Detailed Itinerary
Individual flight schedules TBD (seats typically released 11 months prior)
Please contact Discovery Expeditions to add flights to your itinerary; note that the included trip insurance will only cover flights purchased through our company.
Dinner and breakfast are typically served in flight.
Bienvenue en France!
After clearing customs and retrieving luggage, meet your guide and fellow group members in international arrivals. Travel together by private coach (1hr) to our first stop in Normandy, Giverny, the home village of painter Claude Monet.
Morning visit to Monet’s Gardens where you will stroll through both the Clos Normand flower garden as well as the Japanese inspired water garden. Lunch in the charming little town of Vernon.
This afternoon, travel to Rouen (1hr). Capital of the Normandy region, Rouen is home to the impressive Notre-Dame cathedral (an epitome of grand and ornate Gothic architecture at its finest), the Gros-Horloge astronomical clock dating to c. 1389 (one of the oldest working clocks in Europe), and is perhaps most famous for being the site where Joan of Arc was martyred in 1431.
Continue traveling through Normandy (2hrs) and arrive in Bayeux where you will settle into your hotel for a 3-night stay. A delicious French dinner will be followed by ample time to rest and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
After breakfast, this morning, travel by private coach to Mont Saint-Michel (2hrs). Perched atop a tidal island, this medieval town and abbey (c. 966) are yours to discover with a private guided tour, followed by lunch and free time to explore.
Return to Bayeux and experience a UNESCO “Memory of the World” – the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry telling the epic adventure of William the Conqueror in 1066. Dinner in Bayeux.
Today is dedicated to learning about the WWII history of the Allied troops D-Day Landings. Walk in the footsteps of the American soldiers who landed in Normandy on the 6th of June 1944, complete with guided tours & visits to the American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, Pont du Hoc, Sainte Mère Eglise (lunch stop), Utah Beach, Angoville au Plain, and the German cemetery. Your expert local guide & historian will give you a presentation on each site and you will have free time to take photos and explore on your own.
Dinner and free evening in Bayeux. Take some time this evening to refresh, reflect, prepare for an early morning departure.
After an early breakfast, load luggage onto your private coach and travel to Paris (3hrs).
Upon arrival in Paris, your expert local Paris guide will orient you with a sightseeing tour including icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, the Seine River… experience breathtaking views of landmarks and other wonders of this world capital. Lunch stop included en route. This afternoon, check into your Paris hotel and take a brief moment to freshen up and settle in for a 3-night stay.
Dinner and evening in Montmartre, an artistic hilltop village with winding cobblestone streets where you will enjoy amazing city views and have free time for souvenir shopping and to visit the Basilica of Sacré Coeur.
Enjoy Paris by foot while discovering the picturesque Le Marais and Latin Quarter neighborhoods. After lunch, spend a couple of hours visiting the Louvre, one of the world’s largest art museums and home to the Mona Lisa, then continue on to the Jardin des Tuileries, and Place de la Concorde. After dinner, take an early evening stroll along the Champs Elysees and climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for fantastic city views.
Take the train to Versailles (1hr) and experience the luxurious palace, gardens, and extensive royal grounds including the famous Hall of Mirrors as well as the Queen’s Hamlet. Lunch in the palace gardens.
Return to the City of Lights this afternoon for some free time and souvenir shopping. After a farewell dinner, see Paris from a new perspective while cruising along the Seine in one of the famous Bateaux mouches, and experience unforgettable views from atop the Eiffel Tower (pending availability).
Morning sightseeing (time permitting), then load luggage and transfer to airport by private coach to check in for your international return flight home.