Itinerary
- Day 1
Bordeaux
You'll arrive at Bordeaux-Mérignac International Airport and head to your ship for check-in. A Uniworld representative meets you if you've arranged a group or private transfer, so look for them in the arrivals area. Once on board, settle into your cabin and get oriented before dinner.
- Day 2
Médoc
This morning takes you into the Médoc wine region with its famous châteaux and vineyards spread across the landscape. You'll drive through the legendary wine route, stop for fresh oyster tasting, and then choose your afternoon activity. Either join a private wine tasting at a beautiful estate or rent a bike to ride through the vineyard rows. By evening you're back on the ship.
Included Activities
- Fresh Médoc Oysters Tasting
Optional Activities
- Médoc Châteaux Route with Private Wine Tasting
- Let's Go: Bike in the Médoc Vineyards
Landmarks Médoc Wine Region - Day 3
Cadillac
Cadillac is your destination today, known for its sweet dessert wines and that French sense of living well. You'll visit Château Royal de Cazeneuve, where Henry IV and Queen Margot had their complicated love affair. Pick between a private owner's tour with Sauternes tasting or exploring Toulouse-Lautrec's colorful world in the town. Dinner follows back on board.
Optional Activities
- Private Owner's Tour of Royal Château with Sauternes Toast
- The Colorful Life of Toulouse-Lautrec
Landmarks Château Royal de Cazeneuve - Day 4
Blaye
Today you travel the Route de la Corniche Fleurie, one of the most scenic roads in the area, passing through tiny hamlets on your way to Blaye Fortress. This UNESCO citadel once guarded Bordeaux from sea attacks and offers great historical sites. You'll choose between taking in panoramic views with fortress exploration or spending time with local wine and art people. Return to the ship for dinner.
Optional Activities
- Panoramas of Route de la Corniche Fleurie with Blaye Fortress
- Intimate Experience with Local Wine & Art Connoisseurs
Landmarks Blaye Fortress - Day 5
Saint-Émilion
Based in Libourne, you head to the medieval town of Saint-Émilion to explore wine culture and history. Walk through cobblestone lanes lined with wine shops and bakeries, then go underground to see the rock-hewn church carved beneath the city streets. An included walking tour and wine tasting let you taste local wines and learn the region's story before heading back.
Included Activities
- Saint-Émilion Walking Tour with Wine Tasting
Optional Activities
- Château Cooking Class (€170 EUR)
- Grand Cru Tasting (€100 EUR)
- Grand Cru Château Picnic Lunch (€80 EUR)
Landmarks Saint-Émilion Rock-hewn Church of Saint-Émilion - Day 6
Libourne
The morning starts at Libourne's farmers' market where you see France's agricultural traditions firsthand and taste fresh vegetables, cheeses, breads, and fruits sold by local vendors. Later in the evening, you head to the Bassins des Lumières for a unique after-hours experience with light displays and art installations.
Included Activities
- Village Day: Libourne with Farmer's Market
- Nights Out: After Hours at the Bassins des Lumières
Landmarks Libourne Farmer's Market Bassins des Lumières - Day 7
Bordeaux
You'll explore Bordeaux with a local expert, either walking through the city's charming backstreets or biking like locals do. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has plenty to see, and you'll choose between a walking tour or cycling route to cover the neighborhoods at your preferred pace. Return to the ship for dinner.
Optional Activities
- Do as the Locals Do: Bordeaux Walking Tour
- Let's Go: Bike Bordeaux Backstreets
- Retro Sidecar Bordeaux Tour (€170 EUR)
- Retro Sidecar Romantic Tour (€240 EUR)
Landmarks Bordeaux - Day 8
Bordeaux to Paris to Lyon
You disembark S.S. Bon Voyage and transfer to Paris on the high-speed TGV train. After settling into S.S. Joie de Vivre in Paris, you'll board another TGV to Lyon. Once you arrive, you'll check into S.S. Catherine and have time to explore Lyon's charm along the Saône River before evening settles in.
Landmarks Lyon - Day 9
Giverny
Northern France's natural beauty is on display today with your choice of activities. Either hike and visit hilltop Château de La Roche-Guyon with its gardens and Seine views, or explore the landscapes that inspired Impressionist Claude Monet. Later, visit Monet's gardens at Giverny by bike or coach to see where he painted his water lilies.
Optional Activities
- Château de La Roche-Guyon
- Let's Go: Hike on the Crests Trail
- Monet's Gardens at Giverny
- Let's Go: Bike Ride from Vernon to Giverny
Landmarks Château de La Roche-Guyon Monet's Gardens at Giverny - Day 10
Rouen
In Rouen, Normandy's medieval capital, you'll walk where history happened. The cathedral that Monet painted many times stands here, as does the cross marking Joan of Arc's execution. An included evening concert plays at Rouen Cathedral, and you choose between a walking tour or visiting a Camembert cheese farm during the day.
Included Activities
- Nights Out: Private Concert at the Rouen Cathedral
Optional Activities
- Rouen Walking Tour, the Dukes of Normandy's Capital
- Camembert Cheese Farm
- Mont St Michel - Wonder of the Western World (€170 EUR)
Landmarks Rouen Cathedral Joan of Arc Martyrdom Site - Day 11
Caudebec-en-Caux
Your base is Caudebec-en-Caux, a charming little town on the Seine Estuary's right bank. Choose between driving through beautiful Calvados countryside to Honfleur, a seaside harbor that painters loved, or heading to the windy cliffs of Étretat for a round of golf if that suits you better.
