Sapphire
Category SSF - Seven Seas Suite Forward
Seven Seas Suite (Forward)
Photos are examples only. Actual cabin colors and features may vary.
This cruise has already sailed

7 Night River Seine Chateaux Impressionism and Normandy Cruise from Paris

Ship: Sapphire
Cruise Line: Tauck Tours
Sailed: Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024 from Paris, France
Ended: Wednesday, Jul 31, 2024
The itinerary information below reflects the original day-by-day port of call schedule for the Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024 departure of the Sapphire. If Tauck Tours modified this itinerary for weather or operational reasons after departing , the modified schedule would not be reflected here.
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Day by Day Summary and Map

Day 1 - Wednesday - Jul 24, 2024
Paris, France
Paris, France    
Bus Travel    
Cruise Begins    
Le Pecq, France    
Tour begins: 4 PM. A transfer is included from Charles de Gaulle Airport or Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord train stations to Tauck's riverboat. Settle in aboard the riverboat and join this evening a welcome reception and dinner, followed by a musical performance in the ship's lounge.
Day 2 - Thursday - Jul 25, 2024
Conflans, France
Conflans, France    
Bus Travel    
Auvers-sur-Oise, France    
Bus Travel    
Conflans, France    
Sail to Conflans-Ste-Honorine this morning, then drive to picturesque Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent Van Gogh spent the last days of his life. Van Gogh moved to the artists' community in 1890 to recover from a mental breakdown; at the time, things were looking up, Van Gogh had finally sold a painting, his work was being shown at major exhibitions, and his star was rising in the Paris art world; at Auvers-sur-Oise he had a burst of energy and inspiration, producing 80 paintings in just 70 days; then, with no explanation, he shot himself. Follow Van Gogh's last steps on a walking tour; visit Auberge Ravoux, the inn where he stayed, preserved as a museum; visit the cafe, and Van Gogh's attic room; and see how his neighboring artists lived. Pay homage at the town cemetery, where Vincent's devoted brother and patron, Theo, lies beside him. While in town, you'll also visit the Absinthe Museum, dedicated to the history and mythology of the notorious cordial known as the Green Fairy, popular among bohemian artists and poets of Van Gogh's time. Return to the Sapphire for lunch. This afternoon, enjoy a lesson in Impressionist painting by a professional artist as you sail for Les Andelys.
Day 3 - Friday - Jul 26, 2024
Les Andelys, France    
Bus Travel    
Tilly, France    
Bus Travel    
Les Andelys, France    
In 1198, Normandy belonged to England, a claim disputed by Philip II, King of France. Anticipating a French invasion, the audacious King of England, Richard the Lionheart, decided to build a mighty fortress on a cliff overlooking the Seine and the village of Les Andelys. Richard designed the fortress himself and with the help of thousands of workers built it within a year. He proudly named it Chateau Gaillard (loosely translated as "Saucy" or "Defiant" Castle), a towering middle finger to Philip; Richard declared that it was so well situated he could defend it "even if the walls were made of butter". The astonishing ruins of Gaillard Castle are still there, and you can see them up close on a guided tour, with panoramic views. Get acquainted with Les Andelys on a walking tour; then drive to an apple farm in Tilly to find the essence of calvados, Normandy's famous apple brandy. The terroir here is inhospitable to wine-grapes but perfect for apples; cidre, therefore, is Norman wine, with all its sophisticated varieties, grades, blends, and nuances. Discover the art of making cidre and calvados, with tastings, of course, and locally made pate. Return to the riverboat for lunch as you sail for Caudebec; dinner is at leisure this evening, followed by evening entertainment in the lounge.
Day 4 - Saturday - Jul 27, 2024
Caudebec-en-Caux , France
Caudebec-en-Caux , France    
Bus Travel    
Mont St Michel, France    
Bus Travel    
Caudebec-en-Caux , France    
