Enchanting Journey Through France and Beyond - 10 Days

Welcome to your tour. At around 17:00 we depart Paris for the Loire Valley, arriving in Tours – the regional capital – later in the day. On arrival, you can explore the old town at your own pace and choose a restaurant for dinner. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

From Tours, we travel south through vineyard landscapes to Bordeaux – its UNESCO‑listed historic centre awaits. You’ll have free time for lunch and to explore – you might visit the Port of the Moon and the Cathedral of St Andrew. We then continue towards the Pyrenees, reaching Lourdes in the late afternoon. In the evening, you can attend the candlelight procession when in season – from late March to the end of October – and visit the town’s places of worship. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Leaving Lourdes, we travel across the south of France to Carcassonne, renowned for its impressive city walls. You have free time to wander and explore at your own pace before lunch at leisure. In the afternoon, we continue to Narbonne, where you can discover this historic Occitan city and its picturesque old town. By late afternoon we arrive in Marseille, France’s second largest city – we recommend an evening stroll around the vibrant Vieux-Port, alive with activity and dotted with small restaurants.

Villages, landscapes and history – today we journey through Provence from Marseille. In Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage city, we explore its Roman and medieval legacy – and places that recall Van Gogh. We continue to Les Baux to visit its small medieval village, and we include admission to Carrières de Lumières, an immersive underground show of art, image and sound set in former quarries. You will then have time for lunch and a stroll in Avignon, home to the immense Palais des Papes. Our route ends in Lyon, where we walk through the World Heritage old town and take the cable car up to Notre-Dame de Fourvière for a great view over the city. Note: If Carrières de Lumières tickets are unavailable due to closure or high demand, we will instead transfer to the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard.

We leave Lyon and travel into Burgundy, stopping first in Tournus, a small town with an imposing stone gate and a large abbey. We continue to Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, where you’ll have time for lunch and to explore – you might visit the wine museum or the historic hospice.

In the afternoon we visit Savigny Castle, a 15th century fortress in the heart of the vineyards, home to remarkable collections of motorbikes, racing cars, planes and helicopters. We then continue to Dijon, the regional capital, known for its lively streets and its wealth of medieval and Renaissance architecture, including the Palace of the Dukes.

We depart Dijon and pause in Besançon, a Roman-origin city with a handsome historic centre watched over by a 17th‑century citadel. Continuing into Alsace – a region long shaped by both French and German influences – we reach Colmar, known for its colourful half‑timbered houses, canals, and celebrated white wines. You’ll have time for lunch and a leisurely wander. In the afternoon we head to Riquewihr, a beautifully preserved medieval town of cobbled lanes and bright façades, often cited as an inspiration for Beauty and the Beast. We’ll also visit an old winery for a tasting of local wine paired with a typical sweet. Arriving in Strasbourg in the evening, you may wish to take a stroll around the cathedral area and Petite France, where you’ll find plenty of inviting places for dinner.

We begin in Strasbourg, capital of Alsace and home to the European Parliament, whose historic centre blends medieval lanes, a striking Gothic cathedral and canals lined with flowers. We include a boat trip through the canals of Petite France to appreciate this quarter from the water. Afterwards we cross into Germany, following scenic Black Forest roads to Freiburg, where you’ll have time for lunch and a relaxed walk in this lively university city and around its cathedral. We continue to Triberg, famed for its cuckoo clocks, where we include entry to the Triberg Waterfalls – the highest in Germany – reached on a straightforward walking path. We then pause for a brief photo stop in Gengenbach’s attractive main square before travelling on to Baden-Baden for the night, a renowned spa town once favoured by European nobility, noted for its elegant casinos, architecture and parks.

We make a short stop in Baden–Baden so you can stretch your legs in its elegant parks before continuing into Rhineland–Palatinate. In Speyer, on the banks of the Rhine, you can visit the magnificent Romanesque cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and wander the old town where the Alte Münze tower stands out. We then continue to Heidelberg, where we take the funicular – ticket included – up to the castle. Access to the exterior grounds, the wine cellars and the pharmacy museum is included, and the views over the city are excellent. Afterwards, you’ll have time for lunch and a stroll through the old town and its Marktplatz. By late afternoon we arrive in Frankfurt, a major financial hub with modern skyscrapers and an atmospheric old town along the Main. You’ll have free time to explore and dine around Römerberg Square before we head to the hotel.

We leave Frankfurt and cross into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, arriving in Luxembourg City. We’ll visit the capital to experience its historic centre and imposing fortifications – you can explore the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the Grand Ducal Palace and Notre-Dame Cathedral, and choose a spot for lunch. In the afternoon we continue into France and the Champagne region, stopping in Reims – you can take in its magnificent Gothic cathedral, the historic setting for many French royal coronations. We reach Paris by the end of the day.

After breakfast in Paris, we bring the tour to a close. We’ll say our farewells and you can depart at your convenience – please allow time for hotel check-out and your onward travel arrangements.