From Paris to Provence - The Best of Luxury France

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A 14 day trip to France by 503624What's this?
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Discover the best of luxury France, starting with Paris and its culture, architecture, and a gourmet tour of all famous addresses for chocolate, macarons, truffe, etc! Visit Versailles and the fabulous palace. Experience Claude Monet's famous garden and house in Giverny. Enjoy tastings of fine wine and foie gras in Bordeaux while in Provence, immerse in the beautiful colors af local markets and lavender fields enveloped in the vivid blue Provencal sky.

Photos

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Details

Departures: 

Flexible departures dates

Places Visited: 

Paris, Versailles, Giverny, Bordeaux, Aix en provence, Avignon, Monaco.

Some highlights include:
Eiffel tower, Montmartre, Notre Dame de Paris, foody tour in Paris (Poilâne, Hermé, Ladurée...), Claude Monet's Studio and gardens, Château de Versailles, Maeght foundation, wine tasting, Foie gras tasting, Lascaux II, the Prince's Palace of Monaco.

Activities: 
Cultural Activities
Gourmet & Cooking
Gourmet & Dining
History & Archaeology
Price: 

Please inquire for a custom quote. The price is customized based on final hotel choices, travel dates, and other custom preferences.

As guidance, this luxury itinerary offering some of the best of French experiences will cost a minimum of $500 per person per day, based on double occupancy ($1000 per couple per day, or $14,000 for 14 days).

Detailed Description

A 14 days tour in France where you will discover Paris and its culture, its architecture but also a gourmet tour with all famous address for chocolate, macarons, truffe...Versailles and the fabulous palace. For the impressionist lovers, Giverny has a special atmosphere with the garden and the house of Claude Monet. You will taste wine and foie gras in Bordeaux region and in Provence you will see all the beautiful colours af local market, lavender field a the vivid blue of the Provencal sky.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 :

Meet your guide-driver at Paris CDG airport and transfer to your hotel in downtown Paris. Drop off your luggage.

Depart for a panoramic tour of Paris which will give you the opportunity to view the most famous monuments of this beautiful city, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Montmartre district and Notre Dame.

From the Eiffel Tower, the Arrondissements (districts) of Paris radiate before you like spokes on a wheel. Notre Dame's delicate buttresses almost take flight beside the River Seine. You will see the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees, Montmartre and the Left Bank. And of course there is the food, the cafés, bistros, and Michelin-starred restaurants.

Photo stop around the Trocadero from where you can admire the spectacular Eiffel Tower. At the time of its construction in 1889, the tower was the tallest structure in the world, a title it retained until 1930, when New York City's Chrysler Building was completed. The tower is the second-highest structure in France and the highest structure in Paris.

Continue on to the charming Montmartre for a Photo stop. Montmartre is a hill in the north of Paris, primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit. The Sacré-Cœur is built of travertine stone. This stone constantly exudes calcite, which ensures that the basilica remains white despite the weather and pollution. Most of the views of Paris seen in the movie “Amélie of Montmartre” were filmed from this hill!

Finish the afternoon at Notre Dame de Paris, often known simply as Notre Dame in English, a Gothic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité. Notre Dame is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

Return to your hotel in Paris at the end of the afternoon.

Day 2 :

9:00 am: meet your English-speaking guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel.

Start the morning by a visit of the famous Poilâne Bakery. Founded in 1932, it is one of the oldest and most famous Parisian ones. They are passionate about bread and are constantly looking for the best ingredients and the best production techniques. Poilâne has a small range of breads to ensure their quality. Each bread was developed to satisfy a specific use. Learn all the secrets of the French bread and finish your visit by a tasting!

Continue to the “Grande Epicerie” du Bon Marché. Located on the Left Bank, it is the Great Parisian Grocery store which offers everything a gourmet dreams of. Discover the unique place where eating is an art.

