Overview:

A grand adventure lies ahead with famous wines and excellent food, snow-capped mountains, sun-drenched beaches, magnificent châteaux, and learning about Roman remains and fascinating battlefield history.

Countries Visited

France

Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.

Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.

Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.

We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.

Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.

Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.

If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Chablis: Taste one of the most famous white wines in the world. Treasure the purity of flavour and rapier-like effect on the palate with an expert vintner.
Chambéry: Savour a delightful Farm-to-Table Dinner prepared with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and accompanied with local wine.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Embark on a Côtes du Rhone experience to a famous wine village, where you sample wine with an expert and gain a few tips about what to look for in a robust red - its colour, fragrance and legs are all as important as the taste!
Cahors: See the Pont Valentré as you enjoy a tasting through the markets.
Dordogne Valley: Sample some of the delicacies of the area when you visit a local farm.
Paris: Meet a local foodie for a behind-the-scenes look into Parisian life. Taste local delicacies in a patisserie, boulangerie, fromagerie and chocolatier off-the-beaten-track on a gourmet walking tour.
Paris: Rendezvous with your friends at a typical French bistro for a rousing Highlight Dinner with wine. Bon appétit!
Loire Valley: At Château de Rochecotte you will enjoy a delicious Farm-to-Table Dinner, prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Saumur: Fun and informative, discuss the grape varieties and local terroir while sampling wines of the Loire Valley.
Loire Valley: Your chateau hotel enjoys a high standard of creative cuisine and is featured in many prestigious food guides. Experience it for yourself with an elegant Celebration Dinner of fresh, seasonal produce and wine.
Dining Summary: 21 Breakfasts (B) and 10 Dinners with Wine (DW) all with tea or coffee.
Dijon: The 5-star Grand Hotel Dijon La Cloche boasts a supreme view over the prestigious Place Darcy and has been welcoming prominent world figures since the 15th century. The luxurious refined decor and timeless interior garden offer guests every comfort and privacy.
Albi: Hostellerie Saint Antoine is centrally located with features such as Albi Cathedral, Toulouse Lautrec Museum and the Tarn River on your doorstep.
Normandy: L'Hôtel du Golf is located just 10 minutes from Deauville Beach, known as a weekend getaway for Parisians. With it's Tudor-style facade and tasteful, modern interiors, relax in comfort during your stay. Perhaps play a round of golf on one of the three 9-hoole courses, known as some of the most beautiful in France.
Saint-Malo: Hotel Le Nouveau Monde is a 4-star hotel, perfectly located in the heart of Saint-Malo, facing the sea and close to the old town.
Saint Patrice, Loire Valley: Stay two fabulous nights at the Château de Rochecotte in the Loire Valley, the former private estate of Prince Tallyrand and the Duchess of Dino. Sit with a drink on the terrace and enjoy the beautiful setting or take a stroll through the magnificent gardens.
Bastille Day: Celebrated across France on 14 July, Bastille Day commemorates the end of the French monarchy. Witness the remarkable display of fireworks lighting up the warm summer sky and perhaps join in one of the traditional balls.
Troyes: Explore the medieval heart of the Champagne capital.
Dijon: Listen as your Travel Director tells you about the history of Dijon, the capital city of the Burgundy region.
Chamonix: Stay in France’s mountaineering capital.
Annecy: Enjoy free time in the Little Venice area.
Nice: Enjoy exploring the beautiful coastal town of Nice on the French Riviera.
Côte d’Azur: Visit a perfumery to learn about the French perfume industry and discover your signature scent.
Monaco: Enjoy a drive along part of the Grand Prix circuit. Wander the old town to see the Royal Palace and the yacht-filled harbour and visit the cathedral to see the Tomb of Princess Grace.
St-Paul de Vence: Discover the beauty of this hilltop town and why it became a refuge for artists.
Aix-en-Provence: See the mansions of the Cours Mirabeau.
Avignon: During a city orientation learn about the history behind this medieval city. See Pont Saint-Bénézet, also known as Pont d'Avignon, and pass the medieval battlements to the town centre to see the Papal Palace.
Pont du Gard: See the ancient Roman bridges of Pont du Gard that cross the Gardon River.
Arles: Hear more about the city that is famed for being the inspiration behind the Van Gogh paintings during a city orientation.
Carcassonne: Enjoy an orientation of this fortified town and see the fortress, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Albi: This is the birthplace of artist, Toulouse Lautrec. Walk the town and marvel at the awe-inspiring cathedral.
Rocamadour: Visit this medieval cliff top town.
Sarlat-la-Canéda: See the golden limestone buildings.
Lascaux II Caves: These caves contain some of the oldest and finest prehistoric art in the world. For preservation reasons, they have been replicated in all their glory.
Paris: See Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, facades of the Louvre, the River Seine and its romantic bridges, the obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde and enjoy a drive along the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
Rouen: See the cathedral, the Great Clock, the Old Market square and Place du Vieux-Marché where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
Honfleur: See this charming fishing town.
Normandy Beaches: Join an emotive journey tracing the story of the D-Day landings - the 75th anniversary will be commemorated on the 6th June 2019. See the remains of the artificial Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches and with a local war historian, visit the American Military Cemetery at St-Laurent-sur-Mer, the D-Day Museum and the bunkers at Pointe du Hoc.
Mont-Saint-Michel: Savour your first sight of the fortified island of Mont-Saint-Michel. Cross the causeway for a guided tour with your Local Expert through the maze of halls and vaults of the abbey.
Saint-Malo: Your Local Expert guides you trough the intertwined streets of the walled city to arrive at the cathedral. Later enjoy the chance to walk along the fortifications and explore the cities nightlife at your leisure.
Angers: Enjoy exploring the western gateway to the Loire Valley in the little town of Angers and see its imposing chateau.
Loire Valley: Enjoy a scenic drive through the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known as the Jardins de France thanks to a wide variety of beautifully-manicured gardens that decorate the grounds of elegant estates. Accompanied by your Local Expert, visit France’s finest formal gardens that surround Villandry Castle, standing beside the Cher River.
Château d'Ussé: During your visit to Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, take your time to admire the subtle blend of French tradition and innovative Italian decor within this 16th century icon of the Loire Valley.
Chartres: Inside magnificent Chartres Cathedral, marvel at the stained-glass windows, a riot of rich blues and reds, justly considered the finest medieval glass in France.
Scenic Drives: Relax and enjoy the scenery of the French countryside as you travel through Burgundy, the High Alps, along the Route Napoleon and French Riviera, past Cote d’Azur, Avignon, the Languedoc Region, through the Dordogne Valley, along the River Seine and through Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley.