Un Voyage Sentimental - 13 days

Tour Highlights

Lourdes Sanctuaries • Loire Valley Chateaux • Mont St. Michel • D-Day Beaches • Peace Museum • Basilique de St. Therese • Eiffel Tower • Notre Dame Cathedral • Arc de Triomphe • Bateau Parisien • Musee D'Orsay • Versailles • Giverny • Louvre Museum • Chartres Cathedral • 6 Performance Opportunities

Recommended for Choral ensembles.

Overnights

Lourdes 2, Loire Valley 2, St. Malo 2, Paris 5

Itinerary

DAY 1: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT
Depart the United States today on your 13-day performance tour of France! Dinner and breakfast are served on board your flights.

DAY 2: LOURDES
Arrive in Toulouse, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to Lourdes for check-in at your comfortable hotel. The afternoon is yours to acquaint yourself with your surroundings, and your tour manager is available to conduct an introductory walking tour this afternoon. Dinner at local restaurant.

DAY 3: LOURDES
Morning participation in the Messe International. Afterwards, sightseeing of the area includes the fortified castle and the Pyrenean Museum, documenting the region’s traditions and arts. A visit to the Sanctuaries, including the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is truly a highlight of your stay here. Free time before dinner. This evening, your ensemble will participate in the candlelight procession in Lourdes.

DAY 4: LOIRE VALLEY
Travel to the Loire Valley today by coach. After settling in to your hotel, visit the medieval town of Amboise and enjoy splendid views of the valley below, from the bluff on which the castle is located. After dinner, your evening ends with an exciting sound and light show!

DAY 5: LOIRE VALLEY
Today you will visit some of the magnificent châteaux of the Loire Valley. Journey back in time to the Renaissance during your stop at Chenonceau, the château of six women, and tour through the incredible hunting lodge of Francois I, Chambord. After dinner, perform a concert for the locals! Venue possibility: St. Gatien Cathedrale de Tours

DAY 6: LE TRONCHET AREA
Morning drive to St. Malo for lunch on your own. Explore the citadel. Continue to the awe-inspiring island monastery of Mont St. Michel. This medieval abbey and village are perched atop a rocky island, and are regularly surrounded by water at high tides. Dinner and overnight in 17th century abbey near Le Tronchet.

DAY 7: NORMANDY
Depart for Arromanches, where you can see traces of the vast artificial harbor built for the 1944 D-Day invasion that liberated France. Visit the American War Cemetery at St. Laurent, overlooking Omaha Beach. Continue to the St. Laurent/ Colleville US Cemetery for an impromptu performance. Also included today are entrances to see the Bayeux Tapestry, representing the Norman conquest of England.
Dinner and overnight in Normandy.

DAY 8: PARIS
Morning visit to Memorial Peace Museum. Drive through the French countryside, on your way to the City of Light! En route, stop in the quaint town of Lisieux, home of St. Therese. Visit the Carmel Chapel to view reliquary before your concert in the crypt of the Basilique de St. Therese. Arrive in Paris in time for dinner.

DAY 9: PARIS
Discover the major sites of Paris this morning—the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. In the afternoon, entrances are provided to the magnificent Louvre! You’ll perform today in Paris! Proposed venues: La Madeleine, Notre Dame. This evening, enjoy dinner in the Latin Quarter, followed by a boat ride along the Seine.

DAY 10: PARIS
Enjoy a full-day excursion to Louis XIV’s Palace at Versailles, including the Hall of Mirrors. Next drive to Chartres Cathedral, the best-known example of Gothic architecture and famous for it’s precious stained glass windows. You’ll provide a concert at Chartres. Return to Paris and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, followed by time for an evening stroll and shopping along the Champs Elysees.

DAY 11: PARIS
This morning enjoy an excursion to Claude Monet’s home in Giverny. Explore the beautiful gardens and lily ponds that inspired his famous water lily paintings. Return to Paris for a free afternoon. The city is well know for its museums, and you may want to visit the Musee d’Orsay, home to many of Monet’s paintings.

DAY 12: PARIS
Today is free to explore Paris at your leisure. Don't forget to stop at a pâtisserie and pick up some of the pastries that make France so famous! Or how about catching up on your last-minute shopping at the Galeries Lafayette or window shopping down the exclusive Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré? This evening, there is time to reflect on your time in Paris with a special upgraded dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

DAY 13: RETURN TO THE USA
Transfer to the airport, and say good-bye to your Tour Manager before boarding your return flight to the United States. Lunch is served on board.