France: Normandy & Brittany

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A Country Walkers representative will greet you at the airport to start your first day in Paris off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure. Your hotel, located on the Right Bank, is situated close to many well-loved attractions and neighborhoods including Montmartre, The Louvre and Tuileries, Le Marais and Place de la Bastille.

4.5 miles, easy to moderate

After enjoying an included breakfast at your hotel your Country Walkers representative meets you at the Hotel l’Echiquier Opera Paris at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby.

Depart Paris and begin an approximately two-hour drive to Normandy. Your first stop in this region of northern France is the Manoir d’Apreval, a family-owned estate surrounded by an abundant apple orchard with 17 varieties of apples. The estate specializes in making cider and Calvados liqueur. At harvest time, a restored press is used to make cider, which eventually becomes Calvados after aging in oak barrels.

After a tour of the estate and a buffet lunch, you leave the Manoir d’Apreval on foot, entering the Bois du Breuil, a nature reserve. A forest trail alternates with views of the Seine Estuary and country lanes, bordered by Normandy’s famous hedgerows. About one mile from Honfleur, you reach the Notre Dame de Grâce Chapel, a pilgrimage site for local fishermen adorned with message plaques from sailors and their families. You descend into Honfleur, taking in broad views that extend over the Seine River as it flows out to sea and the modern Normandy Bridge, linking Honfleur with the port of Le Havre. Famous 19th-century painters, such as Claude Monet and Gustave Courbet, depicted many of these same views.

Passing Honfleur’s slate-shingled houses, you reach your enchanting hotel in the heart of town. Reconvene for dinner in the restaurant of your charming hotel, where the food reflects the fertile countryside and nearby coast. Monks in Normandy began developing the area’s famous cheeses asearly as the 11th century, and dinners may conclude with a rich Pont l’Évêque, Livarot, or, the best-known cheese, Camembert.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

3 miles, easy to moderate

Awaken in the comfort of your historic hotel and enjoy a breakfast of fresh fruit and homemade baked goods with jam. You drive through the beautiful countryside of Pays de Caux, to the start of the day’s walk. Your trail gently descends through an oak forest and into an open landscape of pasture and gorse along the dramatic coastline of “La Manche”—the English Channel. You soon have your first views of the towering cliffs and rock formations of Étretat, a favorite subject of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet.

You walk along the trail that takes you on the top of the cliffs and toward the famous Manneporte rock arch, the Porte d’Aval, and the Aiguille or “needle.” The 19th-century French author Guy de Maupassant spent a good part of his childhood in the small fishing and resort town of Étretat.

Upon returning to your hotel, you have time to relax, and perhaps even indulge in a spa treatment or hammam (Turkish bath) on site before dinner on your own in Honfleur. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, ranging from gourmet meals to a local crêperie.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Lounges-sur-Mer Battery; .5 miles, easy. Omaha Beach to American Cemetery; 1.5 miles, easy

Today’s itinerary calls for minimal walking, as the day’s main focus is visiting the D-day beaches and the American Military Cemetery. Travel approximately two hours to the German battery at Lounges-sur-Mer, where your meet a local historian who begins a discussion of the D-day landings.

After lunch in a nearby restaurant, you walk along the sands of Omaha Beach to the American Military Cemetery, where 9,387 American soldiers are buried. The Star of David or a white cross marks each of the graves—this is the first American World War II cemetery on European soil. Your leader provides context about the battle, explaining why the casualties along Omaha Beach were far worse than at other locations along the D-day beaches. Here, Allied soldiers ran inland toward the German positions on the nearby ridge.

After a moving visit to the American Military Cemetery, you travel a short distance to your home for the next two nights. For dinner this evening, you are warmly welcomed to dine at your historic château.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

4.5 miles, easy. Bayeux; 1 mile, easy

Today’s walk takes you to the coastal town of Arromanches, which played a vital role in the D-day landings.  A short shuttle from the hotel returns you to the village of Lounges-sur-Mer. From here, trace a popular walking and biking path through green fields and along the coast before you descend into Arromanches-les-Bains. Here, Allies built one of their famous Mulberry harbors—a portable, temporary structure that helped transfer troops and supplies. The remains can still be seen at low tide.

Enjoy free time and lunch on your own. Learn more about the harbor and the landings at the D-day Museum or hike up to Churchill cliff (1-mile, round trip) to view Arromanches 360, a circular theater showing a fascinating film about D-day and its aftermath using wartime footage and modern images.

Meet with your group again and travel to nearby Bayeux. A short walk along the river stretches your legs before you reach the heart of this medieval city where you can further enjoy free time. You may choose to visit Bayeux’s stunning cathedral, consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror or to visit the museum housing the intricate 11th-century Bayeux tapestry, a treasured fabric over 220 feet long depicting the Battle of Hastings and the victory of William the Conqueror over the English. In pedestrian-friendly Bayeux, you might also wish to walk to the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum. Return to your countryside château where you have time to relax. Tonight, you have the night free to enjoy dinner at the hotel or with a shuttle back into town.

Note: the Bayeux Tapestry Museum will close on September 1, 2025 for renovation and is scheduled to open again in 2027.

