Day 1 - Arrival in Paris

Upon arrival at Paris airport, you are met by your representative and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel in Paris, where you are assisted with check-in.

Overnight: Relais Christine 

Day 2 - Paris City Tour

Known as the ‘City of Light’, Paris boasts some of the most iconic landmarks and museums in the world. Get your bearings today with a morning orientation tour, and drive past the city’s most striking sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. Your morning includes a visit to what is considered the historic and spiritual heart of Paris, the romantic Ile de la Cité. Here you have the opportunity to explore the stunning Sainte Chapelle, a royal chapel built in Gothic-style, which houses an extensive 13th-century stained glass collection.

After free time for lunch, discover the Marais, one of Paris' most historic and aristocratic districts. Once a favourite of Henri IV and Louis XIII, the bourgeois district fell to ruin after the revolution in 1789, but began its revival in the 1960s, having escaped the mass redevelopment of the city during the mid-nineteenth century. Nowadays the Marais is a lively neighbourhood with plenty of bars, boutiques and the oldest part of Paris’ Jewish community. Explore the district's narrow streets, dotted with splendid mansions. Stroll on to the Place des Vosges, formerly called Place Royale. This square is lined with pink brick and covered arcades, and is a unique example of early 17th-century architecture. One of France's most famous writers, Victor Hugo, wrote a large part of Les Misérables whilst he lived here from 1832 to 1848.

This evening why not soak up the atmosphere of a Parisian jazz club or have a romantic dinner in a trendy restaurant?

Overnight: Relais Christine 

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Giverny & Auvres-sur-Oise

Meet your driver and guide for a full-day excursion to Giverny and Auvers-sur-Oise. First head to Giverny and visit the Fondation Claude Monet. The house, where the Master of Impressionism lived for over 40 years, is decorated in the original colour schemes he admired, and in the gardens you see the famous Japanese bridge and water lily pond, his greatest source of inspiration.

Continue your journey and explore the charming riverside village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Many painters found inspiration there: Cézanne, Van Gogh, Pissarro and Daubigny. Van Gogh only stayed for seventy days but painted seventy-two pictures here. Witness the famous Auberge Ravoux, the inn where he sojourned, the famous church, and the castle, now a museum dedicated to the artists who made the village famous.

Overnight: Relais Christine

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Dijon

Today you are met at your hotel and privately transferred with your representative to the Paris railway station to begin your assisted rail journey. Here you are shown to your pre-reserved 1st-class seating and your luggage is handled onboard for you. Upon arrival at the Dijon railway station you are met from the door of the train and your luggage is handled for you.

After lunch at leisure, enjoy a walking tour of Dijon. Once the capital city of the mighty Dukes of Burgundy before coming under the control of the French crown, Dijon is still the capital of the Burgundy region and its wonderful old quarters are among the most interesting in France. Stroll through a network of narrow streets and small squares with fine 15th-16th century mansions. The medieval Verrerie street with its half-timbered houses is particularly remarkable. Admire the 13th-century Gothic church of Notre-Dame before coming up behind the Ducal Palace, which houses a prestigious art collection.

After your tour you are transferred to the stunning Abbaye de la Bussière.

Overnight: Abbaye de la Bussière

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Beaune & Wine Country

This morning meet your driver and expert guide for a full-day sightseeing tour to include the wine country south of Dijon and a visit to the Château de Chassagne-Montrachet.

Visit the wealthy wine capital of Beaune and its 15th-century Hospices almshouse, famed for its tiled roof, which has become an icon of Burgundy. The Hospices are better known as Hôtel-Dieu and were founded as a hospital to provide free care for the poor, the orphans, the elderly or pregnant women of the town.

You enjoy a guided tour at the Château de Chassagne-Montrachet, which produces some of the best crus of Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise fine wines. Interestingly the château hosts a rolling programme of exhibitions by contemporary artists.

Weather permitting, your guide takes you on a short walk through the vineyards surrounding the château.

Overnight: Abbaye de la Bussière

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - Burgundy

Today you enjoy an unforgettable journey in a Citroën 2CV… in true French style, exploring the stunning countryside with your driver guide.

Overnight: Abbaye de la Bussière

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Dijon - Nice - Vence

This morning you are transferred to Dijon railway station for your direct journey to Nice by TGV. Upon arrival at Nice railway station you are met by your driver and transferred to your hotel in the heart of the French Riviera.

Overnight: Château Saint Martin and Spa

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Vence

Today is yours to relax and enjoy the hotel's spa and other facilities.

Optional sightseeing: Meet your local guide and private vehicle for a half-day sightseeing tour the medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. It is still a mecca for contemporary artists who keep the artistic vocation alive. Visit the Fondation Maeght, a small modern art museum set on a wooded clifftop. This private foundation contains one of the most important collections in Europe, with paintings, sculptures drawings and other works by Braque, Calder, Chagall, Giacometti, Léger or Miró.

Overnight: Château Saint Martin and Spa

Meal Plan: B

Day 9 - Vence

Today you have another leisurely day for relaxation.

Optional sightseeing: This morning you are met by your private vehicle and driver to be transferred into Nice. Upon arrival, spend the morning tasting delicacies in the Old Town, learn all about Provençal olive oils and have a light Mediterranean meal prepared with only the freshest ingredients from the market. Your guide is a food critic and cookbook author who is fascinated with Nice and its unique culinary tradition, a result of its history and climate. After lunch you are free to spend time at leisure in the city for sightseeing or shopping before being transferred back to your hotel.

Overnight: Château Saint Martin and Spa

Meal Plan: B

Day 10 - Departure

Today you are privately transferred to the airport to board your departure flight.

Meal Plan: B