Taste of Bordeaux

Welcome to Bordeaux, where you’ll board your luxurious Taste of Bordeaux river cruise. Meet your fellow passengers this evening during a delectable Welcome Dinner.

Welcome to Libourne, a gateway to one of Bordeaux’s most elite wine regions. Join an excursion to Saint Émilion, known for its celebrated vineyards, and while here, explore the monolithic church carved out of one piece of limestone rock, and then go under the church to discover its catacombs and caves.

Afterwards, enjoy a Grand Cru Classé wine tasting at a local château.

Alternately, you can enjoy an excursion to Saint-Émilion solely to discover more of the small historic town.

If you prefer a more active adventure, pedal through the vineyard-rich countryside to Saint-Émilion.

• Saint-Émilion excursion and Grand Cru Classé wine tasting
  • OR Saint-Émilion excursion
  • OR Saint-Émilion bike tour

Stroll through the colorful, open-air market, tasting some of the region’s specialties.

As a unique alternative, travel back in time to visit an ancient watermill and learn the tradition of breadmaking.

Or, you can get your heart pumping by venturing deeper into town by hiking through one of Libourne’s renowned vineyards, accompanied by a tasting of local wine and tapas.

• Bastide town and market visit
  • OR Ancient Watermill Visit and Breadmaking Workshop
  • OR Château Boutinet hike with wine and tapas tasting

Once in Blaye, you can join a tour of its 17th-century citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a more active excursion, take a bike ride around Blaye.

Later in the day, you can choose to bike from Blaye through the idyllic French countryside to Bourg. While in the ancient village of Bourg, take a walking tour and visit the Carriage Museum, which houses a wonderful collection of horse-drawn vehicles.

Later in the day, experience the hospitality of this charming medieval village with an exclusive wine festival. Meet the local wine growers and taste the fruits of their labors as well as enjoy live French music and dancing.

• Blaye Citadel visit
  • OR Blaye Chemin de Fer bike tour
• Blaye to Bourg bike tour
  • OR Bourg walking tour, Carriage Museum, and WWII Petrol Cistern
• Exclusive wine festival

Cussac-Fort-Medoc is a peaceful commune in southwestern France and your gateway to the famed Médoc region, renowned for producing some of the world’s finest Bordeaux wines. You will see some of the most beautiful and famous wine estates.  You’ll then visit a local château for a tasting of Grand Cru wines.

More active guests can hike through the vineyards and taste local specialties. Alternatively, or you may enjoy a drive along the coast to Soulac-sur-Mer where you’ll see unique sights, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Cordouan lighthouse known to be the oldest in France.

• Medoc Grand Cru Classé wine tasting and scenic vineyard tour
  • OR Vineyard hike and local specialties tasting
  • OR Soulac-sur-Mer seaside excursion

Visit the impressive Castle of Roquetaillade, an amazingly preserved masterpiece of medieval military architecture owned by the same noble family for 700 years and travel to the Sauternes wine region to either Chateau de Rayne Vigneau or Château Guiraud to taste the highly prized golden-hued sweet wines produced here.

For those wishing to explore more of the history on the decadent castles, you can enjoy a visit to the Roquetaillade castle and Cadillac castle.

Or, pedal through the charming town of Cadillac for a guided bike tour.

• Roquetaillade Castle with Sauternes wine tasting
  • OR Roquetaillade and Cadillac visit
  • OR Cadillac bike tour

The breathtaking capital of the wine world, Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and classified as a “City of Art and History.”

You’ll have an opportunity to experience much of the rich culture and architecture on a city tour followed by a visit to the famed indoor Les Halles de Bacalan market for a tasting of local specialties to please the palate.

Bike enthusiasts will wish to join a tour along the city’s amazing network of bicycle paths.

Depending on your interests, you have a choice from three excursions in the afternoon. Enjoy a visit to the immersive and interactive Bordeaux Wine Museum, housed in an awe-inspiring building. Alternately, be treated to a spectacular sound and light show, Les Bassins des Lumières.

• UNESCO city tour and market tasting
  • OR Bordeaux bike tour
• Bordeaux Cité du Vin (wine museum) visit
  • OR Bassins des Lumières

Disembark the ship and prepare for your homeward flight.

4 Nights Bilbao & San Sebastian Discover Bilbao with its traditional Basque culture on a tour to the Guggenheim Museum, housing prominent modern and contemporary works.

Visit the Mercado de la Ribera, Bilbao’s famous market located on the picturesque waterfront and explore Guernica, known throughout the world due to the painting by Pablo Picasso that bears the same name. San Sebastian became a fashionable destination for Spanish royalty during the 19th century – the city was given its splendid Bele Epoque makeover and your city tour will showcase the grand architecture and captivating culture that have been left in the legacy of sophisticated Art Nouveau buildings.

En route to Bordeaux, travel through the “French Basque” countryside with a stop in the charming fishing village, Saint Jean de Luz. and Arcachon, one of the gems of the French Atlantic coast.

Uncover ‘s Tours, France, the gateway to the Loire Valley chateaux.  Renowned for good food and teeming with art, history and lovely gardens, its the perfect place to explore. Visit three of the Loire Valley’s regal chateaux starting with the Chateua de Chenonceau, one of the most beautiful castles in France and the only one in the region that was built, inhabited and saved by women during the Renaissance.

Chateau du Close Luce was Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, where he completed some of his most famous works and Chateau d’Amboise features a Gothic chapel where Leonardo da Vinci is buried. En route to Paris for your last night’s stay, visit two more majestic chateaux.

Explore Chateau de Chambord, the biggest chateau in the Loire Valley with 426 rooms and discover the residence of seven kings and ten queens of France at the famous Chateau de Bois, where you’ll uncover secrets of the French Court.