6-night all-inclusive cruise through Burgundy landscapes with chef and 24/7 service

WHYDO YOUR RIVER EXPERIENCE WITH US ;

 

• Our all-inclusive luxury barge cruises in France will bring you with experience and adventure; the result is a pure pleasure and surprise!
• Discover all the aspects of European culture and zest for local life barging on the canals and rivers of this stunning region. 
• Explore handicraft shops and bustling local markets, lunch at local restaurants and typical french bistros while being coddled by the owners who will be spending all the time with you!
• Visit, discover and taste the unique Burgundian vineyards and wineries spreading the countryside, and walk the ramparts of historic châteaux in tailored made historic tours.

 

 

OUR NEW WINE LOVER'S PACKAGE ;

 

• Launched for the 2018 season, we are excited to offer a Wine Lover's package for our Classic Burgundy itinerary.
• With a deep immersion in the region's wines and know-hows, our tour through Burgundy will introduce you to the fundamental knowledge and help you become a wine pairing expert!
• Explore the local wines, study food pairings, and learn how to build your own private wine cellar. Designed in collaboration with a local sommelier, our Wine Lover's tour satisfy wine aficionados and novices alike.

 

 

OUR PRICE INCLUDES ;

 

• All accommodation ( equipped with en-suite bathrooms)
• All meals, sommelier-selected premier and grand cru wines and alcoholic beverages carried on board (open bar)
• All sightseeing tours and admittance fees
• Use of the Vessels' bicycles and other facilities (deck, saloon, etc)
• Round-trip transfers from the specified either Paris or Geneva.

 

 

OUR PRICE EXCLUDES ;

 

• Air transportation
• Airport taxes, visas, health or accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance
• Superior Chateaux vintage wines
• Optional activities not included in the itinerary (see with Bookarivertrip agent)
• 10% recommended crew gratuity

 

Day 1-Sunday: Travel from Paris to Grey, and enjoy our champagne welcome.

 

• Our driver and its mini-bus will meet you in Paris or Geneva (depending on our agreement) to drive you to Auxonne where we are moored, and for the start of your French river cruise.
• You will be received by our cheerful crew, who will introduce you to your new home for the incoming days.
• While the crew takes your luggage to your stateroom, you’ll have the chance to sit and relax in the saloon or on the deck, while tasting our champagne, and enjoy our signature welcome before your first of many incredible dinners on board, as our chef will delight you tonight!

 

Day 2-Monday: Morning walking tour of Dole, and cruise from Gray to Pontailler

 

• We start our week with homemade breakfast on board while you enjoy your first barge cruise in France down one of the most charming legs of the petit Saône river.
• After a succulent lunch on board, we leave the barge for a walk of the historic town of Dole, and its astonishingly well-preserved historic centre, officially listed as a conservation area.
• The must-do walk on the Tanneurs canal is the perfect place for a stroll. Louis Pasteur (inventor of the rabies vaccine) was born in 1822 in this neighbourhood. His family house is today a museum describing the life and scientific achievements of this famous scholar.
• Guests can also visit the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame built in the 16th century and its watchtower that has become the symbol for Dole.
• We will then stop for drinks at a local bistro before returning to the Barge for happy hour time; more champagne and cocktails onboard tonight!

 

Day 3-Tuesday: Market day in Dijon and lunch in the city centre, cruise again from Pontailler to Auxonne

 

• Our driver brings us in the morning for a walking tour of Dijon’s famous marketplace, designed by the architect of the Tour Eiffel, Gustav Eiffel himself!
• Mingle amongst the local shops and experience this traditional French market da, with all its local and fresh products, the best that French countryside has to offer. 
• A historical tour of the Ducal Palace, Notre Dame, and a 15th-century medieval shopping street will bring us to the Place du Bareuzai, where we’ll enjoy typical lunch at a French bistro, with its terrace full of locals.
• Guests are then welcome to explore Dijon’ at their own pace before enjoying a mustard tasting at the historic Maison Maille founded in 1747.
• We then return to the Barge for a soft afternoon of cruising down the Saône River to the medieval village of Auxonne, our new home for the evening! This is a fantastic mooring to take a short walk or bike ride down the canal path and enjoy the local wildlife.

 

Day 4-Wednesday: Visit of the famous Hospice de Beaune, Wine tasting, and cruise from Auxonne to Seurre.

