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Overview
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Finish:Paris, France
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Your Itinerary
Day to day notes
Day 1 - Board your Seine River Cruise in Paris
Arrive in Paris and transfer to your ship, your home on the River Seine. Settle into your cabin and take a moment to relax, perhaps in the lounge or bar, as the ship prepares to set sail. This evening, join your Experience Director and fellow travellers for dinner onboard. Share a toast to the journey ahead as your Paris river cruise gets underway, with the city as your backdrop.
Day 2 - Monet’s Gardens in Giverny
Cruise into Vernon and travel to Giverny, where you'll visit Claude Monet’s house and gardens. Explore the lily pond, green bridge and flowerbeds that inspired his work, and browse the village’s galleries and shops. Continue to Château Gaillard, a clifftop fortress built by Richard the Lionheart. Then walk down to Les Andelys for an orientation with your Experience Director. You’ll have time here to stroll the riverside lanes, stop for coffee or a pastry, or find the perfect angle for a photo of the half-timbered buildings and hilltop chateau before returning to the ship for dinner.
Excursions
Walk in the footsteps of Claude Monet at his home and gardens in Giverny. See the lily pond, arched green bridge and vibrant flowerbeds that inspired some of his most recognisable works.
See Château Gaillard, the 12th-century fortress built by Richard the Lionheart to secure the English crown’s hold over Normandy. In the town of Les Andelys, spot traditional half-timbered buildings and views across the river valley.
Day 3 - Exploring Normandy’s wartime history
Arrive in Caudebec-en-Caux, a historic riverside town once valued for its strategic position on the Seine. Today offers a moment for quiet reflection — a chance to pay tribute, trace family connections and stand on the shores where history turned. From here, travel to Normandy’s D-Day beaches to explore the sites where Allied forces came ashore in 1944. You may choose to visit the American sector, with stops at Utah and Omaha beaches, Sainte-Mère-Église and the Airborne Museum, where the story of the paratroopers is brought to life through original artefacts, soundscapes and a walk-through replica of a C-47 aircraft. Alternatively, follow the Commonwealth route, visiting the Juno Beach Centre and stopping at key locations linked to the Canadian and British landings, and ANZAC contributions.
Excursions
Stand on the shores where Allied troops landed on D-Day and reflect on the scale and significance of 6 June 1944. With views across the Channel and markers that tell the story of the assault, Normandy Beach offers you a powerful moment of remembrance and connection to one of the most pivotal events of the 20th century.
Follow the story of D-Day through the American sector. Visit Utah and Omaha beaches, Sainte-Mère-Église and the Airborne Museum, where exhibits and original artefacts share the experience of the paratroopers who landed behind enemy lines on 6 June 1944.
Explore key sites across the Commonwealth sector, including the Canadian landing points. Visit the Juno Beach Centre, with time to see remnants of the Mulberry Harbour and learn how the landings were supported by British and Canadian forces.
Day 4 - Cruise through Normandy to Rouen
Arrive in Rouen this morning, once the second city of medieval France and now a centre of Norman heritage. Today, choose between a full-day Optional Experience to Mont Saint-Michel or time to explore Rouen. If you’re staying in Rouen, join your Experience Director for a walking orientation of the old town, known for its timber-framed buildings, gothic churches and one of the largest collections of preserved medieval architecture in Europe. Hear the story of Joan of Arc, martyr, military leader and Patron Saint of France, who was tried and executed here. Visit the cathedral, stroll through market squares and walk streets that have shaped the city’s identity for centuries.
Excursions
Walk through the cobbled streets of Rouen’s old town with your Experience Director. See the gothic cathedral, the medieval clock tower and the square where Joan of Arc was executed. The city’s half-timbered buildings, hidden courtyards and layered history reveal Rouen’s place at the heart of Normandy life for centuries.
Join a full-day visit to Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy’s island abbey and one of France’s most striking landmarks. Cross the causeway and climb through narrow streets to explore the abbey at the top. Along the way, you’ll learn how this tidal island became a place of pilgrimage and legend.
Day 5 - Cider and Sights in La Roche-Guyon
Arrive in La Roche-Guyon, a village set below chalk cliffs along the Seine. Here, you’ll visit Château de La Roche-Guyon, a fortress carved into the rock with rooms, bunkers and a medieval tower overlooking the valley. Walk through the gardens that stretch down to the river and explore the chateau’s layered history. If you’d like to arrive on foot, you can choose to join a guided crest trail hike earlier in the morning, taking a forested route with open views before meeting the group inside. For lunch, head to a nearby cider farm for your Be My Guest experience. Tour the orchard, learn how traditional cider is made and enjoy a relaxed, seasonal meal.
