Tour Inclusions

9 Nights
14 Meals 9 Breakfasts, 5 Dinners
Hotel
Driver
Tour Leader

La Belle France

10 days
France
Max 18 Passengers

Overview

Step into a land of renowned artists and royal crusaders, hilltop monasteries and valley castles. This tour takes us from France’s dramatic northern shores to château-sprinkled countryside, breaking off to see WWII sites, explore centuries-old villages and sample home-grown delicacies.

Worth Noting…

For those departing on or after 4 September 2025, please note that the Bayeux Tapestry will be closed for renovations. Instead, you’ll visit the fascinating Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy on Day 4 and learn all about the military operations of the famous WWII battle.

Tour Starts/Ends
1 Overnight Stop
Day Stop

Tour Highlights

Wander the enchanting island village of Mont Saint-Michel
Enjoy a tasting session at a local winery in the Loire Valley
Be inspired by the vivid colours of Claude Monet's estate in Giverny

Gallery

Tour Itinerary

Expand Full Itinerary

Day 1 - Paris (France)
Welcome to the City of Lights. After meeting the group at our hotel, we’ll get to know each other over a sumptuous welcome dinner. Bon appétit! Accommodation: Hôtel Paris Lafayette (or similar)
- Meals
  - Dinner
Day 2 - Paris – Honfleur
Our first impressions of France will be formed in Giverny at the home of Claude Monet - one of the world's most celebrated artists. The vivid colours in every room paint a picture of his life, and the surrounding gardens host flowers in every shade. Our home for the next two nights will be the charming port town of Honfleur - which you may recognise as the subject of a fair few Impressionist paintings. We'll spend the evening at our leisure, soaking up the rugged maritime atmosphere of this quaint town. Accommodation: Hôtel l'Écrin (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 3 - Honfleur – Normandy – Honfleur
This morning we’ll visit Honfleur’s bustling market and wander past its historic buildings and 17th-century harbour on an orientation tour. Then: we’ll track the Route du Cidre in Normandy, pausing at a local calvados producer to sample the fruits of the region’s orchards. From cool, crisp ciders to heady, amber-hued calvados – it makes for a delicious end to our day of exploration! Back in Honfleur, we’ll have the evening to spend at our leisure. Accommodation: Hôtel l'Écrin (or similar
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 4 - Honfleur – Normandy Beaches and Bayeux – Arromanches-les-Bains
Today we’ll turn our attention to the windswept shoreline of the Normandy beaches, where we’ll visit the sites of the 1944 D-Day landings. Afterwards, there’s the opportunity to pay a poignant visit to the American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer, where we’ll take some time to reflect on history overlooking Omaha Beach. An awe-inspiring Tapestry awaits in Bayeux and after taking some time to inspect this masterpiece, we’ll move on to Arromanches-les-Bains – our home for the night and setting for tonight’s included dinner. Accommodation: Les Villas d’Arromanches (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 5 - Arromanches-les-Bains – Mont Saint-Michel and Dol-de-Bretagne – Dinan
This morning we’ll drive on to the enchanting Mont Saint-Michel, crossing the walkway to wander the buzzing island village and explore the Abbey. As we make our way to Dinan, we’ll stop off for a photo opportunity at Dol-de-Bretagne – where we’ll see the famous Menhir de Champ-Dolent. Tonight, an included dinner awaits us in a traditional Breton crêperie. Accommodation: Cit'Hotel Hôtel Le Challonge (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 6 - Dinan
Today is yours to spend however you wish in the medieval town of Dinan. Wander cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses, take a closer look at the Basilique St-Sauveur, visit the old bridge or stroll along the Rance River – whatever you decide, you certainly won’t be short of things to do! Accommodation: Cit'Hotel Hôtel Le Challonge (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 7 - Dinan – Angers – Chinon
Today will find us deep in fairytale territory as we travel towards the Loire Valley. Here, the landscape's skyline is peppered with the turrets of castles. Our first port of call will be Angers, which was once the medieval stronghold of the Plantagenet kings. After spending some time absorbing the history of the castle, we'll move on to Chinon - where we'll dine together at a local restaurant. Accommodation: Best Western Hôtel de France (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 8 - Chinon – Château de Villandry – Chinon
Next stop: Château de Villandry. Famous for its impeccably manicured gardens and architectural elegance - this mesmerising château is one of the last built during the Renaissance in the Loire Valley. Taking in so much beauty is thirsty work, so on our way back to Chinon we'll enjoy a detour at a local winery where we'll sample a delicious glass or two. Accommodation: Best Western Hôtel de France (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 9 - Chinon – Château de Chenonceau and Amboise – Montlouis-sur-Loire
Today's château? One of the Loire Valley's finest: Château de Chenonceau. Here we'll take some time to stroll through the idyllic gardens and explore the fascinating museum. We'll make a brief stop in Amboise - the town where Leonardo da Vinci lived out the last years of his life. This evening, we'll enjoy a delicious final dinner together. Accommodation: Château de la Bourdaisière (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 10 - Montlouis-sur-Loire – Chartres – Paris
Before we say our final goodbyes, we’ll have the opportunity to visit the medieval city of Chartres. The celebrated Chartres Cathedral is believed to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in France – and it’s a beautiful image to take with us back to Paris.
- Meals
  - Breakfast

Tour Inclusions

Accommodation

- 9 nights in hand-picked accommodation

The Crew

- Experienced Tour Leader and Driver

Transport

- Premium mini-coach transportation

Reviews

49 reviews

Reviews Rating

3rd November 2024
Review rating

Great itinerary, excellent tour guide (Albert) and the best driver (Ken). Small towns of great interest, enjoyable excursions and plenty of time to do your own thing. Accommodation acceptable, not luxurious but always well located and close to restaurants. Small group works well although a full bus made things cosy. Fortunately no long journeys.
3rd November 2024
Review rating

The places we visited, and the tour leader and driver were a standout! One of the best BRT tours we have ever done.
31st October 2024
Review rating

This was our first tour with Backroads and it certainly won’t be the last! During the whole 10 days, we drive on the freeway once or twice - the rest of the time we wandered through beautiful little villages in the French countryside. With a maximum of 20 people, we quickly developed great relationships with everyone and had a number of wonderful dinners and drinks. We arrived at our hotel each night about 4:00pm which gave us lots of time to explore on our own or just find a table in the town square and enjoy a pre dinner drink or two. The itinerary was fabulous and we had lots of time at each of the sites. Could not recommend more highly.