11 Days Bordeaux, Provence & The Riviera- Journeys for Women Tour Package
Duration : 11 Days / 10 Nights
Priced From : $12,180 ( Price is per person, based on double occupancy )
Dates : October
Great food, superb wine, tantalizing chocolate and the scents of lush French perfume. This luxurious journey takes you to the wine region of Bordeaux for a chance to participate in a wine-blending workshop and a cooking lesson. Sample artisan chocolate in picturesque Provence and blend your own fragrance in a perfume creation workshop on the glamorous Côte d'Azur.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Board an overnight flight to Bordeaux. Later, meet your fellow travellers for welcome drinks and dinner at your hotel.
Radisson SAS Grand Hotel, Bordeaux D
Day 2
Bordeaux/Médoc Region/Bordeaux
 The wide boulevards, magnificent cathedral and fine buildings of the old town contribute to the beauty of Bordeaux, one of France's great ports and a center of wine production. See the city's highlights on a tour that includes the Place de la Bourse, Place du Parlement and the Cathedral of St André. Then drive through the Médoc region, an area graced with vineyards from top labels including Latour and Margaux. At Chateau Loudenne, you are welcomed by Les Médocaines (the women from the Médoc), a group of enterprising females who are involved in winemaking at various chateaux in this region, to Château Loudenne for a wine-blending workshop. Learn about their experiences as women working in this traditionally male-dominated field and pause for a light lunch prepared by chef Gaëlle Benoiste Pilloire and accompanied by matching wines produced by Les Médocaines.
Radisson SAS Grand Hotel B, L
Day 3
Bordeaux/St. Emilion/Bordeaux
Drive to the picturesque medieval village of St. Emilion, boasting ancient churches, fine period buildings and cobbled streets. Visit its "subterranean town" that houses a 10th-century monolithic, rock-carved church. After lunch at a charming auberge, visit a beautiful wine-producing château for a wine tasting. Then roll up your sleeves and lend a hand in the kitchen at an afternoon cooking class. Your host chef guides you through the mysteries of French cuisine. Sample the results tonight at dinner.
Radisson SAS Grand Hotel B, L, D
Day 4
Bordeaux/Toulouse/Carcassonne
Travel southeast to Toulouse, sometimes called "the City of Violets" because of its violet plantations. Tour of its Old Town, a web of narrow lanes and small squares dominated by the St. Sernin Basilica, the largest Romanesque basilica in Europe. Visit the Place du Capitole and the Jacobin monastery before stopping at the Berdoues Perfumery that first produced the Violettes de Toulouse perfume. Continue to your hotel in Carcassonne.
Hotel de la Cité B, L
Day 5
Carcassone/Nimes/Avignon
Complete with battlement walls and a drawbridge, the walled citadel of Carcassone is the most complete example of a medieval fortress city in existence today. After a city visit, head toward Nimes for a look at the city's ancient Roman past. Visit the arena and the first century BC Maison Carrée, one of the best preserved Roman temples. Continue to Avignon and check in to your hotel, a 17th-century former cardinal's mansion nestled under the mighty Papal Palace.
Hotel la Mirande B, L, D
Day 6
Avignon
Built early in the 14th century, the imposing Palace of the Popes is a reminder of the days of religious conflict when Avignon vied with Rome for papal authority. After your visit and lunch, explore the fascinating Musée Souleiado, specializing in the famous cotton printed Provençal textiles. Continue to Les Olivades, one of few companies that still produces the printed fabrics based on original designs. Visit the textile-printing factory and the adjacent store.
Hotel La Mirande B, L, D
Day 7
Avignon/St-Remy-de-Provence/Arles/Avignon
Experience the magic of Van Gogh's countryside this morning as you travel to St-Remy-de-Provence. Indulge your sweet tooth at the artisan Chocolatier Joel Durand and at Le Petit Duc that produces typical regional cookies. Then visit St. Paul de Mausole, where Van Gogh was voluntarily interned for a year. Stop for lunch at a typical Provençal farmhouse (uniquely carved out of the surrounding rock) that has been in the same family for generations. With lavender fields as the backdrop to this rustic setting, enjoy a fresh lunch with homegrown produce and olive oil. Travel to the hilltop town of Les Baux, en route to Arles, the principal Roman town in Provence and its spiritual capital. On a walking tour discover its stunning Roman remains, including the magnificent amphitheater, and the fine Romanesque Cathedral from which Augustine left to evangelize England. You may recognize it from some of Van Gogh's most famous works that were painted during his time here.
Hotel La Mirande B, L, D
Day 8
Avignon/Aix-en-Provence/Cannes
Take a leisurely drive through the Provençal countryside to delightful Aix-en-Provence, the former capital of the region. After a walking tour of the Old Town and lunch, continue to fashionable Cannes on the Côte d'Azur, famous for its annual film festival.
Intercontinental Carlton Cannes B, L, D
Day 9
Cannes/Grasse/Cannes
 Discover the artistry behind the famous "bubbled" glass of the area during a morning visit to the famous Biot Glassworks. Then in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, you are privileged to attend a perfume creation workshop at the Fragonard Perfumery. A theoretical introduction to the history and world of perfumes teaches you about various extraction methods used in perfumery, and learn about the role of "the nose," as the professional perfumer is known. Put all that you have learned into the creation of your own personalized fragrance. This evening join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner at the hotel.
Intercontinental Carlton Cannes B, L, D
Day 10
Cannes/Nice/ St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat/ Monte Carlo/Cannes
Explore the historic atmosphere of Nice's old town and colorful market, followed by a private visit to a local artist's studio and a lunch of local Niçoise specialties. Then head toward St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for a visit to the elegant Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild with its outstanding collection of objets d'art and lovely gardens overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Continue along the famous Corniche Road to Monte Carlo, where you see the extravagant Palais Princier, residence of the royal family, and visit the magnificent 19th-century cathedral. There is also a chance to stop at the famous casino before heading back to Cannes for farewell drinks.
Intercontinental Carlton Cannes B, L
Day 11
Nice/USA or Canada
Board your homebound flight. B
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
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10/08
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