditional German-style inn. This optional evening offers a change of culinary setting from Strasbourg’s Alsatian streets.

The river forms part of the border between France and Germany, making the outing a tangible expression of the neighbouring cultures that influence this region. The experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Enjoy dinner and a Parisian cabaret show for an evening centred on the city’s performance tradition. A live show gives you a taste of the theatrical energy associated with Paris after dark.

Cabaret has long been part of the capital’s entertainment culture, bringing music, dance and spectacle into an intimate night-time setting. The itinerary does not name a particular venue or production. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose a meal in Montmartre, Paris’s hilltop artists’ quarter. Dining here places you amid a neighbourhood known for its sloping streets, café culture and enduring creative identity.

Montmartre drew painters, writers and performers around the turn of the 20th century, and its village-like streets retain a character distinct from central Paris’s grand boulevards. The itinerary does not specify a restaurant or menu. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.