Beautiful Bordeaux, the Dordogne and La Rochelle

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.

• Dinner

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. 

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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

• Breakfast