Paris and Loire Valley

9 Days /8 Nights
1 night Transatlantic Flight,

4 nights Paris, 2 nights Blois, 1 night Tours
8 Breakfasts, 8 Dinners

Day 1: DEPARTURE CITY - PARIS

Overnight flight to Paris.
 

Day 2: PARIS

Transfer to your centrally located hotel. After a short break We start with a guided tour of Paris. See: the Eiffel Tower, Old Opera, Place de la Concorde, Place de la Republique, the Obelisk, Notre Dame Cathedral (inside visit), Champs Elysees, Ecole Militaire, Tuileries Gardens, Opera, and more. Join your tour director on a walking tour to Basilica Sacre Coeur and through the narrow streets of Montmartre, full of young artists, souvenir shops and Parisian crepe food outlets. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 3: PARIS

After breakfast we will walk to the Louvre where we will have a guided tour led by the professional guide from the museum. Explore the tremendous collection of sculptures and paintings, including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Then walk along the Seine River to Champ de Mars where you will use the elevator to bring you to the highest point of Eiffel Tower with a magnificent view over the city. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.
 

Day 4: PARIS - VERSAILLES - PARIS

After breakfast we will take a short ride to Versailles to visit the lavish palace of Louis the XIV, the Sun King. Visit the Royal Cambers, Hall of the Mirrors, Drawing Rooms, Royal Chapel and other rooms. After visiting the castle spend some time in the village of Versailles. In the afternoon return to Paris and walk to Pont Alma where you will board the Bateaux Mouches for an exciting cruise on the Seine River. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 5: PARIS - BLOIS

After breakfast we start our journey to the Loire Valley known as the Valley of the Castles. We visit the Royal Residence in Blois, the home of French kings and queens for more than four centuries. Under Louis XII Blois became a royal town and the capital of the Kingdom. Visit the castle where Catherine de Medici and her son Henri III often resided.  Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel in Blois.

Day 6: BLOIS - LOIRE VALLEY CASTLES - BLOIS

After breakfast we start the tour with a  visit to Chambord Castle, the largest of the Loire Castles. You will admire the great work of François I. This castle was built as his own personal hunting grounds. You walk up to the terraces with the famous “double revolution” staircase attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci. You move on to Cheverny Castle, widely acknowledged as the most beautifully furnished Castle of the Loire. It is still inhabited. You will be stunned by its genuine charm and magnificent decorum. The tour breaks for lunch and some free time in the Cheverny village. The last castle to be visited is Chenonceau Castle, also known as the "Chateau des Dames" or "Ladies Castle" in the history of France. It was built in 1513 by Catherine Briçonnet, then embellished by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, and later Madame Dupin managed to save it from the ravages of the revolution. Indeed, Chenonceau owes most of its charm to women. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel in Blois.

Day 7: BLOIS - AMBOISE - TOURS

Breakfast. Morning departure from Blois for a ride along the French country side to reach the beautiful town of Amboise. Visit Clos Luce where Leonardo da Vinci lived toward the end of his life and painted the famous Mona Lisa. Visit the Amboise Castle where King Frances I lived. He was the one who invited Leonardo to France. Then proceed to the Chenonceau Castle, the most beautiful castle in the valley. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel in Tours.

Day 8: TOURS - MT. SAINT MICHEL - ST. MALO - PARIS

After breakfast we travel along the the coast to visit Mont Saint Michel, one of France greatest tourist attractions with its narrow streets dominated by the Abbey. In the afternoon return to St. Malo to the famous pirates den and the great walled town. Continue to Caen and Rouen. Visit the Cathedral in Rouen and spend some time exploring an shopping. Return to Paris for the overnight.

Day 9: DEPARTURE

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.