Burgundy & Provence – Côte d’Azur to Paris

Day 1 Cte d’Azur

Travel to Nice where you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the Fairmont Monte Carlo or Carlton InterContinental, Cannes (or similar) for a one night stay.

Day 2 Cte d’Azur – Arles (Embarkation)
Meals included: Breakfast Dinner

This morning, enjoy free time to explore or join an optional excursion. In the early afternoon, transfer by coach to Arles in the Provence region, where youll board your ship. Before dinner, meet your crew at a welcome reception, then sail towards the mouth of the Rhne for a taste of the tranquil vistas of the Camargue National Park (daylight permitting).

Day 3 Arles
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Arles guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre. In Arles, capital of the Provence region, join a guided city tour. See the church of St. Trophime, dating from the 12th century, and visit the Roman Amphitheatre. Still used today, it dates to the 1st century, and was constructed to hold over 20,000 spectators. Vincent Van Gogh was inspired by the special light of Provence and spent a very productive year in Arles.

Day 4 Avignon
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Avignon guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes. On your guided tour, you may choose to join an included visit of the Palace of the Popes, built in the 14th century as the sovereign popes residence. With a living space equivalent to four Gothic cathedrals, it is the largest Gothic fortress in the world. Alternatively, you may opt for the city sightseeing with more free time to explore on your own, or to join an optional outing to Pont du Gard or to the famed wine cellars of Chteauneuf-du-Pape.

Day 5 Viviers
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Viviers guided walk, visit the Old Town and the cathedral. A leisurely morning on board to relax and enjoy the passing scenery as you cruise. After lunch, join your local guide for a walk around the charming town of Viviers, which was developed around its Romanesque cathedral. The old town has an appealing mix of Christian, Roman and medieval influences.

Day 6 Tournon & Tain l’Hermitage – Vienne
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Guided walks in Tournon and Vienne. The twin cities of Tournon and Tain l’Hermitage lie nestled among vineyards between the Rhne River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage. Tournon, with its imposing 16th century castle and Roman ruins, is one of France’s oldest medieval cities. Enjoy a walking tour before cruising to Vienne, a charming little town surrounded by steep hills. Explore the town centre on a guided walk to see the Roman Theatre and the Augustus and Livia Temple, built around 20BC and converted into a church in the Middle Ages.

Day 7 Lyon
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Guided sightseeing. Picture stop on Fourvire Hil Lyon is France’s third-largest city and its gastronomic capital. Founded by the Romans in 43BC, the city’s prosperity dates back to the 16th century and is due to commercial, industrial and banking activities. Today Lyon offers up a wealth of Roman ruins, excellent museums and Renaissance architecture. With a local guide, survey the city from Fourvire Hill and explore the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its maze of medieval alleyways and Place des Terreaux, a popular area with lively cafes, monuments and the famous fountain. Be sure to sample Beaujolais, the wine of the region.

Day 8 St. Jean de Losne
Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Included today: Cheese tasting. A leisurely day today or if you prefer, there’s a choice of optional excursions available including a visit to a wine cellar. Whilst sailing to St. Jean de Losne, enjoy an on-board cheese tasting.

Day 9 St. Jean de Losne (Disembarkation) – Beaune – Dijon – Paris
Meals included: Breakfast

Included today: Visit Htel Dieu. After breakfast, drive to Beaune, the unofficial capital of the Cte dOr area and Burgundys wine capital. Although life here centres around wine, Beaune offers much more with its ramparts, medieval houses, cobblestone streets, and historical monuments. Visit the Hotel-Dieu charity hospital, built in 1443 and paid for by the chancellor of Burgundy after the Hundred Years War left many of the towns population destitute. Today, it houses Van der Weydens painting of The Last Judgment and is one of Frances architectural highlights. After lunch, continue to Dijon, where you board the TGV to Paris for a two night stay.

Day 10 Paris
Meals included: Breakfast

Included today: Guided sightseeing or ‘Heart of Paris’ walk. One of the worlds most romantic and lively cities, Paris delights the senses. Your included city sightseeing shows you magnificent must-see sights, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid as a contrast to its ancient architecture, the commemorative Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. Alternatively, you may wish to join a guided walk through historic le St. Louis with its narrow one-way streets and le de la Cit, the centre of Paris where the medieval city was founded and home to Notre Dame Cathedral. In your free time, stroll down the Champs-Elyses with its lavish cafs, or perhaps visit the world-famous Louvre or Montmartre with its gleaming white Sacr Coeur Basilica and bevy of artists on Place du Tertre.

Day 11 Paris
Meals included: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport or station for your journey to the UK.