|
Day 1 Depart USA
Leave the U.S. on your flight to Paris.
Please refer to your individual air itinerary
for exact departure and arrival times.
Day 2 Le Havre
Arrival in Paris. If Viking River Cruises
arranged your transfer, you’ll be met at the
airport and transferred to your ship at the pier
in Le Havre. Because the crew will be preparing
the cabins for arriving passengers, you can
relax in the ship’s lounge or explore Le Havre
on your own. If you arrive during lunchtime (11
a.m. to 2 p.m.), some light snacks will be
available. Welcome Reception. Gather this
evening to get acquainted with your Cruise
Manager and traveling companions at a Welcome
Reception before dinner onboard. The ship
remains docked in Le Havre overnight. Included
Meals: Dinner
Day 3 Normandy Beaches
Included Normandy Beaches Tour. Disembark
after breakfast for a full day excursion to the
storied D-Day beaches. During your tour, you’ll
visit Arromanches, where one of two artificial
harbors was built to facilitate the D-Day
landings followed by a tour of the Arromanches
Museum of Debarkation. Then, enjoy lunch in a
local restaurant. Your tour continues with stops
at the American Military Cemetery, Omaha Beach
and Pointe du Hoc, where, at great cost,
American Rangers took a German fortification on
the morning of June 6, 1944. On your drive back
to your ship in Le Havre you’ll see Gold Beach,
Courseulles sur Mer and Juno Beach. Note: the
sequence of sites and beaches may vary. Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Honfleur & Caudebec
Included Honfleur Tour & Leisure Time. After
breakfast, disembark for an excursion to
Honfleur. You’ll enjoy a walking tour along the
cobbled streets of this well-preserved port town
founded in the 11th century and once, one of the
most important ports in France. You’ll see St.
Catherine’s Church as well as time-honored
waterfront houses. It was from Honfleur that
many voyages of discovery were launched
including the journey of native son Samuel de
Champlain—founder of Port Royal in Nova Scotia
and the settlement of Quebec. After your tour,
you’ll have some free time to stroll the streets
on your own, do some shopping or taste locally
produced Calvados. Scenic Cruising. Return to
the ship for lunch and spend a leisurely
afternoon cruising to Caudebec, docking in the
early evening. After dinner, you may want to
disembark and explore on your own. Or join a
brief walking tour led by your Cruise Manager to
see the exterior of Caudebec’s beautiful Notre
Dame church. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner
Day 5 Rouen
Included Rouen Tour & Rouen Leisure Time.
Your ship has sailed through the early morning
hours and docks in Rouen. After breakfast,
disembark for a walking tour of this important
French commercial city. Rouen, capital of
Normandy, is the city where Joan of Arc was
imprisoned, tried for heresy, and burned at the
stake in 1431. See the 14th century abbey where
she was sentenced to death, and visit the Market
Square where she was executed. You’ll also see
the Great Clock Tower and Rouen’s wonderful
Gothic cathedral, whose façade has graced many
Monet paintings. After lunch onboard, you have
some free time. Perhaps you’ll visit the Joan of
Arc Museum with its fascinating history of the
French heroine of the Hundred Years’ War.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Les Andelys , Vernon & Giverny
Included Château Gaillard Visit & Les
Andelys Leisure Time. In the early morning
hours, your ship sails for Les Andelys. After a
breakfast time arrival, you may wish to join
your Cruise Manager for a guided walk to see the
impressive ruins of Château Gaillard, the
stronghold built by Richard the Lionheart in the
12th century. The château was the key structure
in the vast system that defended the access to
Normandy during the Wars of Religion, and was of
strategic importance in Richard’s campaigns
against France. You’ll see the exterior of this
fine example of European siege warfare
construction during the Middle Ages. Scenic
Cruising & Included Giverny Tour. Return to your
ship for a late-morning cruise, docking in
Vernon after lunch. Disembark for your excursion
into the countryside to Giverny, the village
that impressionist Claude Monet called home from
1883 until his death in 1926. At the Monet
Foundation, explore the artist’s home and
gardens, now a museum dedicated to the great
painter. The house is furnished as it was when
he lived here, including his precious collection
of Japanese engravings. As you stroll through
the gardens, you’ll see some of the landscapes
that grace Monet’s paintings, including the
Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by
weeping willows and filled with water lilies.
