La Francophonie

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Paris

Bienvenue à Paris! Meet your ACIS Tour Manager and get acquainted with this graceful city's cobblestoned streets, charming cafés and vibrant neighborhoods. Paris is called the “City of Light” for its role as a center of education during the Age of Enlightenment (it was also one the first cities to adopt streetlights). Perhaps begin your visit by strolling the intellectually thriving Latin Quarter, home to many of the Sorbonne's historic buildings, or stopping at the Rodin Museum, where you can pose for a photo by the sculptor's Thinker.

Day 3: Paris

In the morning a guided walking tour shows you some of the iconic sights for which Paris is famous such as Place de la Concorde, the mighty column in Place Vendome, the Opéra Garnier, temple-like La Madeleine church, and the Tuileries Garden. This afternoon, breeze by the crowds with your timed entrance to the Louvre and discover the many famous masterpieces that call it home. Insightful commentary from your local guide highlights the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and more as you wander through the galleries. From its beginnings as a royal fortress to its current status as the world's most visited art museum, the Louvre has long been at the center of Parisian culture and home to a collection of 35,000 works of art from around the world. Your evening highlight is an illuminated boat ride along the Seine.

Day 4: Paris

In the morning head for Montmartre, once the artistic epicenter of Paris and the home to luminaries such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Monet. Here you'll channel your inner artist with a Paint Paris painting lesson and walking tour. A local artist will explain the history behind the neighborhood's hidden gems and instructs you in painting techniques important to French art history as you capture its streets and buildings. The afternoon is yours to explore more of Montmartre. Or you may choose to add an optional excursion to Giverny, open after April 1. Visit Claude Monet's famed pink house and the gardens that inspired his water lily paintings as you learn about the artist's life before returning to Paris. Tonight, armed with a restaurant voucher and our insider suggestions on the best neighborhood bistros, you'll dine like the locals (If preferred, a regular booked dinner may be substituted).

Day 5: Lyon

Today journey to Beaune, an ancient town in the heart of Burgundy. Noted for its cuisine, medieval ramparts and surrounding vineyards, you'll have time here to seek out some classic Burgundian fare for lunch. Then continue south to Lyon and begin to discover the city at your own pace, perhaps enjoying the botanical gardens of Tête d'Or park or seeking out a gourmet food market. Tonight's highlight is a traditional Bouchon Lyonnais dinner featuring dishes classic to Lyon's cuisine.

Day 6: Lyon

This morning an expertly guided sightseeing tour of Vieux Lyon, the city's oldest district, will show you its narrow paved streets, traboules (secret covered passageways) and Gothic Cathedral. Then enjoy a gorgeous view of the entire city from the hilltop district of Fourvière, reached by funicular. Observe remnants of Lyon's Roman legacy at the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls and visit the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière. In the afternoon, explore more of this vibrant city at your own pace. After dinner, get to know La Presque'île in the heart of Lyon on a final evening stroll.

Day 7: Lausanne

Journey into the French-speaking region of Switzerland and arrive in Lausanne, nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva. The International Olympic Committee headquarters are located in Lausanne, as is the inspiring Olympic Museum that you'll visit this afternoon. Run the 100m and compare your time against the medalists, try your hand at the dual skills required by the biathlon and re-live the incredible opening ceremonies over the years.

Day 8: Lausanne

Take a scenic drive around Lake Geneva to the town of Montreux on its northeast shore. Here you will visit the picturesque Château de Chillon, made popular in Lord Byron's poem The Prisoner of Chillon, with a local guide. Then spend time discovering the center of Montreux on foot with your ACIS Tour Manager before returning to Lausanne.

Day 9: Departure

Depart for the USA.