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Classic tour : At very heart of Impressionism : Giverny and Claude Monet’s inspiration

Presentation

In this tour, we propose you to visit Monet’s gardens and house and the village of Giverny where lived the famous painter.

Let’s discover together this heaven of peace full of colors and memories. Enter the intimacy of the painter and enjoy a delightful moment strolling around Monet’s garden. He designs it as a work of art which inspired him for the last 40 years of his life, especially for the most famous: Water lilies (Nymphéas). This hidden place lost in the French countryside really worths the visit.

Let’s also walk around the picturesque village of Giverny which became “the place to be” for a lot of French and American artists who wanted to breathe the genius air! The little houses along Rue Claude Monet kept the authentic charm beloved by the painter. The impression remains alive thanks to the inhabitants living there, very attached to their area.

We offer you exceptional services, a private guide and a private driver with a direct entrance (no waiting lines) to the Monet’s house & gardens.

Just enjoy your trip sharing a wonderful moment with friends and family!

  1. What are you going to see?
  • Claude Monet’s House and Gardens
  • Village of Giverny and keys historic places: Hôtel Baudy, the church, Monet’s grave.
  • Bonus : discover one atypical art shop owned by inhabitants of the village
  • On your way back, a small village that inspired Monet
  1. Why you will like it
  • Private tour with one driver & one guide just for you
  • Premium and comfortable car with a private driver
  • Pick up and drop off at your hotel
  • Expert and friendly guide passionate by the Impressionism
  • Direct access tickets for Monet’s house and gardens avoiding queuing up
  1. Sum up and important information

Opening of the Claude Monet Foundation: daily from 25th of March till 1st of November. 9:30 am – 6 pm, last entry at 5:30pm.

  • Time : 5 hours
  • Timetable : in the morning : 8am – 1pm OR in the afternoon : 2 : 30 pm – 7:30 pm
  • Language : English
  • Number of people: as you wish, ideally from 2 to 17 persons.
  • Disabled person : let us by e-mail know so that we do the best we can

The tour progress :

Your private driver and your guide pick you up at your hotel, in Paris or nearby, at 8am or 2.30pm. During our trip, your friendly guide introduces himself and make a quick introduction of what you are going to see and do (1 hour and 20 minutes from Paris to Giverny by car).

At Giverny, you have a direct access to the place without having to queue up and here starts your discovery of the wonderful gardens. Let’s wander in the Water Garden (Jardin d’Eau), let your eyes sail on the calm water, the water lilies and the falling branches of the willow trees. Here and there intertwined bamboos, rhododendrons, lilies and roses. It is a real immersion into Monet’s paintings. Your guide walks with you in the straight-lines garden paths of the Walled Garden (Clos Normand) surrounded by glycines, climbing roses and an abundance of colored flowers.

Then we visit Monet’s house. (Anecdote:He lived there from 1883 until his death in 1926 with his extended family (his two sons, his second wife and her 6 children) and hosted distinguished friends and guests.) Enter the everyday life of the painter and his intimacy, as visiting the rooms reconstituted faithfully : the bedrooms, his drawing room. This special room keeps alive memories with its desk, photos and reproductions of Monet’s paintings as well as artworks of his friends, Cézanne, Manet, Van Gogh. (Anecdote: Nowadays, these masterpieces are exposed in prestigious museums; in France, most of them are in the Orsay Museum.) His outstanding collection of Japanese prints (near 200 pieces!) still lines the walls. (Anecdote: These fragile works on paper have been replaced by facsimile for reasons of conservation.) Best part is at the end of the visit : the dining room bathed in golden sunshine and the kitchen with its blue-and-white ceramic tiles from Rouen. Admire the battery of gleaming copper pans and don’t be surprised, Monet was an exigent gourmet!

Before leaving this heaven, we have a stop in the huge gift shop, former Monet’s studio where he painted his famous Water lilies series displayed at the Orangerie Museum in Paris.

After visiting Monet’s house & gardens, we discover the small village of Giverny. It became very famous thanks to Monet, but also to other generations of artists. The former Hotel Baudy hosted very famous American (Metcalf, Robinson) and French artists (Renoir, Cézanne or Rodin) who wanted to visit Monet. Gradually, this friendly and lively center became the setting of artistic gathering! We invite you to have a walk in the magnificent Hotel Baudy’s park of 8000yds2 to discover the bracing scents of the rose garden and an artist’s studio which kept his charm of yesteryear.

Nowadays, the Hôtel Baudy is only a restaurant where we can enjoy a traditional French cuisine.

In option of this tour, it is possible to have lunch there (please, specify it at time of your online booking or by email in order to get the rates).

