Burgundy, the River Rhône & Provence River Cruise with Lake Geneva & Golden Pass Extension

Avignon

Avignon

The light catching the red roofs of Avignon’s majestic skyline is a sight to behold over breakfast, after which we embark on a guided tour of one of the most extraordinary and intriguing cities in France. Avignon’s destiny changed during the 14th century, when the Pope’s court moved here to avoid strife in Rome. Igniting a century of prosperity, the Pontiff commissioned a host of ambitious building projects, and today the city is immaculately preserved, nestling behind its almost-intact 14th-century walls and boasting more remarkable monuments, superbly decorated buildings, churches, chapels and convents than you can possibly count. Most important is the stunning Popes’ Palace, made up of two buildings that together form the largest Gothic palace in the world. With turrets, towers, parapets and other fortifications, its exterior resembles a mighty fortress, while the interior is a tour de force of medieval architecture and ornamentation, adorned with priceless frescoes, Gobelin tapestries and graceful sculptures. The ceremonial hall, chapels, cloisters and private apartments are all unmissable. But to truly embrace the feel of papal Avignon, imagine yourself here during the Middle Ages amid the Palace’s rich furnishings and extravagant decoration, with cardinals, princes and ambassadors milling about its candle-lit halls and corridors, while in the streets below countless pilgrims eagerly anticipate benediction. This was Avignon’s brief golden age when it was truly the centre of Christendom. 

This morning, you’ll have a couple of exciting options to choose from. You can embark on a guided tour of the charming city of Avignon, exploring the Pont Saint-Bénézet, a stunning medieval bridge spanning the Rhône River, followed by an inside tour of Pope’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Please note that this visit includes uneven terrain and many steps inside the palace. 

Alternatively, after the visit to the bridge, you can take a captivating ride on the petit train through Avignon. The choice is yours!

Free time in Avignon

After lunch you’re free to explore as you wish, perhaps visiting the nearby Petit Palais, the former home of the archbishops of Avignon, to cast a critical eye over the remarkable collection of over 300 paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including works by Botticelli and Carpaccio. Or take a stroll on the iconic Pont d’Avignon, which, dramatically, ends halfway across the river, made famous by the melody we all recall from our first French lessons.

You may wish to do some shopping, or just find a quiet café in a shady Provençal square to watch the world go by.

Returning on board for dinner, the ship sets sail towards our next destination, Arles, arriving later that evening. Afterwards, sit back and relax to the sounds of a talented local pianist who'll entertain us with French songs on board.

Included experiences:

• Morning option 1: Guided tour of Avignon including inside the Pope’s Palace
• Morning option 2: Guided tour to Pont Saint-Bénézet and petit train tour of Avignon
• Free afternoon in Avignon
• Piano performance on board

Personalise your holiday

Camargue with Manade visit  

Duration: 4 hrs

Instead of spending time at leisure in Avignon, join us for a short drive through the Camargue towards the coast. Here, we'll visit a local manade, a type of farm typical of the Camargue that specialises in breeding bulls and horses. While exploring the area by cart, we will learn more about this unique method of raising free-roaming animals, which incorporates traditional farming techniques. The experience will conclude with a glass of local wine.

After our visit, we will return to the ship in time for dinner on board.

Please contact us at least two weeks before you’re set to depart to add the above experience to your booking before departure. Minimum numbers apply.

Truffle farm visit with tasting  

Duration: 4 hrs  

Venture into the countryside to visit a local truffle farm. Here, we'll learn more about what makes this local delicacy so popular, and enjoy the opportunity to savour their unique and intense aroma with a tasting, accompanied by a glass of wine.

This optional afternoon trip will be instead of free time in Avignon.

Please contact us at least two weeks before you’re set to depart to add the above experience to your booking before departure. Minimum numbers apply.

Arles & Pont Du Gard

Arles

You awake under the azure skies of deepest Provence and amid the warm stone colours of Arles, many of whose historic monuments are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This morning, you'll have a couple of guided tours to choose from, each led by a knowledgeable local guide.

You can choose to learn about Arles’ Roman history.  Although small in size, it was the key stronghold on the Roman road to Spain, one of the empire’s richest possessions. Seagoing ships could reach here, and the city became a regional capital, briefly ruling over Gaul, Spain and Britain. Our guided tour will help you appreciate the finer points of Arles’s magnificent Roman remains, including the splendid amphitheatre, one of the best preserved in the world, the earlier theatre built during the reign of Augustus and the Alyscamps, the ancient necropolis with its extraordinary atmosphere.

