Cruise the Rhône Valley

9 Day Itinerary

• Day 1:

  Local departure by coach or Home Connect service, then to the Paris area for a two-night stay.

• Day 2: Paris

  Included visit to the cosmopolitan city of Paris. A large portion of the capital, including the River Seine, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and to make the most of your visit why not join our optional guided sightseeing tour?

  Our local guide will introduce you to the city’s most famous sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Élysées, and Place de la Concorde.

  We return to our hotel late afternoon.

  Included meals: Breakfast

  Paris

  

  Included Highlights

  • Paris

• Day 3: Lyon

  Head south through France to Lyon, where we board our cruise ship, the MS Van Gogh for a five-night cruise. We sail through the night.

  Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 4: Arles

  Our cruise takes us on a remarkable journey on this mighty river. We arrive in Arles in the afternoon and you can have free time in the town or join an optional excursion to Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the prettiest villages in France. Located at the heart of the Alpilles on a rocky plateau, the village overlooks breath-taking landscapes over Arles, the Camargue and the Alpilles. This gorgeous and impressive stone fortress is definitely a must-see.

  Then in the early evening we return to Arles where you can enjoy free time to explore this old Roman town, before returning to the ship. Arles with its two thousand years of history has preserved an exceptional monumental heritage, making the city a veritable open-air museum. Tonight the ship is due to berth overnight in Arles.

  Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Arles

  

  Included Highlights

  • Arles

• Day 5: Arles to Port Saint Louis to Martigues (The Camargue)

  Join our included panoramic guided tour of the Camargue. Sit back and admire the rivers, marshes, ponds, pink flamingoes, black bulls and the famous, indigenous Camargue horses. Discover the salt and rice fields that make the area so well known. We will visit the village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, famous for its interesting fortified church, before we rejoin our ship in Port-Saint-Louis.

  Enjoy lunch as we spend the afternoon cruising to Martigues (subject to berthing availability), arriving late in the afternoon, free time to explore. Enjoy dinner and an evening of entertainment as we cruise through the night to Avignon. Depending on mooring availability, the stopover in Martigues could be replaced by Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône.

  Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Martigues

  

  More Photos

  Included Highlights

  • The Camargue
  • Saintes-Mariesde- La-Mer
  • Martigues

• Day 6: Avignon to Viviers (Ardeche Gorges)

  This morning, enjoy some free time in Avignon. Join our optional small land train tour of the City of Popes, a citadel surrounded by ramparts and perched on a rocky outcrop over the river. The former Papal palace is a major feat of Gothic architecture that dates from the 14th century.

  This afternoon join our included excursion to the  Ardeche Gorges, an area which abounds with wonderful dramatic and unspoilt natural scenery. Your breath will be taken away by the views of the mountain relief, with steep valleys, dense vegetation, the ever present granite and volcanic rocks, and much more. Enjoy the spectacular scenery as we follow the famous ‘Route des Gorges’. We return to our ship for dinner, followed by entertainment. We cruise to Viviers and moor overnight.

  Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Ardeche Gorge

  

  Included Highlights

  • Ardeche Gorge

  Optional Excursions

  Our optional excursions are a great addition to enhance your holiday experience and are highly recommended.

  	2022
  City of Popes	TBC

  The optional excursions will be available to book during your tour.

  Prices are per person and are subject to change. Payment will be in cash in Euros (for tours to Europe) or Sterling (for UK tours).

• Day 7: Viviers to Tain l'Hermitage

  Enjoy breakfast and lunch as we cruise to La Voulte arriving early afternoon. Join our optional excursion to Vercors Plateau including visiting Pont en Royans, famous for its suspended houses, and Romans-sur-Isère with its 12th century church and international shoe museum housed in a former convent.

  We rejoin our ship at Tain l’Hermitage or Tournon sur Rhône in time to prepare for our gala dinner and evening of entertainment. We sail through the night towards Lyon.

  Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Vercors

  

  Included Highlights

  • La Voulte

  Optional Excursions

  Our optional excursions are a great addition to enhance your holiday experience and are highly recommended.

  	2022
  Vercors	TBC

  The optional excursions will be available to book during your tour.

  Prices are per person and are subject to change. Payment will be in cash in Euros (for tours to Europe) or Sterling (for UK tours).

• Day 8: Tain L'Hermitage to Lyon

  We continue cruising to Lyon, where we disembark, and head by coach to northern France and our overnight hotel.

  Included meals: Breakfast

  Lyon

  

  Included Highlights

  • Lyon

• Day 9:

  Return home.

  Included meals: Breakfast