(8 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Mont Saint-Michel, D-Day Beaches, Honfleur & Deauville, Paris
This tour combines the urban sophistication of Paris and the romantic landscapes, quaint villages, and important historic sites of Normandy.
Arrive in Paris and transfer by private car through Normandy, stopping in Caen and St.-Malo en route. Spend a night in Cancale, Brittany, at an acclaimed gourmet retreat. Tour Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of France's true wonders, this majestic ancient abbey emerges from a rocky islet in the bay.
Continue deeper into Normandy and stay two nights near the English Channel at an 18th century château surrounded by ancient parkland. Visit the D-Day landing beaches and the associated war memorials with your private Normandy expert. Also visit the historic town of Bayeux, and see the famous tapestry illustrating the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
Next, spend two nights at a luxury hotel near the old fishing port town of Honfleur, an ideal base for exploring Normandy’s thatched cottages, orchards, and charming towns. Enjoy a tour of Honfleur and the upscale resort town of Deauville. Walk along the boardwalk, admiring the Beaux Arts and half-timbered buildings facing the beach, and stroll the town’s shopping streets. Also visit traditional villages in the Pays d’Auge and follow the cheese and cider route.
Finally, continue to Paris for three nights, stopping en route to tour Giverny. Monet lived and painted in Giverny in his final years and his house, gardens and lily ponds now operate as a museum. Alternatively, visit Rouen, the vibrant capital of Normandy, whose cathedral Monet immortalized in his paintings.
With your own private guide and driver—sophisticated experts who will share the very best of Paris with you—explore Paris according to your interests. First-time visitors to Paris may wish to visit major attractions such as Notre-Dame, St-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower, the Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens, and major museums such as the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. Other possibilities include an epicurean tour of specialty chocolate shops, fromagerie, copperware stores and tea sellers; walking tours through the exclusive residential streets on Ile St-Louis, the old Jewish quarter in the Marais, the former art colony of Montmartre, the medieval streets of the Latin Quarter, or to Left Bank cafes made famous by poets and philosophers; and shopping for antiques in flea markets or haute couture in fashionable boutiques.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Arrive Paris – Cancale (Mont Saint-Michel)
Private arrival transfer to Cancale for 1 night, with touring of Caen and St-Malo en route
Day 2
Cancale (Mont Saint-Michel) – Port-en-Bessin
Private overland transfer to Port-en-Bassin for 2 nights, with touring of Mont-St.-Michel, Bayeux and Normandy villages en route
Day 3
Port-en-Bessin & D-Day sites
Full-day private tour of World War II sites in Normandy
Day 4
Port-en-Bessin – Honfleur
Private overland transfer to Honfleur for 2 nights. Afternoon private tour of Honfleur
Day 5
Honfleur & Deauville
Full-day private tour of Deauville and Pays d’Auge villages
Day 6
Honfleur – Paris
Private overland transfer to Paris, with visit to Rouen or Giverny en route
