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This tour is currently not available. Please contact our office for upcoming tour dates and prices.Tour overview
Enjoy this uniquely beautiful cruise along the French rivers of Rhone and Saone. On this 08-day river cruise you will experience picturesquevillages, world famous wine producing regions, unforgettable landscapes in the regions of Provence and Burgundy, and be immersed in theimpressive and historic cities, monuments and culture. Your cruise will make a round trip route from Lyon to Macon, where some of the world’smost expensive wines are made. Enjoy Chalon sur Saone and Tournus and see the half-timbered houses and picturesque countrysidelandscapes. You will sail to Avignon, where its legacy can be seen in the massive Pope’s Palace. View the beauty of Arles, the town that inspiredmany of Van Gogh’s paintings. You can experience the magnificent Ardeche Gorge, a natural wonder in this region of southern France that hisbeen carved out of limestone overtime. Return to Lyon, the third largest city in France where you will disembark the cruise.
Lower DeckHaydn C1Cabin No.2$3299Middle DeckStrauss B1Cabin No.8$3799Upper DeckMozart A1Cabin No.5$5399Upper DeckMozart SuiteCabin No.2$6299TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:• Experience world famous wine regions such as the Cote d’Or• Explore Lyon, the third largest city in France and a UNESCOWorld Heritage city• Visit the Provencal city of Avignon, home to the Pont duGard- an ancient architectural masterpiece• Walk through the town of Arles, which inspired the famousImpressionist painter, Van Gogh• View the Ardeche Gorge, a natural wonder known as the‘Grand Canyon of Europe’Itinerary
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Day1
CANADA - LYON
Board your flight.Overnight on board your flight.
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Day2
LYON (ARRIVAL & EMBARKATION) (-/-/D)
On arrival transfer to port. Check in begins at 4:00pm. This afternoon youembark the vessel and get settled into your cabin. This evening, enjoy aWelcome Cocktail, followed by a specially prepared Welcome Dinner. -
Day3
MACON (B/L/D)
After breakfast today you will have the day in Macon, located in southernBurgundy. This is a wine producing region that makes some of the world’smost expensive wines. You can spend the morning exploring the city, andperhaps you will join the optional shore excursions to the wine museumthat is dedicated to the history and production of Burgundy wines.Another optional excursion is a trip to the Cluny Abbey which is dedicatedto St. Peter and was once home to over 10,000 monks. This afternoon isperfect for you to experience medieval EuropeOvernight onboardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: Macon with Wine Museum tourWith its pastel buildings and tiled roofs, Mâconnais has a Mediterraneancharm. From Mâconnais we will tour the Beaujolais and Mâconnais wineregions. We will make our way through the vineyards which grace thearea, as well as the castles and stately homes which bear witness to thewealth of the region. A highlight of this excursion is the visit to GeorgesDuboeuf’s Hameau du Vin. In the unique setting of a 19th-century railwaystation, you can marvel at the wine making process: the transporting ofgrapes and wine, the winemaker’s tools and trade, the cellars, thewinemaking processes, bottling and corking. Finish the visit with a tastingof Beaujolais wines, in a room housing a barrel organ called a“bouteillophone”.OPTIONAL EXCURSION: Guided tour to Cluny AbbeyThe Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy was the center of a major monasticmovement in the Middle Ages. Its church was the largest Christianbuilding in the world until St. Peter’s Basilica was rebuilt in Rome in the16th century. Although most of the great Abbey of Cluny is in ruins, youcan still see remnants showing the size and glory the abbey possessed atits zenith and imagine it as it once was. Today, one transept of the12th-century abbey church remains, along with the 15th-century abbots’residences and 18th-century convent buildings. The site also includesbeautiful gardens and a museum with Romanesque artifacts. Your guidewill show you around the ancient Benedictine abbey. This church, with itsunusual dimensions, was completed under the abbacy of Pierre theVenerable and consecrated in 1130. Its principal architect was Hézelon deLiège. The idea for its construction is said to have originated from a monk’sdream. -
Day4
CHALON SUR SAONE - TOURNUS (B/L/D)
Today you can continue to explore the famous wine region with a half daystop in Chalon sur Saone. Here you can find half-timbered houses thatoverlook the town square, local art galleries, specialty shops, and even amuseum dedicated to photography. In the countryside you can findfamous vineyards such as Pommard and Puligny, a true delight to winelovers. After returning to the ship you will sail towards Tournus and enjoya brief stop to soak in the scenic landscapes surrounded by medieval towns