We propose you to take a little break in one of the authentic art shops run by inhabitants of Giverny. If you want to (no obligation!), make your choice, according to your affinities, between:

  • Meet a pleasant and friendly antiquarian with white long beard and light eyes, spitting image of Monet! His shop, L’échoppe de Giverny, is located in an alley where you should avoid the crowd of tourists. There, you will discover authentic and singular objects (most of them with dated) reflecting the French tableware art : silverware, dishware, crockery. You can also find furniture and prints.
  • Get into a vaulted stone cellar accommodated as an art gallery. The Atelier Galerie Létoliacha shows several well known and international artists who paint beautiful landscapes of colored gardens or seascapes.

Before leaving, we will have a look at the Romanesque church of Sainte-Radegonde, very well restored and classified as a historic monument, where Monet’s funeral has been celebrated. It is surrounded by a poignant graveyard and nearby, Monet’s grave lovely flowered. Highly emotional moment.

Finally, your private driver is waiting for you to come back to Paris with your guide.

On the way back, we cross by car a little town Vernon, nearby Giverny. On the bank of the River Seine, we can have a look over the ruins of the former bridge and a windmill. Monet got inspired by this landscape, as well as by the church overlooking the village.

What is included?

  • Cost of the transport
  • Remuneration of the guide
  • Direct access tickets for Monet’s house and garden
  • Entrance to the church

What is not included?

  • Extra purchases

Notes

The gardens are pretty but very busy with other visitors. In order to enjoy your visit, we offer you 2 possibilities: Either to arrive in the morning at the opening of Monet’s Gardens and House (9:30 am) or when it closes (from 4pm). In both cases, you could take nice pictures at the in the morning clear light or at sunset, as Monet loved painting the nature.

Going further for fans of Impressionism : visit other museums in Paris with us!

  • The Marmottan Museum which has the largest collection of works by Monet in the world. There you can admire Impression sunrise (Impression soleil levant), painting which the name of “impressionisme “ is said to come from. Price on request.

http://www.marmottan.fr/uk/

  • The Orsay Museum hosts some of the greatest Impressionist paintings as well as masters considered as precursors and followers of this movement : Luncheon on the Grass by Manet, The beach at Trouville by Eugène Boudin, Several dansers paintings by Degas, Monet’s series Houses of Parliament London and the Cathedrals of Rouen , With Frost by Pissarro, Danse at Le Moulin de la Galette by Renoir, Apple and Oranges or The Card Players by Cézanne or The Circus by Georges Seurat. Price on request.

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html?cHash=1030a57d48

  • The Orangerie Museum which contains the largest series of Nymphéas offered by Claude Monet to the French State after the WWI as a symbol of peace. You can also visit the very interesting the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection with paintings of Pablo Picasso. Price on request.

http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en

POUR NOUS
Horaires

Matin :

8h : on va les chercher à l’hôtel

8h – 9h30 : trajet (1h30 trajet)

9h30 : visite de la maison et des jardins de Giverny

10h45h – 11H30 : tour du village, flânerie dans la rue Claude Monet. Visite de l’hôtel Baudy et de l’église Sainte-Radegonde et la tombe de Monet

11h30 – 13h : retour (1h30 trajet)

Après-midi :

14h30: on va les chercher à leur hôtel

14h30 – 15h 45 : trajet (1h30 trajet)

15h45 – 16h30 : visite village

16h30 – 18h : visite de la maison et de du jardin de Giverny

18h – 19h30 : retour hôtel (1h30 trajet)

Contacts

L’échoppe de Giverny

Pierre et Marie Ducrocq

3 bis Chemin Blanche Hoschedé – Monet (petite rue perpendiculaire à l’allée principale rue Claude Monet)

27620 Giverny

Ouvert de 11h30 à 19h30

Tous les jours du 1er avril au 31 octobre

Du jeudi au dimanche du 1er novembre au 31 mars

06 66 45 85 53

02 32 54 98 81

Lechoppe-antiquites.giverny@orange.fr

l’Atelier Galerie Létoliacha

Véronique et André Lahner

69 rue Claude Monet (sur la rue principale)

27620 Giverny, à 100 mètres de l’église

Ouvert de 11h à 18h

Tous les jours du 1er avril au 1er novembre

06 13 01 19 09

letoliacha@terra.com

Accueillir des personnes handicapées

Oui, il suffit de nous de mentionner pour commander une voiture adaptée. Cependant, pour les personnes en fauteuil roulant, nous ne pouvons malheureusement pas vous conseiller la visite de Giverny. Il est difficile de circuler dans les jardins. La maison de Claude Monet n’est pas praticable : espaces étroits, nombreux escaliers. En revanche, aucun problème pour visiter le musée de l’Orangerie.