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Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Paris
Today we arrive in Paris and transfer to our hotel. Note: If you would like to extend your time in Paris, please advise so that we can book hotel and air (if applicable) accordingly. Overnight in Paris. Dinner if required.
Day 2: Paris - Dijon
We leave the French capital this morning, to drive in a southeasterly direction to the city of Dijon. Afternoon sightseeing in Dijon will include a visit to the outstanding Musee des Beaux-Arts, arguably the best art museum in France after the Louvre, as well as a walk through the old town to admire the city's elegant medieval and Renaissance architecture. Overnight in Dijon. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3: Burgundy Country - Cote d'Or - Beaune
We drive into the countryside south of Dijon to explore the area where Burgundy wines are produced. Burgundy, along with Bordeaux, is one of the most famous wine-producing areas in France. We will drive as far as the Cote d'Or town of Beaune, visiting wine villages such as Marsannay-la-Cote, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Savigny-les-Beaune along the way. We will include wine tastings at one or two vineyards along the way today. Overnight in Dijon. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4: Dijon - The Jura - Ronchamp - Chamonix
This morning we make a trip into the area of the Jura Mountains. The purpose of our journey this morning is to see the incomparable Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, which was designed by the modernist Swiss architect Le Corbusier in the early 1950s. From Ronchamp we continue southeastwards into the French Alps on the border with Switzerland and Italy to Chamonix, our stopping place for the next two nights. Overnight in Chamonix. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5: Chamonix Area & Mont Blanc
Chamonix is located on the River Arve, surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery in the French Alpine region. It is a centre for mountaineering and skiing, but we have come here to enjoy the magnificent scenery. At some point this morning, weather permitting, we will take a ride either on the panoramic Mont Blanc cable car or on Le Brevant telepherique (also a cable car) to view Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak at 4807 metres (15,863 feet) above sealevel. Afternoon at leisure in Chamonix. Overnight in Chamonix. Breakfast only. Dinner is not included this evening.
Day 6: Chamonix - Annecy - Lyon
Today we travel southwest to the city of Lyon, stopping en-route in lakeside Annecy to walk the streets of the old town of this the capital of the Departement of Haute-Savoie. When we arrive in Lyon, which is France's second-largest urban centre, we will have an afternoon walking tour of the old city, as well as a visit to the Musee de la Civilization Gallo-Romaine with its excellent collection of pre-Roman and Roman artifacts from the Rhone Valley. This lively city is located on a peninsula between the Rhone and Saone Rivers. Overnight in Lyon. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7: Lyon - Orange - Avignon
We make our way south today, through the wine-growing region of the Cotes-du-Rhone in the Rhone Valley, arriving in the afternoon at Avignon. On the way we will stop in Orange to visit the 10,000 seat Roman theatre, built during the time of Augustus Caesar during the late first century BCE. Overnight in Avignon. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8: Avignon: Palace of the Popes & Pont du Gard
This morning we have a walking tour of the historic center of Avignon, including a visit to the fortress Palace of the Popes. We also see the famous St. Benezet Bridge which today stretches only part-way across the Rhone River which flows beside the city. This afternoon we travel westward into the nearby Languedoc region to behold the impressive Roman aquaduct, known today as the Pont du Gard. Spanning the River Gard, its dimensions are immense: 35 arches reaching a height of over 50 metres (160 feet) above the river, extending 275 metres (900 feet) from bank to bank. Overnight in Avignon. Breakfast only. Dinner is not included this evening.
