Depart From: Overnight in transit

Morning: Arrivals at Charles de Gaulle airport and independent transfers to the program hotel in Paris. Please note that rooms are not generally available until early to mid-afternoon, so you should plan to drop off your luggage at the hotel and then take some time to explore Paris or relax and have a leisurely lunch (on your own). There are Paris maps available at the hotel, and your Group Leader and hotel staff will be present to provide recommendations and directions.

Lunch: Your choice to explore local fare.

Afternoon: Check in at your hotel and take the afternoon to unpack and relax. In the late afternoon you will meet with your group at the hotel for introductions, a review of the program itinerary and site orientation.

Dinner: Welcome dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: A neighborhood walk introduces you to the area around the hotel.

Lodging: Villa Beaumarchais

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Walking and standing in museum at own pace. Return to hotel by Metro (subway)

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: LECTURE: Delve into the History of Paris from Roman development through the Middle Ages. FIELD TRIP: Enjoy a panoramic overview by coach of Paris' monuments and most famous sites, while your Paris Expert continues the discussion of the city's history and its architecture throughout the ages.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP to the Louvre, the largest royal palace built in the 16th century, enlarged in the 17th C., turned into a museum after the French Revolution. Visit the Louvre at your own pace, using Road Scholar’s exclusively customized MP3 audio-guide. Return to the hotel using the Paris Metro (subway) system.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Lodging: Villa Beaumarchais

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Use of Paris Metro (subway), with some unavoidable stairs; visit of Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur on foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: LECTURE: “French Society and France’s political system.” FIELD TRIP: Depart on foot and use the Paris Metro and the Montmartre Funicular. At the Basilica of Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) examine the history of its construction, the amazing murals that decorate its interior – not paintings, but intricately constructed mosaics – and take in the views over Paris from the city’s highest geographical location.

Lunch: In a restaurant in Montmartre.

Afternoon: Continue exploring the tiny streets and squares of Montmartre. Discover the meeting places where the artists gathered at the end of the 19th century and learn about the neighborhood’s Bohemian traditions. Return to the hotel on the Metro.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Lodging: Villa Beaumarchais

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Use of Paris Metro (subway), with some unavoidable stairs; visit of the City Island and Latin Quarter on foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: LECTURE: "May 1968" Learn the history and long-term effects of this eventful period in Paris. FIELD TRIP: "Medieval Art & Architecture in Paris" Explore the Île de la Cité, the historic heart of Paris featuring Sainte-Chapelle & Notre Dame Cathedral, led by your Paris Expert.

Lunch: In a Left Bank restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: A walking exploration of the myriad streets of the Latin Quarter, home to the biggest university complex in France and one of the oldest universities in the world - La Sorbonne, dedicated to Literature, Languages, Civilizations, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Walk the streets of this neighborhood to examine the medieval foundations of the quarter’s churches and small pedestrian streets. You may wish to explore Cluny Convent, the Pantheon or the Luxembourg Gardens independently. Return to the hotel on the Metro at your leisure.

Dinner: In a local restaurant.

Evening: ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: View Paris from the Seine River, a completely different perspective, during a boat cruise.

Lodging: Villa Beaumarchais

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Embarking and disembarking train with luggage. Travel by train.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Take the TGV or "high-speed train" from Paris to Lyon.

Lunch: In the Beaujolais vineyards.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Head out into the picturesque villages and vineyards of the Beaujolais. The Beaujolais region is the most southern part of the Burgundy vineyards. Wine has been produced in this region since Roman times. Learn what differentiates Beaujolais from other red wines during a tasting. Return to Lyon late afternoon to check in at the hotel.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Best Western Charlemagne

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lyon’s Historic Streets Old and New: Old Lyon, La Fourviere and The Confluence

