Depart on your international overnight flight.

Arrive Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, where your guide will escort you to Rouen. In the late 19th century, Claude Monet made this cathedral internationally famous with his paintings. Also here is the Church of Saint Maclou and the Tour Jeanne d’Arc, where Joan of Arc was threatened with torture in 1431. Check into your hotel in Lisieux for dinner and your overnight stay. Meals: Dinner

You’ll continue to Lisieux and the Basilica of St. Therese, France’s second most visited pilgrimage site after Lourdes. St. Therese served her simple and spiritual life at the Carmelite Order here, and her writings have gone on to inspire millions. See her incorrupt body at the Carmel of Lisieux. Return to your hotel in Lisieux for dinner and your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning, you’ll journey to the commune of Pontmain to visit Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain and learn about Mary’s visitation to the villagers here during the height of the Franco-Prussian war. After the appearance, the next day, the Prussian army changed course, and the city was spared from battles. Mont-Saint-Michel, is an Island consecrated in 708. It was one of the first places of cult for the Archangel Michel with the Gargan’s Mount. The abbey presents a big panorama of medieval architecture from the XI to the XVIth century. Check in to your hotel in Mont-Saint-Michel for dinner and your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Today, walk the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Here, the Allies parachuted in and began the D-Day invasion. Continue to Pointe du Hoc, the site of intense fighting as the Allies came ashore. This afternoon, travel to Caen, the site of heavy fighting as the allied forces moved inland off the beaches. The city’s history is reflected in the Chateau de Caen, a castle built by William the Conqueror before the Battle of Hastings. Today, it houses a museum that reflects its history, including the bullet holes where French Resistance members were shot against its walls. See the Memorial for Peace here. Check into your hotel in Caen for dinner and your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning, you’ll head for the beaches of Normandy, where on June 6. 1944, Allied forces began the invasion of Europe to liberate it from the grip of Nazi Germany. Visit the D-Day Museum. You will also visit the American Cemetery of Omaha Beach where we will say a prayer of thanksgiving for their courage. Enjoy time for lunch in the quaint village of Colleville-sur-Mer. Continue on to Bayeux. The Bayeux Tapestry, created for William the Conqueror to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is on display here at a local museum. Notre Dame de Bayeux, built in 1077, was its original home. Return to your hotel in Caen for dinner and your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

You will travel this morning to Chartres. The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Chartres contains a tunic that belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sancta Camisia. This garment was a gift to the church by Charlemagne upon his return from the Holy Land. The cathedral was begun in 1145 and became a popular pilgrimage site in the 12th century. Celebrate Mass here before you continue to the village of Giverny, where Claude Monet painted and lived at the turn of the 20th century. See his house and gardens, filled with inspiration for his work. Wander the impressive gardens. Finish the day in Paris for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast

You will head to the Ile de la Cite this morning, home to Notre Dame. This 850-year-old Gothic cathedral remains the center of the French and their faith. From here, you’ll visit Saint Chapelle, the private chapel of kings illuminated with streams of colored light through towering stained-glass windows. Then, you will journey across the Seine to the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul. Celebrate Mass at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal on Rue de Bac. St. Catherine was visited by Mary three times in 1830, which encouraged a revival in devotion to the church. She served the poor of Paris for 46 years, and when her body was exhumed, it was found incorrupt. The Miraculous Medal is based on a design given by Mary to St. Catherine. Then, you’ll head north through the city past the Place de la Concorde (once home to the guillotine in the French Revolution) to La Madeleine, containing a relic of Mary Magdalene. This picturesque church serves as a popular wedding venue. Then, take a ride up the funicular to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. This cathedral looks out over Paris from the place where St. Denis was martyred. While here, wander the art shops and stores that line the streets. Enjoy time later this afternoon on your own to explore and shop. Your overnight stay is in Paris. Meals: Breakfast

Today is yours to explore on your own. This evening, you will enjoy a dinner cruise on the Seine and marvel at Paris lit up in lights as you sail. Your overnight stay is in Paris. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

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