Meet your driver-guide at a central Paris meeting point close to the Louvre. Board your air-conditioned coach and leave the city towards the vast Fontainebleau forest. Enjoy views of the countryside and the ancient royal hunting forest as your guide introduces the history of Fontainebleau and explains why so many French rulers chose to live there.

On arrival, skip the ticket line and enter the château for your self-paced audio-guided visit. Discover more than eight centuries of royal history as you explore the Renaissance and classical façades, the François I Gallery, the royal apartments, Napoleon I’s throne room and the richly decorated Napoleon III rooms. Then, take some free time to wander through the French-style parterres and the vast park designed for royal hunts and court promenades.

On the return journey, your driver-guide will take you along the main street of Barbizon, a small village nestled at the edge of the forest. From the coach, learn how this peaceful hamlet became one of the birthplaces of Impressionism, attracting artists in search of natural light and rural scenes.

Relax on the drive back and arrive in central Paris in the early afternoon, with the rest of the day free for your own plans.