Note: Use of Lyon subway and tramway, with some unavoidable stairs; visit of the historic districe of Lyon on foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: LECTURE: "History and economy of the city of Lyon". FIELD TRIP: Explore the old town of Lyon on foot, from the Place de Terreaux to the Place de Bellecour. Walk through the fascinating “traboules”: Although a couple of Old Lyon's traboules date from Roman times, most were constructed by silk weavers in the 19th century to facilitate the transport of silk in bad weather. Resistance fighters found them equally useful during WWII. Take the funicular up to La Fourviere to enjoy the view over the city.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: EXCURSION: Contrast the historic center of Old Lyon with the new architectural developments of La Confluence, on a pedi-cab ride, ending at the hotel.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Lodging: Hotel Best Western Charlemagne

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Use of Lyon subway and tramway, with some unavoidable stairs; visit of the markets of Lyonon foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Experience the food traditions of Lyon, known as “the stomach of France” on a walk through the market stalls frequented by local and restaurant chefs alike. Learn about the local ingredients, how they are used and the origins of regional customs.

Lunch: Taste regional specialties.

Afternoon: Free Time

Dinner: In a nearby restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Best Western Charlemagne

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Visit of the village on foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Explore the medieval, walled village of Saint Paul-Trois-Chateaux on foot. The iconic village is one of France’s official truffle centers, where the Black Truffle of Tricastin (Tuber Melanosporum) is found. The village is also famous for having been the start of a stage of the 2011 Tour de France (bicycle race). Medieval remains include vestiges of 14th century ramparts, the Eglise St Jean, rebuilt in the 12th century by the Knights Templars, and the vestiges of a 14th century synagogue. ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: Learn to play “petanque”, the outdoor bowling game played in the village squares around Provence. Share a “pastis”, the traditional drink of the south with local residents.

Lunch: In the hotel.

Afternoon: Learn about an Introduction to Provence in a lecture at the hotel. Then enjoy a guiding walking tour of the old town of Avignon.

Dinner: In a local restaurant.

Evening: Enjoy an evening stroll at leisure through the village, taking part in its everyday life.

Lodging: Hotel L’Esplan

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Visit of the village on foot includes walking on pavement and cobblestones for up to 1.5 hours at a time, walking up to two miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Depart on an EXCURSION through the back roads of Provence, where rows of lavender color the landscape in deep purple and hill towns are capped by medieval castle ruins. FIELD TRIP on foot through charming Nyons, situated on the banks of the River Eygues and surrounded by olive groves. Thursday is market day: delight in the colorful display of local produce and lively activity.

Lunch: Your choice to explore local fare. Why not pick up some olives, bread and cheese at the market?

Afternoon: ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: Taste the wines of the Vinsobres vineyards. Return to Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux in the late afternoon.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Lodging: Hotel L’Esplan

Meals Included: Breakfast

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Depart by motorcoach to Aix-en-Provence and Avignon. LECTURE En Route: “Impressionists in Provence”. FIELD TRIP: In Aix-en-Provence, visit Cezanne’s small but airy studio. Walk through the flower market and tiny streets of the historic center.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Continue to Avignon. Situated on the banks of the Rhone, the city’s destiny changed during the period in the 14th century when it became the seat of the Papacy. Visit the Palace of the Popes to learn about the intrigue, politics and wealth of the Avignon popes. Return to Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Lodging: Hotel L’Esplan

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Depart by motorcoach to Arles and the Camargue. LECTURE en route: “Romans in Provence”. FIELD TRIP: On foot through Arles, including its Roman Amphitheatre, Antique theater, the 12th - 14th centuries cloister of Sainte-Trophime and the places painted by Van Gogh.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Continue to the Camargue, famous for its native breeds of bulls and horses. Visit a “manade” (cattle ranch) and learn about daily life, with its roots in the traditions and history of the Camargue. Return to Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.

Dinner: Enjoy an “aperitif” with locals then celebrate your journey with a Farewell Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel L’Esplan

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Departure by coach from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Marseille Provence Airport (MRS).

Meals Included: Breakfast