Paris, Normandy and the Loire (4750)

8 Day Tour from Paris to Paris

2024 Tour Details View 2025 Tour Details »

This northern France tour is the perfect way for value-minded travel lovers to see the highlights of Paris plus the Loire Valley and Normandy. Beautiful scenery combined with famous landmarks and fascinating history sum up this tour. You’ll visit some of northern France’s interesting and charming towns, including Rouen, best known for its connection to Joan of Arc. Here, step into the splendid Gothic cathedral, which was once the world’s tallest building and the subject of a series of Claude Monet’s paintings, just like the water garden in Giverny, depicted in some of his most famous canvases. Visit Honfleur, a romantic port city; Rennes, with its traditional, timber-framed houses; Blois, a picturesque town in the Loire Valley, with its renaissance castle located in the town center; and Chartres, famous for pilgrimages to its 13th-century gothic cathedral. In Bayeux, follow the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, listed by UNESCO. Admire the cathedral, ramparts, and ancient walls of St. Malo, a fortified seaside resort. Memories of World War II history come to life as you visit the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach and the landing beaches. Other highlights of this affordable France tour include picturesque Mont St. Michel, situated on a rocky isle with its world-famous abbey. Spend a day at leisure in Châteaux Country with the opportunity to take an optional excursion to discover the Château of Chenonceau, a 16th-century, fairytale castle with a moat, drawbridge, and towers. From historic sights to picturesque sceneries, this is a dream vacation!

Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!*

* Note: for operational reasons, changes to the Paris program cannot be excluded

Dates & Prices Book Online

800.646.5374

Photo Highlights

Meals

Meals & Itinerary

Buffet breakfasts daily; 2 dinners

Notes:

Departure November 8 due to closure of Giverny Gardens - visit to D-Day Museum instead.

Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN PARIS, FRANCE

Check into your hotel and use your CosmosGO app to explore the French capital. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and travel companions.

Day 2 PARIS

Enjoy a full day to explore the “City of Light,” known in the world for its fashion, art, museums, cuisine, and joie de vivre. Enjoy included sightseeing with a local expert to see many of the best-known Parisian iconic sights. Optional excursions are also available*.

* Note: for operational reasons, changes to the Paris program cannot be excluded

Breakfast

Day 3 PARIS–GIVERNY–ROUEN–HONFLEUR–DEAUVILLE

Start the day with a visit to Giverny*, home of impressionist painter Claude Monet. The famous water garden at Giverny was the inspiration behind some of Monet’s finest work (gardens open from April to October). Continue to Rouen to visit its great cathedral. Next, enjoy a stop in lovely Honfleur, situated on the Seine estuary, and then continue to the seaside resort of Deauville.
Today’s Distance: 199 mi/ 320 km

NOTE:
*On departure November 8, due to closure of Giverny Gardens, a visit to D-Day Museum will be included instead.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 4 DEAUVILLE–BAYEUX–NORMANDY LANDING BEACHES–MONT ST. MICHEL

Visit Bayeux, famed for its lacemaking and the world-renowned Bayeux tapestry depicting the story of William the Conqueror and Harold, Earl of Wessex—who led the Norman and Saxon armies in 1066 to conquer England. On to the legendary beaches of Normandy, where Allied troops landed more than 75 years ago. The highlight is the American Cemetery at Omaha. Then, discover spectacular Mont St. Michel, which stands on an island accessible by a causeway.
Today’s Distance: 154 mi/ 248 km

Breakfast

Day 5 MONT ST. MICHEL–ST. MALO–RENNES–CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY

Drive along the Brittany coast to the fortified seaside resort of St. Malo to admire its cathedral and ancient walls. Later, visit Rennes with its traditional, timber-framed houses, then reach the enchanting Châteaux Country.
Today’s Distance: 261 mi/ 420 km

Breakfast

Day 6 CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY

Spend a whole day at leisure or to take advantage of a fascinating optional excursion to some of the most celebrated castles of the Loire Valley: Château of Chenonceau, now privately owned, and Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 7 CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY–BLOIS–CHARTRES–PARIS

Take a stroll around Blois, with its Renaissance castle, once occupied by Louis XII. Later, stop in Chartres, home of the famous Gothic cathedral, and arrive in Paris in time to enjoy an optional evening excursion.
Today’s Distance: 193 mi/ 310 km

Breakfast

Day 8 PARIS

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

PATRICIA SUTRELL

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“Always thirsty for new challenges, my path led me to the role of Tour Director. I love people, enjoy sharing the history and anecdotes of the different places visited on tour. Everyday is different, and this provides me with the motivation to hopefully meet everyone's dream. I do believe that travelling is like a book, if you do not travel you will always remain on the first page. All we need is to open our eyes to the world, and enjoy every moment we have, as life is a journey.”

Accommodations

Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)

Paris

Chateaux Country

Paris

Excursion to Montmartre

Experience Montmartre, one the of most artistic and picturesque districts in Paris.

Price Range: $

Versailles, Palace of the Sun King

Spend part of your day like a French aristocrat, strolling through the halls and gardens of Louis XIV's opulent Palace of Versailles.

Price Range: $$

City of Light Discovery and Dinner

Enjoy a memorable 3-course dinner with wine and a nighttime orientation drive around the glimmering City of Light-the perfect way to experience Paris!

Price Range: $$

Chateaux Country

Dinner in the Loire Valley

Enjoy a delicious dinner of regional specialties at a quaint local restaurant in France's renowned Loire Valley.

Price Range: $$

Châteaux of the Loire Valley

Spend a day in France's legendary Châteaux Country, visiting two of the Loire Valley's most enchanting palaces, Amboise and Chenonceau, and touring a local wine cellar.

Price Range: $$

Private Touring

Private Touring: Cosmos European Private Touring enables you to experience all of the attractions, sights and highlights of your selected Cosmos tour as a private experience - delivered just for you and your traveling party. With Private Touring, you'll have your own dedicated Tour Director, your own private transportation and driver, and your own professional local guides. All with greater flexibility in pace and your experience. For your selected tour, there will be additional per-person cost for the size of your party - from 1 to 24. This additional supplement is reduced with each traveler you add to your party. Here's a sample of the additional cost:

6 guests in a party: $1,376*
18 guests in a party: $410*

Contact Cosmos or your preferred travel agent for pricing for your specific party size as well as any other information on Cosmos Private Touring.

*Supplement pricing is per person (USD) and will be added to the standard published price for your given departure date and is based on availability. Supplement price is valid for 2021 travel year. Occasionally some included and optional activities & excursions may be operated with other guests. Additional restrictions may apply. Not applicable for custom groups. No Group allowances or promotions are available on Private Touring. Published itineraries only. Note that blackout dates may exist where the Private Touring option is not available.

The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).