Avalon Waterways Grand France (Northbound) (WLP)
15 Day River Cruise Arles to Paris
This river cruise vacation showcases France’s charm, breathtaking views, and rich history. Your adventure begins on the Rhône River with a visit to Arles, France—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh—and its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater. On a guided tour of historical Avignon, see the 14th-century Palace of the Popes. The city of Tournon is beautifully nestled among vineyards and you’ll go on a guided walk of this medieval treasure with plenty of Roman ruins. Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital is a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. The Seine River offers a choice of excursion opportunities, such as a visit to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery; a visit to delightful Les Andelys, Joan of Arc’s Rouen, and the choice between a visit to Vincent van Gogh’s Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison. On this French river cruise, you’ll enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery, and stops in charming and historical parts of France, but your adventure would not be complete without a visit to Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! Discover its true heart on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour showing you the iconic sites of the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more. Walk in the footsteps of the great master artists, enjoy the delectable cuisine of France, and stand where heroes fought for freedom on the beaches of Normandy. This and so much more is waiting for you on your French cruise on the Seine! Ships: Poetry II & Tapestry II
Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing Day 1 Arles (Embarkation): Onboard welcome reception Day 2 Arles: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre, or painting workshop, or walk with your Adventure Host Day 3 Avignon: Guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes Day 4 Viviers: Guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral or walk with your Adventure Host Day 5 Tournon–Vienne: Choice of guided walk in Tournon or bike with your Adventure Host; choice of guided walk in Vienne or hike with your Adventure Host Day 6 Lyon: Guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill Day 7 Tournus–Chalon-sur-Saône: Cheese tasting on board Day 8 Chalon-sur-Saône (Disembarkation)–Beaune–Dijon–Paris (Embarkation): Visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; TGV train from Dijon to Paris; onboard welcome reception Day 9 Vernon–Les Andelys: Choice of excursions to Giverny or Bizy Castle or walk with your Adventure Host; choice of guided walk, or guided hike in Les Andelys; crêpes tasting on board and Pastry Demonstration Day 10 Caudebec: Choice of excursion along the “Normandy Abbeys Route” or bike with your Adventure Host Day 11 Caudebec: Choice of full-day excursions to Normandy landing beaches, or "A Taste of Normandy" excursion Day 12 Rouen: Choice of guided walk, see the Astronomical Clock and visit the cathedral or bike tour Day 13 Conflans–Paris: Choice of guided excursions to Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s Château de Malmaison or bike with your Adventure Host Day 14 Paris: Choice of guided sightseeing or “Heart of Paris” walking tour or walk with your Adventure Host Day 15 Paris (Disembarkation): Your cruise ends this morning Special Interest Departures 07/08/2025 - Grand France for Jazz Lovers (Northbound)
10/14/2025 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
10/28/2025 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
11/11/2025 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
03/31/2026 - A Culinary Experience in Grand France (Northbound)
05/26/2026 - Grand France WWII Remembrance & History Cruise (Northbound)
07/07/2026 - Grand France for Jazz Lovers (Northbound)
10/13/2026 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
10/27/2026 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
11/10/2026 - Grand France for Wine Lovers (Northbound)
Itinerary (2024)| Day 1 | ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION) | | | Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for BoardingFlights into Marseille must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES(D) | | Day 2 | ARLES | | | Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through nordic walking in Arles with your Adventure Host. OR: DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer.Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON(B,L,D) | | Day 3 | AVIGNON | | | The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes.Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region. Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON(B,L,D) | | Day 4 | VIVIERS | | | World History in a Charming French Country VillageEnjoy a leisurely morning sail to Viviers.ACTIVE Walk your way up to Vivier's hilltop Cathedral with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNON(B,L,D) | | Day 5 | TOURNON | | | A Rendezvous with Castle Views and VineyardsJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Bike along the Rhone river with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.In the late morning cruise to Vienne VIENNERoman and Middle Age History ACTIVE See Vienne from atop, hike up to a viewpoint with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour of Vienne and discover this charming little town surrounded by steep hills.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON(B,L,D) | | Day 6 | LYON | | | Adventures in Food and Wine in the Gastronomy Capital of France CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Tournus. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS(B,L,D) | | Day 7 | TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE | | | Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar, or to the Castle of Cormatin. DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE(B,L,D) | | Day 8 | CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–DIJON–PARIS (EMBARKATION) | | | Drive to Beaune and take a High-Speed Train from Dijon to Paris. CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights.This afternoon, take a high-speed train from Dijon to Paris to board your Suite Ship®.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON(B,D) | | Day 9 | VERNON | | | Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du JourVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Explore Vernon's Chateau des Tourelles by foot with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet’s charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy’s Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.DISCOVERY While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys. LES ANDELYSSerenity on the SeineACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France’s most picturesque spots on the Seine.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC(B,L,D) | | Day 10 | CAUDEBEC | | | Ancient Abbeys Along the SeineACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC(B,L,D) | | Day 11 | CAUDEBEC. EXCURSIONS TO NORMANDY | | | Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Join “A Taste of Normandy” Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region. See the famous Bayeux Tapestry, visit the beautiful village of Beuvron en Auge and taste Calvados at a local distillery.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship. EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN(B,L,D) | | Day 12 | ROUEN | | | The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, and a Heroine for France ACTIVE Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—home of the martyred Joan of Arc—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CONFLANS(B,L,D) | | Day 13 | CONFLANS | | | The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings. EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS(B,L,D) | | Day 14 | PARIS | | | Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of LightJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR: CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées.Stroll through Paris on your own, or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS(B,L,D) | | Day 15 | PARIS (DISEMBARKATION) | | | Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B) |
Avalon Pricing Details Gateway city for arrivals is Marseille.Port charges:$420Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included on Avalon portion only.Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.
Avalon Notes - In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
- Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
- Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
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