Alternatively, if you are interested in art - especially Van Gogh - you can opt for a tour of Arles, where you learn about his life and work. The disturbed but great genius of an artist Van Gogh lived in Arles for just over a year, from February 1888. It was his most prolific period and, inspired by Arles and the light and beauty of the Provençal countryside, he produced around 300 works, including The Night Café, The Sower and, of course, Sunflowers. 

Pont du Gard

After lunch we visit the amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, one of the wonders of the ancient world. No amount of fame can diminish the first sight of this 2,000-year-old structure, which was the highest bridge built in the Empire –the Romans themselves considered it the most important testimony to their greatness. Its statistics are staggering - over 900 feet long and almost 160 feet high, with its stones each weighing up to six tons.

To put this in perspective, the span of the Pont du Gard is greater than the width of the River Thames at London Bridge – and no mortar was used in its construction! The situation is lovely too, with pine- and cypress-covered hills adding to the harmonious setting. Re-joining the ship, we cruise along the Rhône and, during dinner, pass the imposing 15th-century castle at Tarascon standing guard on the riverbank.

Included experiences:

• Morning option 1: Guided tour of Arles focussing on its Roman history
• Morning option 2: Guided tour of Arles focussing on Van Gogh’s life and work in Arles
• Visit to the Pont du Gard

Ardèche Gorges & Tain l'Hermitage

Ardèche Gorges

This morning we disembark after breakfast and whilst our ship effortlessly cruises upstream towards Le Pouzin, we will explore one of France’s most outstanding landscapes – the Ardèche Gorges, whose scale is a fitting reminder of Mother Nature’s awesome power.

Sheer limestone cliffs plunge almost 1,000 feet to the river’s blue waters, which elegantly snake their way through stupendous rock formations, culminating in a huge natural arch, the Pont d’Arc. We enjoy marvellous views at every turn of caves, grottoes and natural sculptures before returning to the ship moored in Le Pouzin.

During your tour of the Ardèche, you have two exciting options to choose from:

You could explore the beautiful Lavender farm, which includes a fascinating museum where you can learn all about the process of cultivating lavender and the distillation of essential oils. In addition to the museum, there’s a boutique where you can purchase various lavender products. This option allows for a leisurely experience, perfect for anyone interested in the art and science of lavender.

Or, if you're up for a challenge, you can visit the Grotte de la Madeleine. A prehistoric cave composed of limestone, with a complex network of chambers and passages that contains a collection of fascinating art, dating back to around 17,000 years ago. Please note that this option involves a demanding trek with 250 steps down and then back up, so it's best suited for those who are physically prepared for the hike. 

Free afternoon sailing towards Tain l'Hermitage

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on board – perhaps catching up on some reading or just lazing in the sun as the temperature rises, before we arrive in Tain l'Hermitage, surrounded by steep vine-covered hillsides.

Tain l'Hermitage wine-tasting

Here another of the world’s most revered wines is produced: Syrah. To find out more about the history and production of wine here, we will visit a local domain which, of course, includes the opportunity to taste their produce. After dinner in the ship's restaurant, perhaps take a stroll along the river and wander across the oldest suspension bridge in France to the pretty provincial town of Tournon on the opposite bank of the river, with its imposing castle and tree-lined avenues.

Included experiences:

• Morning option 1: Tour of the Ardèche Gorges with visit to the Grotte de la Madeleine
• Morning option 2: Tour of the Ardèche Gorges with visit to the Lavender Museum
• Free afternoon sailing towards Tain l’Hermitage
• Wine-tasting in Tain l'Hermitage

Vienne

Cruise through the Rhône Valley

During breakfast this morning, we’ll slip our moorings and cruise north through one of the most spectacular sections of the Rhône Valley, as the river squeezes and twists pasts Condrieu, Saint-Rambert-d’Albon and Saint-Vallier, with wooded cliffs rising high on both sides.

Traditionally these stretches were the most dangerous due to fierce currents and varying water levels but, with the waters now tamed by a series of locks whose complex mechanisms never cease to fascinate.

Vienne

After lunch we arrive in the ancient Roman stronghold of Vienne, first a Celtic settlement, then a Roman stronghold under Julius Caesar. Here you'll be free to explore at leisure. Strikingly located in a narrow section of the Rhône, where the river meanders dramatically around a steep bluff, Vienne is a treasure trove of historic remains, including the stunning Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia, one of only two edifices of this type in the whole of the country. 

From the ship, maybe head to the top of the city, the Mont Pipet hill, where the view onto the Rhône will inspire keen photographers. It’s also where the Romans chose to build the spectacular amphitheatre in the 1st Century AD, which could accommodate 13.500 spectators. Weaving through the charming, narrow streets of the old town, soak up the history of this fascinating place. 

Return to the ship for dinner, then delight in a ballroom dancing performance in the lounge with the opportunity to learn some basic steps of a French madison line dance! 

