Discover the hub of the famed wine-growing region of France aboard the luxury barge Rosa for a 7-day intimate cruise. Sail across one of the longest masonry aqueducts in France, which spans the River Garonne. Explore the historic architecture of the region, including a visit to the medieval town of Nerac to tread in the footsteps of King Henry IV and Queen Margot, the 13th Century fortified village of Vianne and the 14th Century Château de Duras. En route to Bordeaux, through Graves vineyards, Marvel at the medieval town of Saint Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site and center of the most famous of the Bordeaux appellations. Learn more about the complex science of viticulture, including of course a tasting of some superb and long-lived “Grand Cru” vintages.
Highlights
Tour of the famous Saint Emilion
Visit the impressive Château de Duras
Explore the Bastide village of Vianne and ancient Barbaste
Taste the famous local wines, cheese and Armagnac of the Bordeaux region
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Guests are met in Bordeaux and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Rosa. Following a champagne welcome, there is time for a stroll before returning for your first dinner on board.
Morning cruise to Serignac-sur-Garonne, cross the Plan Canal d’Agen, one of the longest aqueducts in France which spans the River Garonne. After lunch, visit the medieval town of Nerac and tread in the footsteps of King of France Henry IV and Queen Margot. The château was built in the 15th century, but much was destroyed during the French Revolution and today only the impressive north wing remains. Finally, stop at the Lapeyrade Estate for a cellar tasting of Armagnac, the oldest alcohol in France. Dinner on board.
This morning, depart early to enjoy the colorful market of Aiguillon and then cruise to our mooring at Buzet-sur-Baise, a pretty fortified village with pastel-colored houses. After lunch, head to the 13th-century bastide village of Vianne and see a skilled glassblower at work, then en route back to the barge, visit the cork museum at Mezin to learn about the history of cork-making. In the evening you can go to Barbaste with its fortified mill, protected by four square towers, and the nearby 12th-century bridge with its 12 curved arches. Dinner ashore at ‘Le Moulin des Saveurs’, a local auberge in Barbaste.
Start the day with a relaxing cruise to the lovely little village of Lagruère, with time to walk or cycle the towpath through stunning countryside. Following lunch on board, cruise along the Garonne river aboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat, after which you can visit the beautiful village of Le Mas d’Agenais, its 11th century church playing host to an ornate Romanesque doorway and an original masterpiece by Rembrandt. After this, take a short drive to an artisanal dairy farm at Ramier where you can experience the entire cheese making process, culminating in a delicious tasting. Dinner, if the weather permits, is a gourmet barbecue beside the barge, overlooking the River Garonne.
Morning cruise to the village of Meilhan-sur-Garonne with a view over the valley of the Garonne. In the afternoon, visit the 14th-century Château de Duras, an architectural wonder, which has been both a fortress and a stately home over its 900-year history. You can wander through its 35 rooms and museum before returning to the hotel barge. Dinner on board.
Today, your final cruise is to Castet-en-Dorthe, following the nearby River Garonne. In the afternoon visit the medieval town of Saint Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site and center of the most famous of the Bordeaux appellations. Later, we stop at Château Beau-Sejour-Becot, producer of the premier and grand crus wines, where you can discover the secrets of the vine and, of course, enjoy a tasting. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 7: Castet-en-Dorthe | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Bordeaux.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$5,4902-3 travelers
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Stateroom
Two double staterooms and two twin staterooms that feature individually controlled air-conditioning and heating as well as full en-suite facilities.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.