Experience Champagne's renowned bubble, a white wine that bears the same region name on this 7-day private cruise aboard the hotel barge Panache. Visit the gothic Reims cathedral, an 800-year-old monument that served as the coronation site for France's Kings. Sample Mot & Chandon's renowned vintages in a beautiful private salon hosted by an experienced cellar master. Continue your tour at a Henriot vineyard on the ridge above Epernay, where you learn about viticulture before tasting at an elegant 18th-century manor in Pierry. Sail to the picturesque riverbank town of Dormans, home to a château, a water mill, and a World War One memorial. Cruise to your final mooring at Château-Thierry before disembarking in Paris.
Highlights
Visit Epernay for a cellar tour and wine tasting with your private group of up to 12 guests
Enjoy a private winery tour and tasting at renowned champagne houses
Admire the 800-year-old Reims cathedral where France's Kings were crowned
Explore Château-Thierry, scene of fierce battles in WW I, and Belleau Wood
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 early afternoon in Paris and transferred to the hotel barge moored in Châlons-en-Champagne. Enjoy a champagne welcome while your Captain introduces you to the crew.
This morning cruise from Châlons-en-Champagne along the Canal Lateral à la Marne to the pretty mooring at Tours-sur-Marne. After lunch on board, visit the magnificent 800-year-old Reims cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece where the Kings of France were crowned, before some free time perhaps to wander around this delightful city with its grand squares and elegant shopping arcades. Dinner on board.
This morning visit one of the best known Champagne houses in the world, Moët & Chandon, founded in 1743, where you are guided through their vast underground cellars, the largest in the region, which were carved out of the chalk to offer the maturing wine the perfect temperature and humidity. This is followed by tasting some of Moët’s renowned vintages in an elegant private salon hosted by an experienced cellar master. Later return to the barge for lunch and continue your cruise along the canal, with the opportunity to explore on foot or bicycle en route, and moor at Dizy, near Epernay. Dinner on board.
After a leisurely breakfast, visit the domain of Champagne Henriot, one of the oldest family-owned houses in Champagne, originating in the late 1700s. En route, stop at a Henriot vineyard on the hillside above Epernay, be met by one of their viticulture experts who explains how their selected grapes create the house style. Then move on to the beautiful Château Les Aulnois in the nearby village of Pierry, where, after a private tour of this 18th Century manor, enjoy an exclusive tasting of various Henriot champagnes before a gastronomic lunch in the chateau’s dining room. Mid-afternoon, return to the barge and continue your cruise along the Marne to Damery. Dinner on board.
Today the hotel barge continues her cruise along the meandering Marne to moor at the pretty riverside town of Dormans, the site of a château, water mill, and World War One memorial. In the afternoon, there is the option to visit the elegant Chateau de Conde with its sumptuous 18th-century interiors, or the WWI battlefield and monument at Château-Thierry and the American cemetery at Belleau Wood. It was here that US forces fought one of their bloodiest battles during World War One. Dinner on board.
This morning, visit La Maison Pannier, a select champagne house with a labyrinth of medieval underground cellars, for a tour and private tasting. After lunch on board, cruise to your final mooring at Château-Thierry, a historic, strategically-situated town overlooking the river, surrounded by vineyards that produce some of the region’s famous sparkling wine. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 7: Château-Thierry | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Paris.
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.
Select a Date
Junior Suite
150 sq ft including en suite facilities including TV/DVD, Double sink in bathroom and air conditioning/ heating, WiFi (subject to location)
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
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours 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
2 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
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