Afterwards we commence our cruise towards Chalon-sur-Saône.

Included experiences:

• Free morning sailing through the Rhône Valley
• Visit to Vienne
• A live ballroom dancing performance on board

Beaune

Free morning sailing towards Chalon-sur-Saône

Overnight we have made steady progress north and we now cruise on the Saône. This morning, we catch the first glimpses of the vine-clad slopes of the hazy green Beaujolais hills as we approach one of the world’s most revered red-wine-producing regions. On our left we see the picturesque villages of Morgon, Fleury, Juliénas, Chénas and many more, while on the right you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of snow-capped Mont Blanc – Western Europe’s highest mountain.

We cruise past the town that gives them their name, the white wines of Mâcon hold sway, before arriving in Chalon during lunch.  

Beaune

Chalon-sur- Saône is the gateway to Burgundy and the home of Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography. On today’s tour we see some of the pretty yet surprisingly small villages that produce some of the world’s most sublime wines – Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin and many more.

Nearby is medieval Beaune, Burgundy’s wine capital, which is wonderful to wander around. At its centre is the Hospices de Beaune, also known as the Hôtel-Dieu. Originally built in the 15th century as a hospital for the disadvantaged, it’s a jewel of High Gothic architecture, instantly recognisable for its colourful glazed roof tiles arranged in dazzling geometric patterns.

A prestigious annual wine auction takes place here each November, with proceeds going to benefit the Hospices and its charity work. After a guided tour you are free to explore as you wish. You can’t visit Burgundy without sampling it amazing wine, so we recommend a visit to one of the cellars for a tour and wine-tasting - after all this is Burgundy’s wine capital! Later, we’ll return to the ship for dinner. During the night, we commence our cruise back to Lyon.

Included experiences:

• Free morning sailing towards Chalon-sur-Saône
• Guided tour of Beaune

Lyon

Free morning cruising towards Lyon

Start the day with a leisurely breakfast and why not take that second cup of tea up on deck and enjoy the river breeze as the delightful scenery slips by. We’ve a morning’s sailing ahead so there’s time to enjoy one last visit to the fitness area or perhaps make an appointment at the hairdresser’s for a last minute pamper before we make our stately final approach into Lyon just before lunch is served. 

Lyon

This afternoon enjoy a guided tour of Lyon, one of France’s most fascinating cities.

The Rhône Valley had been the route of choice for marauding armies and peaceful traders for centuries, and Lyon’s current site, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, cried out to be fortified. In 43 BC the Romans founded the city, which subsequently grew in importance; Emperor Claudius, conqueror of Britain, was born here.

There are many Roman remains to see, but it was the production of silk that brought Lyon to prominence during the Middle Ages, and throughout the city you can see signs of the wealth that poured in – Renaissance buildings, imposing churches and Europe’s largest pedestrian square, Place Bellecour, with a statue of Louis XIV as its focus.

The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is crammed with antique shops and intriguing traboules – narrow covered passageways enabling silk merchants to transport their wares to the river without getting wet – that today are a joy to amble through. As well as its glorious architecture, Lyon is generally acknowledged as France’s (and to locals, the world’s) gastronomic capital.

In fairness it has much to commend it: nouvelle cuisine was invented near here and the city boasts a huge array of speciality food shops and eateries, including 20 restaurants with one or more Michelin stars and countless little places to eat.

After the tour you are free to explore Lyon further before returning to the sumptuous surroundings of your ship.  

This evening we enjoy the superb Chef’s Dinner, featuring some of their signature dishes - a truly memorable experience. Afterwards head to the lounge and contemplate the wondrous places you have seen and experienced over a drink with your newfound friends.

Included experiences:

• Free morning sailing towards Lyon
• Guided tour of Lyon
• Chef's Dinner

Day 1 of extension - Annecy

Annecy

For those continuing with our three-night extension, we depart the ship in beautiful Lyon and head northeast to Geneva into the Bugey region. As we leave the city behind for the landscapes of the Haut-Rhône you’ll enjoy some of Europe’s most wonderful scenery so have your camera at the ready. The views are breathtaking, with gorges, lakes and marshes, interspersed with rich forest and pristine meadows and the world-famous alpine backdrop on the far horizon.

We break for some free time and lunch at leisure in the delightful alpine town of Annecy where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River. Wander the quaint cobbled streets of its charming old town where its winding canals weave their way amongst the pastel-coloured facades. The beautifully restored medieval stone walls and terracotta roofed turrets of the Château d’Annecy, once home to the Counts of Geneva, stands proud over the town. Today it contains a museum with a substantial collection of religious artworks, furniture and regional art and natural history exhibits.

