Avignon, the Rhône & Provence

London to Avignon by Eurostar

We meet early this morning at our dedicated Departure Office at St Pancras International. We travel by Eurostar in Standard Premier Class for our journey through the Channel Tunnel and across France directly to Avignon. During the journey we enjoy breakfast on board, followed by a light meal and drinks later in the day. After arriving in France, we travel through Paris and continue through the heart of the country, across the beautiful countryside of the Champagne and Burgundy wine regions. On arrival in Avignon we transfer to our base for the next six nights, the centrally located 4-Star Hotel de l'Horloge. Tonight we enjoy dinner together in a local Avignon restaurant.

A lunch cruise along the Rhône

Today we take a relaxing cruise on the River Rhône, enjoying lunch as we sail through picturesque scenery to Arles, once home to Vincent van Gogh. Boasting a beautifully preserved historic centre, the city of Arles is home to one of Europe's best collections of Roman ruins - which are UNESCO listed. Initially a Celtic city, Arles became Roman after Julius Caesar distributed the land among some of his most faithful soldiers in 46 BC. This was the city's first golden age, as it came to be known as "Little Rome in Gaul".

As we arrive in this delightful city, it is easy to see how Arles inspired van Gogh to produce over 300 paintings and drawings during his time here. Among the many highlights of Arles' rich history is the mighty Roman Arena, which would have seated about 20,000 people. It was partly converted into a castle in the Middle Ages but is still remarkably intact. We return to Avignon by First Class rail.

A guided walking tour of Avignon

This morning we enjoy a guided walking tour of charming Avignon. The city is well known for the Pont St Bénezet, its famous broken bridge. All but four of its arches were washed away in a devastating flood in 1668 - and today the surviving arches have become an iconic symbol of the city, and the feature of a famous song. The city is also famous for the Palais des Papes - Palace of the Popes - which was the seat of the Papacy for six successive Popes during the 14th century after Pope Clement V escaped the violent chaos and corruption of Rome and moved to Avignon.

We admire both of these striking landmarks - which now form the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site - as we pass them during our guided sightseeing tour. The afternoon is free for you to explore Avignon at leisure. Stoll through the city's broad,tree-lined avenues and explore the intriguing network of alleyways and passages that connect beautiful open squares and pretty churches.

The Villages of Provence

Today we enjoy a coach excursion into the Luberon, a picturesque region of Provence, known for its olive groves, vineyards and fascinating hilltop villages. We visit L'Isle sur-la-Sorgue, known as the 'Venice of Provence' for the canals which criss cross the town. Here you can relax in one of the delightful waterside cafés and see the attractive waterwheels located throughout the town, are all in working order. After enjoying lunch in L'Isle sur-la-Sorgue, we visit Gordes, a beautiful old village built on and around an outcrop of rocky cliffs. The buildings are packed tightly together, including the 12th century castle, with narrow alleyways and stone staircases acting as the village streets. The views of the surrounding fields and forests are spectacular from any vantage point in Gordes, which is listed as one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" - "the Most Beautiful Villages in France". Another village in that prestigious list is Roussillon, located only a short distance away. Set on the ridge of a steep red cliff, the village is surrounded by a pine forest, its superb setting outdone only by the impeccable beauty of the village itself. The small centre is filled with colourful old buildings and a spiralling network of medieval streets. After enjoying time to explore both villages, we return to Avignon.

At leisure in Avignon

Today you are free to continue exploring Avignon at leisure. For wonderful views over the city's sights, including the Palais des Papes, the rooftops of Old Avignon and the Pont St-Bénézet, take a walk up to the Rock of Domes, where a beautiful hilltop garden is set on a bluff above the city. The gardens are also home to a collection of rocky grottoes which are referred to as 'the cradle of Avignon', where some of the first known inhabitants of the area settled and lived. You could travel further afield by rail, with exciting options available including the fascinating port city of Marseille, one of the jewels of France's Mediterranean coastline.

Pont du Gard & Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Today we travel by coach to the stunning Pont du Gard, the world famous three-level stone aqueduct, which crosses the Gardon River Valley. Built by the Romans in 19BC, the incredible engineering feat was designed to bring water to the settlement at Nimes, for use in public baths, fountains and private residences. The gradient of the slope as it crosses the river is just 1 in 3,000 - a drop of just 2.5cm - which shows the incredible precision of the Roman engineers who designed and built the aqueduct with the simple technology available to them over 2,000 years ago.

The Pont du Gard enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status, as one of the greatest remaining iconic glories of the Roman Empire. Our excursion continues to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a medieval village built on a hillside and overlooked by the ruins of an ancient chateau. The village is perhaps the most famous red wine producing village in the world and is surrounded almost completely by vineyards, with the River Rhône winding across the landscape. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before a tasting of the celebrated wines, which have 'Appellation d'Origine Controlée' protection. We also have time to explore the village at leisure.

Avignon to London

After a leisurely morning, we leave Avignon mid afternoon and join the direct Eurostar service to London, with a light meal and drinks on board. We arrive late this evening, when your tour concludes.