Mont Saint-Michel and Loire Valley 2 Day Trip from Paris
Address
Paris, France
GPS
48.8534951, 2.3483915
2-Day Trip to Mont Saint-Michel and Loire Valley includes luxury motorcoach, Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, Chateaux, 3-star hotel, multilingual guide.
Mont Saint-Michel and Loire Valley 2 Day Trip from Paris
Highlights
- Normandy and Touraine in two days
- Guided tour of Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel
- Guided tours of Chenonceau and Chambord chateaux
- Visit to Chateau de Langeais
Itinerary
Day 1 – Paris — Rouen — Honfleur — Mont Saint-Michel
Paris
07:30 Departure from your hotel in Paris, destination Rouen. The guide will welcome our small-group and the trip begins. The guide will give you general information about the French history connected to Normandy: Rouen, Honfleur, Mont Saint-Michel etc. There are approx. 135 km to drive on a highway from Paris to Rouen by our comfortable air-conditioned Mercedes minivan. It takes 2 hours.
Rouen
09:30 Arrival in Rouen. Sightseeing Walking tour of Rouen starts. Rouen is the capital of the Duke of Normandy, the city of a hundred bell-towers, famous for its Gothic cathedrals. Here You will have the opportunity to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral of the XIII – XVI centuries, known throughout the world in the paintings of Monet, the area of the Vieux Marché (Old Market), the place of execution of Joan d’Arc and the Church of Joan d’Arc, the Palace of justice of the XVI century, to see the old medieval clock Gros-Horloge on the pedestrian street. The walking tour lasts about 1 hour. 11:00 Departure to Honfleur. It takes about 1 hour (80 km).
Honfleur
12:00 Arrival in Honfleur. Walking tour of Honfleur with its famous port takes 1 hour. Honfleur, the main defensive port of Normandy of the XV century, transformed into a charming resort town with a picturesque Bay, much-loved by the artists of the XIX century. Honfleur was first mentioned in 1027, when it belonged to the Norman Duke Richard III. The owners of the city changed several times during The Hundred-Years War. In the XV century, there were French pirates, corsairs who ravaged the English coast.
A little later, in the XVII-XVIII centuries, the city became significantly rich in trade with the American colonies. After the port was closed, the city’s economy declined and Honfleur became a suburb of Le Havre. Today it is one of the most known tourist cities in Normandy. Free time for Lunch. You can have Your lunch in one of the restaurants located around the View Bassin admiring the picturesque views of the Medieval Honfleur. 14:00 Departure to Mont Saint-MIchel.
Honfleur
14:00 Departure from Honfleur to Mont Saint-Michel. The ride takes about 2 hours (190 km).
Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel
16:00 – 19:30 Visit of UNESCO World Heritage Mont Saint-Michel island and the Benedictine Abbey. Your guide will bring you up the narrow streets of the medieval village toward the top of the Island. You can admire panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and bay and enter the Benedictine Abbey. Entrance tickets into the Abbey include audio-guides in many languages.
The whole island with the Bay is classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It remains practically the same since the Middle Ages as it was the goal of pilgrims from all over the world. Mont Saint Michel remains the most visited site in France. Free time for Lunch and visiting of the city and the Bay. 19:30 Accommodation at a hotel near Mont Saint-Michel
Normandy
20:00 Arrival and Accommodation at 3* Hotel in Normandy.
Day 2 – Mont Saint-Michel — Chenonceau — Amboise — Wine tasting — Chambord — Paris
Mont-Saint-Michel
07:30 Departure to Loire Valley Castles. It takes about 3,5 hours.
Chateau de Chenonceau
11:00 – 12:30 Arrival and visit of Château de Chenonceau Skip-the-line access with Guide to Chenonceau Castle nicknamed the “ladies’ castle”, remarkable for its feminine history of famous women of France such as Catherine de Medici as well as for it’s stunning architecture as well as unique aches over the River Cher.
The Renaissance-style gardens Gardens of Chenonceau with their more than 130,000 flowerings plants will impress you as well. You will also get a brochure with explanations of each room. Free time to walk around the gardens.
12:30 Departure to the city of Amboise. It takes just about 15 to 20 minutes.
Amboise
12:45 – 13:45 Arrival in the city of Amboise. Lunch time. There are many cafes and restaurants at the main walking street of Amboise near the entrance to the Castle. So You will have the best choice for Lunch.
Chateau Royal d’Amboise
13:45 to 15:00 Visit of Château Royal d’Amboise. Skip-the-line access with Guide to Chateau d’Amboise. Amboise is the grand 15th-century residence of King Charles VIII and an example of the transition of Gothic to Renaissance architecture. Learn the history of the castle Amboise on your guided tour is known as birth place of princes, the reign of Kings, and the death of the greatest Renaissance master, Leonardo Da Vinci! You can see his grave in the chapel.
Plou Et Fils
15:15 to 16:00 Visit of the local Vinery with Wine Tasting at a local family winery existing for many centuries. You will learn how wines have been made for centuries and afterwords have a wine tasting of local wines with explanations. 16:00 Departure to the Chambord Castle.
Chateau de Chambord
17:00 – 19:00. Arrival at Château Chambord. Visit of the Castle. The guide will tell you about the history of the castle and its construction. The Château de Chambord is one of the most popular castles because of its French Renaissance architecture. The building was constructed (1519–1547) by Francis I (Francois 1-er) and is nowadays the biggest castle with its 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases. The castle is also known because of its open double-spiral staircase.
The two spirals ascend the three floors without ever meeting. Leonardo da Vinci may have designed the staircase. 19:00 Departure to Paris. There are approx. 180 km to drive on highway. It takes approx 3 hours. One stop will be made at the rest area.
Paris
21:30. Coming back to Paris. Drop Off at Your hotel.
