Call Us 800.528.9300
Grand France (Northbound) 2024
15 Day River Cruise Arles to Paris
Tour Description:
This river cruise vacation showcases France’s charm, breathtaking views, and rich history. Your adventure begins on the Rhône River with a visit to Arles, France—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh—and its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater. On a guided tour of historical Avignon, see the 14th-century Palace of the Popes. The city of Tournon is beautifully nestled among vineyards and you’ll go on a guided walk of this medieval treasure with plenty of Roman ruins. Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. The Seine River offers a choice of excursion opportunities, such as a visit to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery; a visit to delightful Les Andelys, Joan of Arc’s Rouen, and the choice between a visit to Vincent van Gogh’s Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison. On this French river cruise, you’ll enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery, and stops in charming and historical parts of France, but your adventure would not be complete without a visit to Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! Discover its true heart on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour showing you the iconic sites of the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more. Walk in the footsteps of the great master artists, enjoy the delectable cuisine of France, and stand where heroes fought for freedom on the beaches of Normandy. This and so much more is waiting for you on your French cruise on the Seine!**During the Olympics and Paralympic games some venues and areas might be closed or not accessible to groups, therefore the program might be subject to change
Click for larger view.
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing| Day 1 Arles (Embarkation): | Onboard welcome reception |
| Day 2 Arles: | Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre, or painting workshop, or walk with your Adventure Host |
| Day 3 Avignon: | Guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes |
| Day 4 Viviers: | Guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral or walk with your Adventure Host |
| Day 5 Tain l'Hermitage: | Choice of guided walk in Tournon or hike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 6 Lyon: | Guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill |
| Day 7 Tournus–Chalon-sur-Saône: | Chardonnay excursion with tasting; Cheese tasting on board |
| Day 8 Chalon-sur-Saône (Disembarkation)–Beaune–Dijon–Paris (Embarkation): | Visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; TGV train from Dijon to Paris; onboard welcome reception |
| Day 9 Vernon–Les Andelys: | Choice of excursions to Giverny or Bizy Castle or walk with your Adventure Host; choice of guided walk, or guided hike in Les Andelys; crêpes tasting on board and Pastry Demonstration |
| Day 10 Caudebec: | Choice of excursion along the “Normandy Abbeys Route” or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 11 Caudebec: | Choice of full-day excursions to Normandy landing beaches, or "A Taste of Normandy" excursion |
| Day 12 Rouen: | Choice of guided walk, see the Astronomical Clock and visit the cathedral or bike tour |
| Day 13 Conflans–Paris: | Choice of guided excursions to Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s Château de Malmaison or bike with your Adventure Host |
| Day 14 Paris: | Choice of guided sightseeing or “Heart of Paris” walking tour or walk with your Adventure Host |
| Day 15 Paris (Disembarkation): | Your cruise ends this morning |
Notes:
- In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
- Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
- Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
- During the Olympics and Paralympic games some venues and areas might be closed or not accessible to groups, therefore the program might be subject to change.
ITINERARY
ITINERARYDay 1
ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION) Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding
Flights into Marseille must arrive by 3 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES
ARLES-WINDOW-DETAIL.jpg
Day 2
ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights
Visit 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.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON
ARLES-PAINTING-CLASS.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch
DinnerDay 3
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.
Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region.
Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet.
Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON
AVIGNON-BRIDGE.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 4
VIVIERS World History in a Charming French Country Village
Enjoy a leisurely morning sail to Viviers.
ACTIVE Walk your way up to Vivier's hilltop Cathedral with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TAIN L’HERMITAGE
VIVIERS.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 5
TAIN L'HERMITAGE A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
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. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.
In the early afternoon cruise to Lyon.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON
TOURNON.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 6
LYON La Vie En Rose in Lyon
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.
Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet.
Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Tournus.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS
LYON-BRIDGE.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 7
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!
Enjoy a leisurely afternoon cruising along the majestic Saône River.
DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.
Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE
TOURNUS.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 8
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
BEAUNE-HOTEL-DIEU.jpg
Day 9
VERNON Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour
Visit 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.
LES ANDELYS
Serenity on the Seine
ACTIVE 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
*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.
VERNON.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 10
CAUDEBEC Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine
ACTIVE 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
CAUDEBEC.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 11
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 Taste of Normandy” Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region. See the famous Bayeux Tapestry, visit the beautiful village of Beuvron en Auge and taste Calvados at a local distillery.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.
EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN
NORMANDY-OMAHA-BEACH.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 12
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
ROUEN.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 13
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
*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.
CONFLANS.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 14
PARIS Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of Light
Join 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
PARIS-EIFEL-TOWER.jpg
BreakfastLunch Dinner
BreakfastLunch DinnerDay 15
PARIS (DISEMBARKATION) Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
PARIS-MACARONS.jpg
Accommodations
Accommodations| Paris | Paris |
Pullman Paris Montparnasse
First-Class
Hotel as shown or similar
19 Rue Du Comm.Mouchotte Paris 14 France
This plush 953 room hotel offers a perfect base in the city's chic artistic hub. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all the guestrooms and public areas of the hotel. A fitness room, contemporary style restaurant with traditional French cuisine and a trendy lobby lounge serving drinks, snacks and cocktails complete the amenities.
First-Class
Hotel as shown or similar
19 Rue Du Comm.Mouchotte Paris 14 France
This plush 953 room hotel offers a perfect base in the city's chic artistic hub. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all the guestrooms and public areas of the hotel. A fitness room, contemporary style restaurant with traditional French cuisine and a trendy lobby lounge serving drinks, snacks and cocktails complete the amenities.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
