A TASTE OF BORDEAUX AND SOUTH-WEST REGION

Tour Overview

Delicious oysters. Exquisite wines. Take time to savour the finer things in life on this journey of discovery through Southwest France. Starting in Bordeaux (just a two-hour train journey from Paris), we'll seek out the region's gastronomic gems and treasured vineyards - travelling over soaring mountains, along the Atlantic coast, and into enchanting castles and otherworldly caves as we go.

Highlights

•  Taste fresh oysters, Bayonne ham, Blanquette de Limoux wine and world-famous Bordeaux reds
• Sleep beneath turrets and towers with two nights in the romantic walled city of Carcassonne - and travel the scenic roads made famous by the Tour de France
• Join the hunt for black truffles at a traditional truffle farm

ITINERARY 

• Day 1 - Bordeaux - Arcachon Bay - Biarritz

  Where better to begin our journey than Bordeaux? After meeting the group, we'll move on to Atlantic Ocean-fringed Arcachon Bay, where we'll get our first taste of coastal cuisine with fresh oysters and a glass of local wine from one of the port's traditional cabins. We'll then stop to see the Great Dune of Pilat – Europe's highest sand dune, with panoramic views over the bay. Then: to round off our first day, we'll gather together in Biarritz for a welcome dinner. Accommodation: Hôtel Georges VI (or similar)

  • Meals Dinner

• Day 2 - Biarritz - Bayonne - Biarritz

  Today we’ve a full day to spend taking in the beauty of the French Basque Country. First, we’ll indulge our cultural sides in Bayonne – an art and history hub just a short drive away from Biarritz. While we’re here, we’ll discover a local family business going back three generations at the Bayonne Ham Museum – where we’ll indulge in a ham tasting before returning to the hotel for an afternoon of leisure time. Accommodation: Hôtel Georges VI (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast

• Day 3 - Biarritz - Lourdes - Midi-Pyrenees

  Today we'll turn to the east - and (briefly) on to beautiful Pau. We'll then travel through the Midi-Pyrénées region (along roads made famous by the Tour de France), pausing en route at the spiritual town of Lourdes - where we'll see the likes of the Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes and the Massabielle Grotto. In keeping with the spirit of our surroundings, we'll check into comfortable rustic accommodation before tucking into this evening's dinner. Accommodation: Hostellerie des Cèdres (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast Dinner

• Day 4 - Midi-Pyrenees - Cathare Country - Carcassonne

  Following the trail of knights, we’ll continue our own crusade through the Midi-Pyrénées and past picture-perfect bastides. In Cathar country, we’ll visit a local winery and enjoy a glass of the region’s speciality – a sparkling Blanquette. Our final stop of the day will be medieval Carcassonne, where we’ll enjoy an included dinner together before resting our heads in our hotel – one of only two that lie within the old city walls. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Donjon (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast Dinner

• Day 5 - Carcassonne

  Today you’ll be free to discover Carcassonne’s chivalric secrets at your own pace. From the alleys, passageways and 52 towers of the UNESCO-listed medieval citadel (which dates back two millennia) to the Château Comtal and its ramparts, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Donjon (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast

• Day 6 - Carcassonne - Albi

  Today we’ll leave the stronghold of Carcassonne behind and make tracks to the ‘red city’ of Albi. Here, we’ll get our bearings on a walking tour – stopping off at the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum on the way. Set within the Palais de la Berbie, this fascinating museum houses the largest public collection in the world devoted to the Albi painter. Accommodation: Hostellerie Saint-Antoine (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast Lunch

• Day 7 - Albi - Sarlat

  This morning we’ll take to the water for a cruise on the River Lot in a traditional wooden gabare boat – enjoying unrivalled views of the clifftop village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (recently voted ‘France’s favourite village’) as we go. Later, we’ll move on to Sarlat – one of the most beautiful towns in the Dordogne. Accommodation: Grand Hôtel de Sarlat (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast

• Day 8 - Sarlat - Beynac-et-Cazenac - Sarlat

  On the itinerary today: a stroll through stunning Sarlat, followed by a delightful visit to the riverside town of Beynac-et-Cazenac and its magnificently well-preserved medieval château – which has kept watch over the Dordogne from its clipptop position for nine centuries. Afterwards, we’ll return to Sarlat for dinner. Accommodation: Grand Hôtel de Sarlat (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast

• Day 9 - Sarlat - Vezere Valley - Sarlat

  Today our travels through the Dordogne will take in the prehistoric paintings of the UNESCO-protected Lascaux Cave – which was discovered when it was happened upon by a group of teenagers back in 1940. After a stop at pretty Les Eyzies village, we’ll follow the ‘Royal Road’, winding between craggy rocks and flowing rivers until we get to a local truffle farm – where local guides will give us an exclusive lesson in seeking out the rare delicacies. Tonight, we’ll come together for one last farewell dinner. Accommodation: Grand Hôtel de Sarlat (or similar)

  • Meals Breakfast Dinner

• Day 10 - Sarlat - Saint-Emilion - Bordeaux

  We’ll spend the final day of our tour in historic Saint-Émilion, a village perched above beautiful rolling countryside and countless vineyards. Here, we’ll have the chance to sample some of the region’s ‘heavy reds’ and say a final santé. We’ll then return to Bordeaux, where our tour will end.

  • Meals Breakfast