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Day 3:
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Versailles
$80 per person
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This afternoon excursion bring you to the incredible Palace of Versailles—the former home of 3,000 princes, ministers, and servants. Your guided tour will take you through the palace’s Grand Chambers, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors (where the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, was signed in 1919), and the beautiful Royal Chapel. You’ll marvel at the luminous decor in marble, chased bronze, and golf leaf, as well as rococo-style woodwork and Italian-style painted ceilings. As you explore, you’ll discover how much the palace has been expanded and embellished since Louis XIII first built a modest hunting lodge at Versailles in 1623. You'll also enjoy time to visit the magnificent French gardens at your leisure.
Please Note: All pre-reservations must be made by 10 days prior to departure, but due to limited space we strongly recommend that you pre-reserve this optional tour 45 days prior to departure to guarantee space. To ensure that all guests are able to view the exhibits, the time you spend in each room is limited by palace staff. Expect lines at the entrance in peak season, even for groups with reservations.
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Day 5:
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Abbey St. Wandrille
$50 per person
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Join us this morning for an optional half-day excursion to the Benedictine Abbey de St-Wandrille. Founded in the seventh century, the abbey has been twice nearly completely restored, and today's building is mostly an 18th-century structure. Forty monks still call the abbey home, and invest the area with a real sense of calm and historic continuity. You can hear the monks sing Gregorian chants at morning Mass. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens and take a moment to visit the abbey shop, where everything is made by the monks.
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Day 7:
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Highlights of the Louvre
$85 per person
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Your first glimpse of the Louvre will be the I.M. Pei-designed entrance, which created a great deal of controversy when it was built in 1989. Called the Pyramide du Louvre, the steel rod, cable, and glass pyramids at the three main Louvre entrances are today considered a fine example of the blending of modern with classic architecture. The treasures inside the museum are world-famous, and the collection of sculptures and paintings by the Great Masters unrivaled. Stroll through gallery after gallery, marveling at works by the likes of Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Matisse.
Please Note: The Louvre is one of the most visited sites in France, so travelers should expect lines (even for groups with reservations) and crowds in front of key highlights.
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Day 8:
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Montmartre
$80 per person
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Montmartre is lively area that has attracted artists since the 1800s. It is located on the Right Bank of the Seine, on the highest hill in Paris, crowned with the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, which you’ll visit. Explore the romantic Montmartre hill area and the small streets that wend through it, perhaps capturing some of the ambiance of the time of Monet, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. You’ll have free time for a stop at a cafe for a drink and some shopping.
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