The Treasures of France including Normandy

Bienvenue! The City of Lights welcomes you as you prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey through France. Join your fellow travellers and Travel Director this evening for a Welcome Reception and orientation drive to admire the beautiful cityscape of Paris - past grand boulevards and iconic sites like the Champs Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.

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 harbour town of Honfleur - its narrow lanes and colourful shopfronts have long attracted artists who have immortalised its beauty on canvas. Arriving in Bayeux, we visit the Tapestry Museum and see the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting events before and during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This evening, we dine at our hotel.

We begin the day visiting the poignant D-Day Museum and the bunkers and Rangers Memorial at Pointe du Hoc. Pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives on the D-Day Landing Beaches of Omaha, imagining the sense of terror and triumph felt the fateful day that Allied forces set foot on mainland Europe. We stop for lunch in the seaside setting of Arromanches, once at the heart of the Normandy landings. Finish the day on the beaches of Juno, one of the five D-Day landing beaches.

This morning, travel to the fortified island town of Mont St. Michel. Here we'll join a Local Specialist for a tour of Mont St. Michel's medieval Benedictine Abbey. Legend has it, the abbey was built after the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches inspiring him to build a church atop the island. Consider an Optional Experience to the historic walled port city of Saint-Malo, once the home of famous French explorer, Jacques Cartier.

Journey through the scenic countryside, stopping to 'Connect With Locals' over a light Be My Guest meal with wine at a 17th-century château set within beautiful gardens. We journey to the Loire Valley, where we will spend the next two nights.

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 Leonard da Vinci, whose tomb now lies in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert adjoining the château. We continue with a visit to Chenonceau, a château 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 royal Château de Chambord of King François I, regarded as one of the world's most remarkable châteaux, with its exquisite Italian Renaissance architecture and decorative moat. We journey back to Paris this afternoon and spend the rest of our day in the City of Lights with free time to take in some of the sights. 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 travellers at the end of a memorable trip. Transfers are available. Conditions apply.