Day 9: Avignon - Gordes - Rousillon - Luberon - Aix-en-Provence
We drive into the lovely Vaucluse to visit the the well-positioned town of Gordes, overlooking the Sorgue and Cavalon Rivers. Not far away, Rousillon is renowned for its red-hued local stone, ground up and used for centuries by painters searching for the best ochres, reds and oranges. We pass Mont Ventoux which, at 1800 metres (6,000 feet), dominates the horizon and was a favourite subject of the impressionist painter Paul Cezanne in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Later in the afternoon we arrive at our hotel, in or near Aix-en-Provence. Overnight in Aix-en-Provence. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 10: Aix-en-Provence - Nice
We spend the morning exploring on foot the centre of the old city of Aix-en-Provence, which was founded by the Romans as Aquae Sextiae (translated, it means the Waters of Sextius) as a military camp in 123 BCE. We stroll the Cours Mirabeau to admire the Town Hall with its sixteenth century clock tower. Along the way we will stop to visit several typically Provencal open-air markets, which sell flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as local produce such as cheese and meats. At the Granet Museum we visit a gallery devoted totally to the works of Paul Cezanne. This museum is housed in a thirteenth century former priory of the Knights of Saint John of Malta. Time permitting, we may visit the small Atelier Paul Cezanne located just outside town. This was the artist's last studio, which he used up until his death in 1906. At midday we depart for Nice on France´s Cote d'Azur. Overnight in Nice. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 11: Nice & St-Paul-de-Vence
This morning we have a walking tour of Nice as well as visits to two important art museums. The settlement that became Nice was founded by Greek mariners from nearby Marseille in the mid-fourth century BCE. They called the new settlement Nikaia, after the Greek goddess, Nike (Victory). We will visit the Place Garibaldi, named for the great hero of mid-19th century Italian Unification, Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was born in Nice, as well as the atmospheric market area near the seafront.
From here we drive up to the Musee National Message Biblique Marc Chagel where we see a series of magnificent paintings of scenes from the Old Testament by the artist. In the afternoon, we drive into the hills to the village of St-Paul-de-Vence, which has splendid views over the coast. Here we visit the Fondation Maeght, a wonderful museum containing a large collection of modern art. Nearby, we make a stop at Matisse's Chapelle du Rosaire, designed by the artist for the local Dominican community of nuns. Overnight in Nice. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 12: Nice - Antibes - St-Tropez - Marseille
This morning we drive the spectacular Cote d'Azur, stopping in Antibes to visit the harbourside Grimaldi Castle which contains the Picasso Museum. Continuing onward, we pass Cannes, then make a lunch stop in St Tropez. After lunch we continue our coastal drive via Toulon, arriving in the late afternoon at Marseille. Overnight in Marseille. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 13: Marseille - Les Beaux - Glanum - St-Remy - Arles
Marseille was founded sometime around 600 BCE by Greek mariners who called their settlement Massilia. Today it is a busy, famous - as well as infamous - port city of about a million inhabitants. We visit the Musee d'Histoire de Marseille, the market areas, as well as take a boat out to the 16th-century island fortress of Chateau d'If, which later became a prison made famous by Alexandre Dumas' book, The Count of Monte Cristo. Leaving Marseille we drive into the Provencal countryside to visit the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, located on a flat-topped 245 metre (800 foot) high rock plateau that rises dramatically out of the surrounding valley. This natural fortress became the home of the warrior Lords of Beux. The manmade fortress was once the feudal home of Monaco's Grimaldi royal family. From Les Baux we continue on to visit the marvellous little Roman site of Glanum with its remains of baths, houses, forum, and two temples. We will also the little town of St-Remy, birthplace of Nostradamus. Then we drive to nearby Arles. Overnight in Arles. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 14: Arles - Camargue - Arles
This morning we tour Arles, visiting the Roman amphitheatre (colloseum) as well as Roman theatre. During our walking tour we see the Provencal-Romanesque Church of St-Trophime and its lovely cloisters. This afternoon we drive into the Camargue, a world away from the areas of Provence we will have already visited so far. Known for its semi-wild white horses, its cowboys, its rice paddies, and its salt evaportation pools, the Camargue is a spectacular landscape and an important stopover point for hundreds of migrating bird species.
