Cruise Excursion from Le Havre to Giverny & Honfleur

Visit Claude Monet's House & Gardens in Giverny France followed by a Visit of charming Honfleur on this private small group shore excursion from Le Havre.

• Visit Monet's House & Gardens in Giverny
• Book your tickets to Giverny directly with us!
• Visit the Charming small town of Honfleur
• English speaking Driver or Driver/Guide

Embark on a vibrant Shore Excursion from Le Havre Port of Call to the famous Gardens of Giverny followed by a tour of Honfleur!

Departing from Le Havre Cruise Port, this Normandy full day private shore excursion will take you to the breathtaking village of Giverny where the house and Gardens of famous painter Claude Monet are located. Then upon our return we will stop in the picturesque small town of Honfleur for a short walking tour and time for personal discovery.

Pick up at your Cruise ship in Le Havre
At first we will come and pick you up at your Cruise Ship in Le Havre Port. Your driver will be waiting for you outside the terminal with a sign bearing the lead travelers name. You will then be taken to your premium A/C vehicle where it will be time for presentations and a recap of your shore excursion to Giverny. Your drive to the village of Giverny from Le Havre Port of call is of about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Arrive in Giverny
On this Le Havre shore excursion, reach Giverny village after your driving time. The village is one of the most famous in France as it features Monet's house, one of the most famous 19th century impressionist painters of France.

Upon arrival you will be taken by your guide to the entrance where your visit of Gardens and House of Claude Monet will begin. During your visit you will certainly admire the gorgeous lily ponds - covered with water lily - or the unique Japanese bridge.

Claude Monet's House
The painter arrives in Giverny in 1883 aged 43 years old. Thanks to the selling of a number of paintings to art merchant Durand-Ruel, he is able to acquire this house where he believes he will be able to ameliorate his work on light and color.

During more than 40 years, Monet will transform, develop and enlarge the house. As you enter, you will first discover the reading room or 'little blue sitting room' followed by the artist's first studio where he worked until 1899.

You will then proceed to the first floor where the private apartments are located. These include Monet's bedroom where objects and artwork from Monet's time are exhibited. There are also reproductions of paintings made by his friends: Cézanne, Renoir, Signac or Caillebote.

Then, move on to Alice's bedroom - Claude Monet's wife - and end the tour of the upper floor with the last room which was Blanche Monet's bedroom. You will then return to the ground floor to visit the dining room and kitchen. Here, you will admire Monet's famous collection of Japanese prints.

The 'Clos Normand' Garden
Monet's love for gardens came as he visited the gardens of friends as well as with the one he took care of in his previous house of Argenteuil. In Giverny, the artist will model his garden so as to better paint it. In front of the house, he creates the Clos Normand.

He starts by removing a number of trees, to Alice's great despair, then reorganizes the flower beds playing with the colors for his paintings. The flower garden is composed of daffodils, tulips, narcissus, iris, oriental poppies, peonies while the central path is lined with nasturtiums, fragrant roses, cherry and Japanese apricot trees.

The Water Garden
By diverting a small river, the impressionist painter Claude Monet completely created this water garden. He will contemplate nature for hours especially fond of the reflections of the sky that occur on the water. Deeply inspired by 'Japonism' - influence of Japanese art on French Artists and writers - he creates a unique world. A Japanese bridge is built and oriental plants are introduced such as maple trees, Japanese peonies, white lilies, bamboos and Ginkgos Biloba.

In 1897, Monet begins to paint the "Nymphéas" series inspired by the water lilies pond, achieving one of his most famous artwork reaching the limit of abstraction (Water Lily). Today, ten gardeners take care of Giverny gardens all year round.

Please note that we do not include any tickets on the day of the tour. You must purchase your entrance tickets during the booking process as there are many different options of visit available. Depending on the tickets that you will have bought, your tour will cover different sites and entrances.

Begin to make your way back, stop in Honfleur
After the visit and some time for lunch, start your way back to Le Havre. On the way back, we will make a stop in colorful Honfleur, one of the prettiest small harbor towns of France. Follow a short walking tour in town to get your bearing and let yourself be transported by the beauty and simplicity of Honfleur as you stroll through its small cobbled stone streets dotted with Art & Artisans shops - a real treat!

After the visit we will drop you off at your ship. This private tour can accommodate a maximum of 8 persons per minivan. The tour is fully customizable depending on your wishes.

• Cruise Terminal Le Havre, Quai Roger Meunier, Le Havre, France
• Église Sainte-Catherine, Place Sainte-Catherine, Honfleur, France
• Fondation Monet in Giverny, Rue Claude Monet, Giverny, France
• Maisons Satie, Boulevard Charles V, Honfleur, France
• Port de Honfleur, Quai de la Quarantaine, Honfleur, France

Ophorus requires full payment to guarantee your booking. In case of registration one month or less before shore excursion date, payment is expected immediately. We accept payment by credit cards (Visa, Master card, American Express), There is no charge or service fee for processing credit card payments but booking process does incur a booking fee. For any cancellation, the following fees will be deducted from the refund: 

Up to 48 hours prior to departure (Paris Time Zone) > no cancellation fees except the booking fees 

48 hours prior to departure and less > no refund 

No refund will be made in case the boat is unable to dock in the port of Call.

All private shore excursions must clearly specify the name of the ship and the local port of call. Ophorus will not be held responsible if the wrong port of call has been notified during reservation process. All private shore excursions departing from Bordeaux must specify local port of call: “Bordeaux city port of call” or “Bassens port of call“ or “Le Verdon port of call”. No insurance for cancellation or assistance is included in the prices mentioned for private shore excursions. Each customer has to check that he or she has the appropriate documents for their journey; a passport (with visa if necessary) or a valid ID card. No refund will be granted in case of lack or loss of ID documents. Eating, drinking and smoking on board the minivans are strictly forbidden (law of September, 17th, 1977). All passengers are insured during the excursions while in the vans. The responsibility of Ophorus is limited to our insurance contract clauses. 

• If you want to share your tour with others, you can put it on Cruise Critic. Most of the time this gives good results. You must do this yourself as we are not accepted on their site as a professional business. We accept split payment transactions by credit card.