Candlelit Châteaux & Great Gardens of Paris

Day 1

Travel to Dover for our short sea ferry crossing. Making suitable comfort stops we continue to the Novotel Paris Saclay in time to freshen up before our evening meal.

Day 2

Monet’s Gardens at Giverny & Vernon.
After an early breakfast we travel to Monet’s country retreat in Giverny where we visit the impressionist painter’s charming pink house and iconic gardens. We can relax in the gardens at our leisure, admiring the Japanese bridge and famous waterlily pond. We then travel to the pretty neighbouring village of Vernon and discover over 200 half-timbered houses with ancient doors and carved timbers, wrought iron shop signs, cobbled paths,, and the famous Old Mill. Time to purchase lunch and spend the afternoon exploring the church, museums, the village and the banks of the river Seine at leisure before returning to our hotel.

Day 3

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.
We spend the morning at leisure and enjoy lunch at our hotel before boarding our coach in the afternoon to visit another beautiful château, Vaux le Vicomte, where we spend an enchanting evening exploring this magical estate by the flickering lights of 2,000 candles before the night ends with an illumination display! Dinner can be purchased in the self-service restaurant during the evening.

Day 4

Palace of Versailles & Paris.
This morning, we enjoy a guided tour of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, considered to be one of the most magnificent achievements of 18th century French architecture and design. The awe-inspiring Hall of Mirrors and astonishingly beautiful palatial grounds are highlights of France’s most famous château. In the afternoon we travel into Paris, where we drop you off at the bottom of Champs-Èlysèes, known for its cafes and luxury shops. We travel past the Eifel Tower and Arc de Triomphe enroute. We return to our hotel for our evening meal.

Day 5

We depart our hotel after breakfast and return to home area stopping in Amiens for lunch to be purchased before our return ferry crossing.

B=Breakfast Included, D=Dinner Included