Excursions
Join a guided hike along a forested ridge trail above the Seine. You’ll follow the route through gentle countryside with wide valley views, ending at the entrance to Château de La Roche-Guyon.
Walk through the chateau carved into the cliffs above the Seine. You’ll explore rooms built into the rock, including wartime bunkers and a medieval tower with views across the valley. Afterward, spend time in the terraced gardens below, with paths that lead towards the river and stories from every century.
See firsthand why Normandy is known as "the orchard of France". Visit a family-run cider house and tour the orchards, learning how traditional methods turn hundreds of local apple varieties into fizzy, fermented cider. Then sit down to a relaxed, home-cooked meal made with seasonal ingredients grown on the farm.
Day 6 - Through Van Gogh’s Seine to Paris
This morning, choose between two ways to explore this region of France. You can visit Château de Malmaison, once home to Joséphine Bonaparte, and explore rooms filled with Empire-style furnishings and personal artefacts from the Napoleonic period. Or you could join an artist’s walk through Auvers-sur-Oise, the village that was Van Gogh’s home and final resting place. Begin at Auberge Ravoux where he stayed, see the church he painted and walk through the fields he captured in his last works. Return to the ship for lunch before an afternoon of sailing. As you cruise your way into Paris this afternoon, watch small towns and the riverbanks drift by. Tonight, take your pick of Paris after dark with Optional Experiences including dinner in Montmartre or a classic Parisian cabaret show.
Excursions
Step inside Château de Malmaison, the former residence of Joséphine Bonaparte. Explore rooms restored to the Empire style, with original furniture, portraits and personal items that reflect her life with Napoleon. You’ll learn how this country estate became the political and private heart of the Bonaparte household as you walk through the gardens she designed.
Follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh on a guided walk through the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. See the Auberge Ravoux where he stayed, see the church he painted, and walk through the fields captured in his final works. Along the way, discover the landscapes and locations that shaped the final weeks of his life.
Spend the evening at a classic Parisian cabaret. Begin with dinner featuring French specialities before the lights go down and the show begins. Expect live music, dancing and the unmistakable style of a traditional Paris revue in a venue that’s all velvet, mirrors and sparkle.
Explore Montmartre in the evening, when the streets are quieter and the neighbourhood takes on a different rhythm. Wander past the cafes, studios and staircases that give the district its character, then you’ll sit down to dinner at a local bistro serving classic French dishes.
Day 7 - Explore the Parisian Sights
Paris offers several ways to shape your day. You can join an Optional Experience to the Palace of Versailles with a Local Specialist, or stay in the city for one of two included experiences. Join a panoramic orientation tour with your Cruise Director, or take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience tracing Paris’ evolution from grand boulevards to greener streets, exploring how urban farming, cafe culture and local communities are shaping the city today. In the afternoon, explore at your own pace or join an Optional Experience such as a foodie walk through local markets and neighbourhoods. You might stroll the banks of the Seine, admire the facades of Haussmann-era buildings or step inside a church with centuries of stories carved into its stone. Tonight, return to your ship for dinner and entertainment as you mark the final night of your Seine cruise through Normandy.
Excursions
See Paris from coach and riverbank on an orientation tour with your Cruise Director. Pass major landmarks including the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre Museum and the bridges along the Seine, as well as the two islands at the heart of the city: Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.
Discover how Paris continues to evolve, from the Revolution to Haussmann’s redesign and today’s green transformation. Learn how sustainable urban planning, climate action and inclusive social initiatives are shaping the future of the city, the Seine and the lives of those who call it home. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Built for the Sun King, Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles was the envy of every European ruler, but loathed by the French commoners, which lead to the French Revolution. Step inside the opulent world of Versailles and our Local Specialist will take you through the palace’s Hall of Mirrors and State apartments. Then, enjoy free time to wander the symmetrical, tree-lined gardens.
Walk through Le Marais with your Local Specialist and discover the flavours that define the neighbourhood. Taste treats like buttery croissants, royal chocolate, falafel and a caramelised kouign-amann. Meet the makers sharing the stories behind each bite on this cultural and culinary tour.
Day 8 - Farewell Paris
Disembark your Seine River cruise this morning and say farewell to your captain and crew. After a final breakfast onboard, transfer to the airport for your journey home or choose to extend your stay and spend more time exploring Paris.
Finish:Paris, France
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