Overview
This fabulous river cruise combines time in France’s unparalleled capital of Paris with beautiful scenery along the Seine River and the picturesque and historical region of Normandy.
Embark on your adventure in Paris and sail to Vernon, where you’ll choose between two exciting guided visits—Claude Monet’s stunning gardens at Giverny or the remarkable Bizy Castle, known as “Normandy’s Versailles.” You may choose to go on an excursion to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery. In Rouen, best known as the home of Joan read more of Arc, you’ll go on a guided walk through the medieval quarter and visit the gothic Rouen Cathedral—once the tallest building in the world. From Conflans, go on an excursion to the quaint and inspiring town of Auvers-Sur-Oise—associated with several famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh—or visit Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison.
On this French river cruise, you’ll enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery along the Seine River, and stops in charming and historical parts of France, but your adventure would not be complete without some time in Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! Discover the true heart of Paris on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour showing you the iconic sites of the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more.
Embark on your adventure in Paris and sail to Vernon, where you’ll choose between two exciting guided visits—Claude Monet’s stunning gardens at Giverny or the remarkable Bizy Castle, known as “Normandy’s Versailles.” You may choose to go on an excursion to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery. In Rouen, best known as the home of Joan read more of Arc, you’ll go on a guided walk through the medieval quarter and visit the gothic Rouen Cathedral—once the tallest building in the world. From Conflans, go on an excursion to the quaint and inspiring town of Auvers-Sur-Oise—associated with several famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh—or visit Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison.
On this French river cruise, you’ll enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery along the Seine River, and stops in charming and historical parts of France, but your adventure would not be complete without some time in Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! Discover the true heart of Paris on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour showing you the iconic sites of the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and more.
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Our Price From
A$4,232 per person
Price shown based on twin share
Save up to $2,641 per person
Trip Length
8 Days
Trip Starts
Paris
Trip Ends
Paris
Departures
Cruise Ship
23 Trip Reviews
Passengers
128
Crew
37
Launched
2015
Cruise Code
WPP
Rivers Sailed
Countries Visited:
Itinerary
Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Paris must arrive by 2:30pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5pm.
Your day is free to explore the world's most romantic city before starting your cruise on the Seine. Get acquainted with the City of Light today with some shopping, strolling, or with a croissant and café au lait to watch the world go by amid the Parisian cityscape.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON
Included Meals:
Dinner
Monet's Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour.
Visit the Adventure Center for today's activities with your Adventure Host.
- Active: Explore Vernon's Chateau des Tourelles by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
- Classic: Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet's charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces*, OR:
- Classic: Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy's Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.
- Discovery: While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.
This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys. LES ANDELYS: Serenity on the Seine.
- Active: Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart**, OR:
- Classic: Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France's most picturesque spots on the Seine.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC
*Monet's House is closed in March and November. During this period, this excursion will be replaced with a Guided Tour of La Roche - Guyon and its castle
** This excursion will not be operated in November.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine.
- Active: Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR:
- Classic: Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.
This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur.
- Discovery: Enjoy an Onboard Lecture about the days before and after the Normandy landing of D - Day.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions
- Classic: Join a Guided Tour of Normandy's WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR:
- Classic: Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény - sur - Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR:
- Classic: Join a Guided Tour to get a taste of authentic tradition in the beautiful region of Normandy. Toast the day with a brandy tasting in Calvados.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.
EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and a Heroine for France
- Active: Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels, OR:
- Classic: Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—site of Saint Joan of Arc's martyrdom—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CONFLANS
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV
- Active: Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR:
- Classic: Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR:
- Classic: Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison*—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.
Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings. This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.
AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS
*Château de Malmaison is closed the 1st Sunday of each month. On these dates, this excursion will be replaced by a visit to Château de Chantilly.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the City of Light
Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.
- Active: Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
- Classic: Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR:
- Classic: Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs - Élysées.
Stroll through Paris on your own or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Life On Board
One of our favourite sayings that describes Avalon Waterways is ‘the possibilities are as wide open as the views’. From Europe to the Galapagos and Asia, you can cruise in relaxed luxury with Avalon Waterways, with choices as unique as you. Avalon offers you a range of choices from excursions, dining more options, activities that help you tailor your experience.
Just imagine gliding away down the world’s most spectacular rivers, all while enjoying a unique vantage point from your own private oasis. Our floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in our suites blur the line between where the world ends, and your suite begins; allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed. This is river cruising from a unique point of view.