Included Meals: Breakfast

3 miles, easy to moderate and 2 miles, easy with moderate sections

Today’s itinerary takes you from Normandy into Brittany, starting with a drive toward the Baie du Mont St. Michel, known for its extreme tides. The trip provides a panoramic view of the bay and the pyramid-shaped island monastery of Mont St. Michel. Tombelaine Island, a protected sanctuary for nesting shell ducks, marine and brown seagulls, and white egrets, lies opposite the almost fantastical Mont St. Michel. After a scenic walk along the coast, you continue to the monastery—one of the most impressive constructions of the Middle Ages, a quintessential image of northern France, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. You cross the causeway to the small island just a half-mile off the coast, where you’re lead through the cobbled streets, winding your way to the top of the mount at the door of the Benedictine Abbey, dating from the 8th century. The majority of the buildings here were built, however, in the 11th century, and the church’s main façade dates from the 12th century. You learn about the lives of medieval monks and village life, with an emphasis on the island’s extraordinarily well-preserved architecture. Please note that the tour of the abbey includes many steps, if you prefer to skip the guided tour, you are welcome to explore the narrow back streets and charming shops of the village on your own.

Afterward, you travel to your home for the next two nights in Saint Malo, Brittany, a medieval fortified city that was once the home of French “corsair” privateers, as well as Jacques Cartier, considered the first European explorer of Canada. Today, it is a popular seaside resort, with a long sandy beach and promenade leading to the granite city walls. Your oceanfront hotel is perfectly located to stroll along the promenade or to Saint Malo’s old town. After checking in, your leaders will provide recommendations for dinner.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

3.5 miles, easy to moderate

Today’s walk takes place on the westernmost tip of the Bay du Mont St. Michel along the Pointe du Grouin, a windswept headland with expansive views north to the Chausey Islands and west along the coast toward Saint Malo. Fifteen miles to the east, Mont St. Michel appears as a speck on the horizon. A German pillbox coastal fortification now serves as an ornithological observatory looking over a bird sanctuary island. The coastal path winds into a string of tiny coves, some with little ports tucked into them.

Later this afternoon, stroll the ramparts of Saint Malo, past the mast-filled port, perhaps pausing to visit La Maison de Corsaire, or The Great Aquarium, which houses more than 600 species. Or relax by the hotel pool or book a spa treatment.

Tonight, celebrate the week’s adventures at a sumptuous farewell dinner in your hotel’s fine dining restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Spend a leisurely morning in Saint Malo. In the late morning, you travel with your guides to the nearby train station for the high-speed train ride back to Paris (approximately two hour and 20 minutes). Upon arrival at Gare Montparnasse, you make your way to your hotel for the evening, located directly across from the train station. From here on Paris’s Left Bank, you are well positioned to explore some of the city’s best attractions including the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and the Catacombs. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation is provided to Charles de Gaulle International Airport based on your departure time.

Included Meals: Breakfast

4.5 miles, easy to moderate

Your Country Walkers representative meets you at the Hotel l’Echiquier Opera Paris at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby.

Depart Paris and begin an approximately two-hour drive to Normandy. Your first stop in this region of northern France is the Manoir d’Apreval, a family-owned estate surrounded by an abundant apple orchard with 17 varieties of apples. The estate specializes in making cider and Calvados liqueur. At harvest time, a restored press is used to make cider, which eventually becomes Calvados after aging in oak barrels.

After a tour of the estate and a buffet lunch, you leave the Manoir d’Apreval on foot, entering the Bois du Breuil, a nature reserve. A forest trail alternates with views of the Seine Estuary and country lanes, bordered by Normandy’s famous hedgerows. About one mile from Honfleur, you reach the Notre Dame de Grâce Chapel, a pilgrimage site for local fishermen adorned with message plaques from sailors and their families. You descend into Honfleur, taking in broad views that extend over the Seine River as it flows out to sea and the modern Normandy Bridge, linking Honfleur with the port of Le Havre. Famous 19th-century painters, such as Claude Monet and Gustave Courbet, depicted many of these same views.

Passing Honfleur’s slate-shingled houses, you reach your enchanting hotel in the heart of town. Reconvene for dinner in the restaurant of your charming hotel, where the food reflects the fertile countryside and nearby coast. Monks in Normandy began developing the area’s famous cheeses asearly as the 11th century, and dinners may conclude with a rich Pont l’Évêque, Livarot, or, the best-known cheese, Camembert.

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

3 miles, easy to moderate

Awaken in the comfort of your historic hotel and enjoy a breakfast of fresh fruit and homemade baked goods with jam. You drive through the beautiful countryside of Pays de Caux, to the start of the day’s walk. Your trail gently descends through an oak forest and into an open landscape of pasture and gorse along the dramatic coastline of “La Manche”—the English Channel. You soon have your first views of the towering cliffs and rock formations of Étretat, a favorite subject of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet.

You walk along the trail that takes you on the top of the cliffs and toward the famous Manneporte rock arch, the Porte d’Aval, and the Aiguille or “needle.” The 19th-century French author Guy de Maupassant spent a good part of his childhood in the small fishing and resort town of Étretat.

