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Heart of France River Cruise
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14
Days
27 Meals
Breakfast
daily
3 dinners
All meals aboard cruise |
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Itinerary
at a glance: |
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Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14 |
Overnight flight
Nice
Antibes
Eze
Avignon
Arles
Avignon
Tournon
Vienne
Lyon
Beaune
Paris
Paris
Return flight home |
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Departures
& Rates: |
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Travel
Inclusions: |
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Call or
email us for
departure dates and pricing from your gateway city.
•
Prices are per person and based on two people
sharing a twin-bedded room.
• Single Room Supplement will apply. |
• Roundtrip air transportation from your gateway.
• Personal airport VIP greeting & check-in
• All transfers and luggage handling between airports and hotel
• Comprehensive sightseeing throughout the itinerary
• Professional, Tour Manager while on tour
• Pre-departure orientation and travel docs
• All tips and taxes for included services, except airport departure taxes and tips to drivers
and guides. |
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Detailed
Itinerary: |
DAY 1 & 2: USA - NICE
We begin our French Riviera discovery today with our
flight to Nice, France. Sit back, relax and enjoy
all the in-flight amenities. Arrive in Nice today
where we will be met at the airport and transferred
to our hotel. Few places in the world have the same
pull on the imagination as the French Riviera,
stretching along the Mediterranean coastline from
St. Tropez in the west to the Italian border in the
east. Cooled by the Mediterranean in the summer and
warmed by it in the winter, the climate is almost
always pleasant. There will be time to relax before
tonights Welcome Reception with our English-speaking
tour guide. (Inflight meals)
DAY 3: NICE - CANNES - ANTIBES - NICE
Our morning begins with a city tour of Nice, the
unofficial capital of the Cote dAzur. Seen from the
hill above the Old Town, the cityscape sparkles with
its splendid hotels and pastel villas filling the
curving flank of the Bay of Angels. We’ll drive
along the world famous Promenade des Anglais lined
with magnificent palms and planted with vibrantly
colored vegetation. We continue to old town to see
the spectacular flower market and the Jesuit Church
of St. Jacques. This afternoon, we’ll travel to
Cannes, a city that has become a community for the
international elite and is synonymous with the
International Film Festival. During our city tour,
we will see the Palais des Festivals with its lovely
harbor and La Croisiette, perhaps one of the most
elegant seaside promenades in the world. We’ll then
travel to Antibes, which was once a Greek fortified
town named Antipolis in the 5th century BC, and
later a Roman town. Today it’s an attractive and
active town, popular with “foreigners” from Paris
and the north of France, with non-French, and with
the local population. Following our visit to
Antibes, we’ll travel back to our hotel in Nice.
Tonight enjoy dinner at a locally renowned
restaurant. B,D
DAY 4: MONTE CARLO - EZE - NICE
Sure to be a highlight is our excursion to Monaco
today. Monaco is an independent principality, about
half the size of New York Citys Central Park, with a
population of 27,000. Our city tour will include
entrance into the 19th-century Romanesque Cathedral,
the sight of Princess Graces tomb. We continue to
the medieval village of Eze, perched 1,000 feet
above the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner is included at a
local Nicoise cuisine restaurant. B,D
DAY 5: NICE - GRASSE - AVIGNON
This morning, we will transfer via motorcoach to
Avignon. Along the way, we’ll make a stop in Grasse.
This region is the principal center of the worldwide
perfume industry, and its many small distilleries
provide the essences to leading perfume
manufacturers in Paris, London, Rome and New York.
Included in our tour is a visit to the distillery of
Parfumeur Galimard founded in 1747. Discover the
secrets of rose cent folia and jasmine in the stages
of perfume alchemy. Under the instruction of a
“Nose”, you will formulate your own unique perfume
or cologne. Upon arriving in Avignon, you will
transfer to your deluxe ship, the Viking Burgundy.
