Loire Valley & Seine Cruise

Meet at our dedicated Departure Office at St Pancras then leave for Paris on the Eurostar. Next, change for the rail service to Blois, situated on the banks of the River Loire, and check into the Mercure Blois.

• Dinner

Today begins with an excursion to Château de Chenonceau, arguably the most iconic of its kind in the Loire Valley. 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, travel by coach to the town of Amboise, former home of Leonardo da Vinci, who died here in 1519. 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.

• Breakfast, Dinner

You are free today to continue sightseeing independently. Perhaps take a relaxed stroll through Blois and discover Château de Blois. Located in the centre of the city, it was once the residence of King Louis XII. The 18th century bridge that spans the Loire is also a prime example of Renaissance architecture.

Or why not head further afield? Nearby Château de Villandry is celebrated for its rich Renaissance style gardens. The castle-palace was constructed in the 16th century on the sight of the old fort, which had at one time been the location for peace talks during the Hundred Years' War between the English and the French. The castle gardens are some of the most beautiful in the world and include a variety of water gardens, ornamental flower beds and vegetable patches, all set within a puzzle pattern of low-box hedges.

• Breakfast

Following breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the train station for the return rail journey to Paris. Then it's time to meet your floating hotel for the next six nights, the MS Renoir.

On the morning of Day 5, enjoy a guided tour of the splendid French capital and see major attractions such as the Louvre, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Bastille and of course, the Eiffel Tower. After lunch you have some free time before setting sail in the evening for a cruise along the Seine, admiring the illuminated attractions along the way (weather permitting).

• Day 4 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We start the day cruising to Giverny, during which time we are treated to an expert talk on board; 'A Definition of Impressionism'. Now synonymous with Monet, Giverny very nearly 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 that this was the spot he wanted to live and work in. 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 slightly more opulent Palace of Versailles. We rejoin the boat where tonight there's a traditional French 'guinguette' evening held on board.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

former capital of Normandy, where we enjoy a guided tour that follows in the footsteps of the Impressionists themselves. This medieval city is the proud home of The Museum of Fine Arts and its impressive collection of Impressionist compositions. We make a visit to the gallery as well as taking in Rouen Cathedral, which was depicted in oil paint by Claude Monet. His series of over 30 paintings show the building at all different times of day. Following an insightful few hours, we return to our ship for tonight's dinner.

Make your way to Duclair on Day 8 and 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.

• Day 7 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 8 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The charming port town of Honfleur is located on the southern bank of the Seine Estuary in the Calvados region of France famous for its apple brandy. Centred on its adorable historic port and marina - the 'Vieux Bassin' - Honfleur boasts a number of preserved traditional buildings and today you can choose to take a tour of this quaint destination, famous as being an important influence in the work of many artists, including Monet, Courbet and Boudin, who set up the Ecole de Honfleur, an artists' colony and melting pot for the whole Impressionist movement.

Otherwise you might select our excursion to the nearby beaches of Gold and Juno, two of five landing sites utilised for the D-Day landings on June 6th 1944, a pivotal event in the eventual Allied triumph over the Axis powers. Following some free time this afternoon, tonight we celebrate the end of our cruise at the captain's special gala dinner.

Transfer to Paris on Day 10 for the return journey to London.

• Day 9 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 10 - Breakfast