Your Itinerary
ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for BoardingFlights into Marseille must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES(D)
ARLES
A Brush with GeniusVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through a Power Walk in Arles with your Adventure Host, OR:DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon. This evening enjoy live entertainment with a Jazz Band.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON(B,L,D)
AVIGNON
The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes, OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, an engineering masterpiece that supplied water to Nîmes during the Roman Empire, OR: DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNON (B,L,D)
TOURNON
A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards ACTIVE Explore Tournon by foot as you follow your Adventure Host for a morning hike in this beautiful town along the Rhone, OR: CLASSIC Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities with its 16th-century castle. DISCOVERY Enjoy a Jazz entertainment onboard while sailing to Vienne. Jazz FestivalCLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour through this charming French hill town, including the cathedral, Archaeological Gardens of Cybèle, and Roman Temple of Augustus & Livia. After dinner, enjoy free time to attend the well-known Vienne Jazz Festival. Bars and pubs in Vienne all feature music during this festival time. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN SAINTE-COLOMBE (B,L,D)
LYON
La Vie En Rose in Lyon Sail for lovely Lyon this morning. ACTIVE Discover Lyon's architectural district by bike with your Adventure Host, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON(B,L,D)
LYON
Medieval Walls and Movie SetCLASSIC Explore one of the most beautiful medieval walled towns in France on this half-day guided tour of Pérouges, idyllic movie set from the 1973 version of "The Three Musketeers". This evening, enjoy the strains of Gypsy Jazz, a style of jazz often said to have been started by guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France, it is often called by the French name “Jazz Manouche”EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS(B,L,D)
TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE
Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône DISCOVERY Travel into the rolling landscapes of the Mâconnais region to learn about its world-famous Chardonnay vineyards, the wines produced here, and to attend a wine-tasting in the cellars of a real medieval castle!DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting onboard.Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE(B,L,D)
CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–DIJON–PARIS (EMBARKATION)
Drive to Beaune and take a High-Speed Train from Dijon to Paris.CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights.This afternoon, take a high-speed train from Dijon to Paris to board your Suite Ship®.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON(B,D)
VERNON
Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du JourVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Explore Vernon's Chateau des Tourelles by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet’s charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces*, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy’s Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.DISCOVERY While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys. Serenity on the SeineACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France’s most picturesque spots on the Seine.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC(B,L,D)*Monet’s House is closed in March and November. During this period this excursion will be replaced with a Guided Tour of La Roche-Guyon and its castle
CAUDEBEC
Ancient Abbeys Along the SeineACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC(B,L,D)
CAUDEBEC. EXCURSIONS TO NORMANDY
Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to get a taste of authentic tradition in the beautiful region of Normandy. Toast the day with a brandy tasting in Calvados.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship. EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN(B,L,D)
ROUEN
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, and a Heroine for France ACTIVE Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—home of the martyred Joan of Arc—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CONFLANS(B,L,D)
CONFLANS
The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison*—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings. EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS(B,L,D)* Château de Malmaison is closed the 1st Sunday of each month. On these dates, this excursion will be replaced by a visit to Château de Chantilly
PARIS
Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of LightJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées.Stroll through Paris on your own, or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS(B,L,D)
PARIS (DISEMBARKATION)–LONDON
Say goodbye to your Avalon portion of your vacation after breakfast. An included transfer delivers you to the train station. Travel to London by high-speed Eurostar train (Standard class).
LONDON
England’s Exciting CapitalCLASSIC Enjoy a morning Guided Sightseeing including all of London’s famous landmarks. Drive past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were married; Whitehall’s mounted horseguards; the Prime Minister’s Downing Street; Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. Then, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral (except on Sundays). Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with its world-famous dome is an iconic feature of London’s skyline. (B)
LONDON
Free Time on the ThamesEnjoy a free day to explore this spectacular city at your own pace. You could take a flight on the London Eye for fantastic views over the city, or visit Windsor Castle, for a tour of the magnificent State Apartments. In the evening, see one of the dozens of celebrated West End shows, or enjoy dinner at a traditional London pub, followed by a relaxing nighttime cruise on the Thames River. There are so many possibilities to make your stay unforgettable.(B)
LONDON
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.(B)