Day 1, Sunday, July 12: ARRIVAL
Tour members arrange their own transportation to Paris and to the Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel, where we will stay this first night. We will gather for a welcome dinner this evening at the hotel restaurant (included in tour price).
Day 2, Monday, July 13: JARDINS D’ANGÉLIQUE, MONET’S GARDENS AT GIVERNY
We’ll leave our airport hotel and head to the beautiful and intimate Jardins d’Angélique, just outside of Rouen. This garden was planted in memory of the owners’ daughter, Angélique, and features plants in the restful colors of white, pink and blue. They have a particularly large collection of roses and hydrangeas. One side of the house features lawn and a large, more casually planted flower border, while the other side features a garden planted in a more formal style and displays a profusion of white roses and perennials inside clipped boxwood hedges. We’ll have plenty of time to ask the owner questions and will enjoy a lovely lunch here.
Our second destination will be Claude Monet’s Gardens at Giverny. This garden also has two very different parts: The Flower Garden around the famous Grande Allée, and the equally famous Water Garden and Japanese Bridge. But there is much to explore on this 2½-acre property. And be sure to wander through the home and stroll through the village of Giverny while we’re here.
Day 3, Tuesday, July 14: LES JARDINS D’ÉTRETAT, JARDIN LE VASTERIVAL
We’ll start the day at the enchanting Jardins d’Étretat, a magical landscape that combines contemporary topiary and art elements with the dramatic coastline views. Visitors walk through seven parts of the garden, each designed to elicit different responses. This is an experience you won’t want to miss.
After our visit to the gardens, we’ll have some free time to continue enjoying the striking rock formations and white cliffs of Étretat while grabbing lunch on our own.
We’ll conclude the day with a guided tour of Jardin Le Vasterival, the private residence and passion project of Princess Greta Sturdza. For more than 50 years she tamed a wild woodland thicket into a rich tapestry of over 7,000 plant species.
Day 4, Wednesday, July 15: LE JARDIN PLUME, ROUEN
Our first stop is at Le Jardin Plume, a unique garden installed on the site of a former orchard. Owners Patrick and Sylvie Quibel have incorporated grasses and fine-textured perennials with more traditional and whimsical hedges to create a very interesting mixture of contemporary and conventional ideas. They’ve designed it so that no matter when you visit, you’ll find something to admire, but we’ll get to enjoy it filled with peak summer color.
At midday we’ll return to Rouen for a free afternoon to explore the many landmarks and attractions of the city. To indulge in more history, consider visiting the Rouen Cathedral, the tower of Joan of Arc, and the Gros Horloge – a 14th-century clock tower that straddles Rouen’s main shopping street. Explore some of the many art and history museums in the city, take a stroll along the River Seine, or do some shopping. We’ll be getting lunch and dinner on our own in Rouen, so will also have a chance to try some of the many great restaurants.
Day 5, Thursday, July 16: MIROMESNIL, JARDIN AGAPANTHE
We’ll begin our day at the Château de Miromesnil, where author Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850. The property’s large working potager should be full of both vegetables and flowers when we visit in high summer. Elsewhere we’ll see beautiful flower gardens and a pretty park on this 35-acre property. Don’t miss the 16th-century chapel hidden in the woods. We’ll enjoy lunch in this historic home’s dining room before we depart.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit the much smaller 1.4-acre Jardin Agapanthe for a guided tour. Pathways, terraces, walls, watercourses and pools lead you through different experiences in the always-changing garden of designer Alexandre Thomas. Prepare to be surprised by the unique and playful plant combinations.
Day 6, Friday, July 17: HONFLEUR, MANOIR D'APREVAL, CHÂTEAU DE BRÉCY
We’ll start the day in the picturesque Honfleur, where the Seine meets the English Channel. It’s easy to see why so many artists, like Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin, have made this breathtaking city their home. We’ll be able to check out galleries and shops, enjoy the view of the water and have lunch on our own.
At midday we’ll visit the vast apple and pear orchards at Manoir d'Apreval. We'll get to sample their famous calvados along with some Norman cheeses with our lunch here.
The remainder of the afternoon will be spent at Château de Brécy, a masterpiece of a garden that grows around a historic 17th-century castle. Here meticulously pruned yew and boxwood hedges and topiary extend for miles in a series of terraces that each feature a different style of planting—formal gardens at their best.
At the end of the day, we’ll move to our hotel in Caen.
Day 7, Saturday, July 18: OMAHA BEACH, CAEN
We’ll begin the day at one of the most historic sites in Normandy, Omaha Beach. This is one of the five landing areas of the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, D-Day, and the spot that saw the most devastating losses for the Allied forces. Walking along the gorgeous beach can conjure strong emotions on its own, but several memorials scattered along the site also offer moments for reflection and remembrance.
The rest of the afternoon and evening will be free time to explore and enjoy the historic city of Caen, which also experienced heavy battle and played a crucial role in the liberation of France during World War II. Thankfully, the most famous landmarks in the city, a castle and a pair of abbeys built by William the Conqueror, survived the destruction and can still be enjoyed today along with shops, restaurants and several public gardens.
Day 8, Sunday, July 19: CHAMP DE BATAILLE, JARDIN DE VALÉRIANES
We’ll start the day at Champ de Bataille, a 17th-century château that French designer Jacques Garcia began restoring in 1992. The formal gardens were recreated from original sketches, and new additions maintain the spirit of the baroque designs. Here we’ll find terraces, a grand canal, temples and arches. This garden is listed by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.
Our final garden in our time together will be Jardin de Valérianes, which has two very different spaces: An Asian-inspired garden complete with bamboo, cloud-pruned trees and a stunning water garden contrasts with a traditional English cottage-style garden, whose borders burst with perennials. It’s the best of both worlds in one very charming private garden!
Day 9, Monday, July 20: DEPARTURE
Our time together has ended, but garden lovers always find fresh inspiration wherever they are. Tour members can choose to return home or carry on the adventure.
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