7-Nights Journey Through Time: Paris and Normandy - Tailormade Journeys

Romance awaits in every Parisian arrondissement: an affair with a Latin Quarter bookshop, an admiring glance in the Musée Rodin, a starlit walk along the Seine’s storied banks. It might be as spirited as the Saint-Ouen flea market, or as solemn as the Panthéon, as fleeting as an éclair au chocolat from the Rue Montorgueil, or as languid as a stroll through the streets of Montmartre, where every lamplit corner is another postcard.

Enter the color-soaked worlds of Manet, Cezanne, Renoir and others on a visit to the Musée d’Orsay. See how the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters influenced one another, before visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie across the Seine, home to eight of Monet’s iconic Water Lilies paintings. Then, tour Paris in a Citroen 2CV, one of France’s most iconic classic cars, taking in the Champs Elysées, Louvre Museum, Saint Germain neighborhood and Montmartre.

Southwest of Paris, Versailles is the palace constructed in the 17th century for Louis XIV, the Sun King, and which became the model for grand houses of royalty all over Europe. Take a tour of the opulent State Apartments that culminate in the magnificent Gallery of Mirrors. You may like to stroll in the formal ornamental gardens that are embellished with many fountains, and see the Grand Canal that stretches into the distance across the park.

Along the way to Port-en-Bessin, visit Giverny to see the house and gardens that inspired Monet. Also stop in Honfleur, home to one of the most painted and photographed harbors in the world.

The home of Calvados and Camembert, Normandy is quintessential France, a region of rolling hills and timber-framed villages. The skies are pierced with holy spires: of Rouen, Bayeux and Caen cathedrals, or the vast stone abbeys where Norman kings were laid to rest. Here, explore the moving D-Day landing. Commemorate the fallen at the U.S. Military Cemetery, resting place of over 9,300 U.S. soldiers, before visiting the golden sands of Omaha Beach, where some of the battle’s fiercest fighting took place.

Visit one of France's most recognizable landmarks, Mont Saint-Michel, a village perched on a tidal island located in the mouth of the River Couesnon. Surrounded by water and sand flats, the granite outcrop is crowned by an abbey that took more than 500 years to construct. Explore the steep, narrow cobblestone streets and climb over 350 steps to reach the abbey, its spire towering more than 500 feet above the surrounding bay.

Savor one last day in the City of Light, perhaps purchasing a few last-minute keepsakes or doing some people-watching in a street-front café.