More than 500 resident and migratory species have been recorded here. It is often possible to witness vast numbers of flamingoes in its shallow lakes during the spring and summer months. We stop to visit the little Camargue Museum, located in a 200-year-old sheep shed built in the local style. We will also have the opportunity of doing some bird-watching this afternoon during a walking visit along the pathways of the Camargue Nature Reserve. At Les Saints Maries de la Mer we see the fortified Romanesque church, the focal point of an important Roma (Gypsy) pilgrimage at the end of May. Overnight in Arles. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 15: Arles - Nimes - Collioure, Vermilion Coast
During our drive from Provence to Languedoc we stop in the city of Nimes, founded by the Emporer Augustus at the end of the 1st century BCE. Here we see the well- preserved Roman amphitheatre, Les Arenes, which could seat up to 24,000 spectators. Today it is still used for concerts and the sporting events, including the occasional bullfight, Spanish-style. Nearby, we have a look at the Maison Carree, a Roman temple dedicated to the emporer's two adopted sons who had been deified. We continue our journey, passing Montpellier on our way to the coast of the Eastern Pyrenees (know as the Cote Vermeille) where we stop for the night near the picturesque Mediterranean fishing village of Coullioure, after visiting the nearby coastal village of Banyuls, almost on the Spanish border. Overnight near Coullioure. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 16: Pyrenees: Tet Valley - Cathar Castles - Carcassone
This morning we head into the orchard-filled Tet Valley to enjoy its wonderful Pyrenean vistas. Later we drive to the Cathar fortress of Peyrepertuse, located in the narrow Gorges de Galamus. (Note: due to road local road conditions, this excursion to the Cathar fortress may not be possible. We will know better at the time.) The Cathars believed that the Kingdom of God was engaged in a perpetual struggle with Satan's world. The Cathars maintained strictly ascetic rules, including vegetarianism. In the early 13th century, Pope Innocent III launched a crusade against this expanding, breakaway sect. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives during this period as Cathars were burned at the stake as heretics. Their last stand occurred in 1255 at the fortress of Queribus.
From here we drive to Carcassone. There is nothing anywhere like Carcassone. The old town is known as La Cite; this walled area is breathtaking. The original walls date back to pre-Roman times, added to and changed by Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Franks. But the walls that we see today date mostly from the 19th-century at a time when a highly controversial renovation project was undertaken. These walls contain 52 witches'-hat-roofed stone towers. At night the whole is dramatically lit. Overnight in Carcassone. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 17: Carcassone - Toulouse - Albi - Biarritz
We take a walking tour within the city walls of Carcasssone, stopping to admire the great Porte Narbonaise. We have a tour of the 12th-century Chateau Comtal and a walk on the city ramparts. The Basilica of St-Nazaire contains a beautiful pair of 13th and 14th century rose windows which we will have the opportunity to admire. Later we depart for Biarritz, travelling via Toulouse. Time permitting, we may stop for a brief visit of this vibrant university town, or possibly make a side-trip from here to the town of Albi to visit the Toulouse Lautrec Museum located there. Overnight in Biarritz. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 18: Biarritz & Bayonne
We are in the heart of the French Basque area today, set in the foothills of the western Pyrenees on the Bay of Biscay, just across the border from the Spanish Basque area and its city of San Sebastian. The origins of the Basque peoples still remains an unsolved mystery, and their language, Euskara, is related to no other language in Europe, somehow managing to have remained completely un-Latinized. We travel the short distance to Bayonne, founded by the Romans. The present name derives from the Basque for "good river". Bayonne is divided in three by the Adour and Nive Rivers and retains a great deal of its Basque identity. We walk part of the city ramparts and visit the Musee Basque et de l'Histoire de Bayonne. You may choose to visit the Musee de la Mer with its aquariums and exhibits detailing the area's whaling history. Overnight in Biarritz. Breakfast only. Dinner is not included this evening.
Day 19: Biarritz - Bordeaux - Medoc - St-Emilion
This morning we drive to the city of Bordeaux. With its neo-classical architecture and recent refurbishing under mayor and former Prime Minister, Alain Juppe, the city of Bordeaux - located on the banks of the Garonne River - is a vibrant, interesting place to visit. We take a walk through the pedestrianized old town. Later we drive out into the pretty Bordeaux countryside to explore this famous wine-growing area which covers an area of over 1000 hectares (25,000 acres) and, along with Burgundy, is the country's most important producer of high quality wines. We will visit the Medoc area, located on the western bank of the Gironde Estuary and a famous wine growing spot. At some point this afternoon we will stop to do some wine tasting. Overnight in the Bordeaux area, possibly in St-Emilion. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 20: The Dordogne - Sarlat La Caneda - Lascaux II
