FRANCE: Châteaux & Champagne like never before

Arriving in Paris in the morning, you’ll be escorted to your accommodations by a representative from Ultitude after clearing customs. During the drive, you’ll get an introductory overview of the city by passing the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame. Before checking into your boutique accommodations across the street from Church of St. Germain des Prés, we have arranged for a 45-minute, rejuvenating massage at a private day spa to loosen up after the long flight. After settling in and a chance to relax, you will be our guest at a nearby restaurant. We’ve selected a neighborhood bistro for your dinner tonight and will include a three-course dinner with wine. After dinner, we suggest strolling around St. Germain des Prés and stopping at Deux Magots, , a café where both Picasso and Hemingway liked hanging out in their day. Find a nice table outside and nurse a Cognac and watch as Paris goes about her business.

Today's excursion will start at Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine thought to be the site of the original settlement in Paris. Your tour starts with the Conciergerie built in the 14th century. During the French Revolution, nearly 3,000 prisoners, including Marie Antoinette, spent their last days here before heading to the Guillotine. You’ll visit nearby Sainte-Chapelle as well. Built by Louis IX to store the crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross, more than two-thirds of the original stained glass windows remain despite damage during the revolution. After touring the church, you’ll walk to the Louvre and have lunch at Le Café du Monde, where chefs cook fresh meals based on what you want to eat, whether it’s French, Moroccan, Vietnamese, or what have you. After lunch, spend the afternoon viewing some of the great works displayed at the Louvre, complete with a private guide who will ensure you get up close and personal with The Wedding at Cana by Veronese, Coronation of Napoleon by David, the Venus de Milo and, of course the Mona Lisa by DaVinci. For dinner this evening, we recommend the classic seafood brasserie, Le Dome. With the freshest seafood in Paris, they’re best known for their oysters, but you can’t go wrong ordering anything that at one point lived in the sea.

This morning, do whatever you want. Talk to us; we can provide great ideas according to your interests: Go shopping, take the metro to Montmartre (we have tickets for you to use)-ride the funicular to Sacré-Cœur, have your portrait sketched at Place du Tertre, or cruise on the Seine. For lunch, go to Alain Ducasse’s contemporary French restaurant Jules Verne near the Eiffel Tower. (Reservations are needed here, but if you are certain you want to dine here, talk to us and we’ll handle the arrangements.) After lunch, you’ll meet your guide at your hotel and head into the countryside and the nearby town of Tours, which you’ll explore both by car and by boat. Then it’s time to discover the town of Montbazon and the elegant Château d’Artigny which will be your home for the next three nights. Fit perfectly into its classic surroundings, this château was actually built in the 20th century by François Coty, the newspaper publisher, politician, and parfumier. The property sits within a 65-acre estate and boasts a cellar of more than 20,000 bottles mainly from the Loire region. Uncork one with dinner this evening.

Your first stop today will be Château Chenonceau, situated over a river and built by Henry II. An excellent example of Renaissance architecture, it has been owned by a family of chocolatiers since the 1950s. This family has lovingly restored the hotel inside and out. Walk through at your own pace, as this is an audio tour. Then proceed to the Vouvray wine district where you have a private visit to La Cave de Vouvray to sample the wine along with local specialties like Rillettes, Rillons, and Chevre goat cheese. After lunch in Vouvray you will make your way to one of the most impressive of the châteaux, Chambord. We’ll focus mostly on the grounds, though if you wish to see the inside, let us know and we can arrange it. Chambord was built by Francois I as a hunting lodge and its 20 miles of walls enclose 13,000 acres of parkland, larger than the city of Paris. The château has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and stables accommodating up to 1,200 horses. Leonardo Da Vinci had a say in its design and one of his key additions was an interlocking set of stairwells connecting four rooms such that people could come and go without being seen. It is said that one of the set of stairs was for the Queen and the other for the King's mistresses. You will have dinner in the village of Chambord before returning to your château.

