Day 1: Lyon — Embarkation
Board the Avalon Poetry II in Lyon. Welcome reception and dinner. Evening cruise with Lyon’s illuminated riverfront. Overnight Lyon.
Day 2: Lyon — Gastronomic Capital
Active: guided bike tour through Lyon’s parks and along the Rhone and Saone riverbanks. Discovery: walking tour of Vieux Lyon including the traboules (secret passageways) and a tasting at Les Halles de Lyon — Paul Bocuse’s legendary covered market where 48 artisan stalls showcase France’s finest charcuterie, cheese, pastries, and wine. Classic: panoramic coach tour including Fourviere Basilica. Overnight sailing south.
Day 3: Tain-l’Hermitage — Cotes du Rhone
Active: hike the Hermitage hill — the granite slopes where legendary Syrah wines are born, with panoramic Rhone Valley views. Discovery: Valrhona Cite du Chocolat workshop — create your own chocolate bar under a master chocolatier’s guidance. Classic: wine tasting at a Hermitage domaine. Afternoon cruising past steep vineyard terraces. Overnight sailing.
Day 4: Tournon & Viviers
Active: bike ride along the ViaRhona cycling path, past vineyards and riverside villages. Discovery: visit a truffle farm and learn the secrets of the ‘black diamond’ of Provence with a truffle-hunting dog demonstration. Classic: tour of Tournon Castle and its panoramic terraces. Afternoon in medieval Viviers — the cathedral, Maison des Chevaliers, and cobblestone streets. Overnight sailing.
Day 5: Avignon & Pont du Gard
Active: kayak beneath the Pont du Gard — paddle the Gardon River through the arches of the 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, one of the most spectacular perspectives you’ll ever have of ancient engineering. Discovery: Provencal cooking class — prepare a classic three-course meal in a farmhouse kitchen, then enjoy your creations with local wines. Classic: guided tour of the Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon. Overnight Avignon.
Day 6: Arles — Van Gogh & Roman Legacy
Active: bike ride through the Camargue — ride through rice paddies and salt flats, past pink flamingos, white Camargue horses, and black bulls. Discovery: Van Gogh walking tour — visit the exact locations of his Arles paintings, including the Espace Van Gogh (the hospital garden he painted) and the Cafe Terrace at Night. Classic: guided tour of the Roman Arena, Theatre, and Alyscamps necropolis. Overnight Arles.
Day 7: Camargue to Port-Saint-Louis
Active: kayak through Camargue lagoons among flamingos and wildlife. Discovery: visit a traditional manade (ranch) for a demonstration of gardian skills — the Camargue cowboys who work with black bulls on white horses, maintaining traditions centuries old. Taste gardiane de taureau (bull stew) and Camargue rice. Classic: excursion to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and the fortified church. Evening: gala farewell dinner onboard. Overnight sailing to Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone.
Day 8: Disembarkation
Breakfast. Disembark in Port-Saint-Louis. Transfer to Marseille.
