9 Night Rendezvous on the Seine Cruise from Paris

Tour begins: 4 PM. A transfer is included upon your arrival from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or the Gare de Lyon, Charles de Gaulle, or Gare du Nord train stations to your riverboat on the Seine. Settle into your cabin and make yourself at home, then join us for cocktails, canapes, dinner, and entertainment at tonight's welcome reception aboard your ship. Bienvenue!

Today begins with a Tauck Exclusive - a private pre-opening guided visit to the Musee du Louvre! A showcase of Impressionist paintings. The Louvre, housed in a former royal palace, astounds with an incomparable collection of some of the world's greatest art masterpieces - old masters, sculptures, and antiquities, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Following lunch, you'll have a choice of excursions for this afternoon; you may choose to embark on an orientation tour of the city's landmark sites including a stop at the tomb of Napoleon, or walking tours of the Marais district or the Islands of Paris; the remainder of the day is free for you to experience Paris as you wish. Your Tauck director can offer suggestions for sightseeing, people watching, art viewing, garden strolling and, of course, wining and dining.

Chateau de Versailles is unequaled in its display of regal splendor and privilege. Louis XIV (the Sun King) built this "country home" to escape the confines of the Louvre and Paris in 1682, and made it large enough to house all of his courtiers and servants - it was eventually expanded to include 2,300 rooms; he also built the town of Versailles while he was at it. Prepare to be dazzled when your guide takes you inside the palatial estate to see opulently decorated rooms in the King's Apartments, including the superb Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, ending the First World War. If you wish, enjoy some free time or join your Tauck director for a tour of the chateau's gardens. The gardens are a monumental counterpart to the palace in design and decor, a showcase of magnificent bronze statues, patterned flower beds, lakes, fountains, and architectural gems, from a marble colonnade to two smaller palaces. Meet your riverboat and sail for Rouen, which is home to Joan of Arc memorial sites.

Enjoy informative insights about the history and sights you'll see today as we spend the morning cruising to Rouen. Victor Hugo called Rouen "the city of a hundred spires", and while the ravages of war destroyed many of the steepled buildings he was referring to, those that still stand today are rich with historical associations. A guided city tour this morning shows you the Gothic Cathedrale Notre-Dame, immortalized in close to 30 paintings by Impressionist artist Claude Monet, and the Place du Vieux Marche, site of Joan of Arc's untimely death when she was burnt at the stake. Normandy is lush with fertile landscapes that make its agricultural endeavors flourish and prosper. World-renowned Camembert cheese is produced here along with meat, poultry, and fruit products - local specialties that offer an authentic taste of the region. Enjoy the chef's signature dinner in the Compass Rose as your riverboat continues to Le Havre tonight.

From Le Havre on the English Channel coast, choose your sightseeing activity for the day; one option is a visit to Caen and the Caen Memorial, followed by a short drive to Bayeux and a visit to the Bayeux Museum; your other is a guided visit to Etretat - a village steeped in history and cultural treasures where agriculture and dairy products are mainstays and farms dot the countryside. Explore the beach resort town on a guided tour; sheer cliffs cut in a perfect arch protrude into the sea and then make your way to Honfleur for an orientation tour and lunch. The first Impressionist artists, including Claude Monet and Charles-Francois Daubigny, developed their painting style in Honfleur, one of the most charming fishing ports in Normandy. See a parade of Renaissance architecture and half-timbered houses along its cobbled streets as you discover for yourself why this colorful town was so beloved by artists. Back aboard ship, an interesting lecture about D-Day, one of the most somber dates in history, shares insights on the immortalized sites you will see tomorrow.

For more than 70 years, the D-Day beaches along the Cote de Nacre have stood as poignant reminders of the historic Allied operation of June 6, 1944, when a massive armada of troops, with more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft, converged on the heavily fortified coastline to fight Nazi Germany. The wartime code names for the beaches along this 50-mile stretch still exist - Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword - paying proud tribute to the heroism of the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives here. Our expert local guide shares insights during stops at Omaha Beach, bordered at each end by large rocky cliffs, and the American Cemetery, located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, the eternal resting place for some 9,300 American World War II soldiers. Return to the riverboat to continue your cruise; enjoy evening cocktails before dining onboard as you wish.

After a morning walking tour of Caudebec and lunch aboard the riverboat, drive along country roads past churches and chateaux in various states of repair to visit Jumieges Abbey, once one of the great Benedictine abbeys of France. First built in 654, this wealthy limestone abbey grew to house 700 monks and 1,500 lay brothers in its first 50 years. Destruction came in waves when it was attacked by Viking raiders between 841 and 940, rebuilt in the 11th century, then razed again in a succession of French wars. Today it reigns unrivaled in a park-like setting that evokes memories of its former grandeur, giving measure to what Victor Hugo called "the most beautiful ruin in France". Tonight, you'll have the opportunity to experience "the good life" in Normandy when you enjoy a gala evening including a private reception, dinner, and music at the picturesque Chateau du Taillis.

Chateau Gaillard is the crowning centerpiece of Les Andelys. Built in 1197 by the King of England, Richard the Lionheart, during a power play with the reigning King of France Phillip II, Chateau Gaillard was lauded as the strongest castle of its time. What remains today evokes images of how this medieval castle looked and operated at its height of power, with the riverside views affording you the same vantage point coveted by its royal inhabitants. Pommes, apples in English, play an important part in the history of Normandy, with apple orchards taking root in Roman times. While the first cider was said to have been distilled in 1553, before that the Norman apple was used in poultices, ointments, and cosmetics (hence the term "pommade"). With over two thousand varieties of apples, Normandy is naturally proud of its cider and of its Calvados - apple brandy, for which this region is also famous. Visit a local farm for a taste of both en route back to your riverboat. Cruise to Vernon for a late afternoon arrival.

Giverny invites discovery today on a Tauck Exclusive early-opening visit that shows you painter Claude Monet's home as he lived it and painted it. His pink stucco house gives the impression that his family of 10 still lives there; its rooms showcase his private furnishings and his collection of Japanese prints adorn walls throughout. Outside, you'll find easels displaying works-in progress in his garden studios, including replicas of the immense water lily paintings that hang in Paris at the Musee de l'Orangerie, and the gardens that inspired them. You will have time to walk pathways bordered with nasturtiums, hollyhocks, hybrid lilies, or snapdragons, depending on the season's blooms, and go through the tunnel that leads to the Water Garden and the oft-painted Japanese Bridge. Later this morning, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Impressionism Museum followed by lunch aboard the ship. After an afternoon at leisure, join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner.

Tour ends in Paris. Fly home anytime. A transfer from your riverboat to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Gare de Lyon Station, Charles de Gaulle Station, and Gare du Nord is available. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in.