London & Paris
Active pace with longer touring days. Expect intermittent walking at a moderate pace for 2–3 hours over a variety of terrain, including cobblestones, hills and uneven pavements. Must be able to negotiate stairs of varying heights, sometimes without handrails. Can tolerate periods of standing during guided tours and be able to climb in/out of various modes of transportation. Some days may include 5–7 km of walking over the course of the day.
We depart with Air Canada for London.
Upon arrival in London we transfer to our centrally located hotel. An orientation tour around the area is included prior to our Welcome Dinner.
We begin with a visit to Westminster Abbey for a guided tour of this magnificent Gothic church, the traditional site of coronations and burial site for English monarchs. We continue to take in some of London’s other legendary highlights: Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Canadian War Memorial and more.
We travel first into the green countryside and visit The Cotswolds—a region of many small old towns and villages famed for their postcard-perfect honey-coloured cottages nestling in the valleys and wooded hillsides. We will stop at one or two of the villages to explore. Then we will visit the university town of Oxford which for over 900 years has been home to royalty, scholars and some of the world’s brightest minds. A walking tour takes us past several of the university’s 30 colleges and their picture-perfect courtyards. If possible we will tour one of them. A lunch is included at a typical pub—as authentic a British experience as you can get!
We walk through the West End Theatre District to Covent Garden—one of the liveliest districts in London. Originally a flower market, Covent Garden has evolved into an area of stylish shops, market stalls, cafés, bars, restaurants and pubs, not to mention the many entertaining street performers. We will enjoy a “Behind the Scenes” tour of the nearby Royal Theatre. After some free time, we will walk to an evening performance your choice between 2 of the West End’s top shows.
Cheerio to London and bonjour Paris, as we whiz through the Channel tunnel at 320 km per hour on the high-speed Eurostar train. Incredibly, in just over two hours we will be in central Paris. We will have some time to relax before our dinner at a charming bistro.
Today’s panoramic tour will include the major highlights of Paris, beginning with a trip to the top of the Montparnasse Tower for a mesmerizing view of the City of Lights, including the best view of the Eiffel Tower. We then continue our tour and see the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysées, Place de la Concorde, the Opéra (founded in 1669) and Notre Dame Cathedral. From here we continue to the beautiful and historic Montmartre area and a visit to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica for breathtaking views of Paris. We will have some free time to explore Place du Terte and watch the artists at work. Tonight’s dinner is at a typical and authentic Montmartre restaurant.
Today we leave the city to visit Giverny, where the impressionist artist Monet lived and created a stunning garden of diverse symmetry and colour. Monet mixed the simplest flowers (such as daisies and poppies) with the rarest varieties. This is where he painted the famed “Japanese Bridge”, and the delicate “Water Lilies” which have been forever immortalized in his incredible works. After our visit to his home and gardens, we stop at the Musée des Impressionismes for a light lunch before returning to the city.
A day at leisure to visit, or revisit, those attractions that interest you. Your Tour Manager will be on hand to advise and assist. In the evening we take a cruise on the Seine to view Paris from another perspective, a chance to appreciate the illuminated brilliance of The City of Light.
We bid adieu to Paris and transfer to the airport for our flight home.
You may cancel your tour up to 60 days prior to departure (90 days prior for tours requiring a visa, cruises or rail journeys) for any reason, and receive a full refund of your deposit / payment (less the $75 administration fee).
Cancellation & trip interruption insurance included!
Included in the cost of your tour is our Cancellation Insurance Policy, which provides coverage in case of emergency injury or illness (including Covid), right up to your date of departure (terms and conditions apply).
Our Manulife Out-of-Country Health Insurance Plan covers expenses related to Trip Interruption in case of emergency injury or illness. For tours within Canada, Senior Discovery Tours will cover such expenses (terms and conditions apply to all policies).