It is one of the most interesting food merchandising of Paris where caviar, cheese and other delicatessen are set as jewels! (No tasting included).
Follow on with a visit to another special place where food is considered as jewels too: The Hermé deluxe pastry shop. It was Founded by Pierre Hermé who is a former pupil of LENOTRE House. He considers Pastry making as an art and a real passion. He always looks for perfection and and novelty. He has even created a Deluxe Pastry courses! Treat yourself at the end of the visit by a taste of some of their famous chocolate sweets!

If you want to feel the Parisian food ambiance, you cannot miss the Famous Rue de Buci’s Street Market for the pleasure of all of your senses! It is one the best open air markets of Paris!

To finish with, you will reach the Da Rosa Street to enjoy a wine, ham and tapenade tasting in one of its best gourmet shops!

To follow on with your discovery of the deluxe Parisian food products, you will get into the “Maison du Caviar”. This real Parisian institution offers to all of the gourmets a beautiful setting where is displayed a large choice of caviar (Beluga, Osciètre, Sevruga). No tasting included.

Then come and discover another food institution, the “Maison de la Truffe”. The truffle is one of the most mythic and refined mushrooms used in the Great gastronomic French recipes. (Tasting not included).

To end on a sweet note, follow Stéphanie into one of the Ladurée shops. The history of Parisian tea salons began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from France’s southwest, created a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. Nowadays this is one of the most well known “Salon de thé” of Paris and it is as well the place gastronomic creativity in Paris.

At the end of the visit you will taste some of the famous Ladurée Macaroons: a real treat!

Afternoon devoted to the Louvre Museum.
Located in Paris, the Louvre is one of the largest palaces in the world and, as a former residence of the kings of France, one of the most illustrious. It exemplifies traditional French architecture since the Renaissance, and it houses a magnificent collection of ancient and Western art.

To walk through the Louvre Museum is to walk through the history of France and into the minds of kings and revolutionaries. The reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV saw major expansion and a linking of the palaces and halls, which make up the museum today.

Divided into seven sections, the Louvre collections incorporate works dating from the birth of the great antique civilisations right up to the first half of the 19th century, thereby confirming its encyclopaedic vocation.

The present Louvre departments include Oriental (ancient Mesopotamian) antiquities; Egyptian antiquities; Greek and Roman antiquities; sculpture from the Middle Ages to modern times; furniture and objets d'art; and paintings representing all the European schools. A section of the museum is devoted to Islamic art.

Among the thousands of priceless paintings is Leonardo Da Vinci's “Mona Lisa”, probably the most famous painting in the world, housed in the Salle des Etats in a climate-controlled environment behind protective glass.

Works of artists like Fragonard, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Poussin, and David can also be seen. Among the well-known sculptures in the collection are the “Winged Victory of Samothrace” and the “Venus de Milo”.

The Musée du Louvre is unquestionably one of the finest museums in the world. The Louvre Museum is the jewel in the crown of French culture, a towering testament to European civilisation and history.

6:00 pm: return to your hotel by metro with your guide.

Day 3 :

9.00 am: meet your guide-driver in the lobby of your hotel in Paris.

Go to Giverny where you will visit the home, studio and gardens of Claude Monet, the great impressionist painter. His stunning art immortalized Giverny’s lush flower gardens and the water lilies on his private lake. Inside the house, Monet’s furniture and décor remain just as they were when he painted there, with a similar color scheme. The rooms are filled with Monet‘s collection of Japanese engravings.

We begin with a walk through the romantic nymphea pond gardens and continue towards Claude Monet's house through the flowerbed paths. The flowerbeds are exquisite, with absolutely perfect color combinations that only a fine artist could conceive. Here Claude Monet began his well-known "Séries" which later made him famous.

Monet’s gardens, like his impressionist paintings, are a bold mix of colors and textures. Roses have been planted extensively and the pallet of plants is diverse. Monet did not like to organize his gardens. He married flowers according to their colors and left them to grow rather freely.

