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Beautiful Bordeaux, the Dordogne and La Rochelle

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You are viewing the 2024 itinerary. Select your departure year
20242025
7 days From £2,295 per person
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Fly & Cruise

Explore the villages and vineyards of this wonderful region of France

2024 Tour code: BBZ24

About the tour

Experience the idyllic landscapes surrounding Bordeaux and explore the most leisurely way possible, on a river cruise sailing through picturesque sections of the Garonne and Dordogne. You'll visit the important maritime towns of the Southwest coast and enjoy great food and free-flowing wines from Bordeaux each dinnertime on this wonderful cruise holiday.

Unforgettable Experiences

Médoc
Médoc
Follow the Médoc wine route, enjoying wine tastings along the way.
Rochefort
Rochefort
Tour Rochefort and enjoy entrance to the Corderie Royale.
La Rochelle
La Rochelle
Explore La Rochelle on a sightseeing tour.
St Emilion
St Emilion
Visit St Emilion for a guided tour and private wine tasting.
Wine Tasting
Wine Tasting
Unique flexible excursions: choose from a tour of Roquetaillade Château and Cadillac and a tasting of Sauternes wine or a hike through the countryside and a wine pairing session at a family-run farm.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Enjoy a guided tour and free time in Bordeaux.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - To Bordeaux where we board our cruise ship

We meet at London Gatwick airport for our flight to Bordeaux, one of the world's wine capitals. On arrival we are met at the airport and transferred to our cruise ship for 6 nights, the MS Cyrano de Bergerac. After time to settle in, we are welcomed with a cocktail in the lounge before tonight's 3-course dinner is served, accompanied by wine and followed by an evening of entertainment on board. d.

*If you would like to travel by rail, view our Rail & Cruise option here.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Discovering brilliant Bordeaux

Following a relaxed morning on board, this afternoon we explore Bordeaux - a beautiful city which brims with 18th-century grandeur and 21st century energy. As the world's largest urban World Heritage Site - with diverse architecture, welcoming boulevards and a quaint Old Town - Bordeaux also has an excellent choice of art museums. A city tour gives us an insight into Bordeaux's history. Alternatively, you may choose to explore at your own pace. Besides its reputation for excellent wine, the city is also a centre for gastronomy. Back on board this evening we enjoy dinner, wine and entertainment. 

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Medieval St Émilion

Disembarking in Libourne this morning, we travel to St Émilion for a guided tour of this UNESCO listed city. We also visit the Troglodyte cave that was inhabited by the Benedictine monk who founded the town, after he escaped the celebrity status bestowed on him for performing a miracle. We'll also see the largest monolithic church in Europe and visit a family-run vineyard for a tasting of some popular local wines before returning to our ship where we sail to Cussac during dinner. We moor here overnight.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - The delicious wines of Médoc

This morning we awaken at Cussac, a sleepy village on the banks of the Gironde. Here we disembark for a tour through the celebrated Médoc wine route and enjoy a tasting at a vineyard along the Route des Châteaux. Following lunch, we sail from Cussac to Royan where we moor for the night and enjoy dinner this evening alongside some entertainment.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Prestigious Rochefort and picturesque La Rochelle

After breakfast, we travel by coach to Rochefort, an important and ancient maritime destination on the banks of the Charente River, and we take a tour into the city's intriguing past. Entrance is included to the Corderie Royale, a historic rope-making factory which supplied the French navy for centuries.

We continue to one of the most historically important seaports on the European Atlantic coast, La Rochelle. After lunch at a local restaurant, we tour the natural and man-made architecture that makes this destination so unique. You then have some free time in La Rochelle to explore the Old Town and harbour or maybe visit one of the city's many museums.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Discover the Roquetaillade Château or explore charming Cadillac

Today our ship moors in the fortified 13th-century town of Cadillac, on the banks of la Garonne. With a choice of excursions, you could tour the medieval Roquetaillade Château, named after the troglodyte caves that are underneath. Built in 1306 as the last English castle in France, this castle is still privately owned by the Roquetaillade family, who have been residents here since it was constructed. It was opened to the public in 1956 and there's a working farm with Bazadais cattle as well as a vineyard which produces the famous white wine, Chateaufort de Roquetaillade. Alternatively, you could enjoy a guided walking tour of Cadillac to visit its gourmet market. Famous for its variety of sweet dessert wines, this little medieval town is a must for wine connoisseurs. We return to our ship for lunch on board and set sail for Bordeaux. This evening we enjoy a gala dinner, the perfect end to our holiday.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Journey home

After a final breakfast on board, we disembark the ship and transfer to Bordeaux airport, where we catch our flight back to London.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Ship

MS Cyrano de Bergerac

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