The Very Best of South Western France
5 Nights In Bordeaux, 4 Nights In Sarlat, 3 Nights In Toulouse
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival
Independent arrival in Bordeaux, check in and overnight in Bordeaux.
Day 2 Bordeaux Cheese & Wine Tasting
This morning enjoy a fun-filled experience fit for a foodie. Learn about food & wine pairings from an expert and taste the region’s most typical wines. You will also savor french cheeses in an underground cheese cellar.
Bordeaux is the world’s largest urban World Heritage Site, cradling half the city (18 sq km) in its Unesco-listed treasure chest. From the elegant symmetry of place de la Bourse, palaces strung with stone-sculpted mascarons (faces), to tree-shaded boulevards laced with hôtels particuliers (mansions) built for 18th-century wine merchants, Bordeaux architecture is world-class. Contemporary architects continue the trend for excellence, with breathtakingly wild and beautiful creations resembling giant wine decanters, gleaming white pebbles, all sorts. An interesting portfolio of art museums embracing all periods and genres is the icing on the cake to this magnificent architectural heritage. Overnight in Bordeaux
Day 3 Bordeaux & St Emilion Wines & Village Tour
This morning you will join an interesting walking tour of the city with a knowledgeable guide. You will visit some of the city’s most remarkable 18th century architecture, as well as the highlights of the UNESCO World Heritage area.
In the afternoon, join a small group to discover the wines & village of Saint Émilion. Begin the tour with the visit of a carefully selected Grand Cru winery that elaborates complex Merlot-based red wines. Then follow your guide on a walking tour of the village before returning to Bordeaux
Overnight in Bordeaux.
Day 4 Flavors Of The Basque Country From Bordeaux
Today explore the Basque Coontries. Motor south in direction of Biarritz. Here you will free time to explore the city and time for lunch. Biarritz is one of the beloved French cities worldwide, with stunning beaches with good surfing spots and treasures of culture and history. In fact, they celebrate lots of festivals throughout the year. Biarritz has an amazing location on the Bay of Biscay, and yet it is just a short distance from the mountains. The nearby region still has retained its genuineness and the country of Spain is immediate across the border.
Then, take in the Scenery of the Basque Countryside and Villages and Discover the Town Of Saint Jean de Luz.
What was once the center for Basque corsairs in the 17th century has now become an easy going beach resort town. Saint Jean de Luz sits on a gentle, crescent-shaped bay with fine sand and has an old town that is filled with colorful timbered Basque houses. There are large beautiful Basque houses that form the old part of the town. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th century, a time when Saint Jean de Luz was one of the most important fishing ports of France. Return to Bordeaux late afternoon.
Overnight in Bordeaux
Day 5 Medoc Land Of Wines
Depart for the Medoc wine region where some of the most famous wineries of Bordeaux are located. Travel along the Château Route through famous appellations such as Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac or Saint Estephe. This full day tour has been designed as an introduction to the wines & blends of the left bank in which Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Your day consists of visits & wine tastings in 3 carefully selected Classified Châteaus (wineries) that produce delicious wines. Overnight in Bordeaux.
Day 6 A Taste Of Dordogne From Bordeaux
Meet your driver escort and motor to Sarlat. On the way, see the Famous Lascaux IV Cave and Admire Paleolithic Art, experience the Magic of France in the Villages Of Beynac and La Roque Gageac and finally visit the magical Château de Castelnaud, is a medieval fortress in the commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, overlooking the Dordogne River in Périgord.
Finally, arrive in Sarlat and Overnight.
Day 7 Sarlat Gourmet Tour & Market Stroll
Spend a Lively Morning at Sarlat’s Market, enjoy a Guided Walk in Sarlat and Taste Authentic Local Specialties. Sarlat is a beautiful, well-restored town a few kilometers north of the River Dordogne. The old town, dating from both medieval and renaissance times is a pleasure to visit, especially during the spring and autumn, or early in the morning. If you can catch the early morning sunshine on the yellow sandstone buildings, so much the better. Overnight in Sarlat.
Day 8 Rocamadour
Visit the Incredible Village of Rocamadour with its Sanctuary of Rocamadour and enter the Extraordinary Notre Dame Chapel, perched on the side of the Valley. Overlooking the Alzou canyon, the medieval village of Rocamadour is a marvelous balancing act. Built into the cliffside on successive levels, 120 meters in length, it clings high above a canyon through which flows the Alzou. Its houses, roofs and churches seem to be part of the rock itself.
In the 12th C., pilgrims crossed the whole of Europe to come and pray here. Overnight in Sarlat.
Day 9 Cahors & Albi
Today motor to Toulouse and stop in route in Cahors to enjoy a wine tasting in the Malbec country. Cahors, the capital of the Lot region, is the birthplace of Malbec wines from all over the world. In Cahors, Malbec is often called Auxerrois or Cot Noir and more famously known by its medieval nickname of ‘Black Wine’ due to its deep, dark color. During the Middle Ages, the ‘Black Wine’ was drunk all over Europe by kings, emperors, and Popes.
You will have the chance to visit of one of the rare “real” wine castles, as you would expect it to be. Since 1690 Chateau Chambert vineyard’s already covered the finest terroir of the upper plateau of Cahors, in South-West France. For over 300 years, its Malbec wine was enjoyed by kings, Popes in Avignon, tsars in Russia and officers in Bordeaux. Exported all over Europe, it was known in England as the “Black Wine”.
You will also stop in Albi, the capital of Occitaine and home of an impressive Cathedrale, that seems to be a fortress with its 285ft (79m) tower and massive walls. athédrale Sainte-Cécile is the largest brick structure in the world when it was built in the 13th century, its militaristic architecture demonstrated to the defeated supporters of the heretical Cathar movement that the Catholic Church was back in charge.
Arrive in Toulouse late afternoon. Overnight in Toulouse.
Day 10 Toulouse
Today enjoy a walking tour of Toulouse. The streets of Toulouse let loose with the soul of France. Down in the southwest, the country’s exquisite elegance merges with rugged passion as the landscape sinks into the Spanish border. Built-in rose brick with blue-gray undertones, La Ville Rose, an architectural exception for a major French city, lights up in fiery reds, oranges, and pinks as the sun sets over the Garonne river. Toulouse has it all in a way that Paris simply can’t. Culture, history, geography, fashion, multiculturalism, and fields and vineyards minutes from the city’s borders that supply fresh produce, wine, and cheese. Overnight in Toulouse.
Day 11 Carcassone
Today enjoy your day in Toulouse. You may want to visit the City of Carcassone or the Airbus center that offer the great opportunity to learn more about the story of aviation and the technology behind the most modern aircraft. Overnight in Toulouse.
Day 12 Departure
Independent departure Transfer.