Visit the water garden where you will find the famous Japanese bridge covered with wisterias, other smaller bridges, weeping willows, a bamboo wood, and above all the famous nympheas which are in bloom all summer long. The pond and the surrounding vegetation form an enclosure separated from the surrounding countryside.

Monet found his inspiration in this water garden for more than twenty years. Always looking for mist and transparencies, Monet dedicated himself less to flowers than to reflections in water, a kind of inverted world transfigured by the liquid element.

Continue to Versailles and enjoy lunch at leisure in a restaurant suggested to you by your professional guide-driver.

You will explore the Château de Versailles with its glittering Hall of Mirrors which was used by Louis XIV as a council room, and the gardens which were laid out by the great landscape artist, Le Nôtre, who managed to perfect the model of formal French gardens. The visit includes: the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments, the Trianon, vast mansion-style lodges where Louis XV and Louis XVI liked to work and retire from court life.

Home to hundreds when the King was in residence, this palace constitutes a veritable city of elegant private rooms and public reception halls, set in a splendid park with fountains, hidden gardens, and a lake for boating. Imagine life in the château as your guide opens doors allowing you to enter the lives of kings and queens. Imagine yourself among the courtiers in a banquet hall illuminated with candelabras reflected in the hall of mirrors.

Follow in the footsteps of King Louis the XIV. It is from here that the king radiated his power and where the destiny of Europe was decided over a century.

Versailles, a dream of elegance, taste and beauty, will open its doors and enable you to soak up the atmosphere that reigned during the days of Queen Marie-Antoinette, just as in Sophia Coppola’s famous film.

5.00 pm: back to your hotel at the end of the afternoon.

Evening, farewell dinner-cruise
7:30 pm: meet your driver in the lobby of your hotel in Paris for a private transfer for your dinner cruise.

8:30 pm: the boat glides gently close to the monuments seen through the glass canopy.

Antique engravings and paintings of the Quai Henri IV, discrete lighting, linen drapes, Ercuis Raynaud porcelain, armchairs designed by Philippe Hurel, a brass and mahogany bar… Here, everything speaks of luxury à la française. Calm and the pleasures of the senses

A 2h45-minutes cruise on the Seine between the Grande Bibliothèque and the Ile aux Cygnes (Statue of Liberty).
You will board the Don Juan II, a vessel that combines comfort and elegance: very well heated and air-conditioned depending on the season.
The sights of Paris are visible through large windows near which the tables are arranged. The exterior upper deck is a perfect spot for an aperitif or after-dinner. The atmosphere inside is always intimate: never more than forty persons aboard. Soft ambient jazz or international standards.

At around 11:00 pm return to the hotel.

Day 4 :

Check out and meet your English-speaking driver at the lobby of your hotel. Private transfer to Paris train station.
Two 1st class train tickets Paris / Bordeaux (time TBA).
At your arrival, meet and guide-driver.

Your guide-driver is a national licensed guide, a specialist in the Bordeaux Region. Her knowledge in Bordeaux wines is recognized by the very best Sommeliers and wine makers of the region.
Private transfer to your hotel in the outskirts of Bordeaux.
Check in to your hotel.
Visit the Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. Famous around the world for its wonderfully elegant red wine and the sophisticated bouquet of its white, Smith Haut Lafitte undoubtedly deserves the special care that is lavished on it.

If time allows, you will also visit the Château Olivier, an amazing building dating from the 13th century and producing one of the best wines of the region.

For many years, Château Olivier has brought together the present and the past by making wines of great art in an estate that is the stuff of legends. Fashioned by the earth in which they are grown, shaped by all those who work the vines day after day, the wines of Château Olivier are a magnificent expression of their appellation among the six Classified Growths of Graves in red and white.

Recent geological discoveries in the two gravel mounds of Olivier have confirmed the richness and diversity of an outstanding viticulture heritage, passed down by those who once contributed to the building of the fine reputation of Bordeaux’s great growths.

Day 5 :

9:30 am: meet your wine expert in the lobby of the hotel and drive along the Saint Emilion Route des Vins.

