Vineyards and Valleys of France
Overview
Itinerary
Arrive in Bordeaux, a city where grand architecture, riverfront views and a deep-rooted food and wine culture set the tone for your journey through France. After meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers, get your first feel for the city on an orientation drive through its streets and squares. Your introduction leads to Place des Quinconces, one of the largest public squares in Europe, where you'll pause for dinner and your first taste of the region.
With a Local Specialist, explore Bordeaux on foot through the heart of its historic centre, from Place des Quinconces to the Grand Théâtre, Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'Eau along the riverfront. Continue past Porte Cailhau, through the Saint-Pierre Quarter and on to Bordeaux Cathedral, uncovering the layers of history that shaped this elegant wine city.
The rest of the day is yours to explore Bordeaux your way, whether that means browsing independent boutiques, sampling canelés, visiting the Cité du Vin or settling into a wine bar for a glass of the region's most famous pour.
This evening, you could join an Optional Experience to Saint-Émilion for wine tasting and dinner.
Leaving Bordeaux behind, you'll head into southwestern France and stop in Moissac for an orientation of this historic town on the Tarn. Here, you'll view the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, a UNESCO-listed site known for its Romanesque cloister and sculpted portal, and for its place on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. The journey continues to Albi, where you'll visit Sainte-Cécile Cathedral and the Palais de la Berbie Gardens overlooking the Tarn River.
Later, the evening is yours, or you may choose to join an Optional Experience walking tour and dinner in Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Travel north into the Dordogne, a region known for its river valleys, villages and long history. In Rocamadour, you'll have time to explore this UNESCO-listed cliffside settlement, known for its pilgrimage heritage and dramatic position above the Alzou Canyon. Continue to Saint-Vincent-de-Cosse and check in to your Stays with Stories experience at Domaine de Monrecour.
Relax and enjoy the setting or join an Optional Experience to Château des Milandes, once home to Josephine Baker. Your Be My Guest experience this evening takes you to Domaine de Vielcroze in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, where the Chambon family has championed the production of the Périgord walnut and black truffle for generations.
Head to Sarlat, where market stalls fill the old town with foie gras, walnuts, truffles, duck specialities and other local produce that reflect daily life in the Dordogne. There's time to explore one of the region's best-known market towns before continuing to Lascaux II, where prehistoric cave replicas reveal the paintings that changed our understanding of early human life. Back at your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the setting, or perhaps join an Optional Experience on the Dordogne River with wine and local tastings.
Drive north towards the Loire Valley, with a stop in Argenton-sur-Creuse to stretch your legs and pick up a pastry from a local boulangerie. Often called the Venice of the Berry, this riverside town offers a first look at a quieter side of France before the journey continues to Blois. On arrival, settle in and get to know this Loire Valley town, long linked to French royalty and known for its hillside setting above the Loire River.
This evening, you can choose to see Château de Blois illuminated, revealing the facade and history of one of the valley's best-known royal residences.
Visit Château de Chambord with a Local Specialist and get to know the scale, design and royal ambition behind the largest château in the Loire Valley. Built for Francis I from 1519, Chambord is one of the defining buildings of the French Renaissance.
Continue to Amboise, where free time gives you the chance to explore the town and find lunch at your own pace. A MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Pâtisserie Chocolaterie Bigot brings you into a long-established Amboise institution, where you'll learn pastry and chocolate-making techniques rooted in French craft and tradition.
Leaving the Loire Valley behind, you'll continue to Paris, where a Local Specialist introduces the city on a panoramic tour of the French capital. Then it's on to the Latin Quarter, where free time gives you the chance to explore one of Paris' oldest districts, known for its bookshops, cafes and student life. Browse the shelves at Shakespeare and Company, stop for coffee on a terrace, peek into the courtyards and passages around the Sorbonne or pick up macarons and chocolates to take with you.
Later, join your fellow travellers for dinner on the final evening of your journey through France.
As your journey through France comes to an end, say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow travellers and reflect on the places, flavours and stories you've discovered along the way.
Trip Inclusions
- Discover Paris, Bordeaux, Moissac, Dordogne region, and the Loire Valley
- Visit Palais de la Berbie Gardens & Saint-Cecile Cathedral in Alibi, Lascaux II Preshitoric Caves in Lascaux, and Chateau de Chambord.
