Compare Burgundy to Provence Riverboat by Olivia

Day 1: Paris—Dijon—Beaune—St. Jean de Losne (Embarkation)—Seurre

Meals: Dinner

This morning, transfer from Paris host hotel to Beaune, the unofficial capital of the Côte d’Or area. Beaune owes its wealth to the production, aging, and selling of fine wines. Although life here centers around wine, Beaune offers much more. Today you have an included tour. Choose from a wine tasting in a local cellar, OR visit the HÔTEL-DIEU charity hospital, built in 1443 and paid for by the chancellor of Burgundy after the Hundred Years’ War left many of the town’s population destitute. Today it houses Van der Weyden’s painting of The Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights. Then, continue to St. Jean de Losne, where you’ll board your river cruise vessel. Before dinner, meet your Olivia staff and ship’s crew at a welcome reception as your ship departs for Macon.

Day 2: Seurre—Mâcon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy some leisurely cruising today and before lunch, enjoy an Onboard Cheese Tasting. In the late afternoon, arrive in Mâcon, a city that plays an important role in the wine trade. Free time allows you to explore on your own. Alternatively, you may choose to participate in one of the optional excursions offered, such as a visit to a wine cellar.

Day 3: Lyon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lyon, France’s third-largest city and its gastronomic capital, was founded by the Romans in 43 B.C. The city’s prosperity dates back to the 16th century and is due to commercial, industrial, and banking activities. Roman remains, excellent museums, and renaissance architecture delight visitors. A local guide joins you as you survey the city from Fourvière Hill and explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and Place des Terreaux, a popular area with lively cafés, monuments, and the famous fountain often depicted on postcards. Tonight, you may choose to participate in an optional tour to Paul Bocuse, 3-star Michelin Restaurant for the meal of a lifetime!

Day 4: Lyon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy a free day in this fascinating city to explore at leisure. Early risers might like to visit the local produce market. Perhaps wander through one of Lyon’s parks, discover some of the murals (there are over 100), or select one of the available optional excursions. Be sure to taste the gastronomic delights and sample Beaujolais, the wine of the region; wine connoisseurs know that the grapes must be hand-picked. Or take a bike ride along the river. Your Cruise Director will have plenty of suggestions for things to do.

Day 5: Tournon/Tain-L'Hermitage—Viviers

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The twin cities of Tournon and Tain l’Hermitage lie nestled among vineyards between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage. A local guide will show you Tournon, one of France’s oldest medieval cities, with its imposing 16th -century castle and Roman ruins. Your Olivia Cruise Director will take you to one of the best chocolate shops for some free tastings. Arriving in Viviers in the afternoon, a guided walk shows you this charming town that developed around its Romanesque cathedral. The Old Town has an appealing mix of Christian, Roman, and medieval influences. An included “Organ Concert” organized by Olivia will end the tour at the top of the hill with beautiful views.

Day 6: Avignon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The fortified city of Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse region, the most picturesque part of Provence with its intact ramparts encircling the entire city, cobblestone streets and squares, and private mansions built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Known as the “City of Popes,” it was the center of the Catholic Church in the 14th century. During your guided tour, you may choose to join an included visit of the Palace of the Popes, built in the 14th century as the sovereign popes’ residence. A photo of the famous Pont Saint Bénezet (Saint Bénezet Bridge), of the popular song Sur le Pont d’Avignon, is a must. Optional excursions to Pont du Gard or to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are available for purchase.

Day 7: Arles

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, wake up early to the tranquil vistas of Camargue National Park (daylight permitting) before arriving in Arles after breakfast. Located on the northern tip of the Camargue, Arles is capital of the Provence region. Your local guide will show you highlights of the city and you’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater. Still used today, it dates to the 1st century and was constructed to hold more than 20,000 spectators. Visit areas where Van Gogh lived and painted.

Day 8: Port Saint-Louis (Disembarkation)

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, disembark home, or to your next destination, or join us on our extended stretcher to Marseille to enjoy Bastille Day in France!