Paris & Normandy

Day 1: Paris
Once you’ve cleared customs at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the hotel. There you will check in, drop off your bags and, if you wish, go out and explore the city on your own. Your Uniworld local host can offer suggestions for your leisure time.

During the evening, you’ll gather with your fellow travelers for an informative briefing at the hotel. Please ask your local host for dinner recommendations.

Day 2: Paris
FEATURED EXCURSION: Opera Garnier discovery walk
Put on comfortable walking shoes and plan to spend a couple of hours strolling through the geographical heart of Paris. Begin in the 9th arrondissement and the Opéra de Paris Garnier, also known as Palais Garnier. Work on this extravagant opera house began in 1865 and continued for 15 trouble-filled years, which included the discovery of an underground lake beneath the construction site. It’s still there, incidentally—confined to an enormous cistern where carp swim and rescue divers’ train. Your guide will take you inside to explore this glorious tribute to Second Empire opulence, complete with dazzling chandeliers, red-velvet wall coverings and draperies, gold-leafed cherubs, marble friezes—and a spectacular 20th-century ceiling by Marc Chagall.

Then head out through the 8th arrondissement, exploring the wide avenues and arcades designed by Baron Haussmann when he modernized Paris between 1852 and 1870. As you walk toward the river and the 1st arrondissement, you’ll come to the Palais-Royal, built by Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 (Louis XIV lived here as a child). The palace itself now houses government offices, but the garden offers a lovely breath of fresh air and greenery.

Your next destination, just a block or two away, is the La Comédie-Française, the only state theater to have its own troupe—it specializes in the work of Molière— before you loop back toward your hotel, passing the National Library and the Paris Bourse.

Note: Occasionally, the Opera Garnier will not be available for this extension. On such occasions, an alternative experience will be arranged, such as a visit to the Musee d’Orsay or a walking tour of Paris’ popular Le Marais district.

Day 3: Paris
Today you transfer to your ship via either TGV train or Motorcoach and begin your cruise.