Normandy to the Loire Valley

10 days

This 10 day French experience starts in the vibrant city of Paris, explore the capital of France with private guided experiences to discover some of Paris' most famous sites such as the Louvre, Paris Catacombs and the Eiffel tower, rest assured your guide will also be taking you off the beaten track to discover the real Paris. Travelling away from the brights lights discover Brittany and Normandy for pretty port towns and sombre historic sights. Venture to the Loire Valley, an area which boasts many historical monuments. This 10 day trip is perfect for a lover of history and culture!

Trip Highlights

  • Stay nine nights in 4 star hotels in Paris city centre and the Loire Valley, with breakfasts included

  • Enjoy a stunning luxury four course dinner cruise experience on the Seine river, with a wine pairing

  • Private cultural and historical experiences in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, including seeing the famous Mona Lisa portrait and the Paris Catacombs

  • Michelin starred lunch experience in the heart of Paris with wines included

  • Full day chauffeured experiences in the Loire Valley, discovering historical monuments such as the Castle of Chambord, Château Chenonceau and the world-famous Gardens of Villandry

  • A truly memorable hot air balloon experience where you will slowly drift over the architectural masterpieces of the Loire Valley

from $5,216 per person

This is a guide price based on 2 people travelling together and sharing a room.


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Trip details

Wines of Paris
Day 1

Arrive in Paris and make your way to your 4-star hotel in a prime location in the heart of Paris.

In the afternoon enjoy an Artisan Food tour, the perfect opportunity to grasp the complex world of France’s most ancient art: gastronomy. If the best way to your heart is through your stomach, then the best way to discover the heart of Paris is through its food. This delicious food odyssey in this historical district will open your senses with inspiring locales and tastings along the way.

 

 

Day 2

Today enjoy a full day private chauffeured tour of Paris with your specialist guide. In the morning visit the famed Musée d’Orsay.

Private guided walking tour of Cluny museum and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Discover inside the museum of the middle age. Great collections are dedicated to the subjet Admire original sculptures belonging to Notre-Dame cathedral as well as the famous “Dame à la licorne” tapestry.

This evening you will have dinner in a lovely local restaurant with regional classics.

Day 3

Enjoy a full day’s wonderful private VIP tour to Versailles and the Petit Trianon.

The palace and gardens of Versailles count among the most prestigious monuments of the world’s artistic heritage, and are certainly the finest and most complete achievement of 17th century French art. During this full-day tour you will see the best that Versailles has to offer without having to wait in line.

We will take you back to the Golden Age of France to the former residence of the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV; a sumptuous royal palace which was home to three of France’s most illustrious Kings for over 100 years. The tour of the palace includes the State Apartments of the King and Queen, Royal Chapel and Hall of Mirrors, a richly decorated gallery which boasts 357 mirrors, French bay windows and crystal chandeliers. After having been dazzled by the splendours of the chateau you will discover the famous gardens à la Française.

Savour your 3-course lunch in the “La Flotille” restaurant located at the foot of the Grand Canal; a majestic setting which allows you to appreciate the beauty of the estate.

After lunch your guide will take you to the Petit Trianon, a small chateau in the grounds of Versailles used by Marie Antoinette for festivities and to escape the overwhelming court etiquette.

 

 

 

 

Day 4

You will start your day with a private tour of Giverny, a village in the region of Normandy in northern France. Impressionist painter Claude Monet lived and worked here from 1883 until his death in 1926.

Enjoy a private guided visit of the Foundation Claude Monet, including the world-renowned gardens that inspired some of his most famous paintings including “The Water Lily Pond”.

Enjoy four nights 5-star luxury Boutique Hotel with a chic but casual atmosphere located in the heart of the Bayeux historic centre, facing the Cathedral, 2 steps from the tapestry and very close to the D-Day landing beaches.

Day 5

Today you will start the day with a private tour of the Paris Catacombs, the haunting resting place of more than 6 million French citizens. You will explore the extraordinary history of the burial grounds while your private guide tells you of the chilling stories of this gallery of skeletons. Back on the streets of Paris lunch today will be at a local rustic restaurant before you start your private French pastry cooking class, the chance to learn some new culinary skills so you can make your favourite Parisian treats when back home. The Chef will welcome you in a cosy apartment where you will make your dessert and of course enjoy the result of your work with a glass of Champagne with the chef after. The evening is yours, we will provide you with our recommended restaurant list and we can happily book restaurants in advance.

Self drive in France through the Loire
Day 6

Take the morning to relax before checking out and wave goodbye to Paris with private transfers. Arrive in the Loire Valley, an enormous UNESCO world heritage site with a history as grand at the chateaux where kings and queens came to establish feudal castles and later on sumptuous pleasure palaces. This evening you will enjoy a gastronomic local dinner to start off your Loire experience.

Day 7

Your day in the Loire Valley starts with a visit to Château Chenonceau and its resplendent Renaissance gardens. Later in the morning you’ll get to explore the cellars and caves of a Loire Valley wine specialist and taste vintage drops of Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil. Then follows a wine tasting lunch with cheeses selected by a champion cheese refiner, before your final tour of the Castle of Chambord, the first Loire Valley Chateau listed in the world heritage by UNESCO.

Day 8

This morning you will visit to the world-famous Gardens of Villandry. The Château of Villandry, in the Centre Val de Loire region, is a Renaissance château that is located at the heart of three levels of terraced gardens. It is the last of the great Renaissance châteaux to have been built on the banks of the Loire River. Although the estate is renowned for the harmony of its architecture, it is especially well-known for its gardens that spread across three terraces and combine aesthetics, diversity, and harmony.

Day 9

Take this morning to relax before embarking on a truly unforgettable hot-air balloon experience over the Loire Valley, there really is no better way to see a birds eye view. This afternoon you will have lunch in the royal city of Loches before a private tour of the Chateau. Private transfers will take you back to your accommodation.

Day 10

Your final day in the Loire is yours to explore Tours. Wander the town’s picturesque Old Quarter, set around Place Plumereau with its medieval alleys and side streets shooting off at every angle.

All of the holidays we create are completely tailor-made to you

This sample itinerary is intended to give you a flavour of what we can do.

Enquire Now +44 (0) 20 8877 4940

“Thanks for taking the time and trouble to call. You really have set the standard by which we compare all other companies!! Thank you so much for organising a fantastic itinerary with such an interesting and varied range of stop-overs. We are already starting to think about next year’s trip to France so would welcome any suggestions.”

Hilary Alder

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