Come home from one of our tours of Normandy and Brittany and you’ll tell everyone you know about the day you walked to Mont-St.-Michel. The cathedral-capped island floats on water—at least until the epic tide recedes to reveal the sandy seabed. Then, as the faithful have done for centuries, we make the pilgrimage on foot to one of France’s most glorious landmarks. True, the provinces of Brittany and Normandy have their apple orchards and salt-meadow sheep flocks and picture-book villages deep in the woods. And we’ve planned beautiful walks among them. But like the people and history of this region, we always seem to come back to the sea. To explore coastlines that have seen invasions from Iron Age Celts to D-Day’s Allied Forces. To stroll in quaint ports that launched the Norman conquest of the British Isles. And to feast in restaurants where great platters of fresh oysters, lobsters and Coquilles St.-Jacques are standard fare. So much beauty, in the shadow of so much history, warmed by a lively hospitality makes this a truly unforgettable journey. 

DAY 1 - DEAUVILLE
We meet in Deauville (1 night) for a short drive to Honfleur. The birthplace of Impressionism, this gem of Normandy offers lovely portside walks and magnificent views from the Cote de Grace chapel.

DAYS 2-3 - BAYEUX
The classic Norman countryside—apple orchards, wooded valleys, dairy farms and quaint villages—is perfect for walking and for a pause to taste calvados, the local apple brandy. From our château hotel near Bayeux (2 nights), we visit the legendary 230-foot tapestry named for the city. Then we spend a day with remarkable coastal walks at the sites of more recent battles—the D-Day beaches of Normandy—including Pointe du Hoc, the American cemetery and Omaha Beach.

DAYS 4-7 - ST. MALO / RENNES
Mont-St.-Michel is one of France's premiere landmarks. We time our visit so that, like centuries of pilgrims, we can cross the tidal flats on foot to explore this glorious fortress. From our base in Saint-Malo (3 nights), we roam the 6th century seaport, walk spectacular seaside trails and even take a lesson in Breton cooking. Finally, we explore the countryside and villages around Mont Dol and sample the seafood on the panoramic seacoast near the oyster-farming center of Cancale. On our final day, we visit the medieval quarter of Rennes before boarding trains to Paris.