The Seine, Paris & Normandy River Cruise

Les Andelys

Cruise to Les Andelys

During the night our ship slips her mooring and, as you enjoy breakfast, the landscape passes by serenely and you quickly get used to this luxurious sightseeing experience. Rounding a sweeping bend so typical of the Seine, we reach the town of Mantes-la-Jolie with its imposing church – so large and architecturally impressive it could be a cathedral – while straight ahead is a medieval stone bridge. The central section of the bridge was destroyed during the Second World War and never repaired – it’s the first of many poignant reminders that this region of France has been a battleground for centuries.

Beyond Mantes we encounter another typical feature of the Seine as it flows seaward – picturesque chalk cliffs, almost resembling a giant’s teeth. Beautiful villages like La Roche Guyon slide by, surrounded by bocage countryside of lush pastures and high hedgerows, countless cider orchards, half-timbered barns and ancient wooden farmhouses. We’re truly in the heart of one of France’s historic and stunningly attractive dukedoms – Normandy.

Château Gaillard

While you’re enjoying your first delicious lunch, the captain has skilfully berthed at Les Andelys, a small town dominated by one of the most spectacular sights along the entire valley – Château Gaillard. This afternoon we discover the story behind this remarkable castle. Château Gaillard guards the apex of the river bend and was built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th-century to defend Rouen from the French.

Besieged many times during the turbulent history of northern France, Château Gaillard is now one of the most dramatic ruins in the region.

Included experiences:

• Free morning sailing towards Les Andelys.
• Visit to Château Gaillard.

Personalise your holiday

Visit to a cider farm with tasting

Duration: 3 hours (including transfer time)

Travel into the heart of the countryside to visit a typical Vexin Normandy farmhouse. Family-owned for generations, the farm is home to 5 hectares of apple trees producing delicious ciders and other apple-based products. During our visit, you'll have the opportunity to explore the orchard and apple presses, as well as taste their delicious cider and other apple-based drinks, along with an array of local produce.

Optional excursion can be done in the afternoon with a shorter visit to Château Gaillard.

Please contact us at least two weeks before you’re set to depart to add the above experience to your booking before departure. Minimum numbers apply. 

Rouen

Rouen

We awake in Rouen, Normandy’s capital, one of Europe’s finest medieval cities and scene of many momentous events over the centuries. Pride of place on our guided tour of the city belongs to its stunning Gothic cathedral, which was immortalised by the great Impressionist Claude Monet in a series of 28 paintings showing the facade at varying times of day and in different weather conditions. Briefly becoming the world’s tallest building when the soaring spire was added in the 19th century, the cathedral is also notable for the recumbent statue reputedly containing the heart of Richard the Lionheart.

Rouen’s beautifully tangled alleyways are a revelation, lined with antique shops, tasteful boutiques and, of course, countless restaurants serving exceptional local cuisine emphasising the country’s outstanding gastronomic heritage. The Place du Vieux-Marché is one of the city’s most poignant spots; a large cross marks the point where the ‘Maid of Orléans’ Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for her beliefs.

Cruise towards Caudebec-en-Caux

During another superb lunch we cast off to navigate through yet more twists and turns, chalk cliffs and a landscape of forest-covered hills that are designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty and sanctuaries for diverse wildlife, including deer and wild boar. Another highlight of the valley soon greets us – the ethereal ruins of Jumièges Abbey. Founded in the 7th century, it was consecrated in the presence of William the Conqueror and was an important political and religious centre until it was sacked in the 16th century.

Should you wish, why not arrange to visit the wheelhouse, the Captain is always delighted to explain to those interested how the highly sophisticated navigation and safety systems operate. In the late afternoon, we moor in the pretty town of Caudebec-en-Caux. 

After dinner, enjoy the laid-back tones of a guitarist singing traditional French melodies.

Included experiences:

• Guided tour of Rouen
• Free afternoon on board, sailing towards Caudebec-en-Caux
• Visit to Caudebec-en-Caux
• A French guitarist performance on board

Bayeux & Arromanches or Taste of Normandy

Choose between fascinating visits to Bayeux and Omaha Beach or a taste of Normandy full-day tour, sampling lots of local produce.

After breakfast, you'll be ready for a full-day tour, with a choice to visit the landing beaches, or taste some of Normandy’s typical produce. 

Bayeux and the D-Day beaches

Our first stop, Bayeux is a delightful town with a historic core that escaped the ravages of war, so you can still marvel at its many splendid buildings, including the grand Gothic cathedral, crowned by a stately copper-clad tower. But, of course, Bayeux is most famous as the home of the tapestry telling the story of the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066 in glorious detail, which we'll see today.

