Fleur de Lys

The itinerary is the starting point to your tour, but it’s not set in stone. Your group leader may make changes leading up to departure.

Day 1, Wednesday May 26: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2, Thursday May 27: 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 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. (D)

Day 3, Friday May 28: 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. Then channel your inner artist with a Paint Paris painting lesson and walking tour of Île Saint-Louis. A local artist will not only explain the history behind the island's idyllic bridges and charming Parisian buildings, but also show you painting techniques important to French art history for capturing the scenery like a pro. 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. (B,D)

Day 4, Saturday May 29: Normandy Area

This morning, 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. Then depart Paris and drive through the countryside to your hotel in Normandy. (B,D)

Day 5, Sunday May 30: St Malo

Today walk in the footsteps of history as you visit many of Normandy's important World War II sites. See what remains of the temporary Mulberry harbor constructed at Arromanches to help offload cargo during the invasion. Entrance to the Arromanches 360 Cinema is included. Next you can pay tribute to the heroic fallen at the American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer before descending from the bluff to walk along Omaha Beach, where American troops suffered some of the heaviest D-Day losses. Journey on to St. Malo, perched on seaside cliffs and still surrounded by ramparts built in defense from Corsair pirates. (B,D)

Day 6, Monday May 31: Loire Valley

This morning visit the lovely island monastery of Mont St. Michel. This medieval abbey, once an important pilgrimage site, is surrounded by water at high tide. Then continue to the Loire Valley, your home for the next two nights. (B,D)

Day 7, Tuesday June 1: 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 the town of Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci is buried. Enjoy time for lunch and to explore the charming medieval old town peppered with half-timbered buildings. (B,D)

Day 8, Wednesday June 2: Paris

This morning we'll visit impressive Chambord, the giant hunting lodge of François I that towers over its deer-filled park. Then continue to Chartres to view the famed Gothic Chartres Cathedral, its stained-glass windows and veil of the Virgin Mary, before traveling on to Paris for dinner. (B,D)

Day 9, Thursday June 3: Departure

Depart for the USA. (B)