Experience the joy of European river cruising with Viking’s eight-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy voyage from Paris to Rouen and back to Paris.
Dock in the heart of Paris, admire views of the Eiffel Tower and a replica of the Statue of Liberty from the ship. Experience history firsthand at the Normandy beaches and delight in Rouen’s Gothic architecture.
Paris is one of the most romantic destinations in the world. Over the centuries, Parisian culture has been built on the wings of inspiration.
Music, film, architecture, literature, dance and the visual arts all have their brilliant place in the museums, theatres, bookstores and remarkably preserved buildings of this magnificent city.
At the centre of it all is the Champs-Élysées. With its inviting riverside promenade, graceful bridges and splendid views of all things Parisian, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre Museum.
Explore Giverny and the charming house and gardens where Claude Monet lived and worked, the setting inspires many of his masterpieces. This voyage celebrates history, art, food and customs in France’s most alluring urban and pastoral settings.
One of the most pleasurable activities in Paris is whiling away the time in one of the city’s outdoor cafés. Whether sipping a café au lait or a kir royal, there is no better way to feel like a Parisian.
Listen to stories that tell the tale of the area’s historic past while navigating medieval passages brimming with some of the city’s finest eateries and hidden gems tucked away on every corner.
The Parisian culinary journey takes guests to a selection of vendors that showcase a range of sweet and savory treats. Stop at one of Paris’s renowned chocolatiers or bakeries to sample a sweet delight and pause for tastings of savory delicacies, accompanied by a glass of wine or soda.
Life in Paris revolves around the Seine River, with 37 bridges crossing the river, each telling a story. Perhaps none are so extravagant as the Pont Alexandre III, a graceful span named for the Russian tsar who signed the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892.
Downriver, the five-arched Pont d’Iéna is beloved for its scenic location linking the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadéro district. The Pont des Arts, set between the Louvre and the Institut de France, was famed for its thousands of padlocks, attached by couples to the railing grate as a sign of their devotion to each other.
Enjoy the Seine as it meanders through the mellow vistas of Normandy. As it makes its sleepy and serpentine way to the English Channel, it winds along for 240 miles from Paris, more than doubling the distance of a crow’s flight.
As it sails, guests enjoy viewing swathes of fields unfurl toward groves of apple orchards, sources of the region’s famed Normandy cider. Calvados apple brandy is also a regional specialty, and a celebrated staple ingredient in Normandy cuisine. It is a chance to gaze upon picturesque villages and historic abbeys on these bucolic banks.
There are few more pivotal moments in history than the D-Day landings that ushered in the end of World War 11. Visit the sacred Normandy Beaches and recall the day’s monumental sacrifices.
Explore one of the most fantastic fortresses of Normandy while admiring sweeping views of the Seine as it winds its way through the countryside.
Discover the Château Gaillard is the most scenic castle ruin in the Seine Valley and the strongest and most magnificent castle of its age. It guarded the Seine River Valley and was the key structure in a vast system that defended Normandy during the Wars of Religion
Rouen, founded by Romans, is situated amid chalk cliffs along the Seine. The Norman capital boasts many pleasures, from the 700 charming half-timbered houses of the Old Town to the glorious Rouen Cathedral, which so captivated Claude Monet that he painted it many times in varying light.
The city is perhaps best-known as the site of Joan of Arc’s last stand; the patron saint of France was tried and condemned here for heresy and burned at the stake in 1431.
Guests will enjoy a day at the former home of French kings: the awe-inspiring Château de Versailles. The palace and its sprawling gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, began as a small hunting lodge. Over the years, it was enlarged by each of its three resident kings—most famously Louis XIV, the ‘Sun King’.
Visit one of the most celebrated districts in Paris, Montmartre. This bohemian enclave, in which Belle Époque (‘Beautiful Era’) artists, writers and poets such as Dalí, Modigliani, Monet, Picasso and van Gogh spent hours and gained inspiration in cafés and at cabaret revues, still retains its charms from that bygone era.
During this cruise, guests can extend their holiday and spend time exploring more of France with Viking’s new fully guided three-night Reims & Champagne hotel extension. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Champagne region.
Stroll through lush vineyards, savour a taste of Champagne and exquisite cuisine, and visit the grave of Dom Pérignon. Admire the grandeur of Reims Cathedral and see the Châteaux de Vaux-le-Vicomte, an inspiration for Versailles. (Available as a pre-extension only with Paris & the Heart of Normandy.)
One of the pleasures of a river cruise is to simply unpack once and let the dedicated crew take care of the rest allowing guests to relax on board their award-winning Viking Longships. Local guides immerse travellers in the history and culture of each destination with enriching excursions.
Enjoy onboard meals with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner and enjoy endless specialty tea, coffee and bottled water, unlimited Wi-Fi, and all onboard gratuities, port charges and taxes.
If this sounds too good to be true, visit viking.com and enjoy Viking guests recall how much they loved exploring the rivers of Europe on a Viking Longboat with less than 190 guests or phone 138 747 for further information.
