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Waterways of Burgundy

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7 days From £2,799 per person
4.2 stars(31 reviews)
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Indulge in the scenery and produce of the famous Burgundy wine region of France on an expertly guided barge holiday

Mobility Rating 2

2026 Tour code: CDR26

About the tour

Sail along its picturesque waterways of Burgundy, soaking up the views and savouring the local produce this famed French wine region.

Embrace the joys of slow travel aboard a comfortable barge, enjoying visits to attractive riverside towns and exploring with expert guides.

Journey along the Grand Crus Wine Circuit whose vineyards produce the world's finest wines and enjoy ports of call at Saint-Jean-de-Losne and Dole. As we sail, relax and savour the serene beauty of sloping vineyards and idyllic villages that make up the landscapes of the region.

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Unforgettable Experiences

Experiencing Burgundy’s Grand Crus Wine Circuit
Experiencing Burgundy’s Grand Crus Wine Circuit
Glide past riverside villages famed for their aged vintages in this corner of the world, responsible for some of the most exclusive Burgundian wines.
Discovering Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Discovering Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Explore this historic town on a guided sightseeing tour, viewing scenic waterfronts, visiting historic landmarks and enjoying the local culture.
Cruising the Burgundy Canal
Cruising the Burgundy Canal
Enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax on board as we cruise leisurely, with opportunities to walk or cycle alongside the boat.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in the historic city of Dijon

Your holiday begins at London St Pancras, where you meet the Tour Manager and board the Eurostar to Paris.

In the French capital, we change stations and continue by high-speed rail to Dijon. As the former capital of the wealthy Duchy of Burgundy, Dijon is an attractive and historic city. In the grand Place de la Libération, a crescent of honey-hued restaurants and bars look out to the medieval Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy.

On arrival in the French city, we are transferred to our hotel barge. After boarding the MS Daniele and settling into our cabins, a three-course welcome dinner is served onboard.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 – Exploring the Grand Crus wine route

Our Burgundian explorations begin today with a coach excursion along the Grand Crus wine route. Passing through picturesque villages, we view the beautiful vineyards where the most prestigious Burgundy wines are produced. Enroute, we stop to enjoy a wine tasting as we begin to immerse ourselves in the region and discover its famed produce.

Returning to our boat, we cruise onwards to Petit-Ouges. On arrival, there's the chance to discover the Path of the Three Wash Houses - a 2.5-mile walk tracing the area's surprising history. This little-known area near Dijon can trace its origins back to the 7th century, as we explore ancient wash houses that boast different architectural styles.

This evening, we enjoy dinner and drinks on board.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 – Sailing towards Saint-Jean-de-Losne

A full day sailing towards Saint-Jean-de-Losne provides the chance to embrace the joys of this form of travel. Take the time to sit back and admire the riverbank scenes of quintessential French landscapes as we uncover parts of rural France that other forms of transport cannot reach. Enjoy verdant views, pastoral architecture and charming villages from our barge. You can even opt to cycle alongside the boat as we travel.

Our destination is the historic village of Saint-Jean-de-Losne. Despite its small size, it's renowned as the capital of canal barging in France and boasts a significant history, due to its position on the banks of the Saône River. During the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the village was besieged by forces of the Holy Roman Empire but managed to withstand the imperial army.

After we moor in Saint-Jean-de-Losne, dinner are drinks are served on our barge this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – Serene views along the Saône

This morning, we uncover the history of Saint-Jean-de-Losne, exploring monuments that tell the story of the village's prestigious past. On our tour, we view the monument commemorating the siege of 1636, as well as the Hôtel-Dieu - a charitable hospital founded in 1658.

In the afternoon, we join the Saône River and begin sailing towards Dole. Unwind aboard our barge as we glide past picturesque riverscapes of tree-lined shores, serene backwaters and small islands. This is an idyllic way to travel and soak up the views that pass slowly by.