Legend says that sometime in the 8th century the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches and told him to build a church on a small rocky island off the coast of Normandy. The angel was a brilliant strategist. Surrounded by water and high cliffs, accessible on foot only at low tide, the islet was a challenge to any Romanesque church-builder, but it was also impervious to raids by Vikings and Englishmen. The bishop named it Mont Saint-Michel. And over the centuries, as monarchs and architects embellished it, the island became a breathtaking citadel, with fortifications, ramparts, crypts, tunnels, churches, villages, and streets, spiraling up to a Benedictine monastery. In declaring Mont Saint-Michel a World Heritage Site, UNESCO calls it "a technical and artistic tour de force". Experience it yourself today on an unforgettable walking tour. Or take a drive to the white shoreline cliffs of Etretat, a favorite landscape for en plein air artists. You'll also visit the picturesque harbor-town of Honfleur, where landscape painter Eugene Boudin gave oil-painting lessons to a teenaged Claude Monet, created an artists' colony, and inspired the Impressionist movement.
Day 5 - Sunday - Jul 28, 2024
Caudebec-en-Caux , France
Caudebec-en-Caux , France    
Bus Travel    
D-Day Beaches, France    
Bus Travel    
Caudebec-en-Caux , France    
2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy in World II. Today's poignant visit to the beaches of Normandy is led by a local guide knowledgeable about the day's events, the heroics, and the losses of this historic Allied operation of June 6, 1944, as well as its Allied liberation of Western Europe. See Pointe du Hoc where US Army Rangers scaled the 100-foot-high, crater-riddled cliffs and seized the German artillery pieces to keep them from firing on the American troops landing at Omaha and Utah beaches. Visit Omaha Beach, one of the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion of World War II, today dotted with the remains of German bunkers. Pause at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel, the final resting place for more than 9,300 troops who lost their lives in World War II. After lunch at Chateau la Cheneviere, meet your riverboat back in Caudebec-en-Caux. Dine at your leisure tonight.
Day 6 - Monday - Jul 29, 2024
Rouen, France
Rouen, France    
Bus Travel    
Duclair, France    
Medieval Rouen is dwarfed by its glorious Notre-Dame Cathedral, which so captivated Claude Monet that he painted it over and over again at different times of the day, to capture its many faces in fleeting changes of light. Stand in awe of this Gothic masterpiece on a walking tour of the city's enchanting half-timbered houses and winding cobblestone streets. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the Market Square in 1431, and she's memorialized everywhere in the city, including the Church of Saint Joan of Arc; there is also a chapel in the Cathedral dedicated to her. Enjoy time exploring Rouen on your own, then join us for a Tauck Exclusive this evening at historic Chateau du Taillis in Duclair; built in Renaissance style in 1530, and nestled in a large woodland park, the chateau is an elegant retreat steeped in exquisite 18th-century furnishings and decor. Re-embark ms Sapphire in Duclair and sail for Vernon tonight.
Day 7 - Tuesday - Jul 30, 2024
Vernon, France
Vernon, France    
Bus Travel    
Giverny, France    
Bus Travel    
Vernon, France    
Dock in Vernon, and drive to Giverny for an early-opening visit to Claude Monet's house and famous gardens, exclusive to Tauck; the colorful house, now a museum, is preserved as he left it - and you'll explore at leisure the gardens that were Monet's outdoor studios, where he could arrange the trees and flowerbeds, with compositions and colors as it suited him. The flower garden, and the Japanese water garden are meticulously maintained, and walking in them is a unique, immersive experience, not just a sense of being present in Monet's art, but also in the painter's mind. Drop in at the Impressionist Museum for a self-guided visit, to learn more about Impressionism and its history. Then, return to Vernon for a farewell reception at the grand Chateau de Bizy; once the residence of King Louis-Phillipe, the castle is set in a landscaped park of fountains and statuary near the Seine, its salons and dining hall exuding 18th-century French elegance. Join us for a farewell dinner onboard the ship.
Day 8 - Wednesday - Jul 31, 2024
Le Pecq, France    
Cruise Ends    
Bus Travel    
Paris, France    
Tour ends: Le Pecq / Paris. Disembark ship by 9 AM. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Tauck's riverboat to Charles de Gaulle Airport, as well as Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord train stations for your journey home. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

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$4,890per person$5,180per person$6,390per personView
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$4,890per person$5,180per person$6,390per personView
Dec 30, 2025(Tuesday) 7 Night Seine Holiday Magic
Departing from Paris, France
Call
For Price
$4,890per person$5,180per person$6,390per personView
Apr 22, 2026(Wednesday) 7 Night Impressions from the Seine Paris to Normandy
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