Sample | Rhône Valley Vineyard Discovery

Lyon at Leisure

Today is yours to spend as you wish.

You could explore the local markets, as Lyon is known for its food scene, and there are plenty of markets throughout the city where visitors can sample local specialties like sausages, cheeses, and pastries. The Marché Saint-Antoine and Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse are two of the most famous markets in the city.

Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, which houses a vast collection of European art, including works by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh. The building itself is also a work of art, with its ornate Beaux-Arts façade and elegant interior.

You could also consider taking a river cruise. The Rhône and Saône rivers run through Lyon, and a river cruise is a great way to see the city from a different perspective. Visitors can take a leisurely boat tour of the city and admire the many bridges, churches, and historic buildings that line the riverbanks.

Check out of your hotel this morning and meet your driver guide who will transfer you to Valence. En route, enjoy a day of touring.

Northern Rhone Discovery

Meet your local guide at your hotel this morning and head towards the village of Ampuis, home to the elegant Côte Rôtie AOC, known as some of the world's most prestigious Syrah-based wines. Here take a stroll amongst the vines to learn why this wine is so exceptional. Côte Rôtie is also known for its small-scale, family-owned wineries and traditional winemaking techniques. You will immediately be seduced by the magnificent view over the Rhône valley and the steep hillsides of these vineyards.

You will be welcomed for a tour and tasting at a winery such as Domaine Jamet, Domaine Bernard Levet or Domain Jasmin where you will have the opportunity to taste Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie AOC. You will certainly appreciate the considerable aromatic richness of these great wines.

Enjoy lunch in a local gourmet restaurant suggested by your guide and offering regional flavors (to be paid directly).

This afternoon, you will be heading south to the legendary vines of Hermitage to discover the unique hillside position that this appellation holds overlooking the town of Tain-l'Hermitage. A natural continental micro-climate produces hot summers and cold winters. These conditions, combined with the steep, terraced slopes that rise up to 400 meters above the Rhône, make it a challenging but rewarding place to grow grapes, resulting in wines with a unique character and sense of place. The age worthy wines of Hermitage are known for their power, structure, and complexity, making them some of the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.

You will start with a breathtaking view overlooking the vines and the Rhône River at the Hermitage hill Belvedere. Your guide will tell you about the story of this mythical wine. Afterwards, you will push open the door of a local producer where you will have the opportunity to taste some of the best wines of the region including the Hermitage AOC and Crozes Hermitage AOC. Some of the producers we will consider include Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Domaine Chapoutier - a renowned negociant and winery located in Tain Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave or Domaine Les Bessards.

As your incredible day in the Rhone Valley comes to an end your guide will return you to your accommodation.

Dinner Reservation at Maison Pic

A dinner reservation has been made for you this evening at Michelin 3* Maison Pic.

Check out of your hotel this morning and meet your driver guide who will transfer you to Châteauneuf du Pape. En route, enjoy a day of touring.

Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage

Set out with your local guide this morning and take the road to the world renowned Hermitage wine area, North of Valence. Grown on the bank of the Rhône river on a very specific terroir, ideally located on a bend along the river and blessed with an ideal year round climate, you will discover wines which are enduringly amongst France’s most prestigious. The history of Hermitage can be clearly traced back to the 17th Century, when it was an official wine in the French courts of King Louis XIII and his successor Louis XIV.

Start the day in Crozes-Hermitage, the largest wine appellation (AOC) in the Northern Rhône, covering approximately 1,500 hectares. It is known for producing high-quality red and white wines. The wines produced in this region are known for their elegance and finesse, with a balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity. The Crozes-Hermitage vineyards are situated on the slopes facing south or southeast with a climate mix of Mediterranean and continental influences. The combination of terroir and climate results in wines that are generally less powerful and complex than those from Hermitage, yet still of high quality and age-worthy.

Some of the producers we will consider for this mornings tastings include Domaine des Remizières, Domaine Belle, Domaine Laurent Habrard or Domaine Combier.

A lunch reservation will be made for you today at a local restaurant in Tain l'Hermitage (to be paid directly).

After lunch, your guide will bring you to the legendary vines of Hermitage to discover the unique hillside position that this appellation holds overlooking the town of Tain-l'Hermitage. A natural continental micro-climate produces hot summers and cold winters. These conditions, combined with the steep, terraced slopes that rise up to 400 meters above the Rhône, make it a challenging but rewarding place to grow grapes, resulting in wines with a unique character and sense of place. The age worthy wines of Hermitage are known for their power, structure, and complexity, making them some of the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.

Afterwards, you will push open the door of a local producer where you will have the opportunity to taste some of the best wines of the region including the Hermitage AOC and Crozes-Hermitage AOC. Some of the producers we will consider include Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Domaine Chapoutier - a renowned negociant and winery located in Tain Hermitage, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave or Domainee Les Bessards.

As your incredible day in Hermitage comes to an end your guide will return you to your accommodation.

Dinner Reservation at La Mère Germaine

A dinner reservation has been made for you this evening at the Michelin starred restaurant of your hotel, La Mère Germaine

Châteauneuf du Pape Wine Touring

Today, you will be met by your private driver-guide as we set out to explore Châteauneuf-du-Pape. You have found yourselves in one of the most revered wine regions in the world.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the vine, has existed on the banks of the Rhone River for over 2000 years and the great variety of soils, grapes and microclimates has made this one of the greatest and most interesting wine areas of France, as well as one of the oldest. In this part of the Rhône region, the vines lie baking in the sun on big, broad terraces or in small valleys with a rich mix of grape varieties.

