Treasures of France including Normandy

Bienvenue! The 'City of Light' welcomes you as you prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey through France. Join your fellow travelers and Travel Director this afternoon for an orientation drive to admire the glittering cityscape of Paris – past grand boulevards and iconic sites like the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe and get to know your traveling companions over dinner this evening.

This morning, we depart Paris and venture to the city of Rouen, the tragic site where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. We travel to the enchanting harbor town of Honfleur – its narrow lanes and colorful shopfronts have long attracted artists who have immortalized its beauty on canvas. Arriving in Bayeux, we visit the Tapestry Museum. Here you’ll Dive Into Culture and see the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting events before and during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This evening, we dine at our hotel.

Today we explore the poignant D-Day Landing Beaches in the company of our Local Specialist. We begin with a visit to the American Rangers Memorial at Pointe du Hoc. Pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives at Omaha Beach, imagining the mingled sense of terror and triumph felt on the fateful day when Allied forces set foot on mainland Europe. We stop for lunch in the seaside town of Arromanches, the setting for the Mulberry Harbor, once at the heart of the Normandy landings.

Travel through the Normandy countryside admiring the land of calvados before exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed bay of the Mont-Saint Michel. Our Local Specialist reveals the history of the impressive medieval Benedictine Abbey perched on the hilltop. In Brittany enjoy the afternoon your way or perhaps, discover the beauty of the port city of St. Malo with a Local Specialist on the Jewels of St. Malo Optional Experience.

Journey onward through scenic countryside, stopping to Connect With Locals at a lunch with wine in a 17th-century château during a Be My Guest experience set within beautiful grounds. Later, continue to the beautiful Loire Valley, where we will spend the next two nights.

In the morning, you are invited to taste hand-crafted chocolate at Maison Bigot for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience. Afterwards, we spend our day admiring the beautiful châteaux of the Loire Valley and join a Local Specialist for a visit to the Amboise Royal Château. It is here that King François I hosted Leonardo da Vinci, whose tomb now lies in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert adjoining the château. We continue with a visit to Château de Chenonceau, built on the Cher River. The château is often referred to as the 'Ladies Castle', due to the many women who influenced its construction and development. Today it contains priceless collections, including Renaissance furniture, tapestries and masterpieces by Rubens and Tintoretto.

Our first stop today is the town of Chartres and its beautiful Roman Catholic cathedral, regarded as one of the most authentic and complete works of religious architecture from the early 13th century. We journey back to Paris this afternoon and spend the rest of our day in the 'City of Light'. Celebrate with your Travel Director and newfound friends this evening at a Farewell Dinner with local wines at a Parisian bistro.

For now it's time to say a fond au revoir to France and your fellow travelers at the end of a memorable trip.