Château Living in Normandy Vacation Tour

This morning, find your driver-guide waiting to accompany you on your journey to Normandy. Stop en route to tour Impressionist master Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny. Stroll through the spectacular Japanese gardens that inspired his iconic water lily series. Tour the Musée de l’Impressionisme, where you may wish to have lunch. Then continue on along the Seine River Valley to the picturesque port of Honfleur.

In the early evening arrive at the fairy-tale Château de Canisy, your “home away from home” for the next few days. You will be welcomed to his ancestral home by owner Comte Denis de Kergorlay, President of the French Heritage Society and Europa Nostra (upon availability).

Over welcome drinks, meet your local specialist Guide who will present your itinerary and a selection of activities to highlight your stay. Prior to dinner, you will be treated to a private tour of this elegant and comfortable castle. Dinner will be served in the formal dining room and followed by coffee and after-dinner drinks in the drawing room with its open fireplace.

This morning, your expert guide and driver will accompany you on a private visit of several of Normandy’s most spectacular private castles and gardens. Begin your tour at the 17th century Château de Balleroy, designed by architect François Mansart, and its unique collection of hot-air balloons created by Malcolm Forbes. You will then proceed to the Château de Brouay to visit its cidrerie and sample some of its delicious apple cider at a lunch hosted in your honour by the chatelaine (upon availability).

Following lunch, your guide will unlock the gates to one of the most exceptional private gardens in France at the Château de Brécy. These Italianate gardens have been restored to their original 17th-century perfection by its current owner, the President of the French Comité des Parcs et Jardins.

Afterwards, tour the Bayeux Tapestry Museum where you will view the celebrated embroidery that commemorates the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Finally, visit Bayeux Cathedral to see the nave where the eponymous Tapestry was originally displayed, and the numerous medieval half-timbered houses that surround it.

A candlelit dinner will be served at the Château de Canisy either in the formal dining room or the lovely music room at 8pm, followed by coffee and after-dinner drinks in the drawing room in front of the open fireplace.

This morning, your expert guide and driver will take you on a private tour of the D-Day beaches, where the allied forces landed on June 6, 1944, and the American Cemetery at Colleville, one of the most moving memorials to their heroism. At lunchtime, choose from several cozy restaurants on the beach. Relive the Battle of Normandy during this informative full day tour that takes you to the legendary sites of Ste-Mère Eglise, Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach. Your guide will adapt the tour to suit your expressed interests and may even introduce you to local people who still remember this epic struggle.

This evening, if you prefer, feel free to sample the regional cuisine of Normandy in a local restaurant.

This morning, your expert local guide and driver will take you to Arromanches where the British created the world’s first artificial harbour, dubbed Port Winston as it was Churchill’s brainchild. Twenty of the original 115 concrete pontoons that formed this temporary harbor still defy the waves. They stand as a poignant reminder that Rommel’s formidable Atlantic Wall was successfully breached on June 6th, 1944. From there take the scenic route to Caen, the capital of the Contentin region, where you will visit the Castle and tomb of William the Conqueror at the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Caen Peace Memorial, best museum dedicated to WWII in France.

On your final evening at the Château de Canisy, celebrate with a candlelit dinner either in the formal dining room or in the lovely music room at 8pm, followed by coffee and after-dinner drinks in the drawing room in front of the open fireplace.

This morning, after bidding farewell to your hosts at the Château de Canisy, you will depart with your specialist guide and driver for a full-day tour of Mont St. Michel and Saint Malo. Discover one of Brittany’s most important ports at Saint Malo, which was the birthplace of Jacques Cartier who discovered the St. Lawrence Estuary and took possession of Canada for the French Crown in 1534. Your guide will lead you on a panoramic visit of its monumental ramparts before sitting down for lunch in one of its many crêperies overlooking the sea.

Following lunch, continue on to Mont Saint Michel. After checking into your hotel, follow in the footsteps of pilgrims and tourists who for more than 1000 years have climbed to the summit of this architectural marvel, one of the Wonders of the Modern World and a World Heritage Monument. Your specialist guide will lead you through the Abbey Church, Monastery and Cloisters, which were built over the original chapel dating from the year 709. From here you can contemplate the breathtaking panorama overlooking the vast tidal bay.

This evening, enjoy the unique privilege of having the Mont to yourselves, far from the crowds of tourists. You have a dinner reservation at the Mère Poularde, renowned for its omelettes, seafood and stunning views over the vast tidal bay of Mont Saint Michel.

This morning, your driver will meet you in the hotel lobby to help you with your bags and privately transfer you back to Paris. You may wish to stop en route at Villedieu-les-Poëles, renowned for its copper and bell founderies.

Upon your return to the French capital, after checking into your hotel, you will be free to catch up on some last-minute shopping and explore Paris on your own. Take a romantic stroll through the Tuileries Gardens and perhaps stop at the Musée de l’Orangerie. Monet’s ethereal Waterlily Murals, which the Impressionist painter created specifically for the Orangerie in the 1920s, are alone well worth a visit.

Celebrate your final evening in Paris with a dinner cruise. Enjoy a gourmet meal while gliding past the illuminated monuments all reflected in the sparkling waters of the River Seine – a magical experience worthy of an Impressionist painting!

This morning, your Hostess will be waiting for you in the lobby to assist you with the check-out formalities. Your driver will be there to help you with your bags and privately transfer you to the CDG airport for your return flight home.