Best of Honfleur

Top itineraries and travel advice in and around Honfleur
Home to one of the prettiest harbors in France, Honfleur is a captivating town in Normandy perched near the mouth of the Seine. Colorful buildings overlook the boats bobbing on the rectangular Vieux Bassin, with terrace cafes providing strategic vantage points over the water. From there, cobblestone streets lead off into the heart of Honfleur, where you’ll find pretty squares dotted with buildings from centuries past — when Honfleur was one of France’s most important ports.  

Honfleur has a few intriguing museums and historic sites, but the real reason to visit is to walk the old streets and soak up the town’s authentic maritime charm. Honfleur is also an excellent base for visiting other highlights of Normandy, including the high-society resort of Deauville, with its mansion-backed beaches, and the Pays d’Auge, a lush countryside of villages and farms that produce famous cheese (like Camembert) and apples (used to make excellent hard ciders). North of Honfleur, the enchanting Alabaster Coast was a favorite with impressionist painters, particularly the soaring sea cliffs of Étretat, which Monet, Courbet, and Boudin all painted.
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Honfleur Essentials

Claude Monet's Gardens
Top Cultural Experiences in France

Many travelers choose France specifically for its unique and diverse culture. Explore Paris for its food, literature, and cabaret, visit Normandy for its art (including Claude Monet's gardens), and escape to the Loire Valley for chateaus, palaces, castles, and more. When ready, head to the south and peruse the unique cuisine and culture of the French Riviera and Provence, plus romantic hilltop villages and medieval riverside hamlets.

The harbor town of Honfleur
Best Things to Do in Normandy

Set in northern France along the coast of the English Channel, Normandy is known for its chalky-white cliffs and beaches, the famous Mont-Saint-Michel island, the WWII D-Day landings, and picturesque half-timbered houses surrounded by dairy farms. History is the region's highlight, but you'll also find treasured towns like Honfleur and the Pays d'Auge, gourmet cheese, cider farms, and many sites of famous Impressionist works of art, plus the home and gardens of Claude Monet.

Honfleur Itineraries

Mont-Saint-Michel
Map of Explore France's Western Route- 21 Days
Explore France's Western Route- 21 Days

Take the back roads of western France to discover a splendor of highlights and hidden gems on this three-week adventure. Start in Paris, where you'll climb the Eiffel Tower and visit Versailles. Head to the northern coasts and see the most beautiful spots of Brittany and Normandy. Go south to the Loire Valley to live the fairy tale life surrounded by castles and vineyards, and activate your taste buds as you savor cognac and wine amid the country's most famous vineyards and medieval villages.

Colorful parasols on Deauville Beach
Map of Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Bordeaux & More - 15 Days
Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Bordeaux & More - 15 Days

Fifteen days is enough time to get off the beaten path in western France on this road trip from Paris to Bordeaux. Start in the capital city, where you'll visit the Louvre and enjoy afternoon walks along the Seine River. Head west along the Atlantic Coast to explore World War II history and explore small fishing villages and beaches, then continue south for countryside castles, Bordeaux wine, and the famed Arcachon oysters.

Beach in Deauville
Map of Western France Road Trip: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, & Bordeaux - 16 Days
Western France Road Trip: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, & Bordeaux - 16 Days

Spend sixteen days exploring everything western France has to offer, from the metropolitan culture of Paris to the peaceful countryside of Bordeaux. See art at the Louvre, take a day trip to the gilded halls of Versailles, and vacation like the French on the Normandy seaside. Visit Mont-Saint-Michel—the abbey on an island—before continuing south to the land of resplendent châteaus and free-flowing wine.

Richelieu quay of Garonne river in Bordeaux
Map of Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, & Bordeaux - 17 Days
Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, & Bordeaux - 17 Days

From the streetside cafes of Paris to the fresh seafood markets of Normandy, this seventeen-day road trip through western France has it all. Spend a few days in the capital viewing art and eating your weight in pastries, then head west along the coast to vacation like the French on the Normandy seaside. Wrap the trip up in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, famous for their countryside castles, 18th-century farmer's markets, and the freshest oysters in France.

Low Tide in Arcachon Bay
Map of Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, & More - 18 Days
Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, & More - 18 Days

If spending eighteen days driving from France's capital down the western Atlantic Coast sounds like the perfect getaway, this itinerary is for you. Start in Paris for flaky croissants and strong espresso, then hit the road for the coast. Vacation like the French on the Normandy seaside as you explore medieval and WWII history, then continue to the Loire Valley to see resplendent châteaus. End in Bordeaux, where the wine and oysters are unparalleled. 

Vieux Port in Honfleur
Map of Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Cognac, Bordeaux, & More - 19 Days
Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Cognac, Bordeaux, & More - 19 Days

Drive along the Atlantic Coast on this nineteen-day road trip through western France. Start in Paris to see world-famous galleries at the Louvre and walk along the Seine River, then head west to explore the fishing villages and beaches of the Atlantic Coast. Visit Mont-Saint-Michel, the abbey on an island, and enjoy fresh seafood in a typical brasserie. End the trip in Bordeaux to sample the best of France’s wine and cuisine.

Normandy Countryside
Map of Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Cognac, Bordeaux, & More - 20 Days
Road Trip Through Western France: Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Cognac, Bordeaux, & More - 20 Days

Vacation like the French on the Normandy seaside on this 20-day road trip through western France. You'll walk through the gilded halls of Versailles, immerse yourself in history on the D-Day beaches, and sample the best of France’s wine and cuisine in Bordeaux. For a taste of authentic western France life, haggle with vendors for your lunch at an 18th-century market, then head to the beach to enjoy wine and seafood on the water.