From Burgundy to the Camargue along the Saône and the Rhône Rivers (port-to-port cruise)

Included in tour package:<ul><li>Lyon</li><li>The Cluny Abbey</li><li>Vienne</li><li>Avignon and the Papal Palace</li><li>The Camargue</li><li>Arles and tour of an olive oil production site</li><li>Viviers</li><li>Tournon</li></ul>

You will leave by coach with your guide to the Cluny Abbey. Founded in 910 by William the Pious, the abbey was under the direct protection of Rome and its abbot was granted the role of mediator between the political leaders and the pope. This ancient Benedictine abbey extended a widespread influence on all of medieval Europe. Its church was the largest in all of West Christianity until the Saint Peter&#39;s basilica was built in Rome. In 1798, the abbey was sold as a national asset and thus dismantled, while its church was almost completely destroyed. Today, you can still admire their vestiges which bear witness to the past splendour of Cluny. Return on board in Macon.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
</ul>

Cluny Abbey

Depart by foot for the guided tour of Arles. For two thousand years Arles has maintained an outstanding architectural heritage making it a genuine open-air museum. Welcome to this tourist and cultural mecca. During this tour you will see the Roman Amphitheatre (the Arena), the Roman Theatre, St Trophimus square with its cloister and church on the Arles route; one of three routes leading to Santiago de Compostela. We will continue our tour through the Place du Forum, and finally, the Roman baths of Constantine. Then, depart by coach towards Tarascon. You will visit a domain producing the famous Provencal olive oil at the foot of Montagnette in an 18th C. Proven&ccedil;al country house where the estate owners have planted a large orchard of 150,000 trees. You will visit the estate sitting on straw bales in trailers pulled by tractors. The owners will explain the cultivation and production of the yellow gold of Provence, olive oil. After this discovery, you will have the opportunity to taste the products of the estate. Return to Arles by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>The order of visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
</ul>

Guided tour of Arles and visit of an olive oil production site

You will set out on foot for the guided tour of the old town of Avignon. With the Pope&#39;s Palace, classed as a world heritage site by UNESCO and a testimony to the city&#39;s past when it was known as the capital of Christianity back in the Middle-Ages, Avignon offers an impressive array of monuments. Along the Passage de l&#39;Oratoire, you&#39;ll be able to admire the exteriors of the chapel, classified as a historic monument, where many events take place during the famous Avignon Festival. We&#39;ll move on to St Agricol street where you&#39;ll get to see the diocesan Church, the oldest in the city. We&#39;ll then stop by the Place de l&#39;Horloge, which has always been the beating heart of Avignon. Caf&eacute;s and restaurant terraces are now spread out where the Roman forum once stood. Right across, you will see the walls of the Town Hall and the theater that was built in the 19th century. We&#39;ll continue to the Place du Palais. This square is roughly 800 ft long and 160 ft wide. To the East stands the Pope&#39;s Palace which faces the baroque sculptures of the Papal mint. A large golden Virgin seems to be watching the Notre Dame des Doms cathedral while the elegant Renaissance inspiration on the outside walls of the Petit Palais are showing further back. Then, discover the Pope&#39;s Palace, the most important monument in the city. It&#39;s made of two parts: the old Palais of Pope Benedict XII (1334 - 1342), and the new Palais of his successor Pope Clement VI (1342 - 1352). Our visit will take you through the staterooms where numerous ceremonies and feasts took place, the chapels, the Pope&#39;s private apartments and the terraces which offer a wonderful panorama on Avignon and the Rh&ocirc;ne river. Return on board on foot.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>It is forbidden to take pictures inside the Pope&#39;s Palace.</li>
	<li>It is necessary to climb up 500 steps inside the Pope&#39;s Palace.</li>
	<li>Bags would be left in the luggage office.</li>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
</ul>

Avignon and the Pope&#39;s Palace

Enjoy a 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'll visit a manade (bull breeding farm) and learn about the work of a manadier as we watch a demonstration of how they work with the animals they raise. Our visit will include a cocktail on the patio. At the end of our visit, we'll return to the ship.PLEASE NOTE<ul><li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li><li>The order of the visits can change.</li><li>Times are approximate.</li></ul>

