Table of Contents
Splashes of color and the spray of the sea abound in southern France. The best way to pair them with the allure of Paris?
Itinerary
A Week in France: The Riviera, Provence & Paris
9 days | 12 days with Normandy & Paris extension | Estimated monthly payments as low as $161
Overnight Flight 1 night
Nice | 2 nights
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Bonne arrivée! After clearing arrivals, transfer from the airport to your hotel to recharge. Then, get to know your Tour Director and fellow group members at a welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.
Book Your France Tours
9 days | 12 days with Normandy & Paris extension | Estimated monthly payments as low as $161
Book NowIncluded meal: Breakfast
Nestled between Cannes and the Principality of Monaco on the Côte d’Azur, Nice is part cultural hub, part coastal resort, and entirely fascinating. Fall in love with La Belle—the Niçois’ affectionate nickname for their hometown—during a guided tour of the city this morning, and see which of its quarters claims your heart.
Drive along the Promenade des Anglais, a waterfront walkway dear to locals and tourists alike. Spot the various highlights called out by your Tour Director, like the distinguished Hotel Negresco and the iron sculpture known as La Chaise Bleue.
Stop in the upscale Cimiez neighborhood and take in a pair of legendary landmarks: the second-century ruins of a Roman amphitheater and the thriving, calming gardens of the Cimiez Monastery.
Conclude with free time in Nice’s Old Town, a labyrinth of narrow streets connecting bustling squares, quaint cafes, and the vibrant Cours Saleya market. (Looking for souvenirs? Pick up tapenades, candied fruit, and other local specialties for the gourmand in your life.)
Mega yachts. Movie stars. Formula 1. In Monaco, luxury reigns, and tonight’s optional excursion will give you a taste of life in the world’s second-smallest country—complete with a visit to the opulent Monte Carlo Casino. Alternatively, sneak away to Cap Ferrat and enjoy a short hike on the coastal Sentier du Littoral.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, you’ll take a slight detour: Instead of driving inland to Avignon, you’ll first cross the French Riviera and stop in Cassis. Bobbing sailboats and towering cliffs typify this fishing village, and you’ll get to see it all from the water during an included cruise.
Board your boat and motor into the Bay of Cassis, keeping your eyes (and cameras) trained on the craggy coastline.
Pause to snap photos of the Port de Cassis and the village’s famous calanques—fjord-like inlets carved by the elements out of white limestone.
Return to shore, explore Cassis, and grab lunch in your free time, then finish the final leg of your journey to Avignon. There, you’ll gather for an included group dinner, served with beer or wine, before spending the rest of the evening at your leisure.
Please note: The cruise in Cassis is weather-dependent. In case of inclement weather, it will be replaced with another activity.
Included meal: Breakfast
Sited along the Rhone River, Avignon—the City of Popes—has long sat at the confluence of history and culture. With a local guide leading the way, you’ll discover its architectural and artistic legacies (as well as the origins of its reverent nickname).
Spot the four remaining arches of the Pont Saint-Benezet. Though ruined in the mid-17th century, this stone bridge is a symbol of the city and inspired the children’s song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” (“On the Bridge of Avignon”).
Step inside the cavernous Papal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Its fortress-like walls soar more than 160 feet tall—a surefire way to protect its former residents.
Stroll through the heart of the city, its historic center unfolding before you, past old streets and imposing walls that still stand guard today.
Up for a day trip? Spend your afternoon and evening in Aix-en-Provence, wandering through medieval cathedrals and sampling regional wines, on our optional excursion. If not, hang back in Avignon and stroll down the cobbled Rue des Teinturiers—and consider stopping at a canalside cafe for a snack.
Included meal: Breakfast
Start your day by transferring to the train station and boarding the TGV. (That stands for Train à Grande Vitesse—literally “high-speed train.” With speeds capping out at 200 mph, they mean it!)
After a zippy ride through landscapes that inspired France’s most virtuosic artists, arrive at your tour’s last stop: Paris. If you add our optional excursion to your itinerary, you’ll take the waters of a Seine river cruise for an evening cruise and dinner. Otherwise, enjoy a free night beneath the city’s glimmering lights.
