France: Normandy & Brittany
7 Days
Starting From
$5,745.00
10 Days
Starting From
$6,995.00
per person, double occupancy
Want more from your experience?
Add an ExtensionFrance: Normandy & Brittany
As you step onto the causeway, the Benedictine monastery of Mont St. Michel rises like a pyramid from the sand flats ahead, its steeple piercing the midday sky. So continues the line-up of iconic sights on this Normandy and Brittany walking tour along France’s spectacular north coast. One day, you’re wandering Étretat’s seaside bluffs, taking in the spectacular rock arches straight out of a Monet painting. The next, your guide is bringing World War II history alive on the sands of Omaha Beach. Along the way, decadent picnics featuring local cheeses, pastries, and cider, as well as meals in out-of-the-way restaurants, showcase the breadth of Norman and Breton cuisine. A walk across tidal flats leads to hidden nesting grounds for egrets, ducks, and marine seagulls. Best of all: you’re exploring with warm and welcoming locals who call this exceptional region home.
Highlights
- Walk along historic shores in 2024 when Normandy commemorates two important dates with cultural events: the official 80th anniversary of D-day landings and the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Impressionist movement.
- Marvel at the timeless artistry of the Bayeux Tapestry—a 230-foot medieval embroidery illustrating the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
- Stay in the historical departure ports of French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Jacques Cartier.
- Explore the island monastery of Mont St. Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage site set in the postcard-perfect landscape of Northern France.
- Savor France’s delectable cuisine in stunning coastal settings, trying fresh oysters, locally caught seafood, and creamy handmade cheeses paired with delightful local wines.
Positive Impact
Country Walkers is proud to support Wine to Water with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Wine to Water is an international organization providing access to clean drinking water and emergency supplies in water-challenged regions. We believe in giving back to the places that have enriched the lives of our guests. We’re committed to identifying and supporting sustainable initiatives in a variety of areas including education, world health, economic equality, safe drinking water, the environment, and the preservation of cultural traditions.
Accommodations
Linger Longer with a Tour Extension
2024 Post-Trip Extension - Paris
- Two nights at the Hôtel L’Échiquier Opéra Paris
- Airport car service for departure
- Daily breakfast
- City information
2 Nights From $545
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $495
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to explore on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to explore on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After your included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation is provided to Charles de Gaulle International Airport based on your departure time.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel l’Echiquier Opera Paris
The locations visited, the hikes taken, and the guides lived up to all of my expectations. The only downsides I might mention were (1) the large number of meals that we had to arrange on our own and (2) the poor maintenance of one of the buses. Regarding the latter, from day one it made strange noises that should have been addressed. After a few days of increasing noise the left outward wheel departed company, followed by the bus swerving, which gave the impression that the bus was nearly out of control. This could have ended very badly both for…
France: Normandy & Brittany
Our trip was outstanding in all respects. Our guides, Sophie & Veronique were helpful, friendly, professional, a lot of fun, and added to our enjoyment of the trip. Their timing each day allowed the maximum enjoyment of each day. Our daily guides, particularly "William" in Normandy were also outstanding. The accommodations, particularly in Honfluer, Barneville-Carteret, and Saint-Malo were quaint but had all the modern conveniences. The provided meals were excellent. We highly recommend this trip and hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.
France: Normandy & Brittany
Expert Local Guides
Experience your destination like an insider with people who call it home.
Vero Marget
Born in Beauvais, north of Paris, Veronique Marget grew up spending a good deal of time on the coast, where her grandparents had a house on the cliffs of Normandy. Now living in Provence, Veronique has never tired of the many beautiful regions of France, so many known for their strong and unique culture and customs. Some of Vero’s many interests include knitting, sewing, gardening, calligraphy, ballet, bookbinding, and cooking for friends and family.
Corinne Jouin
Born in Rouen, Corinne Jouin has been working as a guide since 1994, including being certified as a hiking guide in the Chamonix Valley. In addition to fulfilling her career goal of working in the outdoors, she has traveled and lived abroad for part of her life, and especially enjoys returning to her roots to visit her family in Normandy & Brittany, where she boats along the Baie de Somme, bikes along the coast of Brittany, and hikes in Arromanches Bay with her husband and children. Originally trained as a graphic designer, she applies her creativity to the Swiss folk art of silhouette paper cutting, and also enjoys exploring the Alps and visiting historical sites throughout France with her family.
Claire Thioliere
A native of Chamonix, Claire Thiolière spent months during her youth vacationing in Normandy thanks to her parents’ passion for the local history of Honfleur, Mont Saint-Michel, and the Cotentin Peninsula. She also traveled extensively in her youth throughout Africa before returning to France where she received a Master’s degree in Geography and Geomorphology. She is a certified guide who has been leading people throughout the Alps for more than 25 years and has also led groups along the Norman coast when not sailing that same coast herself! An avid hiker and skier, Claire’s enthusiasm extends to the impressionist painters whose artistic movement was born in Le Havre, as well as French literature, architecture, and gastronomy.
Sophie Josse
Born and raised between Brittany and the Loire Valley. Sophie Josse attended university in Angers where she studied languages. With a goal of seeing the world, she has spent her adult life working in the travel industry in various capacities, including as a guide to English-speaking guests from around the world! When not leading trips, Sophie enjoys running, biking, and skiing with her husband.
Bruno Latulippe
Bruno Latulippe grew up in Canada and travelled the world after earning a degree in marketing and before settling down in France and marrying his wife, Sophie Josse, a fellow guide and native of Brittany. With over 20 years’ experience working in tourism, Bruno loves sharing his passion for history and culture with guests from around the world. When not on tour, you can usually find Bruno catching up on his reading, skiing, or riding his bike through the French countryside (with Sophie, of course!).