Itinerary
In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys. This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture. Set sail with PONANT aboard Le Champlain for an 9-day cruise along the coasts of Portugal, Spain, and France. Your voyage begins in Lisbon, Portugal' capital. Enjoy strolling through the narrow streets of this "city of seven hills," or hop aboard one of the city' famous yellow street trams to navigate its slopes. From the port of Leixões, you will visit Porto. The capital of Portugal' northern region, this "city of granite" is renowned for its wine but also for its remarkable historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your journey will continue to Galicia and the city of Cee in Spain. Not far from here, Santiago de Compostela awaits you for an extraordinary visit on Easter Sunday. This Christian pilgrimage destination is home to a number of monuments from the Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque periods, testimony to its illustrious past. Your ship will reposition to La Coruña during your visit. Le Champlain will then sail to Santander for an excursion to the capital of the Spanish Basque Country, Bilbao. Between daring architecture, including the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and the continuation of its ancestral traditions, you will bear witness to the city' unique energy. Your next call is in Saint-Malo, France, a charming seafaring town on the coast of Brittany and the gateway to magnificent Mont-Saint-Michel. This iconic medieval town on a tidal islet with its famed citadel and abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From Caen, whose thousand-year-old castle was built during the reign of William the Conqueror, choose to venture further afield in Normandy to Omaha Beach, where Allied forces launched their attack against German troops during the D-Day invasion of WWII. Your ship then continues along the English Channel, through the Strait of Dover, and up the River Thames before ending in London, England, the cosmopolitan capital of the United Kingdom, where you will disembark.