Just imagine gliding away down the world’s most spectacular rivers, all while enjoying a unique vantage point from your own private oasis. Our floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in our suites blur the line between where the world ends, and your suite begins; allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed. This is river cruising from a unique point of view.
Avalon Tapestry II
Float along Europe's most famous waterways in relaxed luxury aboard one of Avalon's award-winning Suite Ships. Read more
Our Vision. Your View.
With the only Open-Air Balconies in river cruising, experience Europe with a view like no other in a Panorama Suite. Read more
Exclusive Meets Inclusive
Avalon features all the right inclusions which compliment your luxurious river cruise experience. Read more
Avalon Choice
Personalise your cruise to make it your own with Avalon Choice. Select whichever included excursions interest you the most. Read more
Active & Discovery
Avalon's Active & Discovery river cruises offer activities for travellers with varying interests & for all energy and fitness levels. Read more
From View to Table
Savour regional cuisine and familiar favourites using the freshest local ingredients throughout your river cruise. Read more
River Cruise Reviews (23)
Paris, Normandy, Paris cruise 2
Terry, NSW, Australia, Oct 2023
A great boat, fantastic crew, beautiful food and an enjoyable and educational cruise and tours. Have booked another cruise .
Wonderful tour through the south of France 2
Kerrie and Donald, Australia, Jul 2023
The cruise exceeded our expectations. Beautiful scenery and wonderful towns to explore. Would highly recommend Avalon cruises.
Excellent service with friendly staff and the best cruise director we have ever had Tony Jenkins. And thank you Global Journeys for an easy and hassle free booking. Will certainly book with you again.
Excellent service with friendly staff and the best cruise director we have ever had Tony Jenkins. And thank you Global Journeys for an easy and hassle free booking. Will certainly book with you again.
River cruise 1
Francisco and Margarita, Qld, Australia, Mar 2023
The most beautiful service from everyone, food was very professional. Avalon Waterways rooms were very good, and tours were very professional. All good! We were happy every day!
River Cruise through France 4
Rodney, VIC, Australia, Apr 2019
Well organised, all staff gave their all, really outstanding service, the rooms, although compact, were well appointed and had everything you could need. The large panorama windows a definite advantage.
The one disappointment was the food, we were in France in Spring with superb fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, apples and fresh crusty bread read more in abundance at every port however not on the menu. Roast spring lamb, or freshly made traditional French onion soup or apple tart with fresh Normandy cream would have been nice, not hard or expensive but not available. We purchased our own at each of the stops.
The food was well prepared, often with a reconstructed presentation, Eastern European in style - it missed the mark in what it could have been delivering, that is fresh, provincial French food. Unfortunately, if you like quality cafe coffee you will also need to buy it onshore.
Overall the cruise was enjoyable and to be recommended, just buy from the local market or boulangerie when you stop for the day.
The one disappointment was the food, we were in France in Spring with superb fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, apples and fresh crusty bread read more in abundance at every port however not on the menu. Roast spring lamb, or freshly made traditional French onion soup or apple tart with fresh Normandy cream would have been nice, not hard or expensive but not available. We purchased our own at each of the stops.
The food was well prepared, often with a reconstructed presentation, Eastern European in style - it missed the mark in what it could have been delivering, that is fresh, provincial French food. Unfortunately, if you like quality cafe coffee you will also need to buy it onshore.
Overall the cruise was enjoyable and to be recommended, just buy from the local market or boulangerie when you stop for the day.
River cruise in France - treated like royalty! 4
Tanya, NSW, Australia, Oct 2018
What a way to see the highlights of the French countryside! Pampered by the crew who attend to your every need. Relaxing in style, whether it be your room, the lounge or the dining room. The food was delicious! The tours were fantastic and went very smoothly as everything was so well organised! Highlights were Versailles, the French countryside and read more of course the Eiffel Tower. Would highly recommend this river cruise.
Avalon Paris to Normandy 8
Robyn, NSW, Australia, Sep 2018
Absolutely wonderful cruise. Our first cruise and it certainly lived up to our expectations. Great food, really good cabin size and superb bed. The tours were full of history and the guides were first class and local.
