11-Day In-Depth Tour of France: Paris, Normandy Landings, Loire Valley Châteaux, Bordeaux Wine Tasting Small Group Tour

Chapter 1: Three Days in Paris – First, Establishing a Good Relationship with the City

Day 1 | Arrival in Paris: Taking your time to greet the city

The first day mainly consists of airport pickup, hotel check-in, and free time. There's no rushed schedule, giving you time to chat with Jet Lag and explore the area around the hotel, getting to know the place and experiencing the relaxed pace of Parisian street cafes, bakeries, and pedestrians. This evening, just remember one thing: "You're in France."

Day 2 | Paris Panoramic Tour + Montmartre + Free Time Near the Louvre

Officially beginning to "get into character":
🚌 Paris Panoramic Tour (with professional English-speaking guide): Along the way, you'll see iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, and Place de la Concorde, allowing you to piece together a "big map" of Paris in just one morning.
🎨 Montmartre Hill: Then head up to the art-filled Montmartre. There are painters and street performers in the small square. You can have lunch at a small restaurant, or take photos and stroll around.
🖼 You will be dropped off near the Louvre Museum and given free time to explore. The group will stop around the Louvre. If you want to enter the museum, you can buy tickets in advance and take your time to see the museum's treasures, such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. If you want to go purely for shopping and café hopping, you can stroll freely on the Right Bank. The afternoon is entirely up to you—visit museums, go shopping, or simply relax along the Seine.

Day 3 | Versailles transfer + Paris free afternoon

Today's schedule is relatively relaxed, which is perfect for you who are starting to get used to the pace of Paris.
🏰 Travel to the Palace of Versailles (transportation required, entrance fee not included): The gardens and palace itself are world-class attractions. Whether you are interested in architecture, palace history, or simply want to see the Hall of Mirrors for a photo opportunity, this place is well worth spending half a day here.
☕ Free time in Paris this afternoon: The tour guide might suggest adding a Seine River cruise and a stroll through the Latin Quarter. The sunset glow over the Seine, combined with the buildings along its banks, is one of the most memorable experiences of Paris for many.

Stayed home for three nightsThe same Paris hotelNot having to pack luggage all the time is a very important detail for long-distance travel.

Chapter Two: Normandy and Brittany – Memories of War and Sea-Wind Cities

Day 4｜Paris ➝ Giverny ➝ Rouen ➝ Arromanches ➝ Caen

Today we leave Paris and head north to Normandy.
🎨 Giverny: Monet's House and Garden (admission included): Once you visit, you'll understand why Monet was so fascinated by water lilies. The entire garden is like an impressionist painting, with soft color blocks and exaggerated changes in light and shadow.
🕍 Rouen: Medieval streets + cathedral The Norman capital, with its exquisitely crafted timber-framed buildings and ancient alleyways, is a great place to have lunch and slowly immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a "medieval French city."
🌊 Arromanches: One of the landing beaches during World War II. It's not a bloody scene, but a quiet reminder that "this place once rewrote world history." We'll be staying at a hotel in Caen that night, and if there's time, we'll take a walk around the city center.

Day 5｜Caen ➝ Mont Saint Michel ➝ Saint-Malo ➝ Dinan ➝ Rennes

This is another climax for Japanese films:
🏝 Mont Saint Michel: Surrounded by the sea, the monastery town appears to float on the water from afar, but upon closer inspection, one can see layers of stone houses, narrow streets, and staircases.
🧱 Saint-Malo: The sea breeze on the city walls: A port city with complete defensive walls. You can walk around the walls and look at the sea, the city, and the people.
🏘 Dinan: Representative of a small village in Brittany: Stone houses, alleyways, and sloping roads—it's like stepping into an illustrated book.
We arrived in Rennes, the capital of Brittany, in the evening and stayed in a hotel in the city center that was convenient for walking around.

Chapter 3: The Loire Valley – A Castle Lover's Paradise

Day 6｜Rennes ➝ Angers ➝ Tours ➝ Villandry ➝ Amboise (Dinner included)

As we begin to descend into the Loire Valley, castle enthusiasts are officially on the move.
Angers: A castle featuring the world's largest "Revelation tapestry" (admission optional)
Tours: The Loire Valley's "base camp" city, where you can enjoy a walk and lunch.
Château de Villandry Gardens (entrance fee included): Known for its multi-layered gardens and geometric design, you'll find yourself taking endless photos; it's a truly photogenic place.
We stayed overnight in Amboise, a charming medieval town. Stepping out of the hotel, we were already at the postcard. Dinner was included, and we enjoyed the food and recaps of the sights we saw that day with our fellow travelers.

