Compare Great Museums of Paris by Archaeological Tours vs Cruise on the Marne Canal from Paris to Epernay (port-to-port cruise) by CroisiEurope

Day 1

Independent departures from our home cities.

Day 2: PARIS

Meals: Dinner

Our tour begins this afternoon with a walk to the Louvre for the first of three visits planned to this amazing museum. Founded by Champollion in 1825 and successively enriched with objects acquired through French excavations in Egypt and from the art market, our first visit is to the Greek and Roman collections. Many of the most famous monuments from ancient Greece and Rome are to be seen here, including the Winged Victory of Samothrace; the personification of the Tiber River; the Venus de Milo; the Borghese Hermaphrodite; part of the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon; the Hera of Samos; and an array of Roman portraits. This evening we will meet for our opening lecture and dinner at our hotel, Saint James Albany.

Day 3: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast

This morning will take us on a walking tour in the Marais Quarter, which stretches between the Quartier du Temple and the Seine. We will examine the pre-Revolution residential architecture, including the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges, and the private town houses of the nobility. At the Centre Georges-Pompidou we will discuss modern architecture and visit the Museum of Modern Art housed within. We will also stop at the Church St-Merri and the whimsical Stravinski Fountain. Our touring ends at the Jewish Museum, whose exhibits illustrate both modern and historic Jewish culture. There are so many museums, sites and shops in the Marais Quarter that we will have no difficulty occupying the remainder of the day.

Day 4: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Our second visit to the Louvre will be to view the Ancient Near Eastern Collections, which were begun in 1847 and rank as one of the richest in the world. Among the treasures in this collection are the Vulture Stele of King Eannatum; the Stele of Naram-Sin, King of Akkad; several statues of Gudea of Lagash; the wall paintings from Mari; the famous Stele of Hammurabi containing his law code; and reliefs from the palace of Susa built for Darius the Great. After a break for lunch, we will continue our visit with some of the major works of art in the painting galleries. This evening we will gather for a lecture followed by dinner.

Day 5: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast

Touring this morning takes us into the Opéra district to visit the Musée d’Orsay, housed in the former Gare d’Orsay. We will view the highlights of this amazing collection, which represents each artistic movement between 1848 and 1914 in chronological order. Some of the highlights of the collection include Delacroix’s The Tiger Hunt, Renoir’s Bal du Moulin de la Galette and Courbet’s The Burial at Orans, which was perhaps the first true expression of Realism. We will enjoy an afternoon at leisure for individual pursuits.                                                                

Day 6: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast

Our third and last visit to the Louvre will be to the Egyptian Collection, which has among its treasures the offering chamber from the Tomb of Akhethotep from the Old Kingdom; the painted limestone statues of Sepa and his wife; the Red Scribe; the colossal statue of King Sankhare; and the wooden statue of Nakhti. Sphinxes and stelae commemorating the Apis Bulls at Saqqara adorn the stairway to the second floor, where a wealth of minor arts are displayed, as well as statues of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten and Tutankhamen. In the afternoon, we will visit Place de la Concorde to view the obelisk inscribed to Ramses II, which originally stood in front of the first pylon at the Luxor Temple. We will walk to Notre Dame, where one can still see traces of the city’s original ramparts and collections of coins and pottery from the Paris of the Roman Imperial Period.

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast

Our walking tour of the Latin Quarter, or Lutetia as it was known in the 3rd century, includes a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages, housed in the old residence of the abbots of Cluny, and the adjoining Roman Baths. The museum’s 24 galleries display the riches of the period, the most famous being the 15th-century tapestries known as La Dame à la Licorne. Our walking tour then continues via the Sorbonne to the Panthéon and the adjacent Église St-Étienne-du-Mont, known for its unique facade and rood screen. Lastly, we will visit the Musée de L’institut du Monde Arabe, which offers an excellent collection of artifacts from the Arab-Islamic world, with an emphasis on recent excavations in Syria and Tunisia. Once again, this ancient quarter offers us many more sites for the remaining hours of the day.

Day 8: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

This morning a short drive brings us to St-Germain-en-Laye, where Professor Soltes will introduce us to the art and artifacts of prehistoric man at the Musée des Antiquités Nationales. After lunch at the charming Cazaudehore et la Forestière restaurant, we will return to Paris, with time for independent touring in the late afternoon.

Day 9: PARIS

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

The focus of this morning will be the spectacular collection of Asian art at the newly renovated Musée Guimet. The collection includes everything from huge balustrades from Preah Khan temple at Angkor, bronzes and sculptured ivories from India, to Chinese ceramics. We will also visit the nearby Galerie du Panthéon Bouddhique du Japon et de la Chine, which is devoted to Japanese Buddhist and Shinto art and archaeology and includes a peaceful Japanese garden. This museum displays material on agriculture, crafts, local beliefs and customs, music and folklore. If the weather is fine, we might spend the afternoon strolling in the Bois de Boulogne and visiting the Jardin de Serres d’Auteuil. Tonight we meet for our farewell dinner.

Day 10

There will be one departure transfer from the hotel to the airport on Sunday.

Day 1 PARIS

Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner.

Day 2 PARIS - LAGNY-SUR-MARNE

We'll set out on an excursion through the major sites of the capital: the Place de la République, the main boulevards, the Opera, the Place de la Madeleine, Place Vendôme and the Louvre. Join us on an original walk along the prettiest covered arcades in Paris, allowing you to travel back through time and history around the Palais Royal. We'll return on board and start cruising towards Lagny-sur-Marne.

Day 3 LAGNY-SUR-MARNE - ISLES-LES-MELDEUSES - SAINT-JEAN-LESDEUX- JUMEAUX

This morning will be spent cruising to Isles-les-Meldeuses. This afternoon, join us on a tour of the charming town of Meaux, from the Cathedral to the Bishops' Palace, passing the Gallo-Roman ramparts and the magnificent Bossuet Garden, traditionally believed to be an early work of Le Nôtre. We'll discover and taste the Brie de Meaux cheese, hailed as "the King of Cheeses”. During this visit, the ship continues cruising to Saint-Jean-Les-Deux-Jumeaux where we will return on board.

Day 4 SAINT-JEAN-LES-DEUX-JUMEAUX - CHÂTEAU-THIERRY

This morning will be spent cruising, passing Champigny and Drachy, through the heart of the Seine-et-Marne countryside and its Champagne vines. In the afternoon, we'll arrive in Château-Thierry and set off for an excursion with an educational falconry performance (1). We'll get the chance to discover an art that has been classified as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Afterwards, we'll return on board.

Day 5 CHÂTEAU-THIERRY - DORMANS

We'll start sailing towards Dormans. This afternoon, join us on an excursion along the famous Champagne route. We'll start off with a guided tour of the village of Hautvillers. This picturesque village is located in the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park and is best explored on foot. We'll continue our visit to a prominent champagne house, with a tasting*.

Day 6 DORMANS - EPERNAY

This morning will be spent sailing towards Epernay. This afternoon, we'll set off by coach for our excursion to Reims, known as the "City of Coronations”. We'll take part in a guided tour of the historic center as well as a guided visit of the cathedral, which receives about one million visitors annually. We'll return on board. Tonight is our gala dinner and evening.

Day 7 EPERNAY - Paris(2)

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. Possible transfer by coach to Paris(2). End of our services.