Private Rouen, Giverny Day trip from Paris with Michelin Lunch

Helen, our young, smart-as-a-whip, energetic guide was fantastic! She and Igor arrived promptly at 8:30 and we were off. We went to Giverny first to try to avoid crowds and it worked well. Helen knew so much about Monet, his life, his art, etc., that it really made this a comprehensive experience. Crazy to see the inspirations for some of his famous paintings.

Next stop Rouen. Fascinating to see the square where Jean d'Arc was burned and to hear the history of the times. We had a Michelin Star meal in the oldest restaurant in France, La Couronne. The Cote du Boeuf with Gratin Dauphinois was some of the best food we've ever eaten. Paired with a nice glass of wine, it was perfect. Helen met back up with us after lunch and we walked and talked while going under Le Gros-Horloge to Rouen Cathedral. I'm a cathedral buff so this was wonderful for me. More history from Helen while inside the cathedral!
We headed back to our hotel after a full, satisfying day with Helen and Igor (who was awesome at keeping us safe on the roads and an awesome person generally as well)

Great trip!

23 October 2025

We had a great time for the day trip to Giverny and Rouen. Ilya was a superb guide with lots of information, especially on Monet during the Giverny visit. He is also a photographer so our pictures turn out good. His timing for each key attraction was perfect, just ahead of the crowd. The lunch in Rouen was excellent. Enjoyed the tour in Rouen also. Highly recommend for Monet admirers.

11 August 2025

Cyrus was our fantastic driver and guide for this amazing day trip. As we left Paris he shared French customs and information about Paris. In Giverny we were able to skip the line and enter through the group entrance. He walked us into the gardens where he shared a history of Monet. Then we were able to explore the gardens, house, and town on our own. While driving to Rouen Cyrus taught us French dining customs and took us straight to La Couronne for lunch. He got us seated and paid for our meal (we covered anything extra such as drinks). Lunch was delicious and we were immersed in a the French dining experience. After lunch Cyrus walked us through Rouen giving us a full history. He took us to Le Gros Horlage and had us all set with tickets to climb the tower. It was amazing! From there he helped us take a train ride around the city and gave us time to explore on our own. Cyrus was wonderful, the day was fantastic. The car was comfortable with bottled water available. Merci beaucoup!

11 May 2024

We obtained more than we expected on our day trip outside of Paris. Ilya (our guide) was incredible. He was knowledgeable but most of all he knew exactly the right spots to delight our eyes at every second. He recommended a very good restaurant at Rouen and treated my mother with the most of his respects. Fully recommend Clew Tour (viator's operator). Excellent service, the care, the air conditioning, the patience but most of all the love the Ilya and Roman (the driver) showed for their work during all the day tour. Thanks a lot.

9 October 2023

This tour was very informative and enjoyable! We learned so much about art history as well as the history of the Rouen region and France.

Valerie, our guide, was very knowledgeable, articulate, and informative. She provided very interesting background information about the art and artists who influenced the Impressionist movement as well as information about Monet and his contemporaries.

Alexander, our driver, provided timely and very pleasant transportation.

I would highly recommend this tour and would request Valerie for future, additional tours.

24 August 2022

the small group was perfect for our family so we can tailor the trip to our liking.
I’m glad they changed the Giverny to morning so we can beat the crowds and then we did Rouen. It was a hot day - so we were not forced to stick to any agenda.

Jane was able to give us some wonderful insight to the stops we saw. They took us to a restaurant that many famous people have been …. But definitely don’t have to stick with that restaurant if your young ones wanted something different (to keep them entertained).

14 June 2022

Cyrus was our fantastic driver and guide for this amazing day trip. As we left Paris he shared French customs and information about Paris. In Giverny we were able to skip the line and enter through the group entrance. He walked us into the gardens where he shared a history of Monet. Then we were able to explore the gardens, house, and town on our own. While driving to Rouen Cyrus taught us French dining customs and took us straight to La Couronne for lunch. He got us seated and paid for our meal (we covered anything extra such as drinks). Lunch was delicious and we were immersed in a the French dining experience. After lunch Cyrus walked us through Rouen giving us a full history. He took us to Le Gros Horlage and had us all set with tickets to climb the tower. It was amazing! From there he helped us take a train ride around the city and gave us time to explore on our own. Cyrus was wonderful, the day was fantastic. The car was comfortable with bottled water available. Merci beaucoup!

5 May 2024

We are seasoned travellers and have done many tours, including luxury tours, so our expectations are quite high when it comes to a good tour. This one has met and exceeded them!

Our guide was Olga and our driver was Roman. Olga messaged us the day before the tour to make pick up arrangements, which was nice, and she and Roman arrived for the pick up promptly at the agreed time.

The drive to Giverny was very comfortable and enjoyable with Olga telling us a few things about Paris, Parisian way of life, Giverny and Rouen. I could tell very quickly that Olga was super switched on (she knew exactly the information to tell us given we are not the first time visitors to Paris) in an entertaining and informative way.

We arrived in Giverny early (thanks to our guide's planning!) and managed to avoid most of the crowds at Monet's house and gardens. Aker that we had a walking tour of Giverny village visiting a local gallery, a hat shop and the church where Monet is buried - all of great interest to us.

The trip was nicely broken up by a leisurely lunch in Rouen at a Michelin star restaurant. The food was great and the restaurant, dating back to 1300s, a great historic place to enjoy a lunch at. Once finished with lunch, Olga rejoined us for a walking tour of Rouen and we got to see the old great clock, the Cathedral and the square where Joan of Arc was executed. Once again, Olga was able to tell the history in an engaging, easy to follow and an informative way.

I could not recommend this tour and Olga high enough. The tour is not the cheapest available, but for what you get it is well worth it as it is completely customisable where everything is taken care of and you will end up absolutely loving your day with beautiful memories made for years to cherish. Do yourself a favour & book it!

13 June 2025