easy
9 hours
Suitable for most fitness levels given moderate walking over varied terrain including paved streets and garden paths.
Step into the world of Monet’s gardens and Rouen’s medieval streets with Normandy Melody. This private day tour offers seamless access to Normandy’s rich artistic and historic highlights just an hour from Paris.
Full day • from Paris • Private Tour
Embark on a private day trip to Normandy, exploring the enchanting sites of Giverny and Rouen. Discover Monet’s vibrant home and gardens, filled with stunning floral landscapes and the iconic Japanese bridge. Then, wander through Rouen’s charming cobbled streets, Gothic architecture, and rich history, including the legacy of Joan of Arc.
All-day activity! - lasts approximately 9 hours, including transportation
On this private day trip from Paris, discover two of the most colorful sites in Normandy. Take aboard a luxury vehicle for a ride around about one hour to Giverny.
Thanks to skip the line access, the guide shares the calm and almost other worldly beauty of Claude Monet’s Home and Gardens. Learn about the famous Impressionist and enjoy to explore inside his colored home, stroll along the charming paths of his flower garden, and admire the water garden with the little green bridge and lake full of his famous water lilies.
The House and Gardens of Claude Monet in Giverny Pierce the secrets of one of the pillars of Impressionism, Claude Monet. Leader of the pictorial movement of the 19th century, he brought a wind a change to academic representative art introducing heightened perception, emotions and light. The painter devoted more than forty years of his life to one of his finest masterpieces: his garden in Giverny.
The Clos Normand The artist gardener sought to transform a simple orchard into magnificent colorful garden: Japanese cherry trees, flowerbeds of nasturtiums, tulips and roses, an explosion of colors for each season.
The Water Garden Wander through the romantic water garden, with its famous Japanese bridge, the wisterias, the water-lilies pond, the weeping willows and irises... Behold this living picture with its profusion of reflected light and colors.
The House Visit the master's charming pink house where a family atmosphere reigned. Discover the painter's everyday life surrounded by eight children: the drawing room, the pantry, the bedroom, the study, the dining room and the beautiful kitchen...Admire his collection of Japanese prints, another source of inspiration.
The Studio End your visit with the big studio where the famous water-lilies paintings saw the light of day. These paintings are exhibited at the Orangerie Museum in Paris. Enjoy the souvenir shop.
Take a midday break for lunch and continue on to Rouen.
Rouen Discover the authentic Norman city of Rouen. It is hard to resist the charm of this city: the old Rouen, the Courthouse, the Cathedral and Joan of Arc square. Your guide will take you through this captivating city discover its multiple facets. Real museum city, Rouen enchant you with its beautiful half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and Gothic churches. Rouen is also nicknamed the "City of 100 steeples".
The Cathedral & Antiquarian District The Notre-Dame cathedral is remarkable for the juxtaposition of all periods of the Gothic style, especially on its facade. Claude Monet captured this remarkable Gothic cathedral from an apartment facing it. He immortalized the compelling light reflected off this masterpiece in a series of 28 paintings. Stroll through the antiquarian district among the stunning half-timbered houses. This atmosphere inspired Pissaro in his famous urban series. In this district, one of the most beautiful and oldest of Rouen. Discover the Saint-Maclou Church, a gem of Flamboyant Gothic art and the Saint-Maclou Atrium, an old parish cemetery created during the Great Black Plague of 1348.
Continue your walk with the Saint-Ouen Abbey and the Courthouse, one of the beautiful achievements of the civil architecture of the late Middle Ages. Here is the oldest Jewish monument of France, the only example of medieval "Yeshiva" in the world.
The Great Clock and Belfry The yawning renaissance arcade of the Great Clock spans the cobbled street and houses one of the oldest clock mechanisms in Europe. Flanked by a belfry tower with the city's bells, the Great Clock, Renaissance arcade spans the street and houses one of the oldest clock mechanisms in Europe. On each side, its single-needle dials are richly decorated. Walk down the famous rue du Gros Horloge with its unique Renaissance double-faced clock.
Joan of Arc Rouen was the scene of the martyrdom of Joan of Arc condemned and burned in 1431. Find the exact place where she was burned, close to the Church of St. Joan of Arc whose stained glass windows are from the 16th century.
After the visit, transfer to Paris.
Expect to stroll cobblestone streets and garden paths; supportive shoes help keep you comfortable throughout the full-day trip.
Normandy’s weather can change quickly; a compact rain jacket ensures you stay dry while visiting outdoor gardens and city streets.
Thanks to priority admission, you can spend more time enjoying the sites than waiting—plan your visit to maximize this advantage.
Some indoor areas, especially Monet’s house and Rouen’s churches, restrict photography—observe posted signs to preserve these treasures.
Rouen’s layered history is marked by its role in medieval justice and the martyrdom of Joan of Arc in 1431, reflected in several historic landmarks.
Efforts in Normandy prioritize preservation of Monet’s gardens with careful horticultural maintenance and responsible tourism to protect natural and historical assets.
Supports walking over cobbled streets and garden trails throughout the day.
Protects against unpredictable spring showers common in Normandy.
spring specific
Capture the vibrant gardens and historic architecture, while respecting photography restrictions indoors.
Stay hydrated during warm weather as you explore outdoor sites.
summer specific