Scott and Sheila's tour de France
Grand Tour of France
18 days from October 1-18, 2024
Travel from the culinary capital of Lyon to the iconic city of Paris, and through the plethora of charming medieval villages and coastal Riviera towns in-between. This grand tour is your chance to eat, drink, and sightsee your way through this dynamic country.
Grand Tour of France
18 days from October 1- 18, 2024
Overnight Flight → 1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Lyon today.
Lyon → 2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Lyon
Included meals: welcome dinner
Welcome to France! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner this evening.
Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Lyon
Included meals: breakfast
A local guide introduces you to France’s culinary capital on a tour through Lyon’s UNESCO- recognized city center.
- Take in the Gothic and Renaissance architecture as you pass by the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière.
- Step inside Lyon Cathedral and walk through centuries-old traboules, or underground passages.
Enjoy a free afternoon in Lyon or add an excursion.
+ Medieval Village of Pérouges
Avignon → 1 night
Day 4: Pont du Gard, transfer to Avignon & sightseeing tour
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Head to Vers-Pont-du-Gard and explore the area with your Tour Director.
- See artifacts, virtual renderings, and life-sized
- Stroll through the historic Old Town, surrounded by the city’s original medieval walls.
This evening, sit down for an included dinner with your group.
Nice → 2 nights
Day 5: Nice via Aix-en-Provence
Included meals: breakfast
Travel through the countryside toward the French Riviera, stopping to explore Aix-en- Provence, a Roman-influenced city and hometown of Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne.
- Browse the stalls at the Aix-en-Provence farmers market this morning where you'll find local specialities like honey, fruits, textiles, antiques, and more.
- Pass Aix Cathedral, built on the site of the first-century Roman forum.
- Enjoy free time to stroll the beautiful boulevards and admire the architecture and monuments.
Continue on to Nice then enjoy a free evening or add an excursion.
+ Evening in Monaco
Day 6: Sightseeing tour of Nice
Included meals: breakfast
Get to know Nice’s many charms on a guided sightseeing tour.
- Drive along the Promenade des Anglais.
- Discover the narrow streets of the Old Town.
- Explore the Roman amphitheater.
- Wander around the gardens of the Franciscan Monastery in Cimiez.
Make your way through the Provençal landscapes that influenced the French master painters, stopping in Arles for a walking tour with your Tour Director in the lead.
- Stroll along beautiful boulevards and view the city’s old hospital, where artist Van Gogh stayed.
- Enter the Arles Arena, a two-storyRoman amphitheater.
Continue on to Montpellier and sit down for an included dinner this evening.
Bordeaux → 2 nights
Day 8: Bordeaux via Carcassonne
Included meals: breakfast
Today, stop in UNESCO-listed Carcassonne, a medieval fortified town. Here, your Tour Director introduces you to the town's unique history on an orientation tour. Afterward, enjoy free time to explore on your own before continuing on to Bordeaux.
Day 9: Sightseeing tour of Bordeaux
Included meals: breakfast
Meet your local guide for a panoramic tour of Bordeaux, the capital of the Aquitane region, which is well-known for its wine.
- Stop at the Place des Quinconces.
- Drive along the Garonne River, stopping at Place de la Bourse.
- Pass the lively hub of the Place de la Comédie and the Grand Théâtre.
- Sample local sweets as you go.
Enjoy a free afternoon in Bordeaux or add an excursion.
+ Bordeaux Dinner & Wine Tasting
displays at the Pont du Gard Museum.
Enjoy a free afternoon in Nice or add an excursion.
- Walk on a trail along the Pont du Gard, the region’s famed, UNESCO-listed Roman aqueduct.
Continue on to Avignon and set off on a walking tour led by a local guide.
- See the famous Pont Saint-Bénézet, the bridge that inspired the French folk tune On the Bridge of Avignon.
- Enter the opulent Papal Palace, from which Pope Clement V reigned during the 14th century.
+ MedievalSaint-Paul-de-Vence
Montpellier→ 1 night
Day 7: Montpellier via Arles
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Loire Valley → 2 nights
Day 10: The Loire Valley via La Rochelle
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Make your way to the Atlantic port city of La Rochelle, home to a charming harbor and medieval towers, and explore with your Tour Director in the lead. Later, arrive in the Loire Valley where you'll sit down for an included dinner with your group.
Day 11: Sightseeing tour of the Loire Valley
Included meals: breakfast
Get to know château country on a sightseeing tour today. Step inside the extravagant Château de Chenonceau, where you’ll discover how it got the nickname “Château des Femmes,” and explore its surrounding gardens. Then, continue on to the town of Amboise for free time.
Enjoy a free evening in the Loire Valley or add an excursion.
+ Loire Valley Dinner & Wine Tasting
Normandy Region → 2 nights
Day 12: Normandy Region via Mont-Saint- Michel
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Travel north to the historic Normandy coastline. Stopping along the way for a guided tour of Mont-Saint-Michel.
- Admire the striking, 8th-century island Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel.
- See how the UNESCO-recognized site, perched high on a granite rock, is surrounded by water at high tide and quicksand at low tide.
- Pass by medieval houses and then view the Benedictine Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel with your local guide.
Sit down for an included dinner this evening.
Day 13: Free day in the Normandy Region
Included meals: breakfast
Spend a free day in the Normandy region or add an excursion.
+ D-Day Beaches of Normandy
Paris → 2 nights
Day 14: Transfer to Paris
Included meals: breakfast
Travel to Paris and enjoy a free evening in France’s capital city or add an excursion.
+ Dinner in Paris & Seine River Cruise
Day 15: Sightseeing tour of Paris
Included meals: breakfast, farewelldinner
A guided tour introduces you to the architecture, scenery, and history of the City of Light’s many neighborhoods, called arrondissements.
- Drive down the sycamore-lined Champs- Élysées to view the Arc de Triomphe.
- Pass Pont Neuf and the legendary Notre- Dame Cathedral, located on an island in the Seine River.
- See the Eiffel Tower, the Palais Garnier opera house, and Place de la Concorde, the city’s grandest square.
- Marvel at the iconic architecture of the Louvre and Hôtel des Invalides.
Enjoy a free afternoon in Paris or add an
excursion.
Then, enjoy a wonderful dinner with your group this evening.
+ Versailles Palace & Gardens
Paris → 2 nights
Day 16: Free day in Paris
Included meals: breakfast
Enjoy a free day in Paris or add an excursion.
+ Monet & the Landscapes of Giverny
Day 17: Free day in Paris
Included meals: breakfast
Spend a free day in Paris. This evening, sip a farewell drink as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.
Flight Home
Day 18: Departure
Included meals: breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.