DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Nice.

DAY    2            ARRIVE NICE - ST-PAUL-DE-VENCE - COTE D'AZUR
                          (7 NIGHTS HOMESTAY)
We will be met at the airport by our tour manager/guide and transfer to the perched village of St-Paul-de-Vence, a haven for artists and celebrities, where we will enjoy free time to explore the village. After time to explore this magnificent village, we will continue to meet our Host Families.

DAY    3            NICE & CAGNES-SUR-MER
The Cote d'Azur was home to many of the world's finest artists, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and today we will focus on two masters, Matisse and Renoir. This morning we will travel to Nice, where we begin with a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, which encompasses the Bay of Angels. We will also ascend Le Chateau to see the ruins of the earliest settlements in the Nice area, before strolling through the Old Town, nestled at the foot of Castle Hill, with its lively and utterly Mediterranean character. Next we visit the Musee Matisse, which honors the great artist who spent the last years of his life in Nice. The museum features several permanent collections, most painted in Nice and many donated by Matisse and his heirs, including a chronologically arranged series of paintings from 1890 to 1919. There is also an ensemble of drawings and designs he prepared as practice sketches for the Matisse Chapel at Vence. The most notable are The Créole Dancer, Blue Nude IV (1952), and around 50 dance-related sketches he did between 1930 and 1931. Our day continues to Cagnes-sur-Mer, where we will focus on the Haut-de-Cagnes, the city's old quarter. After time to explore this impressive district, we will visit the Maison Les Collettes, where the last 12 years of Pierre Auguste Renoir's life were spent. The house has been preserved exactly the way it was when he died in 1919 and features many of his finest works. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    4            LANGUAGE CLASSES - GRASSE & ST-CEZAIRE-SUR-SAIGNE
This morning we will enjoy morning French Language Classes. This afternoon we journey to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. We will visit the perfume manufacturer Fragonard and learn how perfume is made, before continuing the pre-Roman village of St-Cézaire-sur-Saigne, where the walls and towers of the village are reminders of its feudal past. We will visit the Grottes de St-Cézaire-sur-Saigne, (time permitting) iron-rich caves filled with beautiful rock crystallization, before returning to our host families.

DAY    5            LANGUAGE CLASSES - ANTIBES & ST-JEAN-CAP FERRAT
This morning we will enjoy morning French Language Classes. This afternoon we visit nearby Antibes, and the Chateau Grimaldi, which houses the Musee Picasso. Pablo Picasso used part of the castle as his studio and, in gratitude, donated all 150 works completed during his stay. We continue with a visit to St. Jean-Cap Ferrat, where we will visit the Villa and Gardens Ephrussi of Rothschild. It took seven years of hard work to build this palace, which resembles the large Renaissance houses of Venice. The villa is one of the most famous in the world, and boasts gardens that rival those in Versailles. Late this afternoon we return to our host families.

DAY    6            LANGUAGE CLASSES - EZE & LA TURBIE
This morning we will enjoy morning French Language Classes. Our afternoon begins with a visit to the beautiful perched village of Eze for a bit of free time to explore or shop in this beautiful village. We continue with a scenic drive to La Turbie, high in the Alps above Monte Carlo, featuring spectacular panoramic views as far as Italy. We will enjoy a picnic at La Trophée, a temple and monument constructed by the Romans in 6 B.C. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    7            LANGUAGE CLASSES - CANNES
This morning we will enjoy morning of French Language Classes. This afternoon we travel to Cannes, the elegant playground of the rich and famous on the French Riviera. In Cannes, we will have a bit of free time to explore, shop or relax on the beach.

DAY    8            LANGUAGE CLASSES - MONACO
This morning we will enjoy our final morning French Language Classes. This afternoon we journey to the nearby Principality of Monaco, a sovereign state covering less than one square mile. We begin with a visit to the Cathedral, a Neo-Romanesque church containing a number of early paintings of the Nice School, including a St. Nicholas altarpiece by Louis Brea. Our afternoon will conclude with a visit to the Palais du Prince, the sight of Monaco's government. Our visit will include the Throne Room and the State Apartments, decorated with fine furniture and portraits by European Masters. (Visit is subject to season and the absence of the Prince.) After viewing Monte Carlo, the luxurious Grand Casino named after Charles III, which made Monaco famous, we return to our host families for our final evening in France.

DAY    9            DEPARTURE FROM NICE
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your Tour manager/guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight home.