Pointe du Hoc 

Next, we'll drive to Pointe du Hoc, a promontory overlooking the English Channel which was a series of German bunkers and machine gun posts during WWII.

We'll then continue on to Omaha Beach, the site of the bloodiest battle of the Allies' D-day invasion - when Allied forces surged into Normandy to begin the liberation of occupied Europe. Casting your eyes across the sand to the water's edge, it's sobering to consider that by the end of 6 June 1944, around 34,000 Allied troops had landed on this one beach, with around 770 US soldiers killed by the defenders.

Continuing to the British Normandy Memorial, we'll have the best point of view of Gold Beach, one of the five main landing sites on D-Day, when Allied forces surged into Normandy to begin the liberation of occupied Europe. We will then drive back to the ship moored in Caudebec, crossing Pegasus Bridge which was captured by British airborne forces in a daring assault aiding the success of the Allied D-day landings in Normandy. 

As we make our way back to the ship, thoughts turn again to the culinary delights awaiting you in the refined comfort of the ship’s restaurant.

Please note Bayeux Tapestry is closed from September 2025. This will be replaced with a visit to Longues sur Mer battery later in the day.

Taste of Normandy 

Alternatively, today you could embark on a tasting tour of Normandy.

Dairy farm 

Our first stop is a local cheese dairy, passed down from father to son, which specialises in the production of Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque, Camembert de Normandie, and Neufchatel. These are all Protected Designations of Origin cheese, making this one of the only places in the world that can make them. After learning more about the cheese-making methods, we'll get to taste these delicious varieties for ourselves, savouring the authentic flavours of traditional cheese.

Lisieux 

Next, we'll head to Lisieux, a venerable medieval town in the heart of the Calvados region, which gave its name to the popular local brandy distilled from apple cider. Popular with Catholic Pilgrams, here you'll have free time to explore the extravagant 20th-century hillside basilica or its medieval cathedral. Perhaps, you'll simply enjoy a leisurely lunch in one of the restaurants and cafés.

Cider producer 

We'll then travel to a family-run estate, located by the sea, to learn more about two of Normandy's most iconic drinks - cider and calvados (apple brandy). The farm’s 25 hectares of orchards are home to apple and pear trees enabling the production of vinegar, apple juice, cider, pommeau, calvados and pure apple brandies. After learning the secrets of production, we'll have the pleasure of sampling some of their produce for ourselves before returning to our ship in Caudebec. 

Included experiences:

• Option 1: Tour of Bayeux and the Normandy D-Day beaches  
• Option 2: Taste of Normandy tour with visits to cider and cheese farms 

Honfleur

Honfleur

Honfleur is often regarded as the most picturesque spot on the northern French coast, and after breakfast we make the short journey to this delightful town and enjoy a guided tour. Its old harbour, sheltering both fishing boats and luxurious pleasure craft, is beautifully preserved and surrounded by a perfect waterfront of pastel-coloured 16th- to 18th-century houses, many converted to seafood restaurants.

Watch the talented artists capturing the captivating views along the waterfront, while the intricate maze of streets behind is also well worth discovering. The eaves of the tall half-timbered buildings almost touch, and on the streets below is an abundance of traditional shops selling antiques, books and fine foods. Honfleur’s most famous son is Eugene Boudin, one of the forerunners of Impressionism and a friend of Claude Monet, who also painted the harbour many times.

Choose to return to the ship for lunch, or maybe you wish to explore Honfleur a little longer and sample the seafood in this coastal town with lunch at leisure.

Cruise towards Vernon

This afternoon, we slip our mooring and begin our passage back upstream, retracing the river’s winding course, its huge variety of wildlife, enchanting scenery and forests, all reflected in differing colours in the sparkling waters. Villages slip by, birds glide on thermals rising from the surrounding cliffs, it’s an ideal opportunity to join new friends for a chat. Squeeze in a spot of reading on the Sun Deck or simply recline, letting the gentle breezes lull you into a relaxing doze.

By this stage of your cruise, you’ll be totally unwound, and modern life will seem very distant.

Included experiences:

• Guided tour of Honfleur
• Free afternoon sailing towards Vernon

Giverny & Vernon

Claude Monet's house and garden

One of the great delights of river cruising is the magical sensation of waking up in a different place from where you were the night before. This morning the ship has moored in delightful Vernon, and we take the short drive to Giverny to visit Monet’s garden and house.

