This is your chance to experience a truly special side of southern France. While many holidaymakers return to familiar favourites like Paris, Normandy, and Brittany - or head straight for the Alps - this journey takes you somewhere altogether more rewarding. In Provence, you’ll find sun-drenched landscapes, picturesque riverside towns, and rolling vineyards that invite you to slow down and savour every moment.
Rich in history and once independent in the early Middle Ages, this captivating region offers a culture and character unlike anywhere else in France. From charming hilltop villages to relaxed alfresco dining and warm Mediterranean light, Provence delivers the perfect blend of discovery and indulgence - an unforgettable escape that feels a world away from the everyday.
Holiday Highlights
- All inclusive holiday
- No single supplement
- Transfers & Luggage included as standard
- Lyon - An included half-day tour of France's celebrated culinary capital
- Avignon and the Camargue - Two included tours in one day from a magnificent Medieval Papal Palace to the wild flamingo-filled Camargue region
- Vienne and Arles - Included guided tours of two of the region's finest Roman and Medieval cities
- Cluny Abbey and Tournon-sur-Rhone - Explore the remains of Europe's once-largest monastery plus a castle visit and tasting of local wines and delicacies
Itinerary
Day One – Arrival Day
Depart from London Heathrow bound for Lyon, then board the MS Rhone Princess for a 7-night all-inclusive river cruise. Settle in with a 'meet the crew' welcome cocktail reception, followed by dinner and evening entertainment.
Day Two – Lyon
The morning is devoted to a guided half day tour of Lyon, France's second largest city and its undisputed gastronomic heartland. After lunch, we set sail for the first time, heading towards Macon along the Saone river.
Day Three – Cluny Abbey
We head ashore this morning to explore the remarkable ruins of Cluny Abbey, once the largest monastic complex on the continent and a site of immense historical importance. The afternoon brings a leisurely sail south to Vienne, on the Rhone.
Day Four – Vienne
Our included excursion this morning takes us through Vienne, once a thriving Roman regional capital, before we cast off and cruise downstream along the Rhone in the direction of Avignon.
Day Five – Avignon
For roughly a century, Avignon served as the seat of the Medieval Papacy in one form or another, leaving behind a stunning papal palace and a circuit of grand Medieval ramparts, both featured on our morning tour. Following lunch, a second excursion takes us into the nearby Camargue, a wild and distinctive landscape renowned for its free-roaming horses, cattle, flamingos and rice paddies. After dinner, traditional Provencal entertainment rounds off the evening.
Day Six – Arles
Arriving in Arles, the day opens with a tour of this once-great city's remarkable Roman and Medieval landmarks. We then turn northwards, sailing back up the Rhone to reach Viviers, a captivating medieval hilltop town that feels untouched by time.
Day Seven – Tournon-sur-Rhone
A final morning cruise along the Rhone brings us to the charming riverside town of Tournon-sur-Rhone, where we explore its castle, built across several centuries between the 10th and 16th, and enjoy a tasting of regional wines and local specialities. This evening the MS Rhone Princess hosts its gala dinner and begins making its way back to its home port of Lyon.
Day Eight – Departure Day
Transfer to Lyon airport for connecting flights back to the UK.