Join an exciting yet relaxing 12-day cruise aboard La Nouvelle Etoile as it sails from Belgium to Paris for a tour that will introduce you to the region's history and modern-day beauty. Visit the beautiful town of Bruges, also known as the Venice of the North. Have a look at the "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by the Van Eyck brothers. Have an adventure going to Vermandois Hills of Picardie and view rural France and its spectacular scenery.
Highlights
Visit the beautiful town of Bruges
Visit Ghent and the fabulous painting “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”
Climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie and view the scenery
Visit the war museum in Peronne
Visit the charming village of Auvers sur Oise and Gogh's home
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Guests can meet in Bruges or Brussels to be transferred to La Nouvelle Etoile moored in the beautiful town of Bruges, known as "Venice of the North". The crew waits to give you a warm welcome, complete with champagne. Once settled in, you will visit Bruges to tour on one of the little canal boats which meander through this picture perfect town. Upon returning to the ship, you will have your first dinner on board.
A local tour guide will join you on a walking tour of Bruges this morning. You will then return to the ship for lunch. After enjoying lunch, you will have ample time to wander around Bruges before returning to the ship to sail to Ghent. Dinner will be served on board.
You will visit Ghent in the morning to view the exceptional painting by the Van Eyck brothers, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Upon returning to the ship, you will continue cruising up the River Schelde to the town of Oudenaarde where you will spend the night. Enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers on board.
This morning, the cruise will continue up the River Schelde which will take you to the ancient town of Tournay. Here you can see the famous "Pont des Trous" or Bridge with Holes. It was used to collect tolls on the rivers in ancient times. In the afternoon, stroll around Tournay before returning to the La Nouvelle Etoile for dinner.
Continue sailing along the Schelde through the town of Valenciennes while enjoying a relaxing breakfast. Then have an excursion off of the ship to visit the museum of fine arts in Valenciennes. After admiring local art, board the ship which will eventually come to the junction of the Canal du Nord at the little French village of Arleux. Dinner on board.
La Nouvelle Etoile begins the climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie through the many locks and several tunnels of the Canal du Nord. From this vantage point, you will have sweeping views of rural France and its spectacular scenery. After lunch, there will be a trip to Amiens to visit one of the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals! Dinner will be served on board.
After breakfast on the ship, have the opportunity to visit the war museum in Peronne. Upon returning to La Nouvelle Etoile, the cruise will continue on the Canal du Nord. Passengers will have many opportunities to walk or bike while the ship travels from each lock. After navigating the Canal du Nord all day, your sailing will end in the valley of the Somme River. Dinner will be served on board.
This morning, we cruise down to the Oise River valley to moor in the riverside town of Compiegne. There are many sights to see in Compiegne including the train where the World War I armistice was signed, as well as the Royal Palace. Return to the ship this evening for dinner.
Start this day by cruising down the Oise River valley to explore the village of Auvers sur Oise, a charming town reminiscent of a van Gogh scene. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. He lived in Auvers ser Oise and painted most of his last and most important paintings here in a small room above a local café. In the afternoon, take a walk around the town and visit the cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried. End your day with a delicious dinner on board.
After an early lunch, you will be driven in Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet. This time of year, you will see the famous lily pond and Japanese bridge which inspired so many works of this famous impressionist painter. Moor for the night at Conflans - the junction of the Oise and Seine Rivers. Enjoy a lovely dinner on board La Nouvelle Etoile.
This morning you cruise to Bougival and visit Malmaison, the home of Napoleon. Here you will see its many lavishly decorated rooms that were furnished by Josephine. You will return to La Nouvelle Etoile for an afternoon cruise up the River Seine past the Eiffel Tower to our Paris mooring for the Captains Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 12: Paris
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile and transfer to your drop-off point in Paris.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
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Suites
200 sq. ft. including en-suite facilities. Twin/double beds, private bathroom with shower, wardrobe, small tables and a chair.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
