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Magnificent France

0/5

Duration

9days 8nights

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

Unlimited

Languages

___

Itinerary

Day 1: Paris- Blois- Tours- Villandry- Amboise.

Note: In the event we count with very few English speaking passengers on board, the guide assigned to the portion of the journey between Paris and Tours may not be fluent in English.Total distance: 335 km.


08:00 hrs. - París - Departure (departure time may vary depending on the hotel).
10:30 hrs. - Blois -Arrival in this lively town dominated by its castle in the heart of the Loire Valley. We recommend a stroll through its charming centre.


11:45 hrs - Blois -Departure.
12:15 hrs- Tours -Arrival-. Brief stop for lunch.


15:30 hrs - Tours –Departure-.
16.00hrs - Villandry. Tickets included to the gardens of this great palace. Considered some of the most beautiful gardens in France.


17:30 hrs - Villandry –Departure-.
18:15 hrs - Amboise – Arrival in this picturesque town on the banks of the Loire Valley with a very interesting mediaeval quarter. Dinner and accommodation included.

Day 2: Amboise- Chenonceau-Chambord- Argenton- Limoges.-

Total distance: 310 km.

Countryside: The River Loire scattered with beautiful villages and castles marks our route. Have your cameras ready, we will pass alongside the River Loire and see some castles along the way.


We will see the Loire region in a little more depth. In the morning, a stroll in Amboise, to the castle of Clos Luce where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last 3 years before his death (entrance not included).


10:30 hrs – Amboise. – Departure.
10:45 hrs – Chenonceau –Arrival. Many believe this is the most beautiful castle on the Loire, in the form of a bridge over the river Cher, a tributary of the Loire. Its interior is also magnificently preserved. Tickets included.


12:15 hrs – Chenonceau –departure. We continue along pretty local roads to Chambord.
13:15 hrs – Chambord –Arrival. Time to see the park of this immense castle on the Loire and for lunch.


15:30 hrs – Chambord. - Departure. We travel towards the centre of France, going through picturesque villages on our way.
17:30 hrs- Argenton sur Creuse –Arrival-. A stroll in this charming mediaeval town on the banks of the river Creuse.


18:30 hrs - Argenton –Departure-.
19:45 hrs - Limoges –Arrival to this city known for its porcelain-. We recommend a stroll around the Cathedral district.

Day 3: Limoges- Lascaux- Sarlat- Beynac- Rocamadour.-

Total distance: 222 km.

Countryside: Small roads, mediaeval villages. Very beautiful scenery of the Dordogne Valley. We recommend comfortable footwear (visit to the caves).


18.00 hrs - Limoges –Departure-. We go on our way to the Dordgne region, pretty hillside scenery and charming villages on our way. –
09.15 hrs- Lascaux, we will include admission to the museum and replica of the caves, where we will learn about the site’s prehistory with the magnificent cave paintings.


11.15hrs.- Lascaux. Departure-.
13.00 hrs.- Sarlat – Time in this World Heritage town. The Renaissance historic centre is magnificently well preserved. Time for lunch and a stroll.


15.15 hrs – Sarlat – departure. Pleasant scenery and vineyards en route.
15.30 hrs.- – Beynac – We include tickets to this magnificently well preserved mediaeval castle. You will admire the views of the Dordogne Valley and we will hear more about life in the Middle Ages.


16:30 hrs - Beynac –Departure-.
18.00 hrs – Rocamadour - Arrival. - We are in an important sanctuary town overlooked by its castle, considered one of the most beautiful towns in France. Don’t miss a stroll around its charming streets and we suggest a walk down the via crucis and coming back up in the lift. Our guide will accompany you to the entrance to the mediaeval village before giving you your rooms in the hotel. Dinner included.


Day 4: Rocamadour- Padirac- Collonge la Rouge- St. Emilion- Bordeaux.-

Total distance: 295 km Countryside: Very beautiful scenery in the Dordogne region. We recommend comfortable footwear (visit to the caves).


08:30 hrs - Rocamadour –Departure-. Beautiful countryside of the Dordogne.
09.00hrs - Padirac Cave. - Considered the most impressive caves in France. We include tickets and a visit to these impressive caves, 3 lifts will take us to an underground river that we will see in a boat. NB: The caves may be closed from November or in certain weather conditions. -


11.15 hrs- Padirac- Departure.-
12.00 hrs- Collonge la Rouge. - A small village full of charm built with red stone on the Way of St James. Time for lunch and to take a stroll.


14:30 hrs - Collonge la Rouge –Departure-.
17.00 hrs - Saint Emilion. This beautiful mediaeval village has based its wealth for more than 2000 years on its winemaking. Interesting stroll where the wine culture blends with the stones of the place.


18:00 hrs - St. Emilion –departure.
19:00 hrs – Bordeaux – Arrival, accommodation. We recommend a stroll around the classic centre of this city on the banks of the River Garonne.

Day 5: Bordeaux- Lourdes.-

Total distance covered: 270 km

Countryside: Pleasant vineyard scenery.


The entire centre of Bordeaux has been declared a world heritage site. You will be amazed by the “water mirror” and stroll through the old town with its pedestrian streets and 11th century cathedral. We will include admission (free visit with audio information in Spanish, French or English) to the CITE DU VIN, an impressive interactive museum that recounts the history of the wine and its production; wine tasting included at the viewpoint over Bordeaux. You will have free time later to stroll and have lunch on the banks of the Garonne River, an area full of small restaurants.


14:30 hrs Departure from Bordeaux. We venture into the wine producing region of Bordeaux. 18.00 hrs - Lourdes –Arrival-. Time to visit the Sanctuary. We recommend you attend the candle procession, which normally takes place at 9 PM from the end of March to late October. Dinner included.

