Alsace, Normandy and Brittany
A guided tour combining heritage, nature, culture, and gastronomy, allowing you to discover iconic and authentic sites rich in history and emotion.
Detailed program
Day 1: Colmar
Arrival at Mulhouse airport and transfer to Colmar.
Walking tour of old Colmar. Nestled in the heart of the vineyards, Colmar’s traditional houses, canals, flower beds, delicious gastronomy, renowned fine wines and charming accommodations make it the epitome of idyllic Alsace and the guardian of an art of living where conviviality and hospitality are the essential values of a quality welcome.
Discover Turckheim, famous for its vineyards and rich historical heritage.
Dinner and overnight stay in Colmar.
Day 2: Colmar – Wine Route – Strasbourg
Discover the Wine Route: Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, including a stop at a cellar for a tasting of local wine.
Visit Château Haut-Kœnigsbourg, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages as you discover this fortified castle restored in the early 20th century. Stroll through the citadel as it looked on the eve of the Thirty Years’ War.
Dinner and overnight in Strasbourg.
Day 3: Strasbourg
Bus and walking tour of Strasbourg, historic city and capital of Europe, through Petite France, the Vauban Dam and the European Institutions district.
Dinner and overnight in Strasbourg.
Day 4: Strasbourg – Verdun – Reims
Drive to Verdun.
Discovery of the Verdun battlefield, scene of one of the greatest pages in French history, with the Douaumont Fort, the Bayonet Trench and the Douaumont Ossuary.
Drive to Reims.
Visit to a famous champagne house with tasting.
Dinner and overnight stay in Reims.
Day 5: Reims – Paris
Free time to discover Reims, the “City of the Consecration of the Kings of France”, and its UNESCO World Heritage sites: Notre-Dame Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece built from 1211 onwards in memory of the baptism of Clovis by Saint Remi, probably at Christmas 498; Saint-Rémi Basilica, the largest Romanesque pilgrimage church in Northern France…
Transfer to Paris.
Guided tour of Paris. You’ll pass by the Opéra Garnier, Place Vendôme, the Latin Quarter, Les Invalides and much more…
Dinner and accommodation in Paris.
Day 6: Paris
Enjoy a day trip to the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV, the Sun King, built this grandiose palace for the benefit of Paris’s haute bourgeoisie. This magnificent château will introduce you to the grandeur and extravagance of the Old Regime.
Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Day 7: Paris – Rouen – Deauville
Drive to Rouen.
Sightseeing tour of the historic city: the Cathedral painted so many times by Monet, the Tour de l’Horloge, the Palais de Justice, the church of Saint Maclou and the old market square where Joan of Arc was burned alive.
Drive to Etretat. Admire the famous cliffs. Beautiful, grandiose and luminous, they are world-famous. At low tide, take a stroll along the beach to discover the 17th-century oyster beds and the legendary “manhole”. From the marked trails, feast your eyes on the fascinating flora and fauna: herring gulls, northern fulmars and peregrine falcons…
Drive to Honfleur. Free visit of downtown Honfleur, an exceptional, unspoilt site. This maritime town, famous for its old dock, also invites you to stroll through its old streets.
Drive to Deauville.
Dinner and overnight in Deauville.
Day 8: D-Day landing beaches
Drive to the D-Day landing beaches.
Stop off at Courseulles sur Mer to visit the Juno Beach Center, a memorial and cultural center dedicated to the Canadian people. It presents the civil and military war effort of the entire population of Canada and the various fronts during the Second World War, as well as the different faces of contemporary Canadian society.
Stop at Arromanches beach to see the remains of the Mulberry artificial harbour built just after the landings on June 6, 1944.
Drive to Caen.
Visit to the Peace Memorial, a fantastic place to understand the Second World War, the D-Day landings and the consequences of the war.
Dinner and overnight in Caen.
Day 9: Mont-Saint-Michel – Saint-Malo
Drive to Bayeux.
Visit to the Queen Mathilde Tapestry Museum. The Bayeux Tapestry, a masterpiece unique in the world, is in fact an 11th-century embroidery of wool on linen. Measuring 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high, it tells a simple yet detailed story of how and why William the Conqueror conquered England on October 14, 1066.
Discover Mont Saint Michel and its abbey. Guided tour of the Abbey. The architecture of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey bears witness to the mastery and expertise of several generations of master builders. Built over 1300 years on an inhospitable site, it represents an undeniable technical and artistic feat.
Transfer to Saint-Malo.
Dinner and overnight stay in Saint-Malo.
Day 10: Saint-Malo – Nantes
Walking tour of Saint Malo. A fortress facing the sea, the granite city of Saint-Malo is a real pleasure in any season. Discover the fortified town, or Cité corsaire, with its ramparts, old town and Saint-Vincent cathedral.
Drive to Dinan, a medieval citadel at the end of the Rance estuary, which opens onto the Emerald Coast between Dinard and Saint-Malo. Dinan is still surrounded by the most important and oldest ramparts in Brittany. Visit Abbaye de Léhon, Cathédraloscope, Château-Musée…
Drive to Nantes.
Dinner and overnight in Nantes.
Day 11: Departure
Enjoy a fabulous imaginary journey in the “Galerie des Machines” on the Ile de Nantes. The Galerie is a laboratory where the machines built by La Machine are tested. The visit is punctuated by contributions from the machinists, who explain the history and workings of these strange creatures.
Then explore the “Carrousel des Mondes Marins”, an incredible mechanical aquarium that seems to have been born in the belly of the Ile de Nantes, the city’s most maritime location.
Return to Nantes airport or to your region.
Services included
- Transportation by coach or minivan according to the number of participants
- 10 nights in a hotel, youth hostel or accommodation center
- Half-board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 11
- Visits and excursions as described in the program
- Travel file for tour leader
- VOYEL assistance 24 hours a day
Good to know
Program duration and activities can be modified
Optional / supplement
- Services of a VOYEL guide
- Lunches