Venture out of Paris to soak up the history, beauty, and atmosphere of 2 of the region's most celebrated attractions. See the water gardens and studio where Claude Monet painted impressionist masterpieces, linger over a traditional French lunch, and walk in the footsteps of royals at the lavish Palace of Versailles.

Your guide choices you at Central Paris Hotel Pullman Tour Eiffel and chats about the city and the scenery as you cruise out into the countryside. Watch urban landscapes turn to rolling farmlands, and arrive in the charming village of Giverny, where artist Claude Monet lived for 43 years. Visit the lovely estate that he called home, peeking into the studio and living spaces, roaming the blossom-filled gardens, and traversing Japanese bridges beneath weeping willows in the lily-filled water gardens.

Visit Monet's grave as well as the beautiful Romanesque church of Sainte Radegonde.

Then make your way to a nearby restaurant for a delicious lunch of classic French fare. Sip on regional wines as you sample gourmet dishes like savoury lentils with smoked fish, Normandy-style chicken with a vegetable fricassee, and a sweet apple tart with vanilla ice cream.

Have a coffee to refuel in a local coffee shop and then continue on for an afternoon spent in the opulent royal atmosphere of Versailles. Skip the long entry lines to head inside, where you can stroll through the shimmering and gilded Hall of Mirrors and picture the king and queen in their apartments. Be sure to spend some time among the manicured grounds, vast parks, and beautiful fountains of the palace's gardens before your early-evening return to Paris.