You will first stop at Chateau Beau-Séjour Bécot (1er Grand Cru Classé) for a private class on wine-tasting techniques and a visit followed by a tasting of the wines of the vineyard.

During lunch at one of the most gourmet restaurant of Saint Emilion (either the 2-michelin starred Hostellerie de Plaisance or the Grand Barrail), the expert and the sommelier will explain how to perfectly pair wine with food.

In the afternoon, you will visit and taste the wines of another 1er grand cru (either Château Canon, chateau Figeac or Chateau Angelus)

Then, your wine-expert will reveal all the secrets of St Emilion & Pomerol terroirs before a visit to one of the top Ten Pomerol vineyards.
(Either château Clos l’Eglise or Bourg-Neuf Vayron).

After this full exploration of the St Emilion & Pomerol region, you will return to the hotel at 5:30 pm.

Wine Expert:
Patrick was a chef for 16 years in Brazil, Nicaragua, Canada and Belgium. When his interests turned from food to wine, he returned to his native France to learn to make wine in Beaune Burgundy, where he stayed for 5 years. In 2002, while living in Paris, he tasted a bottle of Château Cheval Blanc and decided to move to Saint-Emilion. He draws on his culinary expertise to personally oversee the tour’s daily food and wine pairings.

Day 6 :

9:30 am: meet your expert in the lobby of your hotel and drive to the Medoc region.

You will enjoy a private tasting course at a Margaux Grand Cru classé vineyard. Private visit and tasting of the chateau's wines will end the visit (Château Rauzan-Seglan or another property).
Continue along the "Route des Vins" and stop at a village for lunch at a traditional restaurant which serves excellent food.

In the afternoon, you will visit another prestigious vineyard, and taste their grands crus classés. (Either Château Branaire-Ducru, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou or Chateau de Beychevelle)

Then, your wine-expert will reveal all the secrets of St Julien and Pauillac terroirs before visiting chateau Pontet-Canet (or Lynch Bages).

After a brief introduction to the history of the chateau in front of its 18th century facade, you are invited to cruise through the stunning vineyards on a golf buggy where you will be given a unique insight into the skills involved in the production of its wine.

You then enter the 19th century vat room with its metallic structure architecturally inspired by the Eiffel era. This is then followed by a visit to its brand new triconic vat room, the first of its kind in the Médoc.

After viewing the underground cellar, you will finish with a taste of one of magnificent Grand Cru vintages.

After this full exploration of the Medoc region, you will return to the hotel at 5:30 pm

Day 7 :

9.00 am: check out and meet your guide-driver at the lobby of your hotel.

On our way to Dordogne, we’ll make a first stop in Saint Emilion.

Enjoy a walking tour of the village. For many, the name St Emilion conjures up the taste of rich red wines, but the town of St Emilion is worth a visit in itself. Elegant and cozy, it has lots of cobblestone streets, Medieval buildings and romantic views. Most of the famous sites (including Europe's largest underground church) can be seen only as part of the excellent official tour.

St-Emilion is the oldest wine area in the Bordeaux region. The UNESCO organization recognized the great territory and put the site on the World Heritage List. St Emilion wines are considered the most robust of all the Bordeaux. They are generous, very colored, and reach their maturity quicker than other red Bordeaux.

Our next stop will be Bergerac.

Enjoy lunch at leisure in one of the restaurant of the city.

Before arriving to Trémolat, you will enjoy a foie gras tasting in one of the local producer house.

Check in your hotel in Trémolat.

Day 8 :

9.00 am: meet your guide-driver at the lobby of your hotel.

This morning, visit the cave of Lascaux II. The replication is meticulous and the paintings are absolutely gorgeous, deep red, rich ochre and black being the dominant tints. The pictures are beautifully painted and show a sense of perspective and movement.
Enjoy lunch at leisure.

