France in 9 Days
Paris, Loire Castles & Normandy
Isabel
Travel crafter
Our classic tour of northern France, from the eternal romance of Paris to the charming towns and chateaux of the enchanting Loire Valley and the historic region of Normandy, home to magical Mont Saint-Michel.
- Free Cancellation
- Flexible Booking
- COVID-19 Protection included
- Exoticca is a member of ASTA
Itinerary
Land in Paris and admire one of the most famous cities in the world and its cultural delights. Spend nights surrounded by castles and renaissance culture in the incredible Loire Valley. Discover Mont Saint Michel, one of the most important Unesco World Heritage sites located on a small island and enjoy amazing views of the wonderful landscapes of the Normandy coast.
9 days trip including flights*
8 days and 7 nights in destination
1
YTO - PAR
2
YTO - PAR
Paris
3
Paris
4
Tours
5
Tours
6
Mont Saint Michel
7
Caen
8
Paris
9
PAR - YTO
* It may change depending of your departure city, departure date and arrival date.
The calendar does not display internal flights, trains or other transportation included in the itinerary.
Ready to discover the spectacular cities and landscapes of France? Arrive at your departure airport to catch a flight to Paris.* Night on board.
* If either your outbound or inbound flights depart in the early hours (before 4:00 a.m.) you must arrive at the airport the night before the indicated departure day.
Arrive at Paris airport and self-transfer to your hotel*. Paris is the capital of France and a great place to discover the city’s most famous tourist sights, the local culture and cuisine. Overnight stay in Paris.
* You can book the optional transfer in the next step of the booking process.
Breakfast at the hotel. Discover the city’s most famous tourist sights and monuments on a Half Day City Tour with a professional English-speaking guide. Marvel at Paris's best-known sights: Place Vendôme Square, the Opera House, the Pantheon, the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, the Orsay Museum, Place de la Concorde Square, the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Invalides. The rest of the day is free to explore Paris at your leisure. Overnight stay in central Paris.
After breakfast, depart Paris by coach towards the Loire Valley and its wonders of the Renaissance period. First stop is the capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region, Orleans. The history of this lovely city on the banks of the Loire River is inseparably bound with the history of Joan of Arc. While exploring the city independently, try not to miss the 13th century Sainte-Croix Cathedral and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, displaying around 700 artworks. After lunch, the tour continues with a visit to The Chambord Estate * one of the most emblematic castle examples of Renaissance architecture in France. Following this visit, transfer to the historic city of Tours. Overnight stay in Tours.
* Only entrance included with the possibility to book an audioguide on the spot.
After Breakfast at the hotel, explore the magnificent Castle of Chenonceau*. The two-story gallery stands upon a graceful arched bridge that crosses the Cher River which gives the impression that the castle is floating on water. Also known as "The Ladies’ Castle", it was initially constructed in 1513. Equalling the beauty of the interior, the Château's Renaissance French Gardens are perfectly landscaped with decorative pools and flower beds and are an important destination for garden lovers from all over the world. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. In the afternoon, we recommend an optional excursion to the Château de Valençay.** Overnight stay in Tours
* Only entrance included with the possibility to book an audio guided on the spot.
** Optional Château de Valençay excursion: Discover through an audio guided tour the spectacular castle of Valencay. Former property of the Prince of Talleyrand, built in 1540 by order of Jacques d'Estampe on an old feudal building. Its construction continued until the 18th century with the addition of the South Tower. Discover its history and enjoy the wonderful gardens. Castle open from 14th of March 2021 to 11th november 2021.
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart from Tours heading towards the world-renowned Mont Saint Michel, a Unesco World Heritage site. The car park stands approximately 1.5 miles away from the island. On leaving the coach, head for the Place des Navettes, where shuttle buses called Passeurs transfer to the mount itself. The Mount was consecrated to St-Michel from the year 708. The Benedictine Abbey presents a grand panorama of the medieval architecture from the XI-XVI centuries. Spend some time exploring the village built on the slopes in the shadow of the fortifications. Overnight in the surrounding area.
After breakfast, the tour takes in some of the WW-II landing beaches of the Allied Forces and also a visit to the Memorial de Caen *, a museum and war memorial commemorating World War II and the Battle for Caen. Overall the museum is dedicated to the history of the twentieth century, mainly focusing on the fragility of peace. Overnight stay in Caen.
* Only entrance included with the possibility to book an audioguide on the spot.