- Scenic drive through the Dordogne and the Loire Valley
Iconic Experience
- Bordeaux: See Bordeaux's boulevards, squares and 18th-century architecture on an orientation drive through the city. Set on the Garonne River, Bordeaux has long been shaped by trade and winemaking, with a historic centre that reflects its place as one of France's best-known wine capitals.
- Bordeaux: Explore Bordeaux with a Local Specialist, from Place des Quinconces, one of Europe's largest public squares, to the Grand Théâtre, built in the 18th century. See Place de la Bourse reflected in the Miroir d'Eau, follow the riverfront to medieval Porte Cailhau, then continue through Saint-Pierre Quarter to Bordeaux Cathedral.
- Moissac: Get to know Moissac on an orientation before viewing the UNESCO-listed Abbey of Saint-Pierre, one of the key monastic sites on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Known for its Romanesque cloister and richly sculpted portal, the abbey reveals the religious importance and artistic legacy that shaped this part of southwestern France.
- Albi: Visit Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, built almost entirely in brick and known as the largest cathedral of its kind in the world. Inside, you'll see this UNESCO-listed site's vast scale and decoration reflect the power of the Catholic Church in this part of France, while its fortress-like exterior reveals a very different side of religious architecture.
- Albi: Visit the Palais de la Berbie Gardens, laid out beside the former bishops' palace high above the Tarn River. As you explore these formal gardens, you'll see how their design, setting and views connect to the power once held here, with a vantage point that also gives you a wider look at Albi and its historic centre.
- Rocamadour: Explore Rocamadour, the UNESCO-listed village built into the cliff above the Alzou Canyon. As you make your way through its steep streets and religious landmarks, you'll see why this dramatic hillside setting became one of France's most important pilgrimage sites and remains one of the best-known places in the Dordogne region.
- Sarlat-la-Caneda: Browse Sarlat's market, where you can see how market shopping still shapes daily life in France. As you move through the stalls, you'll find local produce and regional specialities sold in the streets and squares of the old town.
- Lascaux: Visit Lascaux II and explore the replica caves created to protect the original prehistoric paintings nearby. As you walk through the chambers, you'll see the animal figures and Paleolithic art that made Lascaux one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe.
- Loire Valley: Travel into the Loire Valley, where the Loire River, vineyard landscapes, historic towns and château-lined horizons introduce one of France's best-known regions. As the scenery changes, you'll get your first look at the valley that became a centre of royal power, architecture and court life.
- Amboise: Join a Local Specialist to discover the design of the Loire Valley's largest château. Built for Francis I from 1519, Chambord brings you into the scale of French Renaissance architecture and the royal ambition behind one of France's most recognisable châteaus.
- Paris: Join a Local Specialist to discover the hidden squares and secret lanes of Paris.
Be My Guest
- Dordogne: Meet the Chambon family at their estate Domaine de Vielcroze in the heart of the Périgord Noir. Hear how they preserve traditional expertise in walnut oil and black truffle cultivation, explore their oil mill, walnut grove and truffle field and learn how to hunt for truffles with the family's dog. You'll also sample the estate's award-winning produce and sit down to a delicious 3-course dinner.
Trafalgar Difference
- Saint‑Vincent‑de‑Cosse: Once an agricultural estate, Domaine de Monrecour is now a château hotel in Saint-Vincent-de-Cosse. You'll stay across the château and its outbuildings, with 12 hectares of grounds and views towards Château des Milandes.
Make Travel Matter®
- Amboise: Step into Pâtisserie Chocolaterie Bigot in Amboise and learn techniques behind French pastry and chocolate-making at a family business founded in 1913. As you discover the skill behind the craft, you'll get a closer look at how traditional know-how continues to be passed on through generations. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences (Additional Cost) and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised
- 3 Dinners (D)
- 8 Breakfasts (B)
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
You’ll enjoy the icons and hidden gems with a Local Specialist by your side. Read more
With one on every itinerary, Be My Guest ensures your journey is truly one-of-a-kind, wherever it takes you. Read more
Find yourself overnighting in accommodations with stories as rich as the destinations you’re exploring. Read more
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Trafalgar Worldwide Tours (2027-28)
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Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Trafalgar. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
