Cruise through France's famed wine regions, including Beaujolais and the Côte du Rhône. Your 8-day European river cruise adventure begins in Arles, France, the city where Vincent Van Gogh spent most of his life. Visit local wineries for wine tastings, marvel at old Roman ruins, meander through medieval villages, and shop for Provencal goods. Your trip aboard MS Amakristina includes a visit to Avignon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highlights

Tour the main highlights of Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France
Stop at the home of a local vintner and enjoy a wine tasting
Learn about the age-old Provencal farming traditions at a local olive farm
Take the Artist Experience tour to the Carrières de Lumières

Activities

Places Visited

Activity Level: Relaxed

Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.

Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arles | Embark

Ship
1 Dinner

Board the ship for your Colors of Provence cruise

Day 2: Arles

Ship
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Considered one of the most beautiful cities in France, Arles enchants all with its tantalizing history, formerly a Roman center of trade. Join a guided walking tour where you’ll visit the Roman ruins of Arles such as its Roman Amphitheater and the Church of Saint Trophime, famous for its Romanesque architecture. Alternatively, you can enjoy a bike ride along the Rhône, through town to the Langlois Bridge, a famous subject from several Vincent Van Gogh paintings. And for those who wish to delve further into Van Gogh’s Arles, join a special walking tour along with a visit to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, showcasing his legacy. During the afternoon, venture to Les Baux de Provence, a hilltop village and ruined castle. Enjoy time in the “old village,” its shops, art galleries, and cafes interspersed among the historic ruins. You will also have a unique experience at the Carrières de Lumières, where you will be treated to a spectacular presentation of art, sound, and history projected on the walls of a former limestone quarry set to music. Next, visit an olive farm to learn about this age-old Provençal tradition and enjoy a tasting. Finally, experience the beauty of Saint Rémy de Provence, the location where Van Gogh painted some of his most famous paintings, including Starry Night.

Day 3: Avignon

Ship
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Avignon, aptly named the “City of Popes,” was the center of the Catholic Church in the 14th century when its “Palais des Papes” was the equivalent of today’s Vatican. Depending on your interests, you have three choices of excursions in the morning. Discover the history of Avignon on a guided walking tour that includes the Papal Palace and the well-preserved medieval walls surrounding the historic center of town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Or, you can visit three venues around Avignon to taste regional specialties including macarons, cheese and wine, and tapenades. Alternately, you can enjoy a bike tour through the city. During the afternoon, you can go to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the impressive Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct that is a masterpiece of ancient engineering.

Day 4: Viviers

1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Take in the quaint surroundings of Viviers, a charming commune that sidles up to the right bank of the Rhone. From Viviers, travel to the magnificent hilltop village, Grignan, and go in search of the highly prized “Black Diamond” truffles with a farmer and his trustworthy canine companion. You can also explore Viviers on a guided walking tour, where you’ll see iconic sights such as Saint-Vincent Cathedral. Or stretch your muscles on a hike to Viviers’ St. Vincent Cathedral, taking in beautiful views of the Châteauneuf du Pape dam, the Donzère Gorge and the town of Montelimar with its magnificent château. You can also set off on a guided bike tour, exploring the beauty of Southern France as you ride along the Rhône River.

Day 5: Tournon

1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Take a steam train ride past magnificent landscape carved along the Gorge du Doux, stopping at the charming little station of Colombier le Vieux-Saint Barthélemy le Plain, where the train maneuvers in preparation for its return journey. Alternatively, lovers of wine and chocolate will want to visit Le Château de Tournon for a presentation and tasting on the pairing of red wine and chocolate. For a more active adventure, take a hike through the vineyards of Tain l’Hermitage, followed by a visit to a local winery where you’ll sample some of the wines.

Day 6: Vienne

1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Situated between the wine regions of Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône lies Vienne with a Roman past that can be seen in its marvelously preserved ruins. Follow the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a walking tour to see the amazingly well-preserved Augustus and Livia Temple, the Saint Maurice Cathedral, a Gothic church that took more than 500 years to build, and St. Pierre Abbey—one of the oldest surviving churches in France, and now an Archaeological Museum. For those wishing to be more active, you can either take a guided hike from the ship to the Monastery at Mount Pipet or a guided bike tour along a portion of the ViaRhôna bike route.

Day 7: Lyon

1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Take a walking tour that starts in Fourvière Hill, part of the city’s historic region that is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the 19th-century basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Continue on to the old town of Lyon, followed by a guided walk through the St. Jean district, where you will be introduced to the city’s unique covered walkways, known as “traboules.” You can also visit the famous indoor market hall Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse, named after the late chef renowned for his Michelin-starred l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges restaurant. There you’ll have a chance to sample of the delicacies offered by butchers, bakers, chocolatiers and cheesemongers while taking in the colorful sights and enticing aromas around you. Alternately, join a guided bike tour through the city designed with cyclists in mind. Later in the day, visit a traditional Beaujolais winery and learn the history and techniques of their vineyard. Plus, enjoy a tasting of their specialty.

Day 8: Lyon

1 Breakfast

Disembark the ship and bid farewell to Lyon as you prepare for your flight home.

Ship/Hotel

MS Amakristina

Name: Rhone River Tours & Travel
Brand: Adventure Life
Rating: 4.8 (176 reviews)

MS Amakristina

The Amakristina is the sister ship to the Amaviola and Amastella, and features the most advanced design of any river cruise vessel currently in operation. Built in 2017, this spacious ship provides you a once-in-a-lifetime experience along the waterways of Europe.

Dates & Prices

Per person starting at

$3,799 2-3 travelers

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160 square feet. 4 cabins on Piano Deck with fixed windows.

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160 square feet. 8 cabins on Piano Deck with fixed windows.

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155 square feet. 4 cabins on Violin Deck with French balcony.

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170 square feet. 14 cabins on Violin and Cello Deck with French balcony.

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210 square feet. 15 cabins on Cello Deck with French balcony and outside balcony.

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210 square feet. 12 cabins on Violin Deck with French balcony and outside balcony.

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235 square feet. 10 cabins on Cello Deck with French balcony and outside balcony.

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235 square feet. 8 cabins on Violin Deck with French balcony and outside balcony.

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Suite

350 square feet. 4 cabins on Violin Deck with French balcony and outside balcony.

Payment Details

Terms & Conditions

Operated by AMA Waterways

Included

7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners

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This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).

Karen Snider

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.

Tina

6 days ago

Rapid response.

kym

Colors of Provence - Cruise Only

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Arles | Embark

Day 2: Arles

Day 3: Avignon

Day 4: Viviers

Day 5: Tournon

Day 6: Vienne

Day 7: Lyon

Day 8: Lyon

Ship/Hotel

MS Amakristina

MS Amakristina

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

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