Note: The Monet Foundation is only open from
April to October; a visit to Château Bizy will
be substituted. Scenic Cruising. The ship leaves
Vernon in the early evening and sails to
Conflans, named for its location at the
confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers, docking
around midnight. Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Conflans & Paris
Included Conflans Walking tour. After
breakfast, join a walking tour of this lovely
waterfront town. Enjoy its leisurely pace and
mingle with the locals. Maybe even try some
fresh breads and cheeses. Optional Tour. Instead
of the Conflans tour, you may wish to join an
optional tour to the Palace of Versailles. Your
motorcoach takes you through France’s
countryside to Louis XIII’s little “hunting
lodge,” embellished by his son, Louis XIV, into
a magnificent palace that became the official
residence of the Court of France. You’ll visit
some of the palace’s opulent rooms, the fabled
Hall of Mirrors and the palace’s magnificent
gardens (cost of the optional tour is 64 euros,
which includes motorcoach transportation, entry
fees and a guide). Return to your ship for
lunch. Then cruise through the afternoon,
arriving in Paris in the early evening. Dinner
is served aboard. Included Paris Cruise. During
the evening, board special excursion boats to
take in the sights as you cruise through the
heart of Paris along the Seine River. The ship
remains docked here overnight. Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 Paris
Included Paris Tour. After breakfast, enjoy
a tour of the romantic “City of Light.” This
morning’s tour gives you an overview of the
city’s classic highlights. Travel along the
famed Champs Elysées, viewing the landmark
Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe,
commissioned by Napoleon in 1806. You’ll also
see the modern addition to the city’s
architecture as you pass by the I.M. Pei-designed
glass pyramid entrance to the celebrated Louvre
Museum. Paris Leisure Time. Your afternoon is
free to explore more of Paris on your own,
perhaps visiting the city’s magnificent Gothic
Cathedral of Notre Dame. Gather this evening to
toast your memories and say farewell to your
newfound friends at the Captain’s Farewell
Dinner. The ship remains docked overnight.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Transfer to Chalon-sur-Saône via Dijon
Transfer to Chalon. Disembark after
breakfast and take a motorcoach transfer through
France’s scenic countryside to Chalon-sur-Saône.
Along the way, you’ll stop in Dijon for lunch on
your own and some free time. Continue to Chalon,
arriving at your ship in the late afternoon.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 Chalon-sur-Saône & Beaune
Included Beaune & Burgundy Wine Tour. After
breakfast, disembark for a motorcoach excursion
to Beaune, wine capital of Burgundy. Many of the
region’s vineyards are still owned by the
Hospices de Beaune, founded in 1443 as a
hospital. The hospital, with its beautiful tile
roof, is a magnificent example of Burgundian/Flemish
architecture. During your tour, you’ll enjoy
wine tasting at one of Beaune’s famous wine
cellars. Chalon-sur-Saône Leisure Time &
Optional Tour. Return to your ship for lunch and
enjoy the afternoon relaxing or exploring on
your own. You may wish to take the optional
excursion to the town of Cluny and to see the
ruins of its famous Benedictine Abbey, which was
the world’s largest church until St. Peter’s was
built in Rome. After your walking tour, you’ll
have some free time to explore Cluny on your own
before returning to your ship (cost of the
optional tour is 39 euros, which includes
motorcoach transportation, entry fees and a
guide). Welcome Reception. Gather this evening
to get acquainted with your Cruise Manager and
traveling companions at a Welcome Reception
before dinner. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner
Day 11 Lyon
River Cruising. Enjoy the morning cruising
through lovely Burgundy and Beaujolais
landscapes, passing lush vineyards, farms and
quaint villages. Included Lyon Tour. Dock after
lunch and disembark for a tour of beautiful
Lyon, a 2,000-year-old city and a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Your tour features the Old Town
with its City Hall and magnificent St. Jean
Cathedral. The ship remains docked in Lyon
overnight, so you can disembark after dinner for
a romantic evening walk. Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 Lyon & Vienne
Lyon Leisure Time. Your morning is free to
explore more of beautiful Lyon on your own.
Stroll through the streets and admire the lovely
old Renaissance buildings, art galleries and
restaurants. Or visit the Textile Museum
chronicling Lyon’s past as a silk and fabric
center. It was in Lyon that the Jacquard loom,
the first automatic loom able to weave complex
patterns, was invented. You may want to visit
the L’Atelier de Soierie silk factory or do some
shopping in the downtown area. Return to your
ship for lunch and a brief cruise to Vienne.
