TRIP ITINERARY TO STRASBOURG AND PARIS

                                                       Day 1-2
Transatlantic flight to Strasbourg. You will be greeted at the airport by a bilingual representative for a transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, walk around the city of Strasbourg and have a guided tour of the Old City, with its wooden houses and overhanging upper floors. Dinner this evening. B/D
 

                                    Day 3
Today, you are on your won to visit the Cathedral de Notre Dame, with the Gothic west façade and beautiful 466 foot spire. At the Place de la Cathedral, which is the intersection of old Strasbourg, visit a picturesque building such as France's oldest pharmacy or the Place du march-aux-Cochons-du-Lait. Before dinner, walk through "Petite France" where the ships could dock at the back door of almost every shop. Do not miss the Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes. Dinner this evening. B/D

                                                        Day 4
Depart early this morning for the town of Colmar, home of Frederic Bartholdi, who sculpted the Statue of Liberty. En route, visit the Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg for its panoramic view. Then, visit Colmar, which is a well-preserved river port town known for its wine merchants. Take a boat ride along the many canals to see the Tanners Quarter. This afternoon, stop at the Maison Pfister or the Musee d'Unterlinden to see the Isenheim masterpiece. Return to Strasbourg in time for dinner.  B/D

                                                       Day 5
Depart early in the morning, by coach, for Paris. Upon arrival, check into the hotel. Then, take the metro to the Palais de Chaillot, for its view of the Trocadero Gardens, Eiffel Tower, Champs-de-Mars, and Ecole Militaire. Consider a brisk climb, or the elevator, to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Visit the imposing Hotel des Invalides, with a 650 foot long main façade. This is the final resting place of many of France's great military men. View Napoleon's tomb at the Dome Church. Before dinner enjoy walking around the Isle St. Louis and the Isle de la Cite, where you will see Notre Dame Cathedral and the beautiful stained glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle. Dinner in the your and trendy Les Halles district and then a night tour of Paris. B/D

                                                      Day 6
In the morning, board your private bus for the gardens of Monet, at Giverny. Then, visit Versailles Palace, for home of Louis XIV, the "Sun King". See the Royal Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors in this royal residence where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, confirming the independence of the United States in 1783. Then, enjoy a walk through the gardens to the Apollo Basin and to the Grand Trianon. Return to Paris for dinner in the artistic Montmartre section and visit the Sacre Coeur Basilica. B/D

                                             Day 7
After breakfast, board you bus for a visit to the famous Chateau de Fontainebleau. On your return to Paris, you may choose to visit the Rodin Museum and then have a walking tour of the Marais or Latin Quarter. B/D

                                                       Day 8
Today, you will have a morning visit at the Louvre Museum, with its "Venus", "Winged Victory", and Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa". Exit through I.M. Pei's glass pyramid, walk through the Carousel Arch to the Tuileries Garden and the Place de la Concorde. Follow the "Voie Triomphale" from the Place de la Concorde and walk up the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. Visit the small museum inside and get a view of Paris from the top of the Arc. Enjoy dinner this evening and then a Bateaux Mouches ride on the Seine River.  B/D

                                                                                    Day 9
After breakfast, you will have a guided tour of the Musee d'Orsay. This renovated train station on the banks of the Seine contains painting from the pre-impressionist, impressionist, and post-impressionist painters, including Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Lautrec. Then choose your afternoon activity. Consider some last minute shopping at the Galeries Lafayette, a visit to the small Musee d'Orangerie for it's outstanding collection of Renoir paintings and Monet's famous panels of Giverny's lily pads and water, the Pompidou Center and its modern art museum, or a long cup of hot chocolate at a Parisian café. Dinner this evening. B/D

                      Day 10
Transfer to the airport for your return flight.B