Madeira Luxury Tour
Madeira – 8 days from $5,718: Luxury private tours, exclusive culinary experiences, and unforgettable adventures.
READ MORE...Enjoy 3 days exploring some of the rich cultural heritage of northern France & the Loire Valley. Spend a Day in Normandy visiting Honfleur, Rouen and the major D-Day Landing beaches. Continue your journey with a visit to Saint-Malo & the extraordinary Mont Saint-Michel, before finally touring the great Châteaux of the Loire Valley!
Early this morning board an air-conditioned coach and cross through the neighbourhoods of western Paris until you reach the Normandy motorway. During the trip, your guide will explain the details of the tour and provide you with some initial commentary about the region. After around two hours, you will arrive in Rouen, the first stop of your excursion. Your guide will walk you through the historic centre to discover, among other things, the impressive Rouen Cathedral. The city of Rouen is particularly charming thanks to its medieval alleyways, its lively pedestrian streets, its half-timbered houses and its famous Gros Horloge, an astronomical clock that is one of the city's treasures. Many Impressionist painters were inspired by the beauty of the city, including Claude Monet, who painted various views of the cathedral. Then head to Honfleur, approximately 90 km (56 miles) west of Rouen. During the ride, admire the view of the Pont de Normandie, a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Seine estuary. In Honfleur, you'll have some free time to discover this port city with its picturesque streets and colourful houses which have preserved a rich historic & artistic heritage and enjoy lunch, on your own, in one of Honfleur's many typical restaurants, on your own. After lunch, the bus will set off again, this time along the Norman coastline. Explore the famous Normandy beaches where the Allies landed on June 6, 1944, must-see sites for World War II history. The American Cemetery in Colleville sur Mer, located near Omaha Beach, is a place for quiet reflection. Commemorating the Battle of Normandy, the cemetery is notable for its size, 70 hectares, and its rows of white marble tombstones. The next stop is at Arromanches Beach, where you can still spy the remains of the pontoons used for the landing, despite the wear & tear inflicted by the sea. The day ends in Caen where you will enjoy dinner & overnight accommodation at Novotel Caen (or similar). (D)
Your second day begins with a breakfast buffet and the tour continues in Saint-Malo (located about 170 km from Caen). Admire the city walls, Château, Saint-Malo Cathedral and Fort National during the guided tour of Saint-Malo, a town with a rich heritage. You will then have time for lunch in this Breton town at a restaurant of your choosing, before proceeding to one of the must-see sites for any trip to France - Mont Saint-Michel. Let your guide introduce you to the incredible Mont Saint-Michel, perched on a rocky peak and surrounded by a beautiful bay. You can best enjoy the climb to the top of the village by taking the Grande Rue, where most of the shops, museums & traditional medieval houses can be found. The walk ends at the top of the mountain where the 8th-century Benedictine Abbey is located. Enjoy a guided tour of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, during which you can take in the incredible Gothic structure featuring a cloister and a garden with a panoramic view of the sea. After your tour, take a moment to stroll the bustling streets, admire the incredible vista of the bay as you walk down along the city walls or sample some delicious crêpes. At about 4:30 pm board the bus again for the three hours drive to Angers. Accommodation tonight will be at the Angers Centre Hotel (or similar) where you'll find many restaurants in the vicinity to have dinner. (B)
Following breakfast, we depart our hotel and, after a short stop at the Château d’Angers so you can admire the exterior of the medieval fortress, set off for the Loire Valley and the first tour will take place at Château de Langeais, a well-preserved fortified castle. Your guide will take you through the interior of the château, where depictions of everyday life in the medieval era using highly realistic wax figures will take you on a voyage through French history. Enjoy free time for lunch in Amboise; your guide will point out some dining options located near Château d’Amboise. The afternoon kicks off with a guided tour of Château de Chenonceau, just 20 kilometres from Amboise. This Renaissance masterpiece, spanning the Cher river, looks like a fairytale palace and played a major role in French history. Also known as the "Château des Dames", it was built and renovated over a span of many years by a number of famous women from French history, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici. During your guided tour, you will get the chance to admire the lavishly appointed rooms that embody the refined French way of life in the castle's heyday. Your journey continues with an hour-long ride to Château de Chambord. There, a guided tour will lead you through this majestic Loire château with its exceptional architecture and rich artistic heritage. You'll see the amazing double-helix staircase, the former royal chambers and other rooms on different floors of the castle and enjoy the view of the surrounding park from the grand terrace, before departing Chambord for the return drive to Paris with an expected arrival around 9:00 pm. (B)
Tour departs every Thursday & Saturday from April 02 to October 31, 2026