Garden of Monet and Etretat 1 Day

Departure at 8.00 am from the Place d’Italy by coach to Giverny, we will explore Claude Monet’s former home and breathtaking gardens.

Giverny attracted several Impressionist painters in the 19th-Century, most following the lead of the movement’s founder, Claude Monet, who lived there for 43 years. During the tour, you will visit the Master’s house, where the spectacular colors and enchanting garden were designed like a work of art. Be dazzled by the flowerbeds and plants and get a sense of the artist’s feelings and inspirations as you stand in front of the famous water lilies and weeping willows in the delightful water garden.

Then, we will go to visite the famous cliffs of Étretat in Upper Normandy to admire the magic of nature. The cliffs and rock formations steal the show in Etretat, thanks to their exceptional natural beauty and the fact that famous Impressionists painted them so memorably. Erosion has created extraordinary arches in the chalk either side of the town. There’s also an amazing needle-like structure, known in French as the Aiguille. A walk up the cliffs to the west of Etretat leads you to an 18-hole golf course with breath-taking views over the Aiguille, while a walk to the east will bring you to the Jardins d’Etretat, a beautiful Asian-inspired garden affording stunning views over Etretat and its bay across to the Aval arch famously immortalised by Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin. Head back down to the seafront as the sun goes down and you can also see Etretat’s cliffs magically light up.
However, there is more to Etretat than the cliff formations and pebble beach. The small town beyond is picturesque and full of pretty restaurants and shops, while the remarkable wooden covered market and 19th-century villa Le Clos Lupin are both worth a visit.

Return to Paris before 5pm and arrive in Paris at about 8pm. End of the trip.