Upon returning to your hotel, you have time to relax, and perhaps even indulge in a spa treatment or hammam (Turkish bath) on site before dinner on your own in Honfleur. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, ranging from gourmet meals to a local crêperie.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Lounges-sur-Mer Battery; .5 miles, easy. Omaha Beach to American Cemetery; 1.5 miles, easy

Today’s itinerary calls for minimal walking, as the day’s main focus is visiting the D-day beaches and the American Military Cemetery. Travel approximately two hours to the German battery at Lounges-sur-Mer, where your meet a local historian who begins a discussion of the D-day landings.

After lunch in a nearby restaurant, you walk along the sands of Omaha Beach to the American Military Cemetery, where 9,387 American soldiers are buried. The Star of David or a white cross marks each of the graves—this is the first American World War II cemetery on European soil. Your leader provides context about the battle, explaining why the casualties along Omaha Beach were far worse than at other locations along the D-day beaches. Here, Allied soldiers ran inland toward the German positions on the nearby ridge.

After a moving visit to the American Military Cemetery, you travel a short distance to your home for the next two nights. For dinner this evening, you are warmly welcomed to dine at your historic château.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

4.5 miles, easy. Bayeux; 1 mile, easy

Today’s walk takes you to the coastal town of Arromanches, which played a vital role in the D-day landings.  A short shuttle from the hotel returns you to the village of Lounges-sur-Mer. From here, trace a popular walking and biking path through green fields and along the coast before you descend into Arromanches-les-Bains. Here, Allies built one of their famous Mulberry harbors—a portable, temporary structure that helped transfer troops and supplies. The remains can still be seen at low tide.

Enjoy free time and lunch on your own. Learn more about the harbor and the landings at the D-day Museum or hike up to Churchill cliff (1-mile, round trip) to view Arromanches 360, a circular theater showing a fascinating film about D-day and its aftermath using wartime footage and modern images.

Meet with your group again and travel to nearby Bayeux. A short walk along the river stretches your legs before you reach the heart of this medieval city where you can further enjoy free time. You may choose to visit Bayeux’s stunning cathedral, consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror or to visit the museum housing the intricate 11th-century Bayeux tapestry, a treasured fabric over 220 feet long depicting the Battle of Hastings and the victory of William the Conqueror over the English. In pedestrian-friendly Bayeux, you might also wish to walk to the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum. Return to your countryside château where you have time to relax. Tonight, you have the night free to enjoy dinner at the hotel or with a shuttle back into town.

Note: the Bayeux Tapestry Museum will close on September 1, 2025 for renovation and is scheduled to open again in 2027.

Included Meals: Breakfast

3 miles, easy to moderate and 2 miles, easy with moderate sections

Today’s itinerary takes you from Normandy into Brittany, starting with a drive toward the Baie du Mont St. Michel, known for its extreme tides. The trip provides a panoramic view of the bay and the pyramid-shaped island monastery of Mont St. Michel. Tombelaine Island, a protected sanctuary for nesting shell ducks, marine and brown seagulls, and white egrets, lies opposite the almost fantastical Mont St. Michel. After a scenic walk along the coast, you continue to the monastery—one of the most impressive constructions of the Middle Ages, a quintessential image of northern France, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. You cross the causeway to the small island just a half-mile off the coast, where you’re lead through the cobbled streets, winding your way to the top of the mount at the door of the Benedictine Abbey, dating from the 8th century. The majority of the buildings here were built, however, in the 11th century, and the church’s main façade dates from the 12th century. You learn about the lives of medieval monks and village life, with an emphasis on the island’s extraordinarily well-preserved architecture. Please note that the tour of the abbey includes many steps, if you prefer to skip the guided tour, you are welcome to explore the narrow back streets and charming shops of the village on your own.

Afterward, you travel to your home for the next two nights in Saint Malo, Brittany, a medieval fortified city that was once the home of French “corsair” privateers, as well as Jacques Cartier, considered the first European explorer of Canada. Today, it is a popular seaside resort, with a long sandy beach and promenade leading to the granite city walls. Your oceanfront hotel is perfectly located to stroll along the promenade or to Saint Malo’s old town. After checking in, your leaders will provide recommendations for dinner.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

3.5 miles, easy to moderate

Today’s walk takes place on the westernmost tip of the Bay du Mont St. Michel along the Pointe du Grouin, a windswept headland with expansive views north to the Chausey Islands and west along the coast toward Saint Malo. Fifteen miles to the east, Mont St. Michel appears as a speck on the horizon. A German pillbox coastal fortification now serves as an ornithological observatory looking over a bird sanctuary island. The coastal path winds into a string of tiny coves, some with little ports tucked into them.

Later this afternoon, stroll the ramparts of Saint Malo, past the mast-filled port, perhaps pausing to visit La Maison de Corsaire, or The Great Aquarium, which houses more than 600 species. Or relax by the hotel pool or book a spa treatment.

Tonight, celebrate the week’s adventures at a sumptuous farewell dinner in your hotel’s fine dining restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Au revoir! After a plentiful breakfast, you are free to continue your exploration of Brittany or depart for your next destination.

Included Meals: Breakfast