THE BEST OF FRANCE in 11 days
This Best of France tour distills the country to my top destinations in and around Paris. We’ll begin (and end) with the very best of Paris. Sandwiched in between are some of the best sites, food, wine, and experiences in the country: the vineyards and cathedrals of Burgundy, the Loire Valley’s elegant châteaux, Brittany’s quaint villages, Normandy’s magnificent Mont St. Michel, and the D-Day battlefield beaches.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $4089 + air | Sep 29-Oct 9, 2025 |  |
Paris – 3 nights
Beaune – 1 night
Loire Valley – 2 nights
Mont St. Michel – 1 night
Normandy – 2 nights
Paris – 1 night
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Single Room Additional Cost ~$910
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Welcome to Paris – Meet your Exploring Europe guide at 3:00 p.m. in your hotel lobby for introductions and a tour overview. Then, let’s focus on Paris’ historical center surrounding our hotel neighborhood. On our short walking tour, you’ll discover the wonder and history of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the opulence of the nearby Ile St. Louis and reflect on the atrocities of WWII at La Mémorial des Martyrs de La Déportation. Cap off your day with a dinner at one of David’s favorite restaurants and a sightseeing cruise on the Seine River. Sleep for 3 nights in Paris. Dinner.
DAY 2: Paris – Enjoy an ascent up the Eiffel Tower this morning for far-reaching vistas of the sprawling metropolis of Paris. Then we’ll head up to the artsy neighborhood of Montmartre to experience this quaint bohemian village and the nearby Sacré Coeur church. Enjoy a free evening on your own. Your tour leader can suggest activities ranging from shopping, museums, catacombs, church towers, and more.
DAY 3: Paris and the Louvre – Enjoy the morning at the Louvre museum to experience what some consider the world’s best collection of art. Armed with David’s “Louvre Destination Guide,” you will have several hours to explore the art, history, and wonder of this magnificent museum. Following the tour, stroll through the adjacent gardens ending on the famous Champs Elysées, where you can enjoy the evening and dinner on your own.
DAY 4: Burgundy – Today, we will leave Paris and head to Burgundy. Vézelay is a small hill town known for its Abbey and as a major starting point for pilgrims on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Later, we will travel through the vineyards and villages of Burgundy (which read like famous wine labels) and set up in Beaune for the evening. Following an orientation walk and a little independent time, we will meet for a grand feast featuring fresh specialties from Burgundy. Sleep 1 night in Beaune. Dinner.
DAY 5: The Loire and Amboise – After a peaceful morning in town, we will load up and head through the French countryside to the Loire River Valley. In Amboise, you have time on your own for sightseeing and dinner. You can choose to visit Leonardo da Vinci’s home (Clos Lucé), tour Amboise’s castle, or wander the cobbled pedestrian-friendly streets. Sleep for 2 nights in Amboise.
DAY 6: Chateau Chenonceau and Amboise – This morning, we’ll visit the Château de Chenonceau, an elegant, river-straddling, 16th-century castle. After an audio-guided tour, you’ll have plenty of free time to roam through the gardens and pathways. Later, return to Amboise for a group dinner. Dinner.
DAY 7: Brittany and Mont Saint Michel – We will do a little driving today. Once in Dinan, enjoy a walk through the town surrounded by half-timbered houses and learn about the Bretons’ Celtic heritage. Later, arrive at the Abbey Mont St. Michel. We will arrive just in time to wave goodbye to all the tourist crowds, leaving Mont for us to enjoy in relative peace. Sleep 1 night on or near Mont St. Michel.
DAY 8: Normandy and Bayeux – After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Mont St-Michel and its hilltop abbey. Then, we will travel to Bayeux to have a look at the famous tapestry, embroidered with detailed scenes of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Sleep for 2 nights in Normandy.
DAY 9: The D-Day Beaches of Normandy – We will spend the day touring the Normandy beaches. It was here, in June 1944, the Allied D-Day landings took place. Through the course of the day, we’ll visit Pointe du Hoc and the Normandy American Cemetery, where 10,000 white crosses and Stars of David memorialize the Americans who gave their lives in the quest to liberate Europe. Later, we will make a stop at Sainte Mère Eglise, the airborne parachute site made famous by “The Longest Day” and “Band of Brothers.” Returning to town, enjoy a traditional Norman dinner together. Dinner.
DAY 10: Paris – We will return directly to Paris this morning. Your guide will be available to assist with sightseeing hints and suggestions such as museum entrances, shopping, and tours. This evening, we will meet for a grand farewell feast. Sleep for 1 night in Paris. Dinner.
DAY 11: Your tour over after breakfast – Paris’ airports is well connected by a network of taxis, shuttles, or public transportation. Your guide will help you with post-tour planning if needed. Au revoir!
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
Transportation by coach and minivan from your first hotel in Paris to your last hotel in Paris.
10 nights accommodation in traditional hotels, guesthouses, and B&B’s. All rooms have private en-suite baths.
All tips and gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant, and hotel staff.
Strictly Small Group consisting of 6-18 participants.
All breakfasts and six of your lunches or dinners.
Traditional dining experiences at some of David’s personal favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale has to offer.
Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.
All tours and admissions at no extra cost: Seine River Cruise, Eiffel Tower admission, Louvre Museum entrance, Paris historic center walking tour, Montmartre/Pigalle walking tour, Métro transportation in Paris, Champs Elysées orientation, Vézelay orientation, Beaune walking tour to the vineyards, Chateau Chenonceau tour, Dinan orientation, Mont St. Michel orientation, D-Day Beaches driving tour, and much more.
A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.
David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.
Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.
Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.
$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year.
EXCLUSIONS
Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.
Fee for passports.
Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.
Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items
Extras and optional activities.
Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.
Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.
Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.
SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST
If you do not want to sign up online:
You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.
-OR-
You may return it by:
- FAX 1-800-570-1351
- Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
- email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
- TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149
KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY
Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:
Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.
Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.
Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks. There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.
Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.
PRE-TOUR RESOURCES
Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions. Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.
DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS
Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in the United Kingdom. Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David Explores France here.
David’s TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY almost-weekly broadcast and Video Series Blog.
Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded. Watch them here.
DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES
David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog. But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.
PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.
We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions. tours@davidmcguffin.com or 800-570-1351.
Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours
My best friend and I just returned from the Best of Greece + Santorini tour in October 2024. First, it was the perfect time to go--much less crowed and we had perfect weather! Charlotte, our guide, was so kind and fun to travel with. We loved all the historical sites (and the site licensed guides were all phenomenal! We learned so much and they told great stories), and all the beaches/towns we went to were gorgeous. Delphi was unbelievable, I never would have thought to go to Nafplio on my own but it was a gem, and Hydra was adorable. The catamaran trip at the end in Santorini had to be postponed one day due to winds but when we went the next day, it was an unforgettable experience. From the local places for dinners to cute hotels, we wouldn't have wanted to travel any other way!
Best of Italy 15 days for our 50th wedding anniversary ! Our first McGuffin tour. More to plan next trip. ! We were well taken care of and teamed up with 5 folks from the Denver area, Great small group.
Our guide Ilaria was excellent, well organized and detailed. Great personality and took extra good care of us by avoiding the tourist traps, selecting great restaurants off the beaten path.
Rome was overwhelming and breathtaking, hard to comprehend the history, we were glad to get out of the city and tour the smaller towns.
The hotels were first class and close enough to transportation but off the beaten path. Group dining was fun and educational as Ilaria explained the local cuisine and customs.
The wow moment was the Vatican and Basilica and seeing The David. So much to take in.
David's tour information prepared us well and by the time we departed we felt confident and well informed. We also had many daily PDF downloads to brief us on the days activities.
It was a lot of walking but we came home in great shape, exhausted but in a good way. Did not get to hear a lot of music which we wanted , there were opportunities on our free days but i did not plan ahead well for that,. We did find a couple of laundries which helped.
All in all we would go again in a heartbeat ! The preparation, the planning, guides, hotels, were well worth the cost and a trip of a lifetime. Booking and finding the flights was a bit challenging but we minimized our hops and traveled well with Delta. Security lines and checkpoints were numerous and lengthy at times.
One night we were booked into a penthouse suite in the LIDO ! overlooking Venice ! Many thanks for a wonderful trip and making new friends along the way. Thank you David,. ! Germany is next !
Castles, Trefriw mill, slate mine, ferries, trains, wine & cheese bar Scotland & Wales had it all and did not disappoint, plus we made a friend - Shout out to Evelyn. We had David all to ourselves for this trip, lucky us! Lets start.......
Edinburgh is a city but small and quite in the area we stayed in, loved the atmosphere of the restaurants and shops plus how many people can say the have been to a still lived in Royal Castle - Holyrood Palace.
Seeing my husbands face as he gazed upon St Andrews golf course in all it's beauty made me so happy for him, along with the cathedral to visit St Andrews is a quaint little town with very friendly people.
This tour is not only fun and entertaining but also a history lesson for all.
The little town of Pitlochery was one of my favorites, so clean, friendly, great shopping! Culloden Battlefield is historically haunting as you walk the grounds and visit the museum you get a true sense of how loyal the Jacobites were to their cause.
I never thought a giant catapult (Urquhart Castle) would hold my attention for so long but the thought of how genius it was to have built such a massive structure the way they did back in the day truly had me in awe, not to mention the castle is still so intact for the time period.
We unfortunately didn't see Nessie while on Loch Ness either but we ate and drank some fabulous seafood.
How many people can say they have walked in an 800 yr old Abbey, as a Christian I felt honored to see where the Book of Kells was written and speak with a nun who still lives in Iona. Iona was breath taking it it's self, I could have easily retreated to this island for a couple of weeks, I feel like to have to have visited here to know what that means. So remote and removed from today's world.
Our last few nights we stayed at Groes Inn in Northern Wales, while remote it doesn't disappoint in any way. Great wine selection and beautiful rooms help make this small inn fell homey and welcoming.
My husband and I both were extremely fascinated with visiting the Trefriw woolen mill seeing how they step by step make blankets, pillow covers etc....I truly appreciate the hard work that goes into making these now.
We got to travel on a steam engine train, first time for both of us and visit a slate mine. When you think your job is hard just research working in a slate mine and you will understand the hard dangerous work men put into their jobs trying to support their families.
Our last night with David we ate at an old church that had been renovated into a restuarant but they had left the pipe organs hanging, so beautiful and the food was great too. I could continue and go on and on about more but really you need to book this trip for yourself to see exactly what Scotland and Wales have to offer you. Stop hesitating and do it.
Saint Johns Festival Band UK tour, 30 June - 8 July 2024.
From Glasgow to Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands to the Lake District, and onto Liverpool (and Wales!) for our performance, this was an absolute grand tour of the UK. With a group of 51 students, parents, and band leadership, this was by all means a major event. David and his team executed with flawless precision! If you are thinking about a custom event, David McGuffin's Exploring Europe is your solution!! David puts you where you want to be, coordinates movement, lodging, food, experiences, and even schedules private events; this was an absolutely amazing turnkey experience that will never be forgotten!
Thank you to David and all the Exploring Europe staff who made this happen!!
Charlie, Carly, Grant, and Reid
Our whole family went on the trip including four of us who had never been before. We are planning another trip soon.
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