Explore the Impressionist Countryside of Renoir, Monet etc. and Learn French

2 days Free cancellation Private tour

The river Seine, beautiful countryside & sun sets are why so many famous painters loved this area; now known as the "country of the Impressionists". — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Discovering the art of Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley etc where they actually painted instead of inside a busy museum! — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to be able to speak French and struggled with CD’s, smartphone apps & quickly lost motivation?

What better motivation than knowing you will soon be visiting the birthplace of Impressionism & following in the footsteps of the movement's most famous painters to experience the locations they immortalised?

We help you move between locations with your language coach, rather than falling asleep in a classroom!

We immerse you so that you can finally begin to understand French & reach your goal of speaking French: Hearing French + Experiencing French = Speaking French.

These are not just guided tours; we select activities based upon your interests & your language guide works with you to aid "comprehensible input".

(Before visiting attractions you will have coaching & audio/visual sessions to prepare you for the upcoming activities; during travel you will also debrief/prepare with your XPF coach.)

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At a glance

Duration: 2 days
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English, French
Operated by: Experience France (XPF)

What is included

Included

Included: On-board WiFi: WiFi on board
Included: Breakfast

Not included

Not included: Surcharges on fuel: Fuel surcharge
Not included: Gratuities
Not included: Lunch/dinner selected by clients

Itinerary

Day 1 · In the "country of the Impressionists" with Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley etc. (30mins from Paris)

Musee Fournaise

3 hours Admission included

Before lunch we take an immersive tour with Renoir where he tells us about his vision of painting, the harsh criticism of his contemporaries, his studio secrets, his loves, his relatives and the fruitful inspiration drawn from the banks of the Seine. For more than ten years, Renoir made frequent visits to their home and around Chatou, where he painted around thirty canvases. Nearly forty years old, he undertook the ambitious Déjeuner des canotiers. This painting, painted on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise, is the fruit of long research. Retained at the Fournaises by his painting in 1880, he wrote to Monsieur de Bellio: “You will not regret your trip. It is the prettiest place around Paris."
Marly-le-Roi

3 hours

After lunch we take a walking, cycling or car tour (you choose!) along the beautiful Seine river to visit the actual locations painted by Monet, Pissarro, Renoir & Sisley. During the tour you will be accompanied by a French & English guide to help you learn more about these famous painters, their impressionist art & improve your French at the same time!

For those that prefer a car tour we can also include a visit to the Chateau de Monte-Cristo; home of Alexandre Dumas who is most famous for writing The Three Musketeers & The Count of Monte-Cristo but his family history is also incredible!

(Private boat tours during summer are also possible with pre-booking essentials.)
Chateau de Monte Cristo

1 h 30 min Admission included

As mentioned on the previous tour. This is an optional tour for those preferring to be driven along the Impressionist route from Maison Fournaise to Marly-le-Roi.

A self-contained studio, with kitchen & bathroom. Local train station has connections to Paris & Chateau of Versailles.

Day 2 · Giverny & the Seine Valley or van Gogh Tour

Museum of Impressionism Giverny

4 hours Admission included

Monet is synonymous with Giverny but here, at the Musée des impressionnismes, you can also discover other artists, themes whilst visiting his gardens, home & the beautiful villages of Giverny & Vernon.

In partnership with the Orsay Museum, Claude Monet foundation and the Marmottan museum the "Musée des Impressionnismes" was founded in 2009.
La Roche-Guyon

3 hours

After lunch, we have a walking trail with 14 stops encouraging visitors to discover works by artists who were inspired by the village and its surrounding landscapes. The 2.7km-long trail is dotted with reproductions of works by the likes of Paul Jouanny, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Maximilien Luce. Placed in the exact spots where they were executed, these reproductions allow you to view the very spots in which the artists composed their canvases. Set in a great natural amphitheatre beside the Seine, its château rising from its centre, this fortified little medieval town occupies an exceptional site, protected by the Seine’s slopes. Impressionists came to stay here and paint the area, among them Monet and Renoir.

This was a truly innovative way of painting at the time, initiated by artists “de plein air” (“of the great outdoors”) as they were called, precursors of the Impressionists.
Maison de van Gogh

one hour Admission included

Alternatively to the walking tour, we can travel to the final home & resting place of Van Gogh. On 20 May 1890 Vincent van Gogh moved into the Ravoux Inn, room no.5, a simple attic room of 7 sq. meters, lit by a sky light. On 28 and 29 July 1890 Theo van Gogh was present during his brother Vincent’s last moments. Out of superstition the landlords never again rented out this “room of the suicide” which occupied such an essential place in the artist’s spiritual universe. This haven of peace where “there is nothing to see… but everything to feel” has remained untouched since 1890. The room is empty. You cannot find the slightest relic to touch. You just stand there and feel…the presence of history.
Tombe de Vincent van Gogh

one hour

We take a short walk through the country road fields, where Van Gogh painted "Le Champ De Blé Aux Corbeaux", to visit the tomb of the Van Gogh brothers, Vincent & Theo.

A self-contained studio, with kitchen & bathroom. Local train station has connections to Paris & Chateau of Versailles.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Hidden Hotel
Hotel Athena
Hotel Allety
Agate Hotel
Hotel Artus
Aparthotel Adagio Paris Centre Tour Eiffel
Hotel Astrid Royal
Hotel Avenir Jonquiere
Hotel Claret Bercy
The Chess Hotel
Hotel Augustin - Astotel
Chambiges Elysees Hotel

and 1,861 more pickup points

Cancellation

Free cancellation

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.