Discover the town of Sarlat La Canéda. The city of Sarlat is a living showcase, featuring some of the best examples of medieval and Renaissance architecture found in the Périgord. Enjoy a guided walk through this charming town on market day, visiting the Maison de la Boétie, Sarlat’s finest house; the fountain of Sainte-Marie; and the fourteenth- century Hôtel Plamon.

End your day by a 2 hours canoe ride on the Dordogne river.

Day 9 :

Check out and private transfer to Bordeaux airport.
Two plane tickets Bordeaux / Marseille.

At your arrival in Marseille airport, private transfer to your hotel in Aix en Provence.

Check in to your hotel.

Day 10 :

9:00 am: meet your guide-driver in the lobby of your hotel.

Enjoy visiting Aix en Provence. Do not miss out on one of the most famous “Cours” in France, the Cours Mirabeau, once a street for horse-drawn coaches and the link between the Mazarin quarter and the old commercial town.

Cours Mirabeau is located in the center of the city, and the heart of Aix. The Cours Mirabeau is a beautiful tree-lined avenue, with one side lined with wonderful terrace cafés and bookshops.

Aix en Provence is full of fountains. Everywhere, throughout the town, fountains big and small bubble. Aix-en-Provence is a city of art, light and activity. It is also home to several art schools and universities, including some American, attracting a youthful population that sparks the atmosphere.

The center of Aix en Provence is the old town, surrounded by a circular boulevard and squares. It is a small enough area to explore on foot. Medieval Aix was protected by a wall with 39 towers, but today only the 14th century "Tourreluquo" tower remains, at the northwest corner of the town.

Be delighted by Aix’s bustling daily open-air market on the Place Richelme. The market offers Provencal products such as fruit, vegetables, olives and oysters. And not only food: wicker baskets, brightly patterned tablecloths made from Provencal cloth, olive wood bowls and platters and rolling pins. Enjoy a visit to a Calissons boutique and taste the local specialty!

The main market takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This market, located by the Palais de Justice, is a big affair of fresh produce and food, bric-à-brac and a flea-market. On market days, a colorful flower market is held at the Place de l'Hotel de Ville (Town Hall).

You may wish to visit the Pavillon Vendôme, a fine example of an elegant "bastide" built in the 17th century. Preceded by a beautiful French garden, the Pavillon Vendôme was built in 1665 and commissioned by Louis de Mercour , Duke of Vendôme. It is said that it was built for his lover Lucretia de Forbin Solliès, better known as Beauty of Le Canet. Today it is a small museum housing a collection of furniture, paintings and 18th century fabrics.

Admire the mansions in the Mazarin district with the Hotel de Caumont, the 4 Dolphins Square with the graceful 4 Dolphins Fountain and the Saint Jean de Malta church, a fortified gothic church built at the end of the 12th century. Visit the old town with the Palais des Justice (Law Courts) built on the former site of the Palace of the sovereign counts, the 17th-century Madeleine church, and St Sauveur cathedral.

Enjoy lunch at leisure in Aix en Provence at a typical Provencal restaurant. We suggest Les Bacchanales, a restaurant boasting a long dining room with magnificent old beams, frequented by lovers of Southern cuisine.

Continue your trip to Avignon. Located at the confluence of the Rhône and Durance rivers, Avignon is well known for its ramparts, its famous Pont Saint-Bénezet and the Pope’s Palace.

Avignon is ancient and full of history, life, youth, art, music and activity.

The fortified city of Avignon will not leave you indifferent. The ancient streets, the private mansions and their courtyards and the renovated façades will charm you.

The famous theater festival has made Avignon an extremely attractive city in modern times.

Avignon’s architecture is marked by papal history. Home to the Sovereign Pontiffs in the 14th century, the Palace of the Popes is the biggest Gothic palace in the world. You can visit 25 of the Palace’s rooms, including the ceremonial rooms, chapels, cloister and private papal apartments with priceless frescoes.