Touring the Camargue and visiting a manade

This winkling city will reveal itself to you during a guided visit by coach and on foot. Our excursion will start with a stop at the Fourvi&egrave;re Basilica. You&#39;ll first take in the breathtaking views from the heights of the Basilica before entering it. In 1168, a chapel was built in Fourvi&egrave;re by Olivier de Chavannes, the Saint Jean canon, over the ruins of the old roman forum. The small chapel that was first dedicated to Saint Thomas and then to the Virgin Mary has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Its current known form dates back to 1740 and its most recent renovation was in 2008. After our visit we&#39;ll return to the coach and move on to Lyon&#39;s Old Town. You will take a walking tour with our guide and discover the &quot;traboules&rdquo;, types of passageways that are typical of the city. The first traboules are thought to have been built in the 4th century. There was a water shortage in Lugdunum (the Gallo-Roman name that was given to Lyon at the time) that led its inhabitants to settle in the &quot;lower city&rdquo; on the banks of the Sa&ocirc;ne, at the foot of the hills of Fourvi&egrave;re. The traboules were thus used to reach the river quickly. You&#39;ll enjoy some free time in the Saint Jean district, in the heart of the Old Town. Return on board for lunch.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Please dress appropriately to enter the Basilica.</li>
	<li>Good walking shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
</ul>

Guided tour of Lyon

Welcome to Tournon! Located in the heart of the Rhone Valley, at the gates of Provence, this city will enchant you with its heady perfumes. We&#39;ll begin our visit on foot passing all the main tourist attractions of the town, including the historic monuments and shopping areas. 
We&#39;ll stop at the Ch&acirc;teau Museum where we&#39;ll get the opportunity to discover the permanent collection tracing the history of navigation on the Rhone river. This imposing castle was built on a high granite rock overlooking the town and was the domain of the barony of the Counts of Tournon. At the foot of the castle, enjoy a pleasant walk along the streets and alleys of the historic center which will take you back to the Middle Ages. Our visit will end with a tasting* of regional products and wines. Return on foot to the boat at our own pace.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Comfortable walking shoes recommended.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
	<li>*Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.</li>
</ul>

Tournon

Meet up with the guides for a walking tour of Vienne, during which you will discover this Roman city rich in vestiges. The history of Vienne goes back more than 2000 years. The city is indivisible from the Rh&ocirc;ne river and the surrounding hills. The Allobrogi people are thought to have made it their capital, but it was in the Roman era that the city began to prosper on both banks. You will see the Antique Theatre; built roughly between 40 and 50 AD, it is considered one of the largest in the Roman empire, with its 130m diameter and 13,000 spectators capacity. Restored in 1938, it was returned to its original function and is now a venue for artistic events. The tour will continue with the Temple of Augustus and Livia (exteriors only). This temple dedicated to Rome and Augustus stood in a sacred area on the forum and has carried this name since the end of the 18th century. Its construction began about 20-10 BC; it was later transformed at the beginning of the Middle Ages into a church, and was finally restored in the second half of the 19th century thanks to the intervention of Prosper M&eacute;rim&eacute;e. Finally, to complete the tour, you will see the Cathedral of St Maurice (exteriors only), which has been listed as a historic monument since 1840. Return to the boat on foot.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Comfortable shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
</ul>

Guided tour of Vienne

You will leave the boat on foot for a guided tour of Viviers. The third largest protected sector in the Rh&ocirc;ne Alpes regions, residence of bishops since the 5th century, Viviers, a small town with a population of 3,500 is like an open-air museum, where every stone contains a page of history. You will be able to admire France&#39;s smallest Cathedral in this sumptuous medieval town. Among other things you will see the House of Knights with its superb Renaissance facade, the Tower of St Michel, the great seminary and the Belvedere with an unobstructed view of Viviers at night. Return to the boat on foot.

PLEASE NOTE

<ul>
	<li>Comfortable shoes are recommended.</li>
	<li>An effort is required to go up to the Belvedere.</li>
	<li>The order of the visits can change.</li>
	<li>Times are approximate.</li>
</ul>

Guided tour of Viviers

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CLASSIC EXCURSIONS PACKAGE

Included in tour package: Lyon The Cluny Abbey Vienne Avignon and the Papal Palace The Camargue Arles and tour of an olive oil production site Viviers Tournon

CLASSIC EXCURSIONS PACKAGE

Cruises

From Burgundy to the Camargue along the Saône and the Rhône Rivers (port-to-port cruise)

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