Rhône river cruise: Roman ruins & truffles

This morning, your driver-guide will meet you in your hotel lobby to take you to Château de Versailles for the day — they'll show you around the grand palace and its extensive grounds while sharing its history. Afterwards, you'll be taken back to your hotel, and you'll have the rest of the day at leisure in Paris.

Spend your final morning in Paris exploring the Montmartre district with your guide. Finish your time in the capital with dinner at its most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

Today, take the train to Lyon, around two hours away, where you'll board your ship ready for your European river cruise to begin.

Before leaving Lyon, you'll take a walking tour of the city, including Fourvière Hill, the old town, and the Saint-Jean district. Later on, enjoy a Les Halles Market tour, or perhaps you’d rather take to the streets on a bike to discover how this city has been designed with cyclists in mind.

You'll cruise into the Beaujolais wine region, pausing at a traditional winery to learn about the area's wine-making heritage and the techniques they use, as well as enjoying a tasting. You'll then continue your cruise to Vienne, soaking in the rural scenery as you go.

In Vienne, you can follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a walking tour to see amazingly well-preserved architecture and buildings. For a more adventurous day, you could opt for either a guided hike from the ship to the Monastery of Mount Pipet or a guided cycling tour along a part of the ViaRhôna bike route.

You'll have a choice of three activities for today. You could take a private steam-train ride through the Gorge du Doux, enjoy chocolate and red wine tastings in Le Château de Tournon, or hike through the vineyards of Tain l’Hermitage before calling in at a winery for tastings.

Your activities today can depend on your interests. In the morning, you could join a historic walking tour of Avignon or visit three local shops to sample macarons, cheese, wine and tapenades. If you’d prefer something more active, you could enjoy a bike ride through Avignon. In the afternoon, you can visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the impressive Pont du Gard, or travel to the hilltop village of Grignan to look for truffles with a local farmer and his truffle-hunting dog.

This morning you'll venture to the hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence and enjoy time exploring the shops, galleries, and cafes. Later, visit an olive farm before experiencing the beauty of Saint Rémy de Provence, where Van Gogh painted some of his most famous paintings. Afterwards, you have the choice of a walking tour around the Roman ruins of Arles, a bike ride along the Rhône or a specialist Van Gogh tour.

Bid farewell to Arles as you disembark your ship and meet your private driver who'll take you east to Nice. On arrival, enjoy a private walking tour through the city's cobbled streets and renowned flower and food market.

Today, your private driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Cannes. From here, you'll board a public ferry to the small and monastic Saint-Honorat Island for a tour of the 12th-century monastery and its vineyards. Once back in Nice, board a private boat and set sail across the French Riviera coast with your own skipper to watch the sunset.

Your private driver will take you from your hotel to the airport in time for your international flight home.