Enjoy a walk around Avignon. On this walk you will encounter the main landmarks of the city and the historic core of Avignon, which has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list by the Convention of Berlin (1995). One of France's Monuments Historiques chief architects has called it the "Acropolis of Avignon". It is considered to be one of the most beautiful sites in the world.

5:00 pm: back to your hotel.

Day 11 :

9.00 am: meet your guide-driver in the lobby of your hotel in Aix en Provence.

Start your journey by visiting Ménerbes. This superb little village in the Luberon is considered to be one of the finest in France. Built on a hill, it is surrounded by magnificent countryside.

When visiting Ménerbes you will notice that its rich historic past has been well-preserved. The Dolmen de la Pichouno (unique to the Vaucluse) shows that Ménerbes has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

You can admire the imposing citadel built between the 12th and 16th centuries and visit the Domaine de la Citadelle and its unique corkscrew museum!

Nicolas de Staël and Picasso both owned houses in Ménerbes and they have since been joined by other famous artists, musicians, comedians and writers.

Here you may wish to visit the truffle and wine house in the Luberon, a residence and knowledge center dedicated to wine and truffle production.

An interactive stand provides visitors with all the information relative to wine-making and truffles in the South East: history, wine-making methods, the vines, matching wines with food, wine-storing techniques and types of truffle.

Continue with your trip and visit Gordes. Due to its privileged position, its exceptional charm and its typical architecture, Gordes has been listed as “one of the most beautiful villages in France”.

While strolling around the tiny streets which climb up between the tall houses you will discover here and there beautiful old doorways, arcades and walls of flat stone perfectly restored, and, on the other side, the panorama of the valley and mountains of Luberon.

Here you may want to visit the Abbaye of Senanque which remains one of the purest examples of Romanesque Cisterian architecture. Cisterian monks still live here producing honey, lavender essence and liqueurs.

You can also visit the Bories Village, where the beautiful dry-stone huts present architecture directly connected to the nature of the ground. The village gives evidence of a collective, organized and permanent rural group settlement.

Enjoy lunch on your own and continue the trip to Roussillon. We suggest the Clos des Glycines overlooking the ochre mines. Treat yourself to a tasty lunch and admire the Giants’ causeway.

Situated in the heart of one of the biggest ochre sites in the world, Roussillon is famous for its magnificent red cliffs and ochre quarries. The red, yellow and brown shades of the earth form a striking contrast with the lush green pine trees.

The vivid blue of the Provencal sky and the exceptional quality of light make this a magical site. It is like an artist's pallet, with the infinite combinations of colors varying from yellow to purple with all the shades of pink and red in-between.

Here you will visit the former ochre quarries and walk along the ochre pathways. You can also learn about how the ochre is treated and used in the building industry by visiting the "Conservatoire des Ocres et des Pigments Appliqués", situated in an old ochre factory.

5.00 pm: return to Aix en Provence at the end of the day.

Day 12 :

Morning: check out and meet your guide-driver at the lobby of your hotel.

Private transfer to Aix en Provence TGV train station.
Two 1st class train tickets Aix en Provence / Nice.

At your arrival, meet and greet by your private guide-driver.

Transfer to your hotel in Eze Village. Check in and leave your luggage.

In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of Monaco to view the Prince’s palace, the cathedral, Princess Grace's tomb, and to learn more about the history of this mythical city. Afterwards, visit the heart of Monte-Carlo with its Casino and the Hôtel de Paris.

Monaco is situated on the Cote d'Azur, between Cap d'Ail and Menton, only a few kilometers from the Italian Riviera. It is one of those magical, glamorous places of worldwide renown. Monaco is a prosperous, independent sovereign state with its own government. The head of state is His Royal Highness Prince Albert II. Monaco definitely has a privileged location. This tiny capital (nicknamed “the Rock”) is built into the mountainside and spreads down to the shores of the Riviera. 31 hectares have been added to Monaco's surface by building out onto the water. It is sunny almost all year round, and fabulous parks and gardens have been laid out throughout the city.

