-Day 1 Overnight flight to France (Paris)
Day 2 Bonjour Reims
Meet your tour director, travel to Reims and check into hotel
Details: Reims city walk
Reims is the metropolis of the Champagne-Ardenne area, and a city that celebrates art, history and the enjoyment of fine food. After serving as the capital for the Celtic Remi tribe, it became an important city of the Roman Empire. Its cathedral was the location of the coronation for all French kings.
Details: Reims Cathedral visit
Visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, one of the world's most famous cathedrals. It was restored after World War I, largely by U.S. contributions from John D. Rockefeller, and it escaped World War II relatively unharmed. St- Rémi, the bishop of Reims, baptized Clovis, the king of the Franks here in 496 CE. All of the kings of France, from Louis the Pious in 815 CE to Charles X in 1825, were also crowned here.
Day 3 Reims--Rouen
Travel to Rouen
Details: Museum of the Surrender visit
Visit the Museum of Reddition in Reims, where the German Third Reich officially surrendered to the Allied forces during WWII.
Details: Rouen tour director-led sightseeing
Like Paris, the port city of Rouen is divided in two by the Seine. Your Tour Director will take you through the medieval cobblestone streets of the city where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431. See the Old Clock surrounded by half-timbered houses and shops, and visit Notre Dame cathedral, a favorite subject of Claude Monet. With its lacy Gothic façade and mismatched spires, Rouen’s cathedral is one of the most compelling in France. Hitler certainly thought so—the first time it caught fire in WWII, he ordered his troops to save it. See the inspired interior, with its columns topped by carved faces, and learn about the history of the church. Fun fact: one of the steeples is called the Tour de Beurre. It was built with money donated by a group of wealthy people who wanted to eat butter during Lent.
Day 4 Rouen--St. Malo
Details: Travel to St. Malo via Normandy
Tall granite walls surround the old town of St. Malo, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the centre of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history.
Details: American Military Cemetery and Memorial visit at Colleville-sur-Mer
Visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer that honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II.
Details: St. Malo interactive sightseeing activity
For centuries, this walled seaport on the English Channel was known as the city of pirates. The pirates are gone, but the granite town remains, always seeming to be reaching towards the green-blue sea. With your Tour Director, embark on an interactive adventure that will bring St. Malo to life! Including a visit to the Cathedral St. Vincent, begun in the 11th century but not finished until the spire was mounted in 1987. It houses the tomb of Jacques Cartier, who discovered the St. Lawrence River and founded Quebec.
Day 5 St. Malo
Details: St Malo choir performance
Choirs often enjoy performances at churches (some have restricted sacred repertoire and others allow secular,) temples, museums and cultural centers, significant historic sights or exchange concerts with local schools, universities or community groups. Participating in a choral or cultural festival can also be a rewarding experience. For all performances we work closely with each group to ensure the perfect venue to meet their vision. Speak with your Worldstrides representative about what options would be best for your group.
Details: Mont-St-Michel monastery visit
Perched high on a tidal island at the mouth of the Couesnon River, the Mont St-Michel Monastery rises impressively from behind the fortified walls of an old fort. Explore the narrow streets and old buildings before climbing to the center of the island to see the church itself.
Day 6 St. Malo--Paris
Travel to Paris
Details: Paris city walk
This city was made for walking. Stroll grand boulevards with sweeping views of the city, pristine parks with trees planted in perfect rows, and narrow streets crowded with vendors selling flowers, pastries and cheese. Then head to the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, to see Notre Dame Cathedral. Please note Notre Dame Cathedral is currently closed due to fire damage.
Details: Notre-Dame Cathedral
View the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.
Details: Eiffel Tower ascent
Line up to climb to the top floor of this iconic landmark for a spectacular birds-eye view of the glittering City of Light.
Details: Seine River cruise
See the city from the water on an hour-long cruise along the River Seine. The Seine cuts right through Paris, dividing the city in half. See the Eiffel tower rising up on the Left Bank, the walls of the Louvre on the Right Bank. A guide will point out other monuments and architectural marvels as you pass, many of which are illuminated by clear white light at night.
Day 7 Paris
Details: Versailles guided excursion
The ultimate palace, Versailles was built by Louis XIII, and housed the royal family and its groveling court from 1682, when the Sun King moved in, to the French Revolution. Everything in Versailles is worth a look, from the 250-foot-long Hall of Mirrors, with themed salons- "war" and "peace" -on either side, to Marie Antoinette's faux country hamlet. When being a queen became too much to bear, she would pretend to be a commoner, tending her sheep and wearing peasant clothes. (Please note Versailles is closed on Mondays.)
Details: Versailles choir performance
Choirs often enjoy performances at churches (some have restricted sacred repertoire and others allow secular,) temples, museums and cultural centers, significant historic sights or exchange concerts with local schools, universities or community groups. Participating in a choral or cultural festival can also be a rewarding experience. For all performances we work closely with each group to ensure the perfect venue to meet their vision. Speak with your Worldstrides representative about what options would be best for your group.
Details: Montmartre tour director-led sightseeing
If you’re coming to Paris, you absolutely need to take a walk in Montmartre! This area will wake the artist in you up. Its narrow alleys, windmills, little details, and soul are some of the things that make Montmartre so unique. As you walk in Montmartre, you will quickly understand how it has inspired so many artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh. As you walk up the hill make sure to take in all that surrounds you, because in Montmartre you are likely to find surprises around every corner!
Day 8
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Tour Includes:
- Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
- Accommodation in three- or four-star hotels in twin (or occasional triple) rooms with private facilities guaranteed throughout
- Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
- Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
- Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
- Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
- All of the venue arrangement fees and promotional costs for included concert performances
- LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
- Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
- Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
- Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip
- 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
- Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12)
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, costs for rental, transport of instruments or music stands, any passport or visa fees, or tips for the Tour Director or multi-day bus drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
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