Enjoyable cruise through France 6
Graham & Caroline, SA, Australia, Aug 2018
This was our fourth cruise with Avalon Waterways and it's hard to fault them. It was a very pleasant week cruising to Normandy and back to Paris. The Avalon ships are very comfortable and very well appointed. The lounge at the back of the ship where you can relax while cruising (with coffee and cookies / muffins all day) is a very good feature. The read more cruise was very well organised, the staff on board were very helpful, efficient and friendly and the stops along the way were all very interesting. The one thing to point out is that 95% of the passengers were American, probably because of the tour to the WW2 Normandy Beaches so if you don't like that mix then this is not the cruise for you. Our other cruises have not been so prominently American and have been more of an even distribution of Australians, Canadians, Americans and British. Nevertheless all the people we met were very pleasant. We would definitely recommend Avalon Waterways.
Wonderfull trip excellent service 8
Erik & Robyn, NSW, Australia, Aug 2017
It was an excellent time of year to travel, got on well with all passengers and ships personnel. Made some wonderful friends. Included excursions plus added trips were great.
Our room on the Avalon Tapestry II cruise was fantastic. Food and people were awesome. Saw so much over our 7 day journey - unbelievable sights. Loved every port we visited in France. The Normandy Landing Beaches was very emotional and visiting the Ranville War Cemetery was very sobering. At Juno Beach we saw the NZ and Canadian flags flying read more alongside each other - very special. We were told a very sobering and touching story about an elderly returned serviceman who visited the beach only after his wife passed away. It brought tears to many of us. Could not fault anything or anyone regarding this cruise. Thanks Global Journeys for looking after us so well.
Carefree Holiday 4
Colin & Rosemaree Hunt, WA, Australia, Oct 2016
This was our first river cruise with Avalon and we found the overall experience wonderful. From beginning to end we could leave everything to them and just kick back and enjoy the experience. The scenery was spectacular and the villages visited very charming. The service on board the River Ship Tapestry was excellent- the staff warm, friendly and accommodating. read more This particular cruise was chosen because we just wanted to relax and see a little of France, following our escorted tour through Europe, and were very surprised that it exceeded our expectations. We had a lower cabin and have to say that this was great as it did not look into other ship cabins when double docked. We spent very little time in the cabin as there was so much to see off shore and lots to talk about with friends made on the cruise - in the lounge, on the deck or in the dining room. The music and fun on the dance floor was terrific. The meals were well thought out and the dining experience was tremendous. We would definitely travel with Avalon again.
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Avalon River Cruises (2026)
At Avalon, we are redefining river cruising by charting a different course than the big ships - no crowded tourist ports
or rushed schedules, just immersive journeys that keep you in the heart of each destination. Our modern Suite Ships sail
the world’s legendary rivers and waterways, placing you just steps from vibrant cities, charming villages, more and breathtaking scenery. Wake to Vienna at your doorstep, watch Budapest sparkle at night, or take in 360-degree views of the Rhine Gorge and Wachau Valley from the Sky Deck. Cycle through Cologne or Paris, savour fine cuisine in Lyon, or sample sweets in Linz, then retreat to your spacious suite without missing a moment.
From Southeast Asia and Egypt to the Amazon and Galápagos, Avalon offers a front-row seat to the world’s most extraordinary places—all while unpacking once. Backed by nearly a century of Swiss heritage, we infuse precision, care, and timeless craftsmanship into every journey. Welcome aboard the wideopen wonder of Avalon. Your journey begins here.
or rushed schedules, just immersive journeys that keep you in the heart of each destination. Our modern Suite Ships sail
the world’s legendary rivers and waterways, placing you just steps from vibrant cities, charming villages, more and breathtaking scenery. Wake to Vienna at your doorstep, watch Budapest sparkle at night, or take in 360-degree views of the Rhine Gorge and Wachau Valley from the Sky Deck. Cycle through Cologne or Paris, savour fine cuisine in Lyon, or sample sweets in Linz, then retreat to your spacious suite without missing a moment.
From Southeast Asia and Egypt to the Amazon and Galápagos, Avalon offers a front-row seat to the world’s most extraordinary places—all while unpacking once. Backed by nearly a century of Swiss heritage, we infuse precision, care, and timeless craftsmanship into every journey. Welcome aboard the wideopen wonder of Avalon. Your journey begins here.
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Avalon Tapestry II
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River View
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Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Avalon. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Avalon. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
