Tour Details - Highlights of France and Barcelona 2012

Welcome to Paris, the City of Light! Relax after your journey or take a leisurely stroll through ancient streets. Later, meet for a Welcome Reception with your fellow travellers and Travel Director and enjoy an evening drive to see some of the city's impressive sights.(Welcome Reception)

Paris probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world! The Champs Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde - see all these sights and more with your expert Local Guide. Marvel at the city’s beautiful skyline from the second level of the Eiffel Tower. Visit Les Invalides, part of the Army Museum, where you view the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Spend the rest of the day as you choose. Visit one of the city’s many internationally renowned museums, wander through the Luxembourg gardens, or take an excursion to the magnificent Louvre Museum.(Buffet Breakfast)

Visit Chartres Cathedral, an important place of pilgrimage and an architectural splendour featuring original stained glass windows. Continue through the Loire Valley, past beautiful villages and castles. See the impressive Château Chambord, a marvel of French Renaissance architecture. Visit Chenonceau, straddling the River Cher. This evening, join your companions for a very special Be My Guest dinner of mouth-watering French cuisine at a local restaurant.(Buffet Breakfast / Be My Guest dinner)

Journey through the heart of France! Stop in Bourges to see the Palais Jacques Coeur, the Cathedral of St. Stephen and the delightful archbishop’s gardens. Continue south through St-Amand-Montrond and the volcanic hills around Clermont Ferrand to Lyon. A gourmet paradise built at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, your walking tour with your expert Local Guide through the old city reveals a rich cultural heritage. See the narrow streets, inner courtyards and ‘traboules’ of France’s largest Renaissance city. Marvel at awe-inspiring views of Lyon from Fourvière hill. Arrive later at your hotel where you dine tonight.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a village entwined with papal history since the Avignon Papacy promoted viticulture in the 14th century, advancing the reputation of Cotes du Rhone wines in the process. Sample delicious wines at a Côtes du Rhône wine cellar. In Avignon, see the Papal Palace and famous bridge over the Rhône in the French song, ‘sur le pont d’Avignon’. Arrive later in Nice where you will be treated to an orientation tour, which includes Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna.(Buffet Breakfast)

Playground of the rich and famous, Nice attracts sun seekers seeking a year-round temperate climate. Spend a free morning relaxing or take a stroll along the Promenade and shop in chic boutiques! This afternoon, enjoy an excursion through splendid scenery along the Côte d’Azur. Visit Monaco and Monte Carlo to see the beautiful casino built by Charles Garnier in the 19th century. There is plenty of free time afterwards for you to explore Monaco!(Buffet Breakfast)

Follow the coast and drive along the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes - the jewel in the Côte d’Azur. Admire the yachts in the marina and see the Film Festival Centre. Continue through dramatic Provençal landscape which has provided inspiration for so many artists, including Cezanne and Van Gogh. Pass the Camargue National Park, cross the foothills of the Pyrénées to Catalonia in Spain, and continue through olive groves and verdant vineyards. Your destination is Barcelona, a dynamic, cosmopolitan city and one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Your expert Local Guide takes you on a sightseeing and walking tour through the Gothic quarter. Admire the impressive cathedral and Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, plus many of his other eccentric architectural masterpieces. Spend free time afterwards seeing the city on your own. The Columbus Monument is a must-see and the Ramblas is also worth exploring. Consider an optional excursion this afternoon to the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat to see the mysterious Black Madonna. This evening join your Travel Director and companions for a Farewell Dinner with wine at a typical Spanish restaurant.(Buffet Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

Say farewell to your travelling companions at the end of your amazing holiday in France and Catalonia! Return airport transfers are available. Conditions apply.(Buffet Breakfast)