Day 7｜Amboise ➝ Clos Lucé ➝ Chenonceau ➝ Chambord ➝ Limoges

Today's release is a "castle triple hit":
🧠 Clos Lucé: In Leonardo da Vinci's residence during his last three years, you can see his inventions and models, and feel how one person can transcend art, science, and engineering.
🌉 Château de Chenonceau (tickets included): Built across the river, it is known as the "Maiden's Castle". The building itself, its reflection, and the surrounding woods create a very dreamy scene.
👑 Chambord (including park visit): The largest castle in the Loire Valley, with its double helix staircase and imposing exterior lines, exudes grandeur. Even just walking around the park area, one can feel the ambition of the royal family in its heyday.
Afterwards, head to Limoges, a city famous for its porcelain. I recommend exploring the old town and the area around Saint Etienne Cathedral.

Chapter Four: The Dordogne Valley – Cave Paintings, Stone Cities, and “Villages on Cliffs”

Day 8 | Limoges ➝ Lascaux replica cave ➝ Sarlat ➝ Beynac ➝ Rocamadour (dinner included)

This Japanese style has a very "historical" feel to it.
🐂 Lascaux Cave Replica Museum (admission included): Recreating the prehistoric murals that were originally closed for protection will amaze you, showing that humans have been using images to record the world for so long.
🏛 Sarlat: A UNESCO World Heritage Town It's a very well-preserved Renaissance town, with charming stone houses, squares, and markets, perfect for strolling around and finding something to eat.
🏰 Beynac: A medieval castle perched on a cliff (entrance fee included): The view overlooking the entire Dordogne River is spectacular.
Finally, we visited Rocamadour—a sacred village perched on a cliff. I recommend hiking down to Via Crucis and then taking the elevator back up. Dinner is included, and spending the night in this mountain town will give you a truly memorable experience of being surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

Day 9｜Rocamadour ➝ Padirac Cave ➝ Collonges-la-Rouge ➝ Saint-Emilion ➝ Bordeaux

Today we'll continue playing with terrain and villages.
🌌 Padirac Abyss (including underground river cruise): Descending 75 meters underground and taking a boat trip through the stalactite cave, the whole experience feels like stepping into a fantasy novel. (Note: The itinerary notes that it may be closed from November to the end of March due to weather conditions.)
🔴 Collonges-la-Rouge: As its name suggests, the village is built of red stone and is part of the pilgrimage route of St. James.
🍷 Saint-Emilion: The central town of the Bordeaux wine region Stone houses, vineyards, churches, plus a wine shop—if you're a wine enthusiast, this place is practically a playground.
We arrived in Bordeaux in the evening, officially entering the heart of the wine region.

Chapter 5: Bordeaux as a Finale, Ending the Journey with Wine

Day 10 | Bordeaux ➝ Cité du Vin ➝ High-speed train back to Paris

The entire city center of Bordeaux is a World Heritage Site. The "water mirror" along the river, the pedestrian streets, and the 11th-century cathedral are all worth taking the time to remember with your camera and your eyes.
The itinerary includes admission:
🍇 Cité du Vin Wine Museum (including wine tasting): The course uses an interactive approach to explain the history, regions, and winemaking process of wine, culminating in a wine tasting experience while gazing at the city from the observation deck.
After lunch, I'll take you to the station.high-speed trainBack to Paris: The journey takes approximately 2 hours to cover 500 kilometers. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and dropped off at your hotel for the night.

Day 11 | Paris ➝ Return Trip

After breakfast on the last day, the 11-day small group tour to France officially ended.

You might discover that: Paris is no longer just the Eiffel Tower and tourist attractions; the Normandy beaches are beginning to connect with the images of World War II in your mind; the Loire Valley castles become your gateway to understanding French history and power stories; the stone cities and caves of Dordogne bring the "prehistoric/medieval" to life; and the wines of Bordeaux are no longer just labels, but a crystallization of the land, rivers, time, and people.