Hauts De France - Picardie

From 5 days / 4 nights – departure dates throughout the year 
Return Executive Coach Travel + short channel crossings
4 nights half board at a minimum 3* hotel in Picardie – ensuite rooms
Included excursion package with entrances, guides & lunch – see example itinerary below&nbsp
Price on application subject to date of travel & group size.

Day 1 – Arriving in France we head south, making a break in the historic + picturesque City of Arras before continuing on to your hotel, where dinner is included.

Day 2 - Breakfast included. Today is a full day dedicated to Chantilly, beginning with an included guided tour of the Chateau & the Condé Museum, which houses France’s 2nd largest collection of period paintings after the Louvre. A set lunch is included in the heart of the chateau under the vaulted ceilings of the former kitchens. This afternoon begins with a presentation on dressage / equestrian show in the Great Stables. There will be a little free time afterwards to visit the Museum of Horses or visit some of the gardens before an included 35-minute journey by electric train with audio guided commentary through the park. Returning to the hotel where a set dinner is included.

Day 3 – Breakfast included. Today we begin by travelling to Beauvais, a grandiose city brimming with culture and character. Included is a visit to the stunning grand Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, a one-of-a-kind monument and a masterpiece of Gothic-style art! The 13th-century Gothic choir is the highest in the world from where you can admire the light streaming through stained-glass windows. It also houses a collection of religious art objects and two astronomical clocks, bearing witness to the historical significance of the cathedral for the town. This masterpiece of accuracy stands inside a 12m high and 6m wide Roman-Byzantine casing and is made of 90,000 mechanical pieces, 52 dials and 68 automatons, all perfectly synchronised. Included is an audio / video of the Astronomical Clock Sound and Light Show. There will be some free time afterwards to explore at your leisure + buy lunch before this afternoon’s visit to Gerberoy, one of the ‘140 most beautiful villages in France’, protected as a classified site. Enjoy some free time here exploring this small medieval village lined with timber-framed houses and flower-strewn balconies. Hotel dinner included.

Day 4 – Breakfast included. Today is a fairly leisurely day, as we begin in Compiègne with an included audio-guided visit to the Castle. Built by Louis XV and Louis XVI, and remodelled by both Napoleon I and Napoleon III, this Château was a centre for court life. The originality and beauty of this, the largest neo-classical palace in France and the quality of its interior décor and furnishings, make for a unique ensemble. Take time to explore the beautiful 'English style' gardens before free time in town where lunch can be purchased. This afternoon’s included excursion is to nearby Pierrefonds, where you will have the opportunity of an audio-guided visit of its picturesque fairytale-style Castle with drawbridge, battlements, dungeons & towers and turrets. There are huge decorative rooms and sleeping quarters with canopy beds, as well as weapons from the Middle Ages. Alternatively, you may choose to explore the village itself before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Day 5 – Breakfast included. Departing the hotel promptly, we retrace our steps making a stop in the historic city of Amiens. Here we start with an included 45-minute boat cruise of Les Hortillonnages (market gardens). This is a unique network of ancient canals peppered with island gardens, located on the edge of the city. This vast patchwork of market and floral gardens covers 1.6sq miles and is criss-crossed by more than 40 miles of small canals. This is followed by a 90-minute walking tour of the medieval St Leu district, home to many small & colourful houses surrounding the foot of Notre-Dame cathedral. A set 3-course lunch is included in a local restaurant before continuing to Calais for your return crossing to the UK.

Simply Groups reserve the right to make minor changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control.