Burgundy, Rhône Valley & Provence

Tour not offered in 2008 ~ Available for Custom Tours

ITINERARY

Day 1-2
We meet at the Paris Charles DeGaulle airport and begin our journey south toward the beautiful wine region of Burgundy. In just over two hours we come to Chablis, perfect timing for a snack and a tasting of our first Burgundian wine. We veer off the main road to the enchanting town of Vézeley, in a gorgeous setting on a ridge overlooking the wild "Morvan" forests and fields. Vézeley is in competition for the title of the prettiest village in France. We arrive in the charming medieval wine town of Beaune, known as the wine capital of Burgundy. Our hotel for the first two nights is a dreamy, elegant inn conveniently located in the historic center. We can walk to dozens of enticing wine shops, boutiques and cafés along picturesque, narrow streets. After relaxing with a glass of local Burgundy or exploring the neighborhood, we enjoy a wonderful dinner of regional Burgundian specialties. In the morning we take a walking tour of the old town and then drive through the Côtes de Nuits countryside for a winery visit and a tasting lunch. We return to Beaune to relax before a special wine pairing dinner in a local winery.

Day 3-5
We take a break from wine tasting this morning and opt instead for Dijon mustard. We enjoy an interesting tour of an ancient mustard factory and visit the old town. We then journey south through the beautiful Burgundian countryside to the tiny medieval hilltop village of Pérouges for lunch. Then it's on to Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. We check into our elegant historic hotel in the center of the oldest part of the city. Dinner tonight will be in a typical Lyonnais restaurant near our lovely hotel in the old town. The next day we visit the old town of Lyon and then take a drive into the Beaujolais countryside. We visit a Beaujolais vineyard for a tasting, and tonight enjoy a very special Lyonnais dinner. Our next morning we visit the ancient Roman town of Mâcon and enjoy an entertaining cooking class. After enjoying the results of our class, we drive back to Lyon through the Mâconnais wine region. We stop in the charming wine village of Solutré for a taste of local PouillyFuissé.

Day 6-8
Today we board a river barge for a 3-day cruise down the Rhône River from Lyon to Provence. On our first day we cruise by the towns of Vienna, and Condrieu, passing the vineyards of the Côtes Rôties and Crozes-l'Hermitage. We spend the first night aboard at Tain l'Hermitage. Our second day on the river we pass alongside Valence, Montélimar and Viviers. We arrive in Avignon, and disembark for a tour of this ancient city, including the majestic Papal Palace. We continue our cruise to stop overnight at Arles. In the morning we disembark and enjoy a drive through the beautiful and unusual Camargue. This wild unspoiled region around the Rhône delta has been preserved as a botanical and zoological nature reserve and is known for its wild horses, bulls and thousands of birds. We board the barge again in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and end our cruise in Martigues. We take a short drive to Les Baux, where we check into our lovely hotel and our Provence base for the next five days.

Day 9-10
Today, we tour the magnificent ruins of Les Baux then drive to Arles for lunch and a guided walking tour of this picturesque town made famous by Vincent Van Gogh. The next day we drive into the mountainous Luberon region and visit an herb farm. We learn about the importance of Provence herbs and taste their effect in a delicious lunch. This was the home of Peter Mayle in his best seller A Year in Provence. We can see why this region is so enchanting.

Day 11
Today we have an archeological tour of the Roman ruins at Pont du Gard, Uzes, and Nîmes. Tonight is a special visit to an olive farm followed by a wonderful dinner.

Day 12-13
On our last day, we follow the footsteps of Paul Cézanne through the lovely town of Aix en Provence. We return to Les Baux for a grand farewell dinner, and in the morning drive to the airport for the return flight home.