Explore Burgundy’s wine capital on a guided stroll, then step inside the Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu), its glazed roof tiles shimmering above timbered courtyards. View the Great Hall of the Poor and apothecary, where centuries of care blend medicine, devotion and art.

Encircled by Côte de Beaune vineyards, Beaune’s fortunes rose with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The famed charity auction each November sustains the Hospices’ legacy, while surrounding villages—Meursault, Pommard and Volnay—signal how terroir shaped the town’s enduring prestige.

Cruise the Saône past vine-clad Beaujolais hills and storybook villages—Morgon, Fleurie, Juliénas—while, on clear days, snow-capped Mont Blanc gleams on the horizon. Gentle breezes and the river’s cadence invite slow-looking and unhurried conversation on deck.

Glide by Mâcon and the limestone slopes of the Mâconnais, where bright, fruit-laced whites echo the landscape’s calm. This serene stretch offers reflective water, generous light and vantage points to pause for photos and reflection as France unfolds shoreside.

Sample regional wines in a guided blind tasting that sharpens sight, smell and palate while labels stay hidden. Compare northern Rhône expressions from around Tain l’Hermitage with southern blends, noting how terroir shapes spice, texture and finish.

Join a playful Roman wine reconstruction using period spices and honey, as talk turns to amphorae, trade routes and viticulture in ancient Gaul. Learning becomes flavour here, with lively debate over whose era did it best.

Explore the Ardèche Gorges along a dramatic route where limestone cliffs plunge to jade-green water and swifts spiral above the bends. Lookouts reveal the elegant Pont d’Arc, a natural arch carved by the river’s patient flow.

Geology and human stories intertwine in this wild corridor, from shepherd routes to early explorers. Light and shadow rippling across strata invite unhurried viewing and time to pause for photos and reflection at signature promontories.

Visit a traditional lavender farm to witness the distillation of essential oils, breathing in clean, camphor-sweet aromas from copper stills. In season, mauve rows ripple across foothills while bees hum through the perfumed air.

Discover how lavender shaped Provencal life—from perfumery to pharmacy—inside a small museum and boutique with soaps, sachets and hydrolats. A gentle, sensory-rich choice for those who prefer fragrance and folklore to steps and caves.

Descend into the Grotte de la Madeleine on a guided visit through otherworldly chambers hung with stalactites, columns and rippling draperies. Expect around 250 steps down and back up along secure walkways in this cool, echoing underworld.

Carved within the Ardèche’s karst plateau, the cave showcases millennia of calcite artistry. This more demanding option rewards confident walkers with a dramatic subterranean perspective on the region’s geology and shifting subterranean soundscapes.

Join a guided walking tour to uncover Arles’s Roman heart, stepping into the Arènes d’Arles amphitheatre and the theatre begun under Augustus. Wander the Alyscamps, a tree-lined necropolis where sarcophagi once marked the city of the dead.

Set on the Via Domitia, Arles rose to regional power with monuments now inscribed by UNESCO. Hear how spectacles, trade and faith shaped everyday life from imperial Gaul to medieval Provence.

Trace Van Gogh’s Arles period on a curated walk linking the Café Terrace at Night setting on Place du Forum, the riverside vista of Starry Night over the Rhône, and sites of his Yellow House and hospital studio.

Discuss the creative fever of 1888–89, when he painted some 300 works inspired by crystalline Provencal light. Insightful commentary connects letters, colours and vantage points to the artist’s blazing, troubled vision.

Visit the Pont du Gard, a three-tiered aqueduct bridging the Gardon with serene symmetry. Marvel at precision masonry without mortar and the Empire’s highest surviving bridge, set amid pines and a bright Provencal sky.

Place this masterpiece within Nîmes’ ancient water network, where gradients and arches carried lifeblood to a thriving city. Scenic lookouts invite you to pause for photos and reflection over golden stone and water.

Explore Avignon within its ramparts, pausing at the song-famous Pont Saint-Bénézet before you step inside the Popes’ Palace, the largest Gothic palace in Europe. Vast halls, chapels and battlements evoke ceremony and fortified might.

Learn how the papal court’s 14th-century move made Avignon the seat of the Papacy, igniting a golden age of art and diplomacy. Frescoes, tapestries and stonework reveal power, piety and worldly influence.

Ride the petit train for a relaxed loop along city ramparts, lively squares and tucked-away lanes, curling up to the Rocher des Doms gardens for broad views over the Rhône. Commentary points out theatres, cloisters and courtyards.

This comfortable overview suits those who prefer to see more with less walking, or to complement time inside the palace. Capture easy snapshots and soak in the cityscape as medieval stones roll by your window seat.

Enjoy a spirited lounge performance before you learn some basic steps of a French madison line dance and a short ballroom sequence. Friendly guidance and toe-tapping rhythms make this light-hearted session welcoming for all abilities.

It’s an easygoing, social evening where laughter and music set the mood. Pair the moment with your favourite tipple as the river’s steady glide keeps time beneath the windows.

Sit back and relax to a live piano set of French chansons—from Piaf’s torch songs to Aznavour’s smoky swing—performed in an intimate lounge setting where melodies drift across the salon.

Between numbers, the artist weaves anecdotes and takes requests, creating a convivial rapport that pairs beautifully with a glass of Rhône wine. A gentle close to the day as the river slides by.

Visit a traditional manade in the Camargue wetlands, observing free-roaming Camargue bulls and white horses from a tractor-drawn cart. Guardians explain how marsh pastures, salt air and horsemanship shape this distinctive way of life.

Hear stories of branding traditions and abrivado processions before toasting the experience with a glass of local wine. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to minimum numbers and availability.

Join a guided panoramic tour through Lyon at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône to see Place Bellecour, Fourvière Hill and the riverside Presqu’île. Walk cobbled lanes in Vieux Lyon and slip through hidden traboules once used by silk merchants to cross the city under cover.

Unpack the city’s layers, from Roman Lugdunum to modern Lyon, where Emperor Claudius was born and Renaissance facades still gleam. A byword for culinary excellence, Lyon’s traditional bouchons and market halls underscore its reputation as France’s gastronomic capital.