From the Bordeaux area we travel for the day into the Vezere and Dordogne Valleys, located in the French departement of Perigord. The area's fortified towns and villages, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, are known as bastides and are a testament to the violence and brutality of the Hundred Years' War that took place in the region. In 1940, several teenagers came upon a remarkable cave full of beautiful rock paintings, dating back some 16,000 years, painted by the Cro-Magnon people who lived in this area during the Neolithic period. The Lascaux Cave itself has been closed to visitors since 1955 in order to preserve this extraordinary legacy from disintegration due to humidy caused by human breath. Nearby, though, there is a perfect recreation of the cave, known as Lascaux II which we visit today. Overnight in Bordeaux area. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 21: Bordeaux - La Rochelle
Today we explore more of France's Atlantic coast, driving northward to La Rochelle. Between the 14th and the 17th centuries, La Rochelle was one of France's most important ports. The founders of the Canadian city of Montreal set sail from here. The old port area is lined with restaurants and cafes and is a lively spot both day and night and a good place to sample local seafood. We drive out to the nearby Ile de Re, an island close to La Rochelle connected to the mainland by a causeway. The fishing village of St-Martin de Re has traditional houses, whitewashed against the area's abundant sunshine, and sporting red roof tiles. Overnight in La Rochelle. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 22: La Rochelle - Poitiers - Tours: The Loire Valley
Traveling towards the Loire Valley area this morning, we pass the city of Poitiers. If time permits we will stop there for a brief visit. Later in the morning we arrive in the "Petit Paris" city of Tours, which has a sizeable student population, located on the banks of the Loire River. We walk through the streets of the old town, admiring Renaissance and neoclassical architecture. We then proceed to the village of Vouvrey for a lunch break and some wine tasting. In the afternoon we visit the Chateau de Chenonceau with its fairy-tale turrets. Overnnight in the Loire Valley area. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 23: The Loire Valley
More exploration of the Loire Valley area today, including visit a to Chateau de Villandry, which boasts the most beautiful formal gardens in all of France. We visit the town of Amboise as well as the nearby manor house of Le Clos Luce. Here we will see a collection of working scale models of some of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. Leonardo spent the last years of his life here, under the patronage of the French king, Francois I, from 1516 until his death in 1519. In the afternoon we will visit the unforgettable and splendid Chateau de Chambord, used by the kings of France as a hunting lodge. It was built by Francois I in 1519.
Day 24: Loire Valley Hot Air Balloon Ride
At some point this morning we embark on a hot-air balloon ride for unforgettable vistas over the Loire Valley. (Please note that this excursion is completely weather-dependent and may not be possible due to climatic conditions. If it is not possible to go hot-air ballooning, your Tour Leader will substitute alternate sightseeing.) The rest of the day is free for further independent exploration of the Loire Valley. Overnight in Loire Valley area. Breakfast only. Dinner is not included this evening.
Day 25: Tours - Chartes Cathedral - Giverny - Paris
We drive northwards, leaving the Loire Valley behind. From the Tours area it is not a long drive to Chartres where we stop to visit the non-pareil 13th century Cathedrale Notre Dame de Chartres. This is the quintessential Gothic cathedral and one of the very great architectural achievements of Western Civilization. In the afternoon we make a detour to Giverny in order to visit the gardens and museum devoted to the French impressionist artist, Claude Monet, who was born in Paris in 1840 but grew up on the Normandy coast at Le Havre. His famous Water Lilies series was painted at his home and gardens here in Giverny. The gardens are laid out symetrically and include the Jardin d'Eau, or Water Garden. From Giverny we drive into the centre of Paris to our hotel. Overnight in Paris. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 26: Paris Sightseeing: The Louvre & Luxembourg Gardens
Today, after an orientation drive to give us an overview of central Paris, we will spend our time in France's capital city visiting the Louvre. This colossus on the Seine, born in 1200 as a fortress and transformed over the centuries from Gothic mass to renaissance palace, served as the royal residence in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today its 200 galleries cover some 40 acres; to view all 297,000 items in the collection it would be necessary to walk some 13 km (8 miles). We will also visit the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens and walk in one of the famous neighborhood quarters such as Montmartre or the Latin Quarter. Overnight in Paris. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 27: Departure. Departure from Paris. If you would like to extend your time in Paris, please let us quote you rates for extra accommodation at the hotel used on tour. Breakfast. Bon Voyage!
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Breakfast and most dinners (mostly local restaurants)
- All transport, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary
- Gratuities for driver, restaurant staff, porters (if available)
- Airport transfers for land / air customers arriving / departing on tour dates
- Hot air balloon trip in Loire Valley.
Price Excludes:
- Tour Leader gratuities, lunches, some dinners, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), international air taxes (if applicable), any excursions referenced as 'optional'
- Airport transfers for early / late arrivals / departures or Land Only customers
- Optional single supplement charges
- Optional trip cancellation insurance
- Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on optional meal costs and shopping.
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