of Brancion and Cormatin which you can visit and tour if youchoose to join the optional excursion.Overnight onboardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: Burgundy excursion to Beaune withwine tastingAfter breakfast, take a scenic drive along France’s Burgundy wine routethrough Pommard, Volnay and Meursault. In Beaune, the wine capital ofBurgundy, you will enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Hôtel-Dieu,founded as a hospice in 1443. Today, it covers a large area of the townwith its museum, three courtyards, outbuildings, 15th-century bastion andhundreds of meters of cellars, which are notable for containing thepersonal reserve of the Hospices. The four buildings open to the public aresituated around the Court of Honor and represent the Hôtel-Dieu offormer times. The great Salle des Pauvres (”hall of the poor”), is decoratedwith multi-colored beams which are unique in the world. Serenity reignshere which will leave no one unmoved. The rooms overflow withtreasures: statues, furniture, pottery, paintings, tapestries and more. Thekitchen has been restored to look exactly as it did in the 19th century. Thepolyptych of “The Last Judgement”, a masterpiece by the Flemish painterRogier Van Der Weyden, is particularly well presented. Later, enjoy a winetasting experience at one of Beaune’s famous cellars.OPTIONAL EXCURSION: Excursion to Brancion and CormatinWe leave Chalon-sur-Saône and drive to Brançion for a short photo stopbefore continuing to the Castle of Cormatin. Behind its understatedexterior lies inestimable splendor. The castle is undoubtedly one of themost sumptuous castles in Burgundy, and, in addition, it boasts aRenaissance garden. The sculpted yews break up the symmetry as youenter this moated château. The rich, colorful interior reflects the Frenchand more particularly, the Parisian fashion during the reign of Louis XIII.Built between 1605 and 1629 by the du Blé family, it chronicles the historyof the arts at this time in France. The formal Renaissance garden has the“fountain of life” at its center. Beyond this is a maze with a charmingwrought-iron aviary. From the top of this you can get an overview of thepark. -
Day5
LYON (B/L/D)
This morning you will wake up in Lyon, the third largest city in France thatis at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers. It is also a UNESCOWorld Heritage city that is well known for its cuisine and historical andarchitectura landmarks such as the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviereand Old Lyon. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon onboard as the vessel sailsthrough the picturesque countryside.Overnight onboardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: City tour of LyonLyon not only marks the meeting of the Saône and Rhône Rivers, but it isalso the gastronomic capital of France. Its rich, ancient history includesRoman ruins and early Christian sites. The city tour begins with a coachtrip to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. The well-knownpilgrimage church stands on a hill, offering an unforgettable view of thecity. After you’ve had a look around on your own and enjoyed a drivealong the banks of the Sâone, with views of various sights including theCathedral of St. John and the Palace of Justice, you will have theopportunity to explore Lyon’s Old Town. Take a gentle stroll through theOld Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the famous Roman theatreand buildings showing the influence of the Italian Renaissance. -
Day6
AVIGNON (B/L/D)
Today you will have a full day in Avignon, a Provencal city that is home tothe Papal Palace which was once the seat of Western Christianity in the14th century. Perhaps you will choose to further explore this landmarkwhich was home to six papal conclaves before it returned to Rome on anoptional excursion. This area is also known for the Pont du Gard which isa three-level aqueduct that was constructed over 2000 years ago by theromans, and even today it is known as an ancient architecturalmasterpiece.Overnight onboardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: Avignon walking tour with Papal PalaceToday’s excursion is a guided walk through Avignon, also known as the“City of Popes” due to the role the city played in the Avignon conspiracyof the 14th century, when a pope abandoned Rome and fled to Avignon.Avignon’s lavish Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), is a fortress,church and palace all in one and was considered the center of theChristian world during the 14th century. From 1309 to 1377, seven popesresided in this impressive building, one of the world’s most fascinatingexamples of Gothic architecture. Another must-see is the Pont d’Avignon,a ruined 12th-century bridge that once spanned the Rhône and isimmortalized in a folk song about dancing on the bridge.OPTIONAL EXCURSION: Excursion to Pont du Gard and UzesThe Pont du Gard is the greatest surviving stretch of a fifty-kilometer-long(thirthy one mile) aqueduct, built by the Romans in the middle of the firstcentury to supply fresh water to the city of Nimes. With just aseventeen-meter difference in altitude between beginning and end, theaqueduct was quite an achievement for its time.Some miles further on,near the start of the aqueduct, lies the city of Uzès. This lovely old townperches on a hill above the River Alzon. Half a dozen medieval towers riseabove its tiled roofs. The most fetching is the windowed, Pisa-like TourFenestrelle, tacked onto the cathedral. The narrow lanes are lined withRenaissance and Neoclassical houses which were once the residences ofthe 17th- and 18th-century bourgeoisie, who had grown rich on textiles. -
