Gardens of the Loire Valley and Seine Cruise

We meet at St Pancras then leave for Paris on the Eurostar. Next we change for the rail service to Blois, a fabulous medieval town on the banks of the River Loire, perfectly situated for exploring the castles of the Loire Valley. We check in to our hotel for three nights.

• Dinner

Today begins with an excursion to the iconic Château de Chenonceau. The Château elegantly spans the River Cher and is a fine example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. After exploring the château and its picturesque fountain gardens, we travel by coach to the town of Amboise, former home of Leonardo da Vinci, who died here in 1519. We visit his former manor house, Clos Lucé, which is filled with some of his fascinating inventions. You are free to explore this delightful manor house and walk in the footsteps of the master himself, who was so in-spired by his scenic surroundings.

• Breakfast

From our hotel in Blois, we make our way by coach to nearby Château de Chaumont. First constructed in 1000 AD, the original castle was razed to the ground by Louis XI and rebuilt in the 15th century with the turrets and gateways we see today. Set on the banks of the Loire River, the grounds were transformed into an ornamental garden with extensive landscaping and rustic features in the late 1800s. On arrival, we enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, followed by free time to look around.

• Breakfast

Following breakfast we check out of our hotel in Blois and transfer to the station for the rail journey to Paris. We then join our cruise ship, the MS Renoir, and are welcomed aboard with drinks, followed by the first 3-course dinner of our cruise.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we enjoy a guided tour of the splendid French capital. We see many of the major attractions such as Place de la République, the Grand Boulevards, Opera House, Place de la Madeleine, Place Vendôme, and the Louvre. After lunch on board there's free time to sightsee independently. This evening we cruise along the Seine, seeing the thrilling landmarks of Paris all lit up along the way (weather permitting).

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We start the day cruising to Poissy, and are treated to an expert talk on board - 'A Definition of Impressionism' before we transfer to Giverny. Now synonymous with Monet, the town of Giverny almost missed out on getting its name on the map. It was during a train journey in 1883 when the artist saw the area and decided this was where he wanted to live and work. With its instantly recognisable lily ponds, the gardens are the image of how they were when Monet first painted them, almost like stepping into one of his artworks, and the house still has the atmosphere of a creative retreat. Alternatively, you may prefer to visit the opulent Palace of Versailles today. We rejoin our cruise ship and tonight there's a traditional French 'guinguette' evening onboard.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we arrive in fascinating Rouen, former capital of Normandy, and take a guided tour which follows the footsteps of the Impressionists. This medieval city is home to the Museum of Fine Arts and a vast collection of Impressionist works. We visit the gallery and also take in Rouen Cathedral which was a favourite subject for Claude Monet. His series of over 30 paintings show the building at different times of day. After an insightful few hours, we return to our ship for tonight's dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We make our way to Caudebec-en-Caux today, sailing through a landscape of steep cliffs and timeless villages, fleeting views of which influenced the Impressionist style itself. On arrival in Caudebec we embark on an excursion along the Route des Abbayes, exploring the abbeys that line the route of the river by coach. Stretching between Rouen and Mont-Saint-Michel, this historic trail has seen religious orders being built here from the 5th century onwards, and at one point there were up to 120 sites of worship. Later we continue upriver to Honfleur, where we moor for the night.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The charming port town of Honfleur, on the southern bank of the Seine Estuary, is in the Calvados region of France known for its apple brandy. Today you have a choice of excursions. You could visit the historic port and marina - the 'Vieux Bassin' - on a tour of Honfleur. The town influenced the work of many artists, including Monet, Courbet and Boudin, who set up the École de Honfleur, an artists' colony and melting pot for the whole Impressionist movement. Otherwise you might prefer to join our excursion to the nearby beaches of Gold and Juno, two of five D-Day landing sites. There's some free time this afternoon, then tonight we celebrate the end of our cruise at the Captain's special Gala dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast we transfer by rail to Paris this morning. From here we catch the return Eurostar service back to London.

• Breakfast