8h

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Situated in Normandy, the village of Giverny is world-wide known for Claude MONET’s house and atelier.

After picking you up at your hotel with one of our 8 seated air conditioned Mercedes Van, our guide will tell you during the trip about the impressionist painters who went to Giverny to meet Claude Monet. Claude Monet’s property has been left by his son to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1966. After a large scale renovation in 1980 it became a Foundation.

The house where the painter lived from 1883 to 1926 has its colourful décor and intimate charm of former times. The precious collection of Japanese is displayed in several rooms.
The gardens offer for the admiration of visitors the “painting of the nature” which Claude Monet’s contemporaries considered one of his masterpieces.
The rectangular “Clos Normand”, with archways of climbing plants entwined around brilliantly coloured shrubs, lies before the house and studios offering the palette of varying colours of the painter-gardener who was “ecstatic” about flowers.

Lastly, the water garden with its famous Japanese Bridge, its wisterias, azaleas and its pond has inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies.
The guide will accompany you inside the gardens. Inside the house and atelier, it is not allowed to guide. Our guide will give you all necessary information’s how to visit the house.
On the way back you will discover the gorgeous landscape of the Vexin Natural Park with its panorama over the river Seine, its charming villages: La Roche Guyon, Vétheuil …from the crest road.

During the trip to Versailles, our guide will tell you about the story of the Palace and how the “cour” was living during the Sun King reign. With its three chateaux, gardens and parks, Versailles is an immense estate. Louis XIV, called  the Sun King, is the creative force of Versailles. He turned Versailles into a sumptuous estate and the symbol of absolute monarchy in the 17^th century. Louis Le Vau and then Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Charles Lebrun are the main architects both Versailles and the Grand Trianon and André Le Nôtre for the gardens.  

You will visit the State Apartments with its 8 rooms, the Hall of Mirrors, the King and Queens’ apartments and since July 2006 some new rooms recently renovated, the Royal Chapel and the Royal Opera. Your visit in the castle is with an audio-guide in your language. This is the only difference with a guided visit of Versailles (we also provide this tour). After this visit which lasts around 1 hour and 10 minutes, our guide will accompany you to the gardens.

Beyond the chateau, stretch the gardens and the park. At the foot of the chateau, Le Nôtre created the parterres, designed to be viewed from the terraces. You will see the Grande Perspective which draws the eye to the horizon with its Latona and Apollo fountains. You will stroll to the north and south parterres full of flowers. You will see the various groves in the gardens : the Baldroom and the Colonnade, the Enceladus…and some others our guide will let you discover.

On Saturday and Sunday from April to October there are the Musical Fountains show, included in the price. From April to October the other days of the week, there are the Musical Gardens, also included in the price.

Stroll around the fountains and admire the water jets, explore the groves while enjoying live music concert from Lully the most famous Versailles musical composer from the 17^th century.

Our guide will drop you off at your hotel after this very intensive visit which will throw you back to the century of lights.