 

• We start our morning with an early cruise to Seurre, time to observe the countryside waking-up! It is an opportunity to take a short walk or bike ride down the canal path and get back on board in the first lock, before continuing the cruise to Seurre.
• After our gastronomic lunch, guests embark on a tour of a hospital from the Middle Ages, the Hospices de Beaune. It is one of France’s most prestigious historic monuments, its dazzling Gothic architecture and its polychrome roofs make this museum one of the region’s gems.
• We then visit the famous Château de Pommard (near Beaune) dating back centuries. At Pommard, we’ll discover the true taste of Burgundy’s appellations, viticulture, and winemaking, the perfect time to increase your knowledge!
• Happy hour starts tonight with a selection of vinyl albums to take you back in time, while the chef prepares another culinary experience, with Dijon's market products.

 

Day 5-Thursday: Visit the Château Rully, and cruise from Seurre to Chalon-sur-Saône.

 

• Today it is morning cruise to Chalon-sur-Saône, with guests kicking back and relaxing on deck as we softly cruise down the scenic Saône River.
• We’ll enjoy lunch at a nearby Michelin Star restaurant before we undertake a tour to the stunning Château de Rully, a medieval fortress built in the 12th century, which visit will take you back in time through French history.
• It’s then back to our mooring in Chalon-sur-Saone for (more) cocktails and dinner!  Bike or take a stroll through the streets of the city which used to serve as a port for Roman Emperor Constantius II. Chalon is a great city to explore by night.

 

Day 6-Friday: World famous Pouilly-Fuisse wine tasting and cruise from Chalon-sur-Saône to Tournus.

 

• Morning cruise after breakfast to Tournus, a town located in the heart of an area where hills and the River Saône lend an incomparable quietness of mind to its inhabitants. Visit its medieval church, the main surviving building of a former Benedictine abbey.
• After lunch, guests go for a wine tasting at Pouilly-Fuissé an appellation (AOC) for white wine in the Mâconnais sub-region Burgundy in central France.
• Evening return to the barge, where guests have the opportunity to kick back with a cocktail before our final dinner together.

 

Day 7-Saturday: Morning Champagne Breakfast and Departure, mini-bus drive from Chagny to Paris.

 

• It’s our final morning together. Enjoy a delicious breakfast and drink Champagne as you get ready to depart the Barge.
• Your private chauffeur arrives at 9 am to take you back to Paris or Geneva.

*This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. It runs in reverse on alternate weeks.

BY CAR ;

Dijon is located approximately 300 km at the southeast of Paris (three hours by car along the A38 and A6 highways. The A31 provides connections to Lyon, Nancy, and Lille. The A39 links Dijon with the cities of Geneva and Bouur-en-Bresse, while the A36 connects them with Basel, Besançon, and Mulhouse.

BY TRAIN ;

Dijon is an important railway junction for lines from Paris to Marseille and Lyon and the eastern-western lines to foreign countries of Italy and Switzerland on one side, and national cities of Nancy, Besançon, and Belfort. The Central railway station provided service to Paris Gare de Lyon station by High-Speed Train in only 1 hour and 40 minutes.

For comparison, Lyon (much closer) is two hours distant by standard train. You can Basically reach all of France and most of Europe from Dijon train station!

Wine lovers and fine gourmets will love this region! Burgundy has also a lot to offer in terms of natural sites, wildlife, architecture, and old buildings, so a bit for everyone and every taste. Burgundian wines are well-known worldwide and its cuisine is represented by some of the world's most famous chefs. You will, therefore, find many great restaurants and bistros to serve you local delicacies, apart from our onboard chef! This very bucolic and rural region is full of peaceful farmland, acres of vines, mysterious and wild forests, rivers, lakes and other natural sites. Bike along the Saône-et-Loire greenway or walk in the local natural parks is a great way of dropping your daily life’s pressure and reconnect to your inner self.

The architectureal heritahe is also rich, with castles such as Cormatin, Tanlay, Bazoches or Berzé-le-Chàtel and many religious buildings such as the abbeys of Fontenay, Pontigny or Cluny. Most of all, you will discover stunning cities and towns while walking and strolling in their old centers, such as Dijon, Nevers, Beaunes (and its world heritage Hospice) or Auxerre.

There is plenty to do, and you can trust our crew and Bookarivertrip agents to help you get the best out of your stay in Burgundy. We have been doing that for ages, you can trust us with your experience !