Treat your senses to the experience of a lifetime on this 11-day tour through the fabled wine and food regions of Burgundy and Champagne, and sip and savor the best of what France has to offer. If you’re a foodie, or if you simply love great cuisine, these charming towns and villages will leave you with lasting memories.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - Lyon
Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Lyon aboard an internationally recognized airline.
Day 2 - Lyon
Welcome to Lyon! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or begin acquainting yourself with Lyon. Meet your fellow travelers at an included dinner in a traditional bouchon this evening.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner
Day 3 - Lyon
An expert local guide introduces you to the historical and cultural landmarks of France’s culinary capital. Begin with an exploration of the city’s ancient quarter. Visit the Cathedral of Fourviere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by an exploration of Lyon’s medieval and Renaissance architecture. Enjoy a free afternoon or opt to visit the city’s Roman Ruins.
Included meals: breakfast
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$45 USD |
Roman Ruins in Lyon
Before there was Lyon, there was the Roman city of Lugdunum. Tour the theater and the ruins of the ancient city (the craftsman's quarter), which give a hint of life during Roman times. You’ll also visit the Odeum, which remains in use as a venue for summertime musical performances.
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Day 4 - Lyon
This morning, embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Perouge, an enchanting walled medieval village. Later today, visit three villages in the Beaujolais region where you’ll enjoy a smapling of local specialties and an included dinner with wine.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner, wine tasting
Day 5 - Dijon
Travel north to the Burgundy capital of Dijon, home of the famed mustard. En route, stop in Cluny, a medieval city built around the Cluny Abbey and the Hotel Dieu. Take a tour of the Chateau of Cormartin, one of the most sumptuous villas in Burgundy. With its Renaissance gardens, surrounding moat and rooms displaying panels etched in gold, this chateau evokes the gilded era of the 17th century. This evening, join your group for an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 6 - Dijon
On today’s tour of the beautiful city of Dijon, stop at the Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne, the original ducal residence. Next, explore Notre Dame cathedral and Dijon’s medieval streets. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, opt to visit the historic Hospices de Beaune, a charitable hospital founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin to ease the suffering of the poor and needy after the Hundred Years War. Also included in this excursion is a wine tasting on Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch
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$55 USD |
Hospices de Beaune
With his wife, the Duke of Burgundy's chancellor devoted much of his fortune to caring for the thousands who were left poor and starving after the Hundred Years' War. Tour the Hôtel-Dieu of the Hospices de Beaune before stopping for a wine tasting along La Route des Grands Crus on your return to Dijon.
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Day 7 - Reims
Visit the town of Chablis, a quaint town which derives its name from one of France’s most famous white wines. Located just north of the Burgundy region, you’ll be able to stop here and sample the local wine. Then continue on to Reims, home to Tattinger, Mumm, Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin, Piper- Heidsieck and Ruinart, some of the world’s most famous Champagne estates. Enjoy dinner with your group tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, wine tasting, dinner
Day 8 - Reims
This morning, a local guide introduces you to the small and charming city of Reims, the capital of Champagne, and its gothic cathedral, the Notre Dame de Reims. You’ll also visit the Palais du Tau, a palatial 13th-century Gothic chapel and hall, and the Basilica of St. Rémi, a Gothic masterpiece. This afternoon, you will tour one of the most reputed wine cellars in Champagne, where you’ll enjoy an included wine tasting.
Included meals: breakfast, wine tasting
Day 9 - Paris
Begin your journey into Paris today with a stop en route in Chantilly, a small city that is also the birthplace of Crème Chantilly. Head into the center of town to explore the Chateau de Chantilly and its extensive grounds. Serving as one of the settings for the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, the chateau is a marvel and houses one of the finest collections of historical paintings in France (after the Louvre) and contains more than 700 manuscripts and 12,000 volumes, including a Gutenberg Bible, in its library. Its grounds—parterre and English gardens and water features—also house the Chantilly Racecourse, the Great Stables and the Living Museum of the Horse.
According to legend, Louis Henri, the Duc de Bourbon and Prince of Condé,
believed that he would be reincarnated as a horse after his death. Continue on to Paris, where you can opt to enjoy dinner followed by a scenic cruise along the Seine on our optional Evening in Paris.
Included meals: breakfast
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$99 USD |
Evening in Paris
The event begins with dinner at a favorite local restaurant. After you dine, board a boat cruise along the Seine, an unforgettable experience. Coast along the water and under the many famous bridges of the Seine and take in the gloriously illuminated monuments of Paris—including Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower—an enchanting sight
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Day 10 - Paris
On today’s tour of Paris, take a drive along the Champs-Élysées, and view sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera House, the Place de la Concorde, the Louvre and the River Seine. This afternoon, you are free to explore Paris at your leisure or take an optional excursion to the Palace of Versailles, the opulent estate of Sun King Louis XIV.
Stroll through the Hall of Mirrors (a symbol of the monarch’s wealth) as you imagine the last days of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s reign before the start of the French Revolution. Be sure to venture outside and enjoy the beautifully landscaped gardens as well, including the Grand Canal, the parterre gardens and—if you can squeeze it in—the small farmhouse where Marie Antoinette liked to escape from it all. Tonight, relive memories from your journey with your group over a Farewell Dinner in Paris.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
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$89 USD |
Versailles
It took 50 years and 35,000 workers to turn Versailles into the most magnificent château in all of France. On this excursion, you will see the palace in all its glory. Tour the State Apartments and the glittering Hall of Mirrors. Then stroll through the lavish gardens with their fine statuary, splendid fountains and colorful flowerbeds.
Please note: This excursion requires advanced reservation and must be booked by 45 days prior to departure.
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Day 11 - Paris
Transfer to the airport and board your flight home, or extend your stay in the City of Lights with two more nights in Paris.
Included meals: breakfast
Extend Your Stay
Add 2 nights in Paris for only $299 USD (Single room: add $145 USD)
Ah, Paris, the city of life, love and light. From the Eiffel Tower to the Mona Lisa, from the bustling Champs Elysées to the winding streets of Montmartre, you'll find magic, romance and history as you sip a café au lait, stroll manicured parks and watch the sun set over the Seine.