Day7
AVIGNON - ARLES (B/L/D)
Today you will be able to spend the day in Arles, a city on the Rhone Riverthat is famed for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh. A you walk throughthe town; many settings may seem familiar as some of Van Gogh’sbest-known pieces reflect the same beauty that you will experience andbe inspired by. An optional excursion today can take you outside of town,to the Camargue Nature Park. This is a park that spans over 86,000hectares and is known for its unique flora and fauna, including semi-wildbulls and white Camargue horses.Overnight on boardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: Arles walking tourArles boasts a rich history. It was founded by the Gauls, who made it theircapital. During the course of centuries, Arles was home to archbishops,became part of the Kingdom of the Franks and, later on, capital of theKingdom of Burgundy. During our two-hour city walk, pass many ancientor Roman sights and monuments and see why UNESCO has chosen todeclare Arles a World Heritage Site. A visit to the Roman arena is a mustwhile in Arles. Why not take a break in the café that served as the modelfor Vincent Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night”? While strolling throughthe city, you might even meet pilgrims walking the Way of St. James, whichbegins in Arles!OPTIONAL EXCURSION: Excursion to Camargue Nature ParkThe Camargue is like its own little country. Once you’re a few minutessouth of Arles, you enter the unique atmosphere of the area, with its seriesof long, level roads criss-crossing the marshes and farmlands. For theprotection of the exceptional fauna and flora, part of the Camargue waslisted as a nature reserve as early as 1927. In 1970, the whole Island ofCamargue (the delta of the Rhône River) was listed as the Regional NaturePark of Camargue. It is home to an astonishing range of wildlife, includingthe renowned Camargue bulls and horses that live in semi freedom, andmany hundreds of species of birds. You will also visit Saintes Maries de laMer, located on the Mediterranean Sea where the Rhône joins the ocean.This village is steeped in history and boasts stunning beaches which meetthe blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. -
Day8
CHATEAUNEUF DU RHONE - LE POUZIN (B/L/D)
This morning you have an opportunity to view the Ardeche Gorge, anatural wonder of the area where the gorges are a canyon that has beenhollowed out of the limestone plateau- a truly remarkable site. The vesselwill remain for a short time in Le Pouzin and you will have the chance toexplore the Ardeche Gorge on an optional excursion. As you return to thevessel this evening you will enjoy a Gala Dinner with the Captain.Overnight on boardOPTIONAL EXCURSION: Excursion to the Ardeche GorgeThe Ardèche Gorge is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Europe, itsspectacular limestone cliffs tower up to 1,000 ft above the meanderingriver below. The entrance to the Ardèche Gorge is through the famousPont d’Arc near Vallon which, at 192 feet is, according to the Natural Archand Bridge Society, “the largest natural bridge in Europe”. You will takethe famous Gorge Trail, from which you can see the harmoniousmeanderings of the river. Beautiful viewpoints such as the Pont d’Arc andSerre de Tourre offer the greatest views onto the canyon and the riverArdèche. -
Day9
LYON (DISEMBARKATION & DEPARTURE) (B/-/-)
Enjoy breakfast on board before you disembark this morning. Transfer tothe airport in time for your departure flight back home.END OF OUR SERVICES
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Other information
TOUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:• 07 night’s accommodation at listed river cruise• Free-flowing red & white wines with every lunchand dinner onboard• Beer and soft drinks with every lunch and dinner onboard• Daily buffet breakfast while on the cruise• 06 lunches on board• 07 dinners on board• Cocktail reception• Welcome Dinner• Captain’s Gala Dinner• 24-hour coffee and tea station• Bottled water in every stateroom• Experienced English-speaking cruise director• Onboard entertainment• Complimentary Wi-Fi onboard• Complimentary use of onboard bicycles• Complimentary state-of-the-art audioheadsets for optional excursions• All port charges and local taxes• International flights from Toronto• Airport transfers