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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 £2,495 per person
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Rail & Cruise

Explore the wine capitals, villages and vineyards of a wonderful region.

2024 Tour code: BBR24

About the tour

Experience the idyllic landscapes of the Bordeaux wine region on a leisurely river cruise into the Garonne and Dordogne. You'll visit important maritime towns of the Southwest coast and enjoy great food and free-flowing Bordeaux wines with dinner each night on this relaxing, inclusive cruise holiday.

Unforgettable Experiences

Médoc
Médoc
Follow the beautiful Médoc wine route, tasting wine along the way.
Rochefort
Rochefort
Tour the coastal city of Rochefort including the Corderie Royale.
La Rochelle
La Rochelle
Take a sightseeing tour of the historic harbour town of La Rochelle.
St Emilion
St Emilion
Visit St Emilion for a guided tour and private wine tasting.
Wine Tasting
Wine Tasting
Flexible excursions – choose between a tour of Roquetaillade Château and Cadillac with a tasting of Sauternes wine, or a countryside hike with a wine pairing session at a family-run farm.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Enjoy a guided tour and free time in Bordeaux, a world capital of wine.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - To Bordeaux where we board our cruise ship

Our holiday begins today as we meet at London St Pancras and join the Eurostar to Paris. From here, we travel by coach and rail through the French countryside to Bordeaux, where we board our lovely ship on the banks of the Garonne River. After time to settle in, we enjoy a welcome cocktail before our first dinner, accompanied by free-flowing wine and an evening of entertainment. .

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

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 – Discovering brilliant Bordeaux

Following a relaxed morning onboard, 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 could choose to explore at your own pace. Back on board this evening we enjoy dinner, wine and entertainment.

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

This morning we cruise to Libourne on the Dordogne. After lunch we travel to St Émilion for a guided coach tour of this UNESCO-listed city. According to legend, a Benedictine monk named Emilion sought refuge in one of the natural caves in the area to escape the celebrity status bestowed on him for performing a miracle. We see this very cave on our tour as well as the largest monolithic church in Europe. Visiting a family-run vineyard next, we enjoy 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 in Cussac, a sleepy village on the banks of the Gironde. On a guided tour through the celebrated Médoc wine route, we're treated to 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 ancient maritime city on the banks of the Charente River. On a tour into the city's intriguing past, we visit the Corderie Royale, a historic rope-making factory which supplied the French navy for centuries.

We then 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 time at leisure in La Rochelle to explore the Old Town and harbour. Or you could 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 – Homeward bound

After a final breakfast onboard, it's time to say goodbye to our wonderful crew this morning and head to the station by coach. We board the train to Paris, where we connect with the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras. Our holiday comes to an end here and you can make your way home with fantastic new memories.

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.

Train

Eurostar

Ship

MS Cyrano de Bergerac

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