Day 1 :
Depart U.S. for France
Day 2 :
Bonjour Paris
Day 3 :
Paris landmarks
- Paris guided sightseeing tour:
Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Notre Dame Cathedral visit
LEAP Activity | Cover the Canvas
Live the artist life. Explore line, color, perspective, negative space and form, then paint a masterpiece inspired by the beauty of Paris.
Day 4 :
Paris
- Versailles Guided Excursion:
The ultimate palace, Versailles was built by Louis XIII, and housed the royal family and its groveling court from 1682, when the Sun King moved in, to the French Revolution.
- Louvre Visit:
The world's largest art museum, the Louvre is housed in a Medieval fortress-turned-castle so grand it's worth a tour itself.
- Eiffel Tower ascent
:
LEAP Activity | Seize the Château!
This costume workshop is a lively role-play activity that puts you in the shoes of the monarchy, clergy, nobility, bourgeoisie, or peasantry to explore the issues underlying the French Revolution.
Day 5 :
Paris - St. Malo Area
- Travel to St. Malo via Normandy:
The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the center of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history.
- American Cemetery visit:
- Arromanches Museum visit:
Ingenious military engineering allowed the Allied forces to land at Arromanches on D-Day. Learn about this feat and other at the Arromanches Museum, where dioramas, interactive displays, and models detail the Allied landing.
LEAP Activity | Soldiers’ Stories
Step into the shoes of U.S. servicemen as they land in Normandy on D-Day. Learn about their lives and their experiences to gain personal and historical perspective.
Day 6 :
St. Malo Area - Loire Valley
- Mont-St-Michel visit:
Stop to see Mont-St-Michel, an enormous abbey that seems to rise up out of the water, completely isolated from any connecting land.
- Travel to Loire Valley:
Day 7 :
Loire Valley
- Château de Chenonceau visit
:
- Chateau d'Amboise visit
:
LEAP Activity | Bon Appetit
Slice, dice, and stir! Savor the French country lifestyle by creating (and eating) traditional Loire Valley cuisine.
Day 8 :
Loire Valley - Rocamadour
- Travel to Rocamadour
:
- Lascaux II visit
:
In the Dordogne Valley, explore the ancient mystery of cave paintings in the Lascaux caves.
Day 9 :
Rocamadour
- Rocamadour City Walk
:
- Travel to Sarlat
:
- Sarlat City Walk
:
Day 10 :
Rocamadour--Toulouse
- Travel to Toulouse
:
- Toulouse City Walk
:
Enjoy a walking tour and stroll among the red brick architecture that earned this artistic city its nickname, the "Rose City."
Day 11 :
Toulouse--Provence
- Visit Chateau de Montsegur
:
- Travel to Provence
:
LEAP Activity | Painters’ Provence
Make a sales pitch for a masterpiece by Cezanne, Monet, or another artist whose works highlight Provencal landscapes. Understand the impact that the light and landscape had on these artists.
Day 12 :
Provence
- Travel to Nîmes
:
- Nîmes tour director-led sightseeing:
Nîmes amphitheater visit, Maison Carrée visit
- Pont du Guard visit:
A true masterpiece of ancient architecture, the Pont du Gard aqueduct is one of the most beautiful Roman constructions in the region.
- LEAP En Garde!:
LEAP Activity | En Garde!
Which is mightier—the pen or the sword? You decide! Learn basic calligraphy and fencing moves to gain new insight into old-world traditions.
Day 13 :
Provence - Nice
- Travel to Nice
:
- Nice Tour Director-led sightseeing tour:
Your Tour Director will show you around the narrow pedestrian streets and tiny squares of "Le Vieux Nice" (Old Town), which is sprinkled with old palaces and mansions. Stroll down the Promenade des Anglais, which runs parallel to the water.
- Russian Church visit
:
Day 14 :
Nice
- St. Paul de Vence excursion:
St. Paul de Vence is a beautifully preserved medieval hill town, and its terra cotta roofs and cypress- and palm tree-dotted landscape have attracted prominent artists for over a century.
Day 15 :
Depart France for U.S.
VIEW FULL ITINERARY
HIDE FULL ITINERARY
