Discover some of the world's most historic and authentic wine regions, from Nevers to Briare, during this seven-day voyage on the Loire Canal in France. Cruise along the Loire Canal, a regal waterway renowned for its majesty and natural splendor. Start in Nevers and visit the Ducal Palace, the first of the Loire's castles, before sailing to Herry, Menetreol-sous-Sancerre, Lere, and other destinations. The landscape along the Loire Canal is covered with rolling hills, rich gardens, and picturesque villages, which may be viewed from the upper deck of the ship as you cruise.
Highlights
Tour Nevers, a famous pilgrimage site with exceptional history
Taste handmade caramel and chocolate sweets in Herry
Discover the vineyard and wine cellar in Tour de Pouilly-Fumé
Visit Apremont-sur-Allier, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France
Ride along a portion of the EuroVélo 6, the famous bike route
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Possible transfer by coach(1) from Paris to join our ship in Nevers (duration ~2:45.) Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner. At nightfall, we'll leave on a romantic tour of Nevers with lanterns.
This morning, join us for a visit of Nevers. Our visit will begin with the Espace Bernadette Soubirous, the final resting place of the simple country girl from Lourdes who claimed to have seen the Virgin 18 times. We'll then continue to the city center where we'll be able to see Ducal Palace, considered the first of the Loire's castles. Built on the hill, the palace overlooks the center of the old town, the Republic Square and a large park. We'll stroll through the remarkably preserved old quarter, with its half-timbered houses and picturesque streets, before reaching the Nevers Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Quriaqos and Julietta, a national monument of France. We'll have a brief visit to the pottery quarter before ending our tour with a tasting of local products. We'll spend the afternoon cruising towards Cours-les-Barres. Take advantage of this moment to ride along a portion of the EuroVélo 6, the bike route traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. The evening is free to do as you please.
We'll leave by coach for the visit to the Fontmorigny Abbey, a privately-owned French historical monument. Now one of the main cultural sites in the area, it is testimony to over 8 centuries of French religious heritage. The contemporary stain-glass windows are not to be missed. We'll continue on to visit Apremont-sur-Allier and its floral garden. Classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, this small medieval jewel on the bank of the Allier is an absolute must-see. The village offers a stunning point of view of the castle that overlooks it, also a nice stroll along the Allier river. Afterwards, we'll return on board and continue towards Herry. The evening is free to do as you please.
Tour of La Charité-sur-Loire followed by a tasting of handmade caramel and chocolate sweets. Our ship will cruise to Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre. While the ship cruises, feel free to walk along the canal or use the bikes available on board (approximately .6 miles/1 km). The rest of the evening is yours to do as you please.
We'll leave by coach for a visit of Pouilly-sur-Loire, where we'll visit the Tour de Pouilly-Fumé: a wine-tourism center located in a beautiful setting. We'll visit the vineyards, the wine cellar and enjoy a tasting*. Once we return on board, we'll continue towards Léré. The evening is free to do as you please.
We'll set off for an excursion to Sancerre and a goat farm. Set in the historic Berry region, Sancerre overlooks the gorgeous Loire Valley. We'll discover this beautiful medieval city by following the Fil d'Ariane: a red line painted on the streets taking you past the old wine-making neighborhoods, bakeries, fascinating buildings, and lovely art galleries.
The Fief Tower (significant stairs to climb) is the only remaining tower of the 14th-century medieval castle. Afterwards, we'll visit a goat farm and have a tasting of its trademark cheeses and the local Sancerre wine. The family on the farm is raising approximately 200 goats and 60 cows and will be happy to share their cheese-making secrets with you. We'll spend the afternoon cruising to Briare, cruising through the Briare Aqueduct, whose 14 masonry supports were built by the Eiffel Company. Until recently, it was the longest navigable aqueduct in the world. Tonight is our festive gala evening.
Day 7: Briare | Disembark | Paris
1 Breakfast
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. Possible transfer by coach(1) from Briare to Paris (duration ~2:15.)
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Lower Deck
11 spacious cabins with window and private en-suite facilities. All cabins are equipped with rivate en-suite facilities (shower and WC), TV, radio, telephone (for internal calls only), safe and independent air-conditioning.
Notes
20% discount on children between 2-10 years
30% discount for 3rd person in triple cabin
Initial deposit is 30%, 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 Bank transfer or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day 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
3 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
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
