Brushstrokes & Beauty: Private Giverny Gardens Shore Excursion from Rouen

Embark on a vibrant Private Shore Excursion from Rouen Port of Call to the famous Gardens of Giverny!

Departing from Rouen Cruise Port, this Normandy shore excursion will take you to the breathtaking village of Giverny where the house and Gardens of famous painter Claude Monet are located.

Pick up at your ship in Rouen Cruise Terminal 

First we will come and pick you up at your Cruise Ship in Rouen Port. Meet your guide who will be waiting for you outside the terminal with a sign bearing lead passenger name. Your driver guide will also go over the itinerary and program of this half day trip with you. Then, you will be taken to your A/C minivan and it will be time to begin your drive to Monet House and Gardens.

Reach the village of Giverny

Your drive to the village of Giverny from Rouen port of call is about 1.5 hours. 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 tour guide to the entrance where your visit to the beautiful Gardens and House of Claude Monet will begin. Tickets are available for purchase during the booking process which will enable you to skip the line.

Visit Monet’s House & Gardens

Even though the term ‘impressionism’ already existed, one of Monet’s paintings – impression, sunrise – perfectly summarized the style and start of impressionist art and this painting movement. Upon arrival you will be taken by your guide to the entrance where your visit to the Gardens and House of Claude Monet will begin. There are several things to see on site:

Claude Monet’s House:

The painter arrived 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 Caillebotte.

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, 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, bamboo and Ginkgos Biloba.

In 1897, Monet began to paint the “Nymphéas” series inspired by the water lilies pond, achieving one of his most famous artwork reaching the limit of abstraction. Today, ten gardeners take care of Giverny gardens all year round.

After the visit your full day tour will head back to Rouen Cruise Port and we will drop you off at your ship. This private tour can accommodate a maximum of 8 persons per minivan.