Day 6: Lourdes- Saint Bertrand- Carcasona- Marsella.-

Total distance: 600 km.
Landscapes: Pyrenees Mountain range and arrival in Mediterranean landscapes.

08:00 hrs. –Lourdes –departure –
09:30 hrs. - San Bertran de Cominges. - Very nice village at the foot of the Pyrenees that already existed in Roman times. Time for a stroll and get to know its historical heritage.

11:00 hrs.- Saint Bertrand de Cominges -departure-. Passing through the metropolis of Toulouse.
13:30 hrs.– Carcassonne – Arrival at "la cite", the medieval walled city. Time to have lunch and get to know this beautiful town.

16:00 hrs. –In the afternoon we continue to Marseille.20.00 hrs- Marseille, the second city of France, you will visit the vibrant "Vieux port" (old port).


Note: If the number of travelers is reduced the section from Carcassonne to Marseille can be realized by train (our guide will give you the tickets and information, while another different guide will wait for your arrival in Marseille).

Day 7: Marseilles- Arles- Les Beaux- Avignon- Lyon.-

Total distance: 380km

Scenery: Villages, landscapes, and history, today we see some of the most beautiful places in Provence.


08.00 hrs. Marseille, departure.
09.15 hrs.- Arles. Stop to visit this World Heritage city that shows us its legacy of Roman and medieval times. Its light captivated great painters, such as Van Gogh, who immortalized it in some of his canvases.


10.30 hrs- Arles Departure.
11.00 hrs- In Les Beaux, we get to know this small medieval village and we will include the entrance to Carrieres de Lumiere, an impressive show of art, image and sound underground, in some of its old quarries.


12.15 hrs- Lumiere carriers, departure
13.00 hrs.- Avignon- A time to have lunch and walk in this small walled city of Provence on the
banks of the Rhône that was the seat of the Catholic Popes, becoming the second Rome, until in 1791 when it was integrated into France. Its immense Palace of the Popes reveals its past.


15.30 hrs- Avignon. Departure to the interior of France.
18.15 hrs. Lyon, Arrival in the third city of France, with a remarkable historical past preserved that make it proud. We will be able to walk through the old quarter declared a World Heritage Site and we will include a funicular ride to climb to Notre Dame de Fourviere, an immense basilic from where we have a great view over the city.


When due to it being closed or due to influx of public it is not possible to obtain tickets for the show of Carrieres de Lumière, as an alternative there will be a transfer to the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard.


Day 8: Lyon- Tournus- Beaune- Savigny- Dijon.-

Total Distance: 220 km
Scenery: Burgundy’s wine region with exceptional vineyards.

08.30 hrs.- After breakfast, we will leave Lyon and go towards Burgundy.
10.00 hrs.- Tournus. Time for walking throughout the pleasant small town with picturesque alleys behind an immense stone gate and its large abbey, one of the largest Romanesque monuments in France.


11.00 hrs- Tournus, departure.
11.45 hrs- Beaune. Stop to visit and have lunch in the wine capital of Burgundy. You can
visit the wine museum or the historic hospice.

14.30 hrs- Beaune, departure.
15.00 hrs- Savigny Castle – In the center of this wine region, we will visit the Savigny Castle, built in the fifteenth century, and where some extraordinary museums are located (such as motorcycle, race cars, airplanes and helicopters museums!).

16.30 hrs- Savigny Castle, departure.
17.30 hrs- Dijon, arrival in the capital of Burgundy, with lively streets and atmosphere. This city that was the capital of a powerful duchy at the end of the Middle Ages, it preserves a great
architectural heritage of medieval and Renaissance buildings where the palace of the dukes stands out.

Day 9: Dijon- Fontenay Abbey- Semur en Auxois- Vezelay- Paris.-

Total Distance: 387km

Scenery: small villages in the Dordogne among relaxing landscapes of hills and vineyards.

08.30 hrs- Dijon, departure. We continue touring Burgundy.
10.00 hrs- Abbey of Fontenay. We include an entrance to visit this abbey, masterpiece of the Cistercian order, today a Unesco World Heritage Site.


11.00hrs- Fontenay, departure.
11.30 hrs. Semur in Auxois. Stop to get to know this charming medieval town of alleys, palaces and half-timbered houses surrounded by impressive walls that will make you travel back in time.


12.30 hrs.- Semur in Auxois. We continue touring the interior of Burgundy.
13.30 hrs.- Vezelay. Time for lunch and stroll in one of the most beautiful villages in France. Its immense basilica was one of the starting points of the Way of St James.


16.00 hrs.- Vezelay. Departure.19.00 hrs- Paris.




End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.

Important note: In case you have to book an external service (plane/train...) on the day of the end of
your tour with activities included, please remember that the schedules of the detailed itineraries are the "planned" ones but may be affected by different circumstances (traffic density, customer delays, breakdowns...). Do not book a flight/train with a tight schedule without taking this into account.
Always leave a margin in the schedule for unforeseen events.

Included/Excluded

  • Sharm Travels General Services: Travel by bus with English speaking guide, basic travel insurance, hotel and breakfast buffet.
  • Boat: Padirac caves
  • Ticket admission: Villandry gardens, Chenonceau castle , castle park of Chambord , Museum and replica of Lascaux caves, Beynac castle , Beynac castle , Padirac caves , Cité du Vin in Bordeaux , Carrieres de Lumiere show , Savigny Medieval Castle , Fontenay Abbey
  • Funicular: Lyon
  • 3 dinner included in: AMBOISE, ROCAMADOUR, LOURDES
  • Entrance Fees Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary.
  • Tipping.

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