La France d'Antan

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).

Day 3: Paris

Your day begins with a guided sightseeing tour that takes you past some of the most famous attractions in Paris. Your expert local guide will show you the splendid Seine, Napoleon's final resting place at Les Invalides and the Gothic wonder of Notre Dame. 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. After dinner your tour manager will show you the dazzling shops, cafés and bustling sidewalks of the Champs-Élysées before you ascend to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Enjoy the spectacular view of twelve of Paris's Grands Boulevards which extend from the monument like spokes on a wheel to the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre.

Day 4: Paris

Today you may choose to embark on an optional trip to visit Louis XIV's palace and gardens at Versailles. Or, enjoy a free exploration day to discover Paris at your own pace. Perhaps stroll through Montmartre to the white-domed Sacré Cœur or seek out a lesser known but equally interesting attraction such as the Musée Marmottan-Monet, housing the artist's Impression, Sunrise—the painting for which the Impressionist movement was named. In evening you may opt for a tasty cultural exchange—separate into small groups and be welcomed into the homes of local Parisians to enjoy an authentic dinner and lively conversation.

Day 5: Loire Valley

Depart Paris today for Chartres to view the Gothic Chartres Cathedral, its stained-glass windows and veil of the Virgin Mary, Then we'll visit the impressive Château de Chambord, the giant hunting lodge of François I that towers over its deer-filled park.

Day 6: Loire Valley

First up today is Chenonceau, the château of six women, built over the River Cher in an exquisite Renaissance design. It features a moat, drawbridge, towers and turrets—and great stories about resistance to the Nazi army. We then move on to our lunch stop in the town of Amboise, followed by a visit to the Château du Clos Lucé, the great Leonardo da Vinci's final residence. The visit includes his workshop and the surrounding park where many models of his inventions, designs and engineering works are on display.

Day 7: Sarlat

This morning travel to the Alzou canyon, stopping in Oradour-sur-Glane. Here, we pause to remember one of history's darkest chapters at the memorial and museum dedicated to the site of a Nazi massacre of an entire village. Continue to the stunning rolling hills and luscious green landscape of the Dordogne Valley. You'll feel as though you've been transported back into the Renaissance when you arrive in the well-preserved town Sarlat-la-Canéda.

Day 8: Sarlat

Enjoy a day exploring French history in the Dordogne Valley. Visit the pilgrimage site of Rocamadour, an extraordinary village built into a cliffside. Then continue to Lascaux IV, a beautiful, interactive and immersive museum that will unlock your understanding and appreciation of this region's world-famous prehistoric cave art. Return to Sarlat-la-Canéda for the evening.

Day 9: Provence

Depart this morning for the medieval city of Carcassonne, whose ramparts and towers are so well-preserved that they have been featured in movies. Continue through lovely countryside to Provence.

Day 10: Cote d'Azur

Soak in the beauty of your surroundings during this morning’s horseback ride through the Camargue, the picturesque marshy delta region at the mouth of the River Rhône. Your next stop is Aigues-Mortes where you'll enjoy entrance to its authentic medieval ramparts and towers. Then continue on to the Côte d'Azur.

Day 11: Cote d'Azur

Begin your day with an orientation tour of Nice led by your ACIS Tour Manager. As you explore its history and culture, enjoy the city's many fine attractions, from Place Massena to the winding streets of the Old Town to dazzling Mediterranean views. This afternoon take a scenic drive to Monaco, the glamorous residence of the rich and famous and home of the Grimaldi royal family. Continue along the corniche to the perched village of Eze with its castle ruins and steep streets. Enjoy sweeping vistas from the fragrant Jardin Exotique, an amazing cliffside botanical garden, and tour the Fragonard Perfume Factory, where you'll learn about the centuries-old French art of making parfum before savoring your final evening on the Mediterranean.

Day 12: Departure

Depart for the USA.