Relax aboard or explore Avignon on your own this
afternoon. Return to the ship for Welcome Cocktail
Reception and Dinner. (B,D)
DAY 6: AVIGNON - ARLES
Following breakfast, take a guided morning drive via
motorcoach to Arles, the “Little Rome of Gaul.” On
the way, pass through Les Baux, best known for the
scenic villages along its steep, chalk cliffs and
the Castle of Les Baux. On arrival in Arles, explore
its many Gallo-Roman ruins including Les Arenes, an
ancient amphitheater which seats 20,000 and is still
used for bullfights and plays, and the former
Cathedral of St. Trophime, a romanesque basilica
constructed in the 12th century. Return to the ship
for lunch on board. In the afternoon, there will be
a guided visit to Camargue, a natural reserve in the
Rhône delta. After exploring this botanical and
zoological habitat, return to the ship in time for
the Cocktail Party and evening sail. While dining,
pass the Castle of Tarascon. Listen to French
accordion music this evening.(B,L,D)
DAY 7: AVIGNON
A guided tour of Avignon, the “City of Popes” will
take you through the maze of narrow streets,
battlements and towers to the lavish Palais des
Papes, a fortress, church and palace considered the
center of the Christian world in the 14th century.
On your tour, you will see much of the city, such as
the 16th- and 17th-century houses and Cardinal’s
Palaces. Following the tour, take a walk across the
Pont d’Avignon, explore one of many museums or visit
the Place de L’Horloge, a bustling square lined with
restaurants, cafés, vendors and street entertainers.
This evening enjoy the Captain’s Dinner, followed by
a cabaret performance aboard. Moor overnight. (B,L,D)
DAY 8: TOURNON
Arrive in Tournon this morning, where you will take
a train journey through the Doux River Gorges and
marvel at the granite cliffs. Return to the ship for
lunch and depart. The remainder of the day is at
leisure aboard your cruise vessel. (B,L,D)
DAY 9: VIENNE
A morning cruise through the Cotes du Rhône region
brings you to the lovely town of Vienne, gateway to
Lyon countryside and prime marketing center for
agricultural produce of the Rhône River valley.
Visit select landmarks including the Cathedral Livia,
9th-century Church of Saint-Andre-le-Bas, medieval
Abbey of Saint Pierre, and Roman Temple of Augustus
dating back to the 1st century. Return to the ship
for lunch and an afternoon cruise. As you sail
through the beautiful Rhône River valley, you may
take part in this afternoon’s French lesson. The
evening’s festivities include Matalotte Fish Night
and a performance by the ship’s crew. Moor
overnight. (B,L,D)
DAY 10: LYON
Breakfast as you cruise through the delightful
Beaujolais countryside to Lyon. Arrive after lunch
in Lyon, set along a narrow peninsula between the
Rhône and Saône Rivers. Dominating the skyline above
the old quarter is the Basilica of Fourviére with
its lavish interior of marble and mosaics. Your city
tour will take you atop Fourviére Hill for a
stunning view of the city below. Later, step into
the past as you travel through the lovely Vieux
(Old) Lyon with its cobblestone streets and
enchanting gothic and renaissance houses, a glorious
reminder of the importance of Lyon as a trade and
banking center. After dinner aboard, you may return
to town or stay on the ship for dinner and evening
entertainment. Moor overnight. (B,L,D)
DAY 11: BEAUNE
After breakfast, board a motorcoach for a drive
through vineyards and prosperous villages to Beaune
for a Burgundy wine tour. Your evening is free to
stroll through the city, go wine tasting or stay
aboard and enjoy a performance of French songs. Moor
overnight. (B,L,D)
DAY 12: CHALON-SUR-SAONE - PARIS
Following disembarkation, we’ll depart
Chalon-sur-Saone and head for Reims, with a stop in
Epernay, home to the famous Moet et Chandon
Champagne and maker of Dom Perignon. Here, we’ll
enjoy a special visit to sample the champagne and
tour the caves! Then, we’ll continue to Reims, to
see the impressive Cathedral of Reims and finally
we’ll arrive in Paris, known as one of the most
romantic cities in Europe. Some of the sights in
your tour include the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee,
Marie Bridge, and Notre Dame, the stunning cathedral
considered the quintessential expression of gothic
architecture. The tour ends at the hotel with the
remainder of the day at leisure to relax at a
sidewalk cafe or walk along the Seine. (B)
DAY 13: PARIS
Our day is at leisure to enjoy “The City of Lights”.
Visit the Louvre, Versailles or anything else that
captures your imagination. But nothing compares to
Paris at night! This evening, enjoy an “illumination
tour” of Paris followed by dinner at Che Clement, a
favorite Parisian restaurant. (B,D)
DAY 14: PARIS - USA
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight
home. (Inflight meals) |
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