Meander through the villages beautifully placed at the bottom of the lace-like Dentelles hills, before heading into Châteauneuf. This town was the summer residence of the Popes, during the time that they made their base in Avignon. Avignon itself became too hot, busy and humid in the Middle Ages in the summer, and then of course there was the pull of the already famous wines which the Popes loved.

Some of the wineries we will consider for todays visit and tasting include Domaine du Pegau, Château Fine Roches, Domaine du Vieux Télépgraphe, Domaine de Nalys, Clos St Michel, Domaine de Beaurenard, Domaine du Grand Tinel and Château de la Nerthe.

Lunch will take place within a privileged setting in a restaurant of matchless reputation such as La Mere Germaine. Indeed, the menu abounds in delicious and elaborate dishes freshly prepared by a chef who allies Provençal tradition and simplicity (to be paid directly).

Continue with a third tasting this afternoon before delivering you to your accommodation at the end of the day for check in.

Additional Options for Day 5

La Mirande - Suite

La Mirande is like a grand and gracious private house, but one with a deliciously exotic edge. Originally the palace of a 14th century cardinal, it feels like something out of “Dangerous Liaisons” thanks to its beautiful 17th century façade and the horde of 18th and 19th century treasures within. Every room of this 5-star luxury hotel is individually decorated with historic French cotton prints: La Rivière enchantée, La Roseraie, Le Grand Corail, Le Bambou, La Corne d’abondance, Le Perroquet, Le Singe savant..., the very names of the great cotton prints of the past are an invitation to travel.

Auberge de Cassagne and Spa - Deluxe Room with Terrace

Auberge de Cassagne & Spa is a luxurious 5-star hotel located just a short drive from the historic city of Avignon in the heart of the Provence region of France. The hotel boasts  beautifully appointed rooms and suites, all designed with a blend of traditional Provençal charm and modern sophistication. The rooms are equipped with modern amenities and feature a range of facilities and services for guests to enjoy, including a gourmet restaurant serving delicious French cuisine, a cozy bar with an extensive wine list, and a relaxing spa offering a range of treatments and therapies. Guests can also take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool, soak up the sun on the terrace, or stroll through the lush gardens. For those who wish to explore the region, the hotel's central location makes it the perfect base for discovering the many attractions of Avignon and the surrounding area, such as the Palais des Papes, the Pont d'Avignon, and the picturesque Luberon villages. 

Southern Rhone Discovery - Gigondas and Vacqueyras

This morning you will be met by your guide who will bring you to discover the Southern Rhone cru villages, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

This sub-region has a more Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers. The differing terroirs, together with the rugged landscape which partly protects the valleys from the Mistral, produce microclimates which give rise to a wide diversity of wines. A feature of the cultivation of the region is the use of large pebbles around the bases of the vines to absorb the heat of the sun during the day to keep the vines warm at night when, due to the cloudless skies, there is often a significant drop in temperature. The wines of the Cotes de Rhôneare classified in three groups. At the top level are the 13 “crus”, the Grandes Appellations Locales.

Your guide will bring you to several domaines today for a visit and tasting. Some of the estates we will consider today include:
• Domaine des Bosquets -Gigondas
• Domaine de Mourchon -Séguret
• Domaine Brunely –Vacqueyras, family owned for three generations
• Le Clos De Caveau -Vacqueyras.

At lunchtime, you will be brought to a local restaurant such as Domaine la Garrigueor Bistrot de L'Oustalet in Gigondas(to be paid directly).

During the day, visit arguably the prettiest of all the Mont Ventoux Côtes-du-Rhône wine villages. Gigondas is little more than a cluster of stone houses stacked gracefully up a hillside and a wander through the village will allow you to appreciate the Provencal way of life.

Your guide will return you to your accommodation at the end of the day.

La Table Haute at La Mirande

Make your way to La Mirande this evening and head downstairs where a treasure of the hotel awaits. In the old Pamard family kitchen, on a venerable wood-burning stove, surrounded by the instruments of great traditional cooking - copper pans, beautiful earthenware, old-fashioned kitchen scales and an enormous wooden table – Chef Séverine Sagnet is cooking in accordance with her credo “from farm to table”. This is the heart of La Mirande.

The chefs work right before your eyes where they prepare a set menu accompanied by a selection of regional wines for an audience of up to 12 guests. Prepare yourself for a fun and friendly atmosphere, a single menu for all featuring fresh, local and most often organic products in keeping with the season and the market's offerings.

Avignon at Leisure

Today is yours to explore Avignon at your own pace with our support and suggestions.

Explore the local attractions including the Palace of the Popes, Notre Dame des Doms Cathedral and the Petit Palais Museum which houses an outstanding collection of Italian and Provencal paintings from the late 13th to the early 16th centuries. Enjoy wandering the streets, past cafés and shady squares of the town, discovering the history and stories that have made this city the heart of Provence.

If youa re feeling adventurous, head out of town and visit The Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and, along with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance.

Back in Avignon, La Treille on l’ile de Piot and Bistro de l’ille on l’ile de la Barthelasse are two very nice local haunts for lunch.

After checking out of your accommodation, meet your private driver who will transfer you to the train station to catch your connecting train.

Rail Journey - Avignon TGV to Paris CDG Airport
Comfort Class Tickets