After breakfast, depart Caen and enjoy a panoramic tour of the neighbouring town of Lisieux which is famous for its history as a pilgrimage destination. Next, learn more about the best food and drink that this rich region of France has to offer, starting with a visit to the Village du Fromager. See all stages of cheese production and enjoy tasting the different types of cheese on offer. After the visit, head to Honfleur in time for a lunch break. This small city and harbour dates back to the Vikings invasion in the 11th century. After a couple of hours exploring the city, continue eastwards until reaching Paris. Overnight stay in Paris.
Breakfast* at the hotel. At the indicated time, self-transfer to Paris airport for your return flight back to Canada**. Arrive in Canada and end of your trip.
* Depending on the return flight schedule and the hotel breakfast service, you may not be able to enjoy the included breakfast on the last day.
**You can book the optional transfer in the next step of the booking process.
*In case the advertised hotels are not available they will be replaced by one of these alternative hotels with the same quality: Ibis Paris Porte d'Italie.
Included activities
Included activity for day 3 in Paris
Duration 02:00h Approx. Pick up time: 10:00 Approx
Paris City Tour
Discover some of the most iconic and memorable places of Paris and admire the beauty of this incredible and romantic city. See Place Vendôme Square, marvel at the Paris Opera House and head to the Latin Quarter to see the impressive Pantheon.
Included activity for day 7 in Caen
Physical rating:
Caen Memorial Museum
After seeing some of the WWII landing beaches pay a visit to the Caen Memorial Museum, dedicated to commemorating World War II and the Battle for Caen. The museum focuses on the history of the twentieth century and the fragility of peace.
What's included: Entrance included Not included: Audio-guide (can be purchased at the destination)
Available Activities
If you have reduced mobility you can request assistance for these activities by speaking to one of our experts
Suggested activity for day 5
Château de Valençay excursion
Discover through an audio guided tour the spectacular castle of Valencay. Former property of the Prince of Talleyrand, it was built in 1540 by order of Jacques d'Estampe on an old feudal building.
The price includes
- Included in all our trips. more information
- Departures from main canadian airports.
- International flights: Canada - Paris - Canada.
- 7 nights accommodation in Charm category hotels. *more informationSee hotels included
- 7 Breakfasts.
- Transfers in air-conditioned vehicles. **more information
- Visits and entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary.See itinerary
- Air taxes and fuel surcharge.
- English speaking driver throughout the trip & guide during the city tour in Paris. ***more information
Not included
Airport transfers, Tax, drinks, tips and any other services not mentioned in what's included.
* If you travel with children or book a triple room, please contact our Customer Service to find out the conditions.
** Airport transfers are not included. You can book the optional transfer in the next step of the booking process.
*** Important: Please note that you will have an English-speaking driver throughout the trip, but you will not be traveling with a tour leader or guide. A guided tour is included in Paris. The possibility to book an audio guide for the castle visit is available at the destination.
The special deals are based on groups of maximum 25 pax.
Important: accommodation tax must be paid directly to the hotel (Approx. 3 € per person per night).
- Entry requirementsValid passport with a minimum of six months validity.
- VisaNo visa is required for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
- CurrencyEuro.
- LanguageFrench.
- Electricity230 V. Adapter not required.
- HealthThere are no mandatory vaccinations.
- Time zoneUTC + 01:00.
- Other useful informationTaxis do not have a particular colour, however you can spot them at the station or in the street by their luminous lettering on the roof of the car.
- Tourist Office websitehttp://ee.france.fr/
Remember to download your e-ticket to confirm the times of your flights and to complete online check-in using the airline’s website, or directly at the check-in desk at the airport.
Accommodation at the hotels is as indicated. In the event of any changes to accommodation, they will always be of the same, or a higher category. The category of hotels is not standardized across all countries in the world. For this reason, the criteria may differ depending on the destination country's own standards.
In the case of adverse weather conditions, for safety reasons or for any other reasons deemed appropriate, the order and duration of the excursions included in the itinerary may be changed or canceled without prior notice.
Exoticca Travel Stories
Creating unforgettable memories, one traveler at a time
Our first trip with Exoticca…
We went on our first trip with Exoticca to France including Paris, the Loire Valley and Normandy. We had a great time and saw some really wonderful places such as a visit to Orleans, several castles and the Normandy coast. The price was really good and we had time to do things on our own as well.
