Gallic Grandeur - London to Bilbao Cruise

Day 1 - Southampton

Arrive: Mon 25 August 2025 / Depart: Mon 25 August 2025 at 18:00

Take a trip up to London and get a bird’s eye view of the city from the London Eye. See sights like Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly. Stroll along Lower Regent Street or visit the British Museum.

Day 2 - Zeebrugge

Arrive: Tue 26 August 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Tue 26 August 2025 at 16:00

Step back in time to the 14th century as you meander along the narrow streets of this medieval gem past gabled buildings and through the bustling market. Take a boat ride along the city's canals. Or spend the day exploring Brussels and its famed Grand Place or Antwerp, home of Rubens and Bruegel, seeing the verdant countryside along the way.

Day 3 - Paris

Arrive: Wed 27 August 2025 at 07:00

Enjoy the relaxing drive through the countryside to Paris and then savor its bountiful attractions. Visit the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Ride a boat on the Seine, stroll the Champs-Élysées and climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Our two gateways to Paris are outstanding as well. Honfleur dates to the 11th century and features a historic waterfront. Across the Seine lies Le Havre, once home to Claude Monet. His Impressionist works hang in the Malraux Museum. Historic Rouen is closest to Paris and boasts the great Cathédrale Notre Dame.

Day 4 - Paris

Depart: Thu 28 August 2025 at 16:00

Enjoy the relaxing drive through the countryside to Paris and then savor its bountiful attractions. Visit the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Ride a boat on the Seine, stroll the Champs-Élysées and climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Our two gateways to Paris are outstanding as well. Honfleur dates to the 11th century and features a historic waterfront. Across the Seine lies Le Havre, once home to Claude Monet. His Impressionist works hang in the Malraux Museum. Historic Rouen is closest to Paris and boasts the great Cathédrale Notre Dame.

Day 5 - St. Peter Port, Guernsey

Arrive: Fri 29 August 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 29 August 2025 at 18:00

Enjoy this charming port, its beautiful harbor, architecture and imposing castle. See the rugged countryside and take a walk along the extraordinary cliffs and down to the sea, where Renoir once admired the view. Or savor the landscape in a drive around the island past grazing Guernsey cows in rich pastures. Then visit artisans working with silver and gold. Learn about the German occupation during WWII, or tour Victor Hugo's house and absorb the spectacular view. Stroll through the lovely Candie Gardens on this island known for its flowers.

Day 6 - Brest

Arrive: Sat 30 August 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Sat 30 August 2025 at 17:00

Strategically located near the western tip of the Breton peninsula, this naval port has a rich military history. Among its landmarks are the heavily fortified Chateau de Brest and the rotund, 14th-century Tour Tanguy tower. It contains a fascinating museum with dioramas depicting Brest on the eve of World War II. The city's Oceanopolis, one of Europe's largest marine complexes, presents more than 1,000 different species. Brest is also known for its National Botanical Reserve, which focuses on endangered plants rarely found elsewhere.

Day 7 - La Rochelle

Arrive: Sun 31 August 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 31 August 2025 at 15:00

Known for its white limestone cliffs, La Rochelle features a bustling Vieux Port (Old Harbor) with exceptional shops and restaurants. Three medieval towers once protected the port and are now symbols of the waterfront. The imposing Four Sergeants Tower was formerly a prison, and you can see where the corsairs scrawled graffiti on the walls. The city aquarium holds thousands of species living in re-creations of their natural habitats. You will also appreciate La Rochelle's pedestrian-friendly streets, especially in the city center, which is graced by 17th and 18th century architecture.

Day 8 - Bordeaux

Arrive: Mon 01 September 2025 at 13:00

Enjoy the city's visual feast of wonderful ornate buildings, broad avenues, marvelous squares and the Cathedral of St. André, where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII. Stroll through Old Bordeaux. Then visit the area's fabulous vineyards and magnificent châteaux and delight in tasting their superb wines.

Day 9 - Bordeaux

Depart: Tue 02 September 2025 at 14:00

Enjoy the city's visual feast of wonderful ornate buildings, broad avenues, marvelous squares and the Cathedral of St. André, where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII. Stroll through Old Bordeaux. Then visit the area's fabulous vineyards and magnificent châteaux and delight in tasting their superb wines.

Day 10 - La Gomera

Arrive: Wed 03 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 03 September 2025 at 19:00

Day 11 - Bilbao

Arrive: Thu 04 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 04 September 2025

Bilbao is a charming city both modern and dynamic while at the same time, with its 700 years of history, it is quite traditional as well. Enjoy a walk around the Old Quarter, the most popular area of the city. Here you will see the Teatro Arriaga; el Arenal, the old stevedoring port and today one of the favorite promenades of the citizens of Bilbao; the San Nicholas Church; and the Cathedral of Santiago along with its cloister, Plaza Nueva. No visit to Bilbao would be complete without a visit to the architecturally stunning Guggenheim Museum, which is in and of itself a work of art.