Friday, March 4 DFW - Paris, France
Meet Delta Dawn Travels at DFW to depart for international nonstop flight to Paris, France. Meal service on board.
Saturday, March 5 Paris - Caen
Morning arrival Charles de Gaulle airport. Board your private motor-coach and transfer to Rouen, the capital city of Normandy for a wine tasting and lunch. Free time after lunch to see local sights in the city of Joan of Arc; perhaps find the Gros Horloge or Notre Dame Cathedral, which Claude Monet painted on canvas at least 30 times. Continue to Caen where you may want to see the cathedral or visit the Caen Memorial Museum on your own. B, L
Sunday, March 6 Caen
Full day excursion with the group for a guided tour of the D Day region including La Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Arromanches and the Landing Museum, and the American Cemetery. Late afternoon visit to the nearly 1,000 year old Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of William the conqueror. Return to Caen and enjoy local specialties at a group dinner. B, D
Monday, March 7 Caen - Tours
Travel to beautiful Mont St. Michel, a Unesco World Heritage Site, surrounded by sand and sea and often called a “Wonder of the Western World.” Towering atop this rocky islet between Normandy and Brittany is a spectacular and well preserved Norman Benedictine Abbey, which we will visit. The Mont is also home to a medieval village that grew in the shadow of its great walls. Free time to enjoy the sites, and grab lunch on your own, perhaps the most famous dish on the mount, an omelette cooked over an open fire at La Mere Poulard! This afternoon, head inland to the Loire River Valley, the “garden of France” and home to over 120 castles of many architectural varieties. Overnight stay in Tours with a group dinner. B, D
Tuesday, March 8 Tours
Full day excursion to the Loire River Valley with a visit to Chateau de Chambord, one of the most recognizable chateaux in the world. Take an audio-guided tour of this very distinctive French Renaissance style blending traditional French medieval with classical Renaissance structures. Break for lunch on your own. Continue on to Château de Chenonceau for an afternoon audio-guided tour of one of the most beautiful castles in France. Its Renaissance splendor spans the river. Return to Tours for the remainder of afternoon and evening free for dinner on your own. B
Wednesday, March 9 Tours - Paris
Mid-morning departure from Tours with a stop in Châteaudun/Jallans for lunch provided by Delta Dawn. Continue journey for early afternoon arrival at Château de Versailles for a guided tour. Versailles, a former hunting lodge for King Louis XIII and expanded by Louis XIV, the Sun King, is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed ending WWI. The expansive gardens include 200,000 trees, 50 fountains, and a 1,500 meter Grand Canal. Continue to Paris, the City of Light and Love. Visit the Eiffel Tower, all the way to the third level for panoramic views. Dinner on your own. B, L
Thursday, March 10 Paris
Morning guided tour of Paris, including entrance to Napoleon’s Tomb. See the Palais Garnier (Paris Opera), Place de la Concorde, American Embassy, Arc de Triomphe and Cathedrale Notre-Dame. Afternoon tour of the world’s most famous museum, the Musée du Louvre. Originally a fortress at the end of the 12th century, it later served as a royal palace for monarchs such as Louis XIII, and was a favorite haunt of Alexandre Dumas’ musketeers. After the French Revolution, it was opened to the public in 1793 as the Museum Central des Arts. Today it is the largest museum on Earth. Highlights include the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo, among the 35,000 works of art. Dinner this evening near the Champs-Elysées. Afterwards, see Paris from a different point of view on a Bateaux Mouches Seine river cruise and sail past the illuminated monuments of Paris. B, D
Friday, March 11 Paris
Morning free for shopping, or touring on your own. Perhaps visit the Rue Clerc, Place des Vosges, or Place Vendome. This afternoon, visit the Musée d’Orsay. Bus provided for a drive by the Bastille, Moulin Rouge and a visit to Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur. Evening free and dinner on your own. B
Saturday, March 12 Paris
Enjoy a leisurely day in Paris for additional sightseeing, shopping on Rue Cler or Galeries Lafayette, or sitting at a sidewalk café sipping espresso and eating French pastries. Perhaps a day excursion to Giverny, home of Claude Monet, or to the Champagne region for a tour at Moet et Chandon? Climb to the top of Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame to see the view from the top up close and personal with the gargoyles! Special farewell dinner planned for our final night in Paris. B, D
Sunday, March 13 Paris - DFW
Private transfer to airport this morning for non-stop return flight to the U.S. with your memories of your new French adventures! Meal service on board. B