Escorted Paris & The Heart of Normandy

Highlights

• Roundtrip Transportation to Airport (minimum # required)
• All Meals Onboard
• 7 Nights onboard the Viking Skaga
• Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with onboard dinner and lunch service, bottled water and complimentary cappuccino, coffee and tea at the 24-hour hot beverage bar
• 6 Guided Shore Excursions led by knowledgeable local guides utilizing an audio headset system
• Ship Shop Escort throughout Tour
• Port Taxes & Fees
• Roundtrip Airfare: Air is not included in above rates. If cabin is booked by Oct 31, 2024 and receive air for $799pp!

Itinerary

Day 1

Board your deluxe motorcoach to the airport for your flights to Paris - known as the “City of Light”.

Day 2

Arrive in Paris and after clearing Customs, transfer to your beautiful Viking Longship. Long a hub of French culture and cuisine, Paris is one of the most romantic destinations in the world. Over the centuries, Parisian culture has been built on the wings of inspiration. Music, film, architecture, literature, dance and the visual arts all have their brilliant place in the museums, theaters, bookstores and remarkably preserved buildings of this magnificent city. At the center of it all is the Champs-Élysées. With its inviting riverside promenade, graceful bridges and splendid views of all things Parisian, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre Museum. (D)

Day 3

Enjoy a panoramic city tour of Paris—See the major sights of the romantic “City of Light” with a knowledgeable local guide. Begin along the famed Champs-Élysées, viewing the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his triumphs. Pass many of Paris’s classic highlights, including the Palais Garnier opera house, the celebrated Louvre Museum with its I. M. Pei–designed glass pyramid entrance and the Paris Town Hall. Continue into the Latin Quarter, then drive by Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Luxembourg Gardens, Musée d’Orsay, Place de la Concorde and the beautiful and recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais. See the Les Invalides complex of military buildings, which houses Napoleon’s Tomb and the École Militaire (Military School). Cap your excursion with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars. (B, L, D)

Day 4

Visit the enchanting gardens and estate that inspired one of history’s great painters, founder of impressionism Claude Monet. Drive with your guide into the countryside to Giverny, the village that Monet called home from 1883 until his death in 1926. At the Monet Foundation, you will explore the artist’s home and gardens, now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house with its pink, crushed-brick facade and green shutters is furnished as it was when he lived here, and contains his precious collection of Japanese engravings. Stroll the gardens to see firsthand the landscapes that grace Monet’s paintings, including the Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows and teeming with water lilies. (B, L, D)

Day 5

The Seine meanders through the mellow vistas of Normandy. As it makes its sleepy and serpentine way to the English Channel, it winds along for 240 miles from Paris, more than doubling the distance of a crow’s flight. As you sail, fertile fields unfurl toward groves of apple orchards, sources of the region’s famed calvados apple brandy. Norman cows graze the grassy meadows that help produce creamy Brie and Camembert. You will also gaze upon picturesque villages and historic abbeys on these bucolic banks. Explore the medieval quarter of the cultural capital of Normandy. Stroll with your guide to the historic city center. Known as the “Ville Aux Cent Clochers” or “City of a Hundred Spires,” Rouen’s most magnificent steeple rises from the Notre Dame Cathedral, a favorite subject of Claude Monet. Visit its breathtaking interior, burial place of Richard the Lionheart, English king and Norman duke, and admire the ornate gold face of the Renaissance-style Gros Horloge Astronomical Clock. Admire the Bourgtheroulde Mansion, see several beautiful half-timbered houses and the 14th-century abbey where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death and the Place du Vieux Marché, where she was burned at the stake. A statue of Joan marks the place of the pyre. At tour’s end, return to the ship at your leisure, a few blocks away on the beautiful Seine River. (B, L, D)

Day 6

Ponder the courage of the Allied troops who changed the course of World War II during a visit to the D-Day Beaches. Travel with your guide to the Caen Memorial Museum, where you will learn about the invasion of Normandy and the events that led to the liberation of Europe. On-screen, watch “D-Day and the Battle of Normandy” featuring archived footage. Browse the museum exhibits and souvenir shop. After lunch, follow the coast to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer. Located high on a cliff over Omaha Beach, it is the final resting place of nearly 9,400 American service personnel. You can walk among its many white crosses and Stars of David, then browse the visitor center. After your tour, return to your ship. (B,L,D)

Day 7

Explore one of the most fantastic fortresses of Normandy while admiring sweeping views of the Seine as it winds its way through the countryside. You will accompany your Program Director to the remarkable Château Gaillard, which seems to beckon from atop its high hill. The stronghold was built in the 12th century by Richard the Lionheart of England, who was also Duke of Normandy. His structure is considered the most dramatic sight anywhere along the Seine between the coast and Paris. The strongest and most magnificent castle of its age, it guarded the Seine River Valley and was the key structure in a vast system that defended Normandy during the Wars of Religion. It was also of critical importance in Richard’s campaigns against France. You will tour the exterior of this fine example of medieval siege warfare construction, considered invincible for as long as Richard lived. (B, L, D)

Day 8

Napoleon’s Chateau de Malmaison: Visit the historic château where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final days in France. Along with the Tuileries, this elegant manor house, purchased by the emperor’s wife, Josephine, in 1799, served as the seat of Napoleon’s French government from 1800 to 1802. After the couple’s divorce, she collected an annual pension of 5 million francs and kept the house, which she called home until her death in 1814. The emperor returned the following year after his defeat at Waterloo and received news of his exile to the island of Saint Helena. Admire the courtyards and see Josephine’s beloved music room and library. Visit her opulent chambers and salon, and view the emperor’s bedroom and the stunning mahogany decor of his study with its original furnishings. Enjoy free time here before returning to your ship. (B, L, D)

Day 9

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flights home taking with your wonderful memories of Paris & The Heart of Normandy. Upon arrival home in the States, your motorcoach will be awaiting your arrival to transfer you to Connecticut. (B)

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