Dole is a historic town in the Jura department and is renowned as the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. Arriving this evening, we enjoy dinner and drinks aboard our ship.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 – Dole & the Trail of the Chat Perché

After breakfast, we disembark for a unique tour around Dole. The 'Trail of the Chat Perché' refers to the famous tales of a perched cat and was written by Marcel Aymé who lived in Dole as a child. It also refers to Dole's location, which is nestled on a beautiful hillside.

The tour reveals Dole's history and celebrated monuments as we stroll its quintessential French streets, lined with shuttered limestone buildings topped by grey slate roofs. The town's focal point is the 16th-century collegiate church of Notre-Dame, which reflects Dole's history as a capital of Burgundy and is topped by a 240ft bell tower.

Returning to our barge, we set sail during lunch as we glide eastwards along the Rhône & Rhine Canal and Doubs River to Ranchot, where we moor ahead of dinner this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Saline Royale of Arc-et-Senans

Our final day of sailing sees us spend the morning cruising along the river towards Besançon. As the get closer to our destination, the banks become steeper and are blanketed with thick forests.

In the afternoon, we transfer by coach to Arc-et-Senans, a small village famed for its remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site. Built under the reign of Louis XVI in the 1770s, the Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) reflects the architectural ideals of the Age of the Enlightenment. These saltworks were where the workers lived and produced the valuable commodity of salt, with a semi-circle of houses gathering around the main works. Our tour relays the history of the Saline Royale and we can also explore the attractive gardens.

Returning to our boat in Besançon, we gather for our gala dinner this evening to celebrate our barge experience.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – Homeward bound

From the Burgundy Canal to the winding rivers of the Saône and Doubs, this barge holiday has revealed the region's idyllic waterways. Enroute from Dijon to Besançon, we have savoured tastings of world-renowned wines and uncovered the timeless history of Burgundy.

This morning, we enjoy our final breakfast onboard before disembarking and taking the coach from Besançon to Mulhouse. From here, we travel by train to Paris, via Strasbourg, and board the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras, where your holiday comes to an end.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

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.

Trains

Eurostar
TGV

Ship

MS Daniele

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Upgrades

Upgrade to Plus Class on Eurostar
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.2 stars4.2 / 5 · 31 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (10)
  2. 4 stars
    (16)
  3. 3 stars
    (5)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Mr richard garrard

5 stars

Submitted 02 Oct 2024

Actual Barge trip was brilliant - good food, excellent service & staff. Gelled well as a group of passengers & had a really good time. Originally the outward Eurostar was for 9.31 so we booked an overnight stay in a hotel on a non-refundable basis. Train time was changed to 11.31 so hotel stay was not needed. Journey back to St Pancras took almost 12 hours (against just over 6 hours going to Dijon) with passenger being woken at 4.00am!!. This was news to passengers & did not go down well. It took the edge of a great holiday, especially as quicker options to Paris were available.

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Mr Barry Keward

5 stars

Submitted 28 Sep 2024

Journey to ship in Dijon went without a problem. Arrival at the barge was greeted by the crew who made us feel welcomed throughout the trip. Accommodation small but comfortable, food was excellent and plentiful. Return journey however was a major disappointment with a 4.00am early morning call,5.00am breakfast followed by a 6.00am departure to catch a 9.50 train from Mullhouse via Strasbourg to Paris. Whoever thought that was a good idea!!!

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Peter Oxley

5 stars

Submitted 27 Sep 2024

As previously on another barge trip the crew were excellent and the facilities and food were first class. Relaxing and enjoyable

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John from York

5 stars

Submitted 18 Sep 2024

A relaxing trip with an attentive crew who have a keen eye for detail.

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Vivien Newsome

5 stars

Submitted 11 Oct 2023

A marvellously relaxing view of the Burgundian countryside. For me the crew were the making of the trip so kind and so much fun nothing too much bother - we all felt like a little family 10 out of 10

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Vivien Newsome
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Wendy Cary

5 stars

Submitted 04 Aug 2022

The accommodation was excellent, the food was superb, the service could not have been better, and the company could not have been more compatible. One of the best holidays I have had for several years..

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