The artist himself called his garden his ‘most beautiful masterpiece’, and it’s certainly one of the world’s most photographed and painted, ideally viewed in the delicate morning light. In the Japanese-inspired water garden, shaded by great weeping willows and surrounded by bamboo, rhododendrons and azaleas, is the lily pond where he painted his extraordinary Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies) series. There’s ample time to wander here, absorbing the tranquil atmosphere while marvelling at the light bouncing off foliage of every hue and the magical reflections dancing off the water.

Vernon

After another leisurely lunch on board, you can explore Vernon’s quaint buildings before embarking on our cruise to Paris. As the sun sets on the shimmering Seine and the Norman countryside recedes into dusk, it’s a perfect time to reflect on your few days cruising among the creamy chalk cliffs and charming villages of this splendid river.

Included experiences:

• Visit to Claude Monet's house and garden
• Visit to Vernon

Paris

Panoramic Paris tour

For a sightseeing tour of the capital, one of the world's most iconic cities, choose our panoramic coach tour. We'll see many of the outstanding monuments Paris has to offer - including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro, the Musee D'Orsay and much more.

Walking Paris tour

A great choice for the more active, our walking tour of Paris allows you to take a closer look at some of the city's sights. Our 4km walk takes us through Île de la Cité & Marais Quarter, from Place des Vosges - the oldest planned square in Paris - to Palais Royal, the former French royal palace. En route, we'll see Paris' city hall - Hôtel de Ville, the UNESCO-protected Notre-Dame, the world-famous Louvre, and more.

Whichever tour you choose, you'll have the option to return to the ship for lunch, or you are also welcome to stay in the city and relax in one of the city's many cosy cafés.

Free afternoon in Paris

After lunch, your afternoon will be free to enjoy Paris and the many attractions of this world-renowned city. We'll be moored close to a well-connected RER station, which allows easy access for you to tick a few items off your bucket list. You could see the grand Place de la Concorde, the largest square in the city, which shows off 18th-century French architecture at its best, visit Galleries Lafayette - the historic high-end department store - or the Musée d'Orsay, home of the world's finest Impressionist art collection.

Alternatively, you may wish to simply stroll along the Champs Elysees, enjoy a walk in the Tuileries Gardens or perhaps wander through the café lined streets of the city.

Paris is everything you imagine it to be – romantic, inspiring, vibrant – even outrageous – but best of all, Paris is unique, a fitting finale to a wonderful cruise.

After dinner tonight, there's the chance to enjoy more famous French melodies and songs performed by a professional accordionist.

Included experinces:

• Morning Option 1: Panoramic guided tour of Paris
• Morning Option 2: Guided walking tour of Île de la Cité & Marais Quarter
• Free afternoon in Paris
• Accordionist performance on board

Personalise your holiday

Montmartre/ Sacré-Coeur guided tour

Duration: 4hrs

This afternoon, you could join us for a guided tour of Montmartre. A neighbourhood perched on a high hill, Montmartre was originally its own commune before being annexed by Paris in 1860. It's kept its small-town appeal with historic architecture, including meandering streets, steep staircases, lush squares and quaint stores.

We take a petit train (a land train) to Sacré-Coeur, standing in contrast to the bohemian lifestyle that surround it. We'll stop here for time to explore. If you brave the 300 spiralling steps that lead you up to the basilica's dome, you can take in the breathtaking views over Paris – it's said you can see up to 30km on a clear day. Or perhaps you'll simply wander and enjoy watching the musicians performing on the steps before hopping back on the land train, travelling back down the hill and returning to the ship.

Please contact us for more information and to add the above experience to your booking at least 30 days before departure. Minimum numbers apply.

Visit to Montparnasse tower

Price: from €22pp (payable locally)

Home to Europe's fastest elevator, the observatory on the 56th floor offers the best view of Paris' skyline. As well as seeing all the landmarks of Paris, the virtual reality kiosks can answer all the questions you've ever wanted to know about the city's sights. Once you've had your fill of the view, why not stop for a drink or a sweet or savoury treat at the 360 café? Then, venture even higher to the rooftop terrace for 360° panoramic views.

Please note - entrance only, this experience can be booked on board through Cruise Concierge. 

Bateaux Parisien sightseeing cruise

Duration: 1 hour

Discover the City of Lights from the river with a sightseeing tour along the Seine. Every bend of the Seine, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, reveals a new view of the city's thousand-year-old history. Equipped with an audioguide in English, you'll be taken on a journey through the stories and anecdotes that have shaped the French capital and see the city's magnificent sites, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Musée d'Orsay and more.

Please contact us for more information and to add the above experience to your booking before departure. 

Disembark in Paris

Disembark in Paris

After breakfast this morning, the crew bids you farewell before you disembark the ship, with time to look back on great memories from a superb trip.