There are sumptuous boutiques with the latest fashions, palatial luxury hotels, and very chic restaurants. The cultural and sport centers are fitted out to perfection, and everywhere you look, stretch-limousines and Porsches travel along Monte Carlo’s famous twisting streets.

Enjoy lunch at leisure in a typical restaurant in Monaco.

You can visit the Prince's Palace, which was built on the site of a 13th-century Genovese fortress. Admire the splendor of the 16th-century Italian Gallery, the Louis XV lounge, and the 17th-century Palatine Chapel.

Do not miss the Oceanographic Museum that was inaugurated by Prince Albert I in 1910. Dedicated to the study of sea sciences, it took 11 years to build the impressive museum that sits on top of an 85-meter cliff. Inside you will discover an amazing collection of marine life, and you will be seduced by the numerous aquariums filled with colorful fish.

5:00 pm: return to your ship or to your hotel.

Day 13 :

9:00 am: meet your guide-driver and enjoy a panoramic tour of Nice.

Everything is emphasized in Nice; the bright sunlight makes the colors flash. The green pines happily rub shoulders with the blue of the Mediterranean Sea and that of the sky. In this natural, rocky setting, the sun highlights the yellow shades of flowers and the ochre-colored houses. It is easy to see why the Côte d’Azur fascinates so many people. Many of the artists, painters, writers, sculptors and musicians who contributed to the city’s fame, have museums here dedicated to their works.

You will view the luxurious Belle Époque-style residences, including the fabulous Négresco palace that is built on the sea front. The Négresco, whose dome can be admired from the Promenade des Anglais, is the finest example of Belle Époque architecture. Visit the Russian Church (not available on Sunday mornings).

Enjoy a walking tour of the old town. The old town’s soul and history are reflected in the narrow streets and alleys that curve, in an irregular fashion, among old buildings and red-tiled roofs. The streets, with names that evoke ancient guilds, such as “goldsmith” or “bankers,” are full of boutiques and shoppers.

In the morning, the Cours Saleya has daily flower and food markets. There are scores of stands, and you will find everything from professional merchants with their well-displayed wares to farmers that offer their fresh produce and live fowl on folding tables. Low buildings border the length of Cours Saleya, separating it from the sea.

Give your taste buds a new experience and enjoy some socca with a glass of wine. Socca is a local specialty made from chickpea flour, and a trip to Nice would not be complete without having tasted it!

Enjoy lunch at leisure in a typical restaurant. We suggest the restaurant “Le Safari.” It is in a prime location on the Cours Saleya with a lovely view of the market stalls. The menu is diversified, with local specialties, pasta, seafood, meat and pizza.

During the afternoon discover the regal town of St Paul de Vence that Marc Chagall loved so much. This charming and picturesque village from the Middle Ages has always succeeded in seducing lovers of art and enlightenment.

Saint Paul de Vence is the cradle of Provence; it exudes its cultural and artistic patrimony. Talent, sensitivity and emotion merge with delicate and intense sensations to please the eye.

You might like to visit Maeght Foundation, the best of all modern-art museums in the area. Great sculptures, especially those by Miro, can be admired in a very pleasant environment.

Continue towards Vence and visit this charming village.

Whether one comes to Vence for its historical significance, its splendid panorama, or the mild weather, its magic is omnipresent.

The mission of Vence has always been to attract generations of artists, painters and poets. Dufy, Matisse, Chagall, Dubuffet, Carzou, Arman, Anthony Mars, D.H. Lawrence, have all been part of the scene in Vence. The lovely countryside has remained natural and it is far from the crowds and construction. One can admire white and green oaks, Aleppo pines, rosemary bushes, acanthus plants, and bellflowers.

You will not be able to resist the treasures waiting to be seen when you visit the medieval quarter behind the ramparts.

5:00 pm: return to your hotel at the end of the afternoon.

Day 14 :

Check out and private transfer with an English-speaking driver to Nice’s airport.