Impressions of the Seine and Paris

On arrival in Paris, check in to your Paris Airport hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure. Stay: Paris, Pullman Charles de Gaulle (or similar)

En route to St Malo, visit Chartres Cathedral. A World Heritage Site, the cathedral is considered a masterpiece and the high point of French Gothic art. Stay Three Nights: St. Malo, Royal Emerald Dinard MGallery (or similar) (B)

Explore the walled city of St Malo, with its pirate history. View the castle and its towers, the Fort National and the cathedral of Saint-Vincent. You'll also venture to Dinard, with its Belle Epoque villas and beaches, and to Dinan, one of Brittany's most beautiful and best-preserved towns, known for its art galleries and crafts. (B)

Discover the magical island monastery of Mont St Michel. Appearing as though out of a fairytale, Mont St Michel served as the artistic inspiration for Tangled, the Disney movie about Rapunzel. (B)

Check out of your St Malo hotel and visit Fourgeres in Brittany, known for its medieval fortress. Continue to Le Havre, where you will board your ship. Stay Seven Nights: Aria River Ship (B/D)

Visit seaside Honfleur, renowned for its picturesque harbour and for inspiring the Impressionist painters.

In the afternoon, choose a city tour of Le Havre or a bike tour. Alternatively, spend a full day visiting the historic Normandy Beaches and surrounds, including Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery, Omaha Beach, the Longues-sur-Mer artillery battery and Arromanches. (B/L/D)

Visit Bayeux, home of the world-renowned Bayeux Tapestry, and Caen, whose 11th-century castle was built by William the Conqueror. Or instead admire the 30-acre Harcourt Arboretum, with its nearly 3,000 trees, as well as the Chateau du Champ de Bataille and the commune of Le Bec-Hellouin.

Later, enjoy a scenic cruise from Caudebec-en-Caux, where you can visit Museo Seine. (B/L/D)

The morning offers excursions in medieval Rouen. Join a walking tour past Notre Dame Cathedral, painted by Monet, and see where Joan of Arc was martyred. You may also explore Lyons-la-Foret, featuring remarkable centuries-old architecture, and the idyllic castle of Vascoeuil. Or join the “Tastes of Normandy” tour and be treated to chocolate, macaron, cheese and cider.

Later, bike through Rouen or visit Gothic Chateau d'Etelan. (B/L/D)

Discover the splendour of Claude Monet's magnificent gardens at his former home in Giverny, admiring the water lilies, Japanese bridges and willow trees immortalised in his paintings. For a more active adventure, pedal through Vernon on a guided bike tour. Or journey to Chateau de Gaillon and the splendid Gardens d'Acquigny. Then cruise to La Roche-Guyon for free time to explore. (B/L/D)

Join a tasting tour to try calvados, cider and cheese, or pedal to Mantes-La-Jolie. If you prefer to sit back and relax, stay aboard the ship and watch the scenery go by. A city tour takes you to Gothic Notre Dame de Mantes, followed by a visit to a local bee farm. Alternatively, cycle through the city or visit Chateau d'Anet, built in the 16th century by King Henri II for his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. (B/L/D)

Enjoy some of Paris's most famous sights during a tour through the Latin Quarter, home to the world-famous Sorbonne University, and the stunning 400-year-old Luxembourg Gardens.

Afterwards, see such sights as the Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Alternatively, cover more ground on a guided bike tour. (B/L/D)

Disembark and explore the Atelier-Lumieres, Paris's “Workshop of Lights,”, a uniquely immersive digital art experience. Using 140 video projectors and a state-of-the-art sound system, guests are treated to a colourful multimedia exhibition of famed artists' works that will give you a new appreciation for their talent.

Later, check into your Paris hotel. Stay Two Nights: Renaissance Paris Le Pac Trocadero (or similar) (B)

Discover some of the city's lesser-known treasures of Paris on a tour – the “City of Light” has a story to tell at every corner. Legendary Montmartre, the Bohemian heart and soul of Paris, has long been a siren call to artists and revolutionary thinkers. Enjoy learning more about the artists' enclave that once was home to Pissarro and Jongkind. (B)

Bid farewell to Paris as you prepare to transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)