Sample some typical Savoie cuisine – a hearty bowl of gratin de crozets, a take on macaroni cheese with lardons, cream and local pasta made from buckwheat or perhaps indulge in a classic fondue!

Lausanne

We continue our scenic drive this afternoon arriving in Lausanne or Montreux on the edge of spectacular Lake Geneva, the largest lake in Switzerland. The chic Montreux Riviera is renowned for its picture-perfect landscapes of glass lakes, pristine meadows and a sensational mountain backdrop that has attracted artists, writers and travellers through the ages in search of tranquillity and inspiration.

We arrive at our hotel for the next three nights in either Montreux, or Lausanne. Enjoy dinner at leisure this evening and perhaps take a lakeside stroll along the palm-studded shores of this glistening lake.

Included experiences:

• Visit to Annecy

Day 2 of extension - Chillon Castle & Lausanne

Chillon Castle

After breakfast we travel to Chillon Castle. This striking medieval fortress dating back to the 12th century is dramatically located on a rocky promontory, enjoying exceptional views over the crystal water. It was once the residence and toll station for the Counts of Savoy and today is the most visited historic building in Switzerland. We enjoy a guided tour with a local expert learning more of its fascinating past and exquisite surroundings.

Later we embark on a superb cruise of the lake, as we sail the clear glistening waters encased by high snow-capped peaks, whose fertile foothills are draped in row upon row of lush, neatly terraced regiments of vines and the views simply take your breath away.

Lausanne

The rest of the day is at leisure for you to explore Lausanne under your own steam. Home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, you might fancy visiting the Olympic Museum or head for the old town with its medieval labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets lined with traditional little shops, at the centre a fine 12th-century Gothic cathedral with strikingly ornate façade.

Perhaps head for the 19th-century Palais de Rumine, an elegant Florentine Renaissance building housing impressive historic, scientific and fine art collection or simply unwind with a little café culture over tea and cake in the sun in this most refined city. If staying in Montreux, we'll return by direct train.

Enjoy dinner at leisure; seek out a cosy restaurant serving locally inspired dishes, a fusion of French and Swiss cuisine – try papet Vaudois, a sausage with cabbage in it and leeks and potatoes cooked together, or malakoff, pieces of cheese battered and fried.

Don’t forget to sample some of the exceptional local wines, the best known is produced from the white Chasselas grape; wine production in the Lavaux dates from the 11th century and today these painstakingly tended vineyards, creating a striking pattern on the landscape, are UNESCO protected. Only 1% of Swiss wine is exported - and when you taste it, you’ll realise why it’s such a well-kept secret!

Included experiences:

• Guided tour of Chillon Castle
• Scenic lake cruise across Lake Geneva
• Visit to Lausanne

Day 3 of extension - Glacier 3000 & Golden Pass

Glacier 3000

This morning we head to Col du Pillon and take a memorable cable car ride into this world-famous alpine landscape. Prepare for an onslaught of jaw-dropping views from all sides as we climb 3000 metres to Glacier 3000, the highest point of the Vaudois Alps, their lofty summits iced with snow.

Excitement mounts as we reach the summit with increasingly stunning views of the most iconic peaks in the world - the mighty Eiger, Jungfrau and Matterhorn. When we arrive there’s free time for lunch and to enjoy some of the activities on offer in this winter wonderland.

Not for the faint-hearted, try the exhilarating Peak Walk – a 107 metre suspension bridge and the only one in the world linking two summits! Enjoy a thrilling ride on the Alpine Coaster which is the highest situated toboggan run in the world!

Golden Pass

Later we continue to the smart resort of Gstaad in the heart of the Bernese Oberland to board the magnificent Golden Pass train, one of the world’s greatest rail journeys.

Sit back and savour the views from the train’s panoramic windows of this exquisite mountain scenery – a fairytale landscape where the sheer mountainsides are cloaked with dark pine forest and laced with surging mountain streams, bubbling springs cascade into the valley below, and dotted here and there, picturesque mountain villages nestle into the slopes as we journey over high bridges and through incredibly engineered tunnels.

As we pass through the Jaman tunnel, you’ll spot the names of the villages change from German to French and we begin to descend into a lush Mediterranean landscape once again as we approach Montreux. On arrival in Montreux departures staying in Lausanne will take the short journey back to the hotel.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at leisure after which perhaps a final stroll by the lake to soak up the views before a digestif in the hotel’s bar.

Included experiences:

• Visit to Glacier 3000
• Visit to Gstaad
• Scenic journey on the Golden Pass train

Disembark

Disembark

Today we check out of the hotel at the appropriate time after a truly fascinating and memorable tour into one of the most unspoilt corners of Europe.