After breakfast, it’s time to discover the charming Loire countryside. Your first visit will be to Château Cheverny, which was built in the 17th century by the Count of Cheverny whose descendants still own it. You’ll be treated to a guided tour of the château’s interior, as well as its impeccably-maintained grounds. After lunch in the village of Cheverny, you’ll visit the last of the four great châteaux, Amboise, with an incredibly knowledgeable guide. Still considered to be the most historically significant of the four, the impressive present structure represents only a quarter of the original and offers superb views of the Loire River. Chapelle de St. Hubert—Leonardo Da Vinci’s disputed final resting place—is on the Amboise grounds. Da Vinci spent the last three years of his life in the nearby village of Le Close Luce. The day draws to a close with a walk through the village before you return to Château D'Artigny for dinner.

Today you travel to the City of Chartres—known as the City of Light and Perfume because of its location in the area where cosmetics are created. You’ll be treated to a private tour of the city’s highlights; the most impressive of which is the cathedral and its stained glass windows installed in the 13th century. After lunch, you will visit the Macaronnerie where you will learn the secret to perfect, delicious Macarons. After your class you head for your new hotel, the moat-encircled Château d Esclimont, which was originally built for the Archbishop of Tours in 1543. Since that time, it has been the home of aristocrats, statesmen, politicians, and now you.

After breakfast you leave for a private tour of Versailles. While most people rightly think of the palace of the Sun King and the signing of the treaty ending World War I, Versailles has much more to offer. We introduce you to the hidden Versailles—privately guided by a lecturer. During your morning tour you will visit the private apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI, the Royal chapel and the King's Bedchamber, and council rooms. This will be followed by a walk through the famous formal gardens of Louis XIV. You will have lunch at La Flotille located on the banks of a canal in the Parc de Versailles. After lunch you visit the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette escaped to live the life of a shepherdess before returning to your own (slightly smaller) château.

Your first visit of the day will be to Barbizon, which gave its name to the Barbizon School of Painting and thus became known as the "Village of the Painters.” From 1840 to 1870 it was the home of many painters, notably Corot, Rousseau, and Millet. Your next visit will be to the Royal Palace of Fontainebleau which Napoleon called "the true home of kings...the house of ages." The château, even larger than Versailles, is located in a forest that was once a royal hunting reserve. Over the years the château has been the home of many royal courts including King Henry II, Catherine de Medici, King Henry IV, and Queen Marie Antoinette. Following the revolution the château fell into disrepair until it was restored to grandeur by Napoleon I. It was from here, in fact, that he said good-bye to his troops in 1814 before going into exile. In addition to the forest, the château, with 1,500 rooms, is also surrounded by flowering gardens, fountains, two man-made lakes and a canal. It also has a preserved tennis court dating back before the revolution. With your guide you will get a tour of the key parts of the château including the spectacular library before returning to your accommodations.

This morning you travel to the town of Château Thierry which, in addition to being the site of the first major battle fought by the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, is also the home of Cuvee Pannier, the exclusive champagne of first class passengers on Virgin Atlantic, Eurostar, and United Airlines. Next you travel to the town of Troyes. In Roman times, the town was called Augustobona Tricassium and stood at the hub of various highways including Via Agrippa. Today it is noted for its charming 16th-century century half-timbered houses. After a tour and lunch in Troyes, you move to Epernay which is synonymous with many of the great names in Champagne—most notably Moët & Chandon. We will spend our time, however, on other aspects of the industry including the shops that make the corks, the labels, and even the bottles for this most elegant libation. After your inspection, you arrive at your Relais & Châteaux property located inside its own park near the town of Reims. The château is focused on food, evidenced by its two Michelin stars, and you will have a chance (along with the wine) to appreciate their commitment.

After breakfast you leave your hotel for the short trip to Reims. In days past, the Kings of France went to Reims to be crowned in the cathedral, but we suspect it was really for the Champagne. Your first visit will be to the cathedral—a Gothic masterpiece with soaring spires. You will also have a chance to explore the 100-mile cave network carved out of chalk. After lunch you will have a private visit to one of the premium producers of Champagne, Veuve-Clicquot-Ponsardin. In addition to tasting the vintages, you will learn how the bubbles are introduced into the Champagne. Tonight you enjoy an elegant farewell dinner with wine.

After breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the airport for your return flight to the U.S.