Optional Activities
- Honfleur Walking Tour
- Let's Go: Golfing in Étretat
- St. Wandrille - Monastery (€60 EUR)
Landmarks Honfleur Étretat Cliffs - Day 12
Normandy Beaches
This full-day outing takes you to Normandy's D-Day beaches where history weighs heavily. You'll visit American, British, Commonwealth, or Canadian beaches and participate in a private memorial ceremony to honor those lost during Operation Overlord. It's a reflective and respectful experience.
Optional Activities
- Normandy Beaches: Highlights of American Sites
- Normandy Beaches: Highlights of British & Commonwealth Sites
- Normandy Beaches: Highlights of Canadian Sites
Landmarks Normandy D-Day Beaches - Day 13
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles opens to you today, showing how French rulers lived over centuries. You'll see the private rooms built by the Sun King and walk through the opulent apartments that displayed the power and wealth of French monarchy. The scale and decoration inside are what people remember most about this palace.
Included Activities
- Versailles Palace Secret Apartments
Landmarks Palace of Versailles - Day 14
Paris
Paris time with options that work whether it's your first visit or your tenth. Choose a panoramic tour of the City of Light hitting major sights, or take a walking tour through neighborhoods like the Latin Quarter that people love to explore. You'll have flexibility to see what interests you most.
Optional Activities
- Paris City Tour
- Paris Walking Tour of the Latin Quarter
- Moulin Rouge (€300 EUR)
- Musée du Louvre (€100 EUR)
- Paris Gourmet Tour (€130 EUR)
- Retro Sidecar Illuminations Tour (€360 EUR)
- Retro Sidecar Montmartre Discovery (€290 EUR)
Landmarks Paris - Day 15
Paris to Lyon
You'll transfer from S.S. Joie de Vivre in Paris to S.S. Catherine in Lyon using the high-speed TGV train. After settling into your new cabin, you have time to explore Lyon and see what draws you along the Saône River before dinner.
Landmarks Lyon - Day 16
Lyon
Ancient Lyon shows off its contrasts today, from Roman history to modern architecture with Renaissance touches. The city has bike paths and silk weavers' hidden passageways to discover. Choose between a panoramic tour, a silk weavers' walking tour, or a peninsula bike ride to experience the city your way.
Optional Activities
- Lyon Panoramic Tour with Traboules Visit
- Silk Weavers Walking Tour
- Let's Go: Lyon Peninsula Bike Tour
Landmarks Lyon Silk Weavers District - Day 17
Beaune
Burgundy's relaxed pace surrounds you as you visit Beaune, the wine trade's capital. Endless vineyard rows stretch across the region, and the medieval Hospices de Beaune with its distinctive colored-tile roof shows Burgundy's character. You'll learn about the region's highly prized wines and history during this stop.
Included Activities
- Burgundy Landscapes, Beaune, and the Hospices
Optional Activities
- Château de Rully Wine tasting & lunch (€130 EUR)
Landmarks Hospices de Beaune - Day 18
Tain-l'Hermitage
Tournon and Tain-l'Hermitage are twin villages perfect for wine lovers. You'll see the 10th-century castle perched on Tournon's hilltop, 16th-century fortifications, and merchant houses along Rue de Doux. Choose between a walking tour with wine tasting or hiking through the Hermitage Terrace Vineyards to experience the wines where they grow.
Optional Activities
- Tournon and Tain-l'Hermitage Twin Villages Stroll with Wine Tasting
- Let's Go: Hermitage Terrace Vineyards Hike with Wine Tasting
- Premium Wine Tasting on the Hermitage Hill (€220 EUR)
Landmarks Tournon Castle Hermitage Vineyards - Day 19
Viviers
Viviers feels like time stopped centuries ago in this charming village with over 1,600 years of history. The architecture reflects the division between the clergy's upper town and the laity's lower town. You'll wander from the hilltop crest down to the riverbank, seeing how the town developed over generations.
Included Activities
- Village Day: Ardèches
Optional Activities
- Truffle Farm & Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tasting (€100 EUR)
Landmarks Viviers - Day 20
Avignon
Avignon is one of southern France's most fascinating towns, and you'll explore its walled streets today. Visit the fortress palace where rebellious popes broke from Rome, or head to the 2,000-year-old Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct. The Palace of the Popes and other historic buildings show centuries of importance.
Optional Activities
- Avignon Walking Tour with Palace of the Popes
- Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct Visit
- Collector's Island (€30 EUR)
- Cooking Lesson at La Mirande (€230 EUR)
- Let's Go Kayak Ride on the Gardon River (€60 EUR)
Landmarks Palace of the Popes Pont du Gard - Day 21
Arles
Arles basks in Provençal sunshine with remarkable Roman ruins throughout the town. Van Gogh painted around 200 works here after being inspired by the light and landscape. Founded by Greeks in the sixth century BC, it later became a vital Roman crossroads where goods moved between Italy and Spain across the Rhône.
Included Activities
- Arles Walking Tour
Optional Activities
- Olive Farm Visit and Immersive Art Experience (€90 EUR)
Landmarks Arles - Day 22
Marseille
Your cruise ends as you disembark from S.S. Catherine. You'll transfer to Marseille Airport for your flight home if you've arranged a group or private departure transfer. Pack your bags with memories of French rivers, wines, and centuries of history.
