Upon arrival in Paris, we will come to the hotel individually. There is time to relax and freshen up before our welcome meeting and dinner, where the tour host will introduce you to the rest of the group.

In the morning we depart from Paris, stopping first to visit the Fondation Monet House. We have lunch individually before continuing to Rouen, where we will have time to explore the area with the Tour Leader. Our coach then continues to Bayeux, where we will have dinner at our hotel. Normandy, with its diversity of landscape and rich heritage, derived its name from the Viking Norsemen, who made Rouen their capital. After the conquest of Britain it became part of the Plantagenet Empire, and is now regarded as a typically French region of apple orchards, contented cows, cider, and pungent cheeses. Normandy’s peaceful pastoral landscape belies its historic conquests and devastating experiences during World War II. We will learn about how Normandy’s history has been inextricably linked to that of Britain and how its history, heritage and culture have been influential since the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 through to the 20th century. We will experience Normandy’s historic cities, its typical villages, its artistic heritage, local produce, and cuisine.

Today we will have a city tour of Caen, where William the Conqueror’s favoured residence was located. We will visit the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames, both of which were constructed in the 11th century under the instruction of William the Conqueror and his wife.

Today we will have a full day touring the D Day Beaches with a battlefield expert, making visits to Omaha beach, the D Day Landing Museum and a German artillery battery.

Today we will visit the medieval city of Bayeux. First stop is a visit to the see the famous Bayeux Tapestry, the 70 meter long strip of embroidered linen that tells the story of the Norman's conquest of England in 1066.  We then transfer to Ducy Vergers de Ducy, where we will taste the regions ciders, juices and calvados. Note: The Bayeux Tapestry Museum will close its doors to the public, for renovation work, from September 2025. Reopening planned for spring 2027.

En route to Brittany we explore the impressive island of Mont-St-Michel. Linked to mainland France via a narrow causeway, the fortified island has had strategic value for over a millennium. Walking up the island's winding streets, the town's architecture survives as the final manifestation of the ideas of feudalism. Tourists first walk past the houses for the fishermen and farmers at the bottom of the island, then up through the twisting commercial district, before climbing past the great halls of the nobility and finally reaching the monastery, perched at the top of the island. We then continue to Rennes, arriving in time for dinner at the hotel.

We have a guided tour this morning of Rennes viewing the main historic sights.We travel onto Vannes with free time in the afternoon to explore. Late afternoon we travel onto Fouesnant on the west coast of France in Brittany, with a dinner at the hotel in the evening. Its rugged shores washed by the Atlantic, Brittany has a strong Celtic heritage. . It is a wild seafaring peninsula dotted with mysterious standing stones, dolmens, and cromlechs. Bretons have their own language and cuisine, with the Duchy of Brittany not becoming part of France until the 15th century. The gentle scenery of the southern Breton coastline contrasts with the rugged grandeur of the north.

Today we will enjoy local treats in Benodet, before travelling on to the ancient cathedral city of Quimper for a city tour.

Today we will have a guided tour of the megalithic standing stones in Carnac, which are as old as Stonehenge, and explore the Quiberon Peninsula. We then drive on to Lorient, where we will have a guided tour, followed by a visit to the Flore submarine museum. To finish the days activities, we will take an hour-long boat tour of Pleasure Boat Harbour, renowned for its scenic views.

Today we will have a guided tour of the main sights of Concarneau. The town has two distinct areas: the modern town on the mainland, and the medieval walled town Ville Close, which sits on an island and is separated from the mainland by a drawbridge. Having walked through the city, we will take a boat cruise across the town's beautiful bay. You will then have some free time to explore the artistic village Pont-Aven, before we return for a group dinner at the hotel.

Today we make the trip from Fouesnant to Trebeurden. We stop off at several points to visit a few of the region's quintessential parish churches in the morning. Continuing our journey in the afternoon, we will also stop to take a tour of the 7 Isles in Perros-Guirec.

In the morning we transfer to cote d'Amor, before heading on to Tregastel, where we will visit the local aquarium and delve into the town's wartime history. Next we travel to Dinan, one of the most attractive and well-preserved towns in Brittany, where we will have a guided tour, followed by dinner in the hotel.

In the morning we depart Dinan and enjoy a walking tour of St.Malo before heading to the port of St. Malo where we take our ferry to the Channel Island of Jersey. We will have dinner at the hotel. Measuring less than 120 square kilometres, the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, and together with the Bailiwick of Guernsey (less than 80 square kilometres) it forms the grouping known as the Channel Islands. These are separate possessions of the British Crown and are not part of the UK. Their history and culture are influenced by their strategic location between the northern coast of France and the southern coast of England. Formerly under the control of Brittany, invaded by Vikings, and annexed to the Duchy of Normandy, they emerged as miniature self–governing territories. The islands have a seafaring tradition and their trade with the Newfoundland fisheries gave rise to the name New Jersey in the US. Trade further laid the foundations of these attractive islands’ prosperity as well as agriculture (Jersey and Guernsey cows are recognisable the world over), milling, fishing, shipbuilding, and financial services. Each island has its own heritage and patois, but during World War II they were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by Nazi Germany. Both islands boast charming historic ports and towns such as St. Helier and St. Peter Port as well as famous former residents like the actress Lillie Langtry (the Jersey Lily) and Victor Hugo, who wrote some of his best-known works while in exile in Guernsey.

Today we will tour the town and port of St. Helier. We will visit the Jersey Museum and see the Occupation Tapestry, made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Island’s liberation, this richly coloured tapestry tells the story of life in Jersey during the Second World War. We will make the short journeys to to Grouville and Gorey, where we will visit La Hogue Bie site and the dramatic Castle of Mont Orgueil respectively.

On Jersey we learn about the island’s history and culture as we explore the capital St. Helier on a guided walking tour. We learn about the occupation of the island with a visit to the Jersey War Tunnels. Built by the Germans during World War II, over 1km of tunnels maze their way beneath Jersey's surface. We then finish the day with visits to the iconic lighthouse in Corbierre and stop off at the beautiful St Aubins Bay.

Today is a free day to explore at your leisure.

After breakfast we visit Elizabeth Castle, which has stood guard over Jersey for more than 300 years. We will have some free time for more exploring before boarding the ferry to Guernsey, where we will explore the bustling cobble-stoned streets of St. Peter Port. We tour the island and view its soaring cliffs and rural backdrops, before making our way to the hotel for a group dinner.

Today we will make our way to the Occupation Museum, which houses a rare collection of original documents and items from the war. We will then continue on to les Vauxbelets, where we will visit the Little Chapel, before having lunch as a group at a local farmhouse restaurant.

We will take a ferry to the neighbouring islet of Sark to visit its Seigneurie Gardens, where we take a scenic carriage ride. The island has no cars and has been traditionally run almost feudally by its Seigneur under powers granted by Elizabeth I. There has been some recent reform and Sark now comes under the government of Guernsey, but it is still a fascinating and tranquil place to visit, known for its dramatic seascapes, abundant wildflowers, and seabirds.

Before we head off to Portsmouth, we have a guided tour of Hauteville House, Victor Hugo's former home. We also take time to explore the Dorey Centre with entrance to see the Guernsey Tapestry. From Guernsey we take the Ferry to Poole, which takes approximately 3.5 hours. On arrival we'll transfer to Portsmouth for an overnight stay.

In the morning we explore the D-Day museum. Early afternoon we take the train to London with a coach transfer to our London hotel. Our farewell dinner this evening will be in a local restaurant.

Our tour concludes after breakfast.