Discover the essence of France, peeling back layers of history and delving into local culture as you make your way through beautiful scenery from the Dordogne to the Loire Valley, Normandy, and Paris, visiting six World Heritage sites along the way.

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Starting at: $6,997 * Price includes special offer * Includes airfare, taxes & all fees Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542

Mont St. Michel, Normandy

Chenonceau, one of the most romantic chateaux in the Loire Valley

The medieval city and castle of Carcassonne

Medieval town square of Sarlat

River boats or <i>gabare</i> on the Dordogne River. Credit: France Tourism Bureau

River boats or gabare on the Dordogne River. Credit: France Tourism Bureau

The medieval village of Rocamadour, a World Heritage site

The castle and town of Saumur in the Loire Valley

The chateau of Chenonceau, Loire Valley

Mont St. Michel, Normandy

Travelers outside a megalith in Saumur. Credit: Catherine Chamoux

World War II cemetery near Omaha Beach, Normandy

German gun emplacements at Pointe du Hoc. Credit: Atout France/R-Cast

Memorial sculpture, Omaha Beach

Section of the famous Bayeux Tapestry

Monet's gardens at Giverny

The Louvre's entrance, designed by I.M. Pei

Panorama of Paris

France Through the Ages

15 days from $6,997 | includes airfare, taxes and all fees

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Tour Details

TOUR BROCHURE

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WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

"France through the Ages" was a feast for the body, mind, and soul!

- David B.

Even though each of us has traveled to France on several occasions, taking "the road less traveled" on Smithsonian's "France through the Ages" tour was thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening. This was our first Smithsonian tour but assuredly will not be our last.

- Marie L.

This tour offered me a glorious buffet of France. Each day we got to sample new things and they were all wonderful. With my appetite fully whetted, I want to return and see more.

- Sharon S.

JOURNEYS DISPATCHES

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Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Crowne Plaza Toulouse

Toulouse, France

Well located in the heart of Toulouse's 'Ville Rose' on Capitole Square, and one of Europe's prettiest, the 162-room Crowne Plaza offers a restaurant, cocktail lounge, a health club with an indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, and hair salon. Your room is equipped with private bath with hair dryer, air conditioning, in-room safe, mini-bar, Internet access, TV, and phone.

Au Grand Hotel de Sarlat

Sarlat-en-Périgord, France

Au Grand Hotel de Sarlat sits just north of Sarlat’s medieval city center, only five minutes’ walking distance from this well-preserved 14th-century town. Boasting lovely manicured gardens and an outdoor heated swimming pool, the hotel also features a bar (with a public piano), fitness center, spa, sauna, laundry and dry cleaning services (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access. Air-conditioned guest rooms are split among two separate buildings: our rooms in the Pavillon de Selves have private bath with hair dryer, TV, and phone.

Hotel Anne d'Anjou

Saumur, France

Overlooking the Loire River, the 18th-century Hotel Anne d'Anjou stands with its original wood, glass, and freestone moldings that date to the Louis XVI, Restoration, and Empire periods. Minutes from the town's center, the 45-room hotel has a restaurant and bar, Internet access, lounge, and garden. Guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, mini-bar, TV, and phone.

Manoir de Mathan

Normandy , France

Located in a rural setting along the outskirts of Crépon, this hotel was previously a stately 17th-century home. Situated around a common courtyard, the hotel consists of three buildings, each with exposed beams, antique furniture, and stone staircases that preserve the French style of antiquity. Each of the 21 rooms includes a private bath with hair dryer, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, TV, and phone. Because of the unique nature of this hotel, room sizes and décor vary. There are no elevators.

Hotel Chateau Frontenac

Paris, France

Ideally located between the Champs-Élysées and Avenue Georges-V, close to entertainment, restaurants, and shops, the 104-room Hotel Chateau Frontenac offers a bar and breakfast room and Internet access. Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, mini-bar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Activity Level

Expectations: One of our Classic Land Journeys, this tour features visits to many cities, iconic sites, hidden gems, and various regions. Although comprehensive, it's not rushed, but well paced and finely tuned. Expectations include longer touring days with many full-day motor coach excursions and five different hotels; standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and outdoor activities; daily walks of up to three miles, sometimes over difficult terrain (e.g. cobblestones, city hills, stairs without handrails, absence of elevators); some longer walks to get to city centers where coaches are prohibited. Most full-day excursions last from four to six hours, and several afternoons are at leisure. In Mont St. Michel, travelers choosing to visit the abbey will climb more than 200 stairs. There are a few longer coach rides, which vary in length between three and four and a half hours, but stops are made along the way. This tour also features a leisurely boat ride on the Dordogne River.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).

Tour Extension

Paris Post-Program Option — 3 Days, 2 Nights

Visit the vibrant cosmopolitan center of Paris, with its exquisite art, fine dining, and fascinating history. Your tour cost includes:

Accommodations at Hotel Chateau Frontenac (Superior First Class, 2 nights)
2 meals: 2 breakfasts
Transfer to airport

Testimonials

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

"France through the Ages" was a feast for the body, mind, and soul!

- David B.

Even though each of us has traveled to France on several occasions, taking "the road less traveled" on Smithsonian's "France through the Ages" tour was thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening. This was our first Smithsonian tour but assuredly will not be our last.

- Marie L.

This tour offered me a glorious buffet of France. Each day we got to sample new things and they were all wonderful. With my appetite fully whetted, I want to return and see more.

- Sharon S.

Reading List

Highly Recommended

The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France

By: Ina Caro

Caro takes us on an unforgettable driving tour of France, from Provence to the Loire Valley to Paris. With Caro as an epicurean, knowledgeable, and delightfully opinionated guide, we can always be sure to find the most breathtaking vistas, the most extraordinary châteaux, the most inspiring cathedrals, and the very best meals.

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DK Eyewitness France (Travel Guide)

By: DK Eyewitness

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A Traveller's History Of France

By: Robert Cole

Millions of travellers visit France each year. The glories of the French countryside, the essential harmony of French architecture, the wealth of historical relics, the myriad of cultural opportunities - all make the country a perennial and irresistible attraction. A Traveller's History of France takes the reader from the first conquests of ancient Gaul through the Renaissance, the turmoil and triumph of the French Revolution, and on through the 20th century of French history all the way to the present.

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A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition

By: Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway’s classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s, now available in a restored edition, includes the original manuscript along with insightful recollections and unfinished sketches.Published posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway’s most enduring works. Since Hemingway’s personal papers were released in 1979, scholars have examined the changes made to the text before publication. Now, this special restored edition presents the original manuscript as the author prepared it to be published. Featuring a personal Foreword by Patrick Hemingway, Ernest’s sole surviving son, and an Introduction by grandson of the author, Seán Hemingway, editor of this edition, the book also includes a number of unfinished, never-before-published Paris sketches revealing experiences that Hemingway had with his son, Jack, and his first wife Hadley. Also included are irreverent portraits of literary luminaries, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ford Maddox Ford, and insightful recollections of Hemingway’s own early experiments with his craft. Widely celebrated and debated by critics and readers everywhere, the restored edition of A Moveable Feast brilliantly evokes the exuberant mood of Paris after World War I and the unbridled creativity and unquenchable enthusiasm that Hemingway himself epitomized.

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Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (Penguin Classics)

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The Most Beautiful Villages of the Loire

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Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.