La Normandie et Paris
France | 9 days / 7 nights
DAY 1: USA | FRANCE
- Fly overnight to Paris, France.
DAY 2: PARIS | ARROMANCHES | CAEN
- Bienvenue en France! Meet your Forum Tour Manager at the airport, then board your private bus to Normandy.
- After a stop for lunch, visit the Musée du Débarquement to learn about the incredible story behind the D-Day landings.
- Continue to Coleville-sur-mer. Pay tribute to the 9,386 fallen Americans at the World War II Normandy American Cemetery and lay a wreath of flowers to honor their memory on behalf of your school.
- Next, explore the bunkers and craters near the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Memorial, commemorating the heroic raid by the American Second Ranger Battalion.
- End your day with dinner in the town of Caen, founded by William the Conqueror.
DAY 3: MONT SAINT-MICHEL | SAINT-MALO
- After breakfast, drive to the 1000 year-old Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. Built atop a rock surrounded by sea and sand, this masterpiece of medieval architecture is one of the most mesmerizing sights in Europe.
- Continue to the charming port town of Saint-Malo. For great views of the area, follow the one-mile walk around the high, sturdy ramparts that encircle the town, then explore the narrow cobbled street and seafood specialties waiting to be discovered in the walled city!
- Dinner and night accommodation in Saint-Malo.
DAY 4: SAINT-MALO | PARIS
- After breakfast, board your private bus to Paris.
- Upon arrival, stroll down the famous Champs Elysées.
- Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and admire the view.
- Dinner and night accommodation in Paris.
DAY 5: PARIS
- After breakfast at your hotel, visit the magnificent Musée d´Orsay and see its extensive collection of 19th – and 20th -century paintings and sculptures housed in a former railway station.
- Enjoy some free time for lunch on the Île de la Cité.
- See the iconic Cathédrale Notre-Dame.
- Later, wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg before dinner in the lively Quartier Latin.
DAY 6: PARIS | VERSAILLES
- This morning after breakfast, travel by RER train to Versailles.
- Walk in the footsteps of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette on a guided tour of the Château de Versailles. See the opulent Grand Apartments, the Opera, and the Hall of Mirrors.
- Afterward, enjoy the elegantly landscaped gardens.
- To complete your visit, take the petit train and head to Marie-Antoinette´s “rustic” retreat at the Trianon Palaces.
- In the evening, enjoy a concert at Le Zenith!
- Return to Paris for dinner and night accommodation.
DAY 7: PARIS
- After breakfast, visit a French Lycée (high school) and discover what school life is like in Paris.
- Next, step into the kitchen of a local boulangerie to see how the famous French croissants are made (includes tasting!), then choose from one of their mouth-watering sandwiches for lunch.
- In the afternoon, take a guided tour of the Palais Garnier, Paris´ iconic opera house and the inspiration for Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.
- Enjoy dinner at a local crêperie.
- Follow your Tour Manager on an evening stroll of illuminated Paris before returning to your hotel.
DAY 8: PARIS
- Today, explore Philippe Auguste´s Musée du Louvre and the Richelieu Wing, furnished entirely in the Second Empire style. See the galleries´ masterpieces, including the breathtaking Mona Lisa.
- Walk through the Place du Trocadéro for a striking view of the Eiffel Tower.
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- Then, board a glass-topped bateau mouche and enjoy a refreshing cruise on the Seine River.
- Later in the afternoon, head up to Montmartre.
- Climb the steps to reach the Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre’s hilltop church and take in the panoramic views of the city.
- After exploring the enchanting streets where artists like Van Gogh and Picasso once trod, enjoy a farewell musical dinner with your group.
- Return to your hotel for night accommodation.
DAY 9: DEPART
- After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.