Please note: Porterage isn’t included on train transfers. You should be comfortable lifting and carrying all luggage over steps, onto platforms, and into storage.
Included meal: Breakfast
Ready to be dazzled by the City of Light? Follow a local guide on a sightseeing tour to get an overview of its most recognizable landmarks and a feel for the character of its arrondissements. (That’s French for “districts,” and it’s how Parisians refer to the city’s neighborhoods.)
Drive down the sycamore-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées and take in the magnificent Arc de Triomphe, originally built to commemorate one of Napoleon’s many conquests. A dozen different avenues spoke from this epic arch, making it Paris’s symbolic heart.
Pass the 16th-century Pont Neuf, the oldest stone bridge in Paris, and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Watching over its arrondissement from an island in the Seine River, this French Gothic masterwork is a veritable icon.
Stop for a photo at the Eiffel Tower (you know this one!) before viewing the Palais Garnier opera house and the Place de la Concorde, the city’s grandest square.
Pass by the I.M. Pei-designed Louvre Pyramid—the grandiose glass gateway to the world’s preeminent art museum.
Marvel at the Hotel des Invalides: Erected in the 17th century and built to a height of roughly 350 feet, this gold-domed structure is the largest church building in Paris and serves as the final resting place of its greatest military leaders.
If you need a break from the buzz of this electric city, seek royal refuge by adding an afternoon outing to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles. You’ll encounter gilded walkways, fresco-adorned ceilings, and close to 2,000 acres of immaculate green space—all just a few miles west of Paris. Or, stay in town and use your free time to amble to the Champ-de-Mars and savor a picnic in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner
Claude Monet once said, “All my money goes into my garden.” Today, you can see the wondrous results of the artist’s dedication to his blooms. Add our optional trip to Giverny to your itinerary to visit his home and cherished gardens. To admire a different side of France’s artistic pedigree, consider visiting one of Paris’s many stellar museums. (Take your pick from the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, or the Musee de l’Orangerie.)
Finally, come together as a group one last time for a farewell dinner, served with beer or wine, and toast to a trip well-spent.
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Not ready to say goodbye? Add our extension to hit the road for Normandy, where stunning villages, somber beaches, and more await.
Leave Paris, watching as the cityscape transforms into a medley of rolling hills, open farmland, and sleepy villages. Before arriving on the Normandy coast, you’ll make a pair of stops.
Visit Rouen, home to the Gothic, two-towered Rouen Cathedral; dreamy half-timbered medieval houses; and the Gros-Horloge, a giant clock whose mechanism dates to the 14th century.
Walk through the Old Market Square where Joan of Arc, the famed French heroine, was executed in 1431.
Head to seaside Honfleur and gaze upon its port, once the launch point for expeditions across the Atlantic to Quebec, Canada. If it looks picture-perfect, that’s because it is—the inner harbor has inspired impressionist painters, poets, and playwrights for centuries.
Sample cheeses—including Camembert, Pont-l’Eveque, and Livarot—paired with cider and Calvados, the region’s distinctive apple brandy.
Think of Normandy, and you’ll likely think of one thing: D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Today, you’ll tread the same shores that saw one of the most epic battles of World War II and look firsthand at its enduring remains.
Pause at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, the final resting place for more than 9,000 American soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Normandy.
Walk along Omaha Beach, the landing site of American troops on D-Day, and visit the Pointe du Hoc to view a granite monument honoring the 2nd Ranger Battalion, which took and held the promontory under heavy resistance.
Continue to Arromanches-les-Bains, where you’ll have free time to explore and eat lunch. The town is famous for its remnants of a Mulberry harbor, an artificial port built by the Allies to supply troops. At low tide, large concrete blocks and the harbor’s ruins are visible on the beach, creating a striking contrast against the coastline.
Included meal: Breakfast
Return to Paris and enjoy a farewell drink with your group this evening.
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