Included Vienne Tour. Arrive in Vienne in the
mid- fternoon. Disembark for a short walking
tour, including a mini-train ride. See the
town’s lovely cathedral and the Cybele Garden.
Get a glimpse of Vienne’s ancient Roman past at
the 1st century Temple of Emperor Augustus &
Livia. The ship sails again in the early
evening, arriving in the charming Rhône River
town of Tournon around midnight. Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 Tournon, Tain L’Hermitage & Viviers
Included Tain L’Hermitage Excursion. After
breakfast, disembark for a drive through the
surrounding vineyards to Tain L’Hermitage,
famous for its red wines. You’ll have a tour
through a winery and tasting of local wine.
You’ll also visit the small Musée de Tain
L’Hermitage located in the 16th century Hotel of
the Courbis, with its collection of paintings
from the new school of Paris. Time permitting,
you’ll visit the shop of the Valrhona chocolate
factory, which supplies the finest chocolate to
chefs from more than 30 countries. Scenic
Cruising & Viviers Evening Walk. Return to your
ship for lunch as it sails for Viviers, arriving
around dinnertime. After dinner join your Cruise
Manager for an evening stroll through the old
charming country town where you’ll see buildings
dating back to the Middle Ages and some
beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture.
The ship is docked here until about midnight.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14 Arles
Included Arles Tour. You’ve sailed through
the early morning hours, and arrived in Arles
this morning. Disembark after breakfast for a
walking tour of the town beloved by Vincent van
Gogh. In 1888, the artist wrote from Arles to
his brother Theo: “Nature here is
extraordinarily beautiful…I can’t match its
beauty in my painting, but I take so much in
that I can let myself go without restraint.”
Some of his finest works were produced here, and
his friend, Paul Gauguin, joined him in Arles
for a brief time. Known as “Little Rome of
Gaul,” Arles was once the richest city of the
Roman Empire after Rome, and you’ll visit the
Roman arena during your tour. Arles Leisure Time
& Optional Tour. After lunch onboard your ship,
you have the balance of the day to explore Arles
on your own. You may want to join an optional
excursion to the little village of Les Baux, set
beautifully on a high rocky spur. The village
was important during the Middle Ages, as
evidenced by its castle and numerous ruins, but
it was destroyed during the 17th century
religious wars. The mineral bauxite is mined
here and takes its name from this region. En
route back to the ship, you’ll stop in St. Rémy
(cost of the optional tour is 39 euros, which
includes motorcoach transportation and a guide).
The ship sails around dinnertime, arriving in
Avignon tonight. Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
Day 15 Avignon
Included Avignon Tour. Disembark after
breakfast for a walking tour of the town and
visit to the fabulous Papal Palaces. Known as
the “City of Popes,” Avignon is where the Popes
of the Holy See resided for much of the 14th
century. Rome was in turmoil, and this was an
ideal place for them to build their elegant
residences, chateaux, fortified palaces and
churches. Avignon Leisure Time & Optional Tour.
Enjoy lunch onboard ship and the balance of the
day at leisure to explore Avignon at your own
pace. You may want to stroll through the La
Balance Quarter, where Gypsies lived in the
1800s. In the last 30 years, the elegant old
town houses of the district have been largely
restored. Avignon boasts several museums,
including the Musée Calvet, located in a 18th
century neoclassical mansion and housing an
extensive collection of ancient silver, and the
Musée Louis-Vouland with a glittering collection
of 17th and 18th century porcelain, chandeliers,
tapestries and other antiques. You may want to
join an optional tour to Châteauneuf du Pape.
Two Popes from Avignon had decided on
Châteauneuf as their seat. Only ruins remain of
the two papal castles, but the Papal vineyards
still deliver its famous red wine. On the tour,
you’ll enjoy a tasting of some of the wines
produced in this famous region (cost of the
optional tour is 39 euros, which includes
motorcoach transportation, wine tasting and a
guide). Return to the ship for dinner. Captain’s
Farewell Dinner. Gather this evening to toast
your memories and say farewell to your newfound
friends at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. The
ship remains docked overnight. Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 16 Depart
After breakfast, disembark and transfer to
the airport for your return flight home.
Included Meals: Breakfast
|
Home
|
About Us
|
Site Map
|
FAQ
|
Contact Us