Rural France | Small Group Tour for Seniors

Upon arrival in Paris, we will come to the hotel individually. You will have some time to unpack and explore the city during the day, before the tour commences with an introductory session and a meal out at a local restaurant. (D)

After checking out from our hotel, we will depart Paris for St-Gervais-d'Auvergne. En route, we pause at the elegant city of Orléans, site of Joan of Arc's remarkable victory over the English during the 100 Year War. Then we travel to the spa resort of Vichy, a city with a rich but complex history, having been the home of France's collaborationist government during World War 2. We then continue on to St-Gervais-d'Auvergne, where we will be staying for the next four nights. Set in the Puy-de-Dome region of the Auvergne in the southern-centre of France, St-Gervais-d'Auvergne is the region’s capital. (B)

We will have a full day tour of Saint-Flour, perched on the Auvergne's highest volcanic outcrop. This is quintessential medieval France surrounded by the rugged beauty of the region's volcanic landscape. We will return to our hotel and have the opportunity to find a local restaurant for dinner. (B) (D)

Today we will enjoy the view from Le Puy Mary, with its unspoiled landscape and panoramas of lush and verdant moorlands. We will explore Salers, one of the Auvergne's most attractive medieval villages, and the charming town of Tournemire, which is a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful French Villages. During our visit we will explore Chateau d'Anjony, which was built in 1430 by one of Joan of Arc's companions, Louis d'Anjony.

This morning our local guide will lead us on a walking tour in the surrounding countryside. We will visit Orcival before stopping at a viewpoint to see Les Roches Tuiliere et Sanadoire at Lac de Guery. We will view Mont Dore, then return to our hotel. (B)

This morning we will check out of our hotel and depart for Uzes, a charming medieval town in the Languedoc-Roussillon area near the Pont du Gard and the Roman aqueduct. It is a market town and a centre of gastronomy. New Zealand’s premiere television cuisine personality Peta Mathias conducts her famous cooking schools in this medieval village during the summer months. En route to Uzes, we will pause at Le Puy, with its shrine-topped volcanic towers. We will arrive at our accommodation in time for dinner. (B)

Today we head out to Aigueze, a medieval town perched on an isolated outcrop, where we will start our days excursions. A local guide will join us here to head down the valley and explore the Gorges de l’Ardeche. We will drive through the region's picturesque villages, nestled against formidable limestone cliff faces, with plenty of opportunities for photos! (B)

Today we will join our local guide for a full day tour. We will visit the delightful port of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to see its Romanesque steeple and stroll through the narrow paved streets following the tracks of the pilgrims. We will also visit the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes, where we will enjoy a guided tour of the town. We will return to our accommodation for dinner. (B) (D)

Today we will explore the impressive Roman city of Nîmes, established by the Romans more than 2 millennia ago. We will walk in the footsteps of the Roman amphitheatre's ancient spectators and experience some of France’s best preserved classical buildings, including Maison Carree, with our local guide. We will stop at a local vineyard for a tour and tasting, then continue to the Roman city of Arles for another guided tour. The city boasts impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest – the arena, the Roman theatre, and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century BC. (B)

We will continue our journey to St-Rémy-de-Provence, which features an ancient Gallo-Roman interior, circled by the remnants of its circular 14th century wall and a protective circle of buildings. It was here where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. We will visit the site of the Roman Village of Glanum and the St. Paul de Mausole monastery, where Van Gogh admitted himself for treatment. We will then join our local guide for awalking tour of the town of Les Baux de Provence, located on a rocky plateau in the heart of the Alpilles, which provides a breathtaking panoramic of Arles and the Camargue. We will return to our accommodation for dinner.

Today we will visit the Pont du Gard, the Roman aqueduct running between Uzes and Nimes. At the peak of its use, over 200 million litres of water a day flowed to the Roman citizens of Nîmes 25 kilometres away. We will continue to Avignon, where we meet our local guide to see the main sights of the city, including the Palais des Papes, or Popes' Palace, a monumental structure that placed this sleepy French town on the European map.

After breakfast we will check out of our accommodation and depart Uzes for Carcassonne. En route we will pause to view the spectacular bridge at Millau, which towers above the Tarn Valley. It was designed by the British architect Lord Foster and it is the highest road bridge in the world. We will have time to explore Beziers, one of the oldest cities in France, with its Gothic Cathedral, quintessential cafes and tree-lined streets. In the evening we will return for a group dinner at the hotel. (B) (D)

Today we will take a boat trip on the famous Canal du Midi, then meet our guide for a walking tour of the delightful medieval city of Carcassonne, which is an ancient double walled fortified town, considered the best preserved in Europe. Free time this afternoon in Carcassonne will allow us to explore the city. (B)

Our first visit will be to Châteaux de Lastours, a series of towers and ruined castle defences perched on an isolated outcrop. Lastours’s 4 castles date back to the Bronze Age, and is the burial site of the famous "princess with the necklace.” Her body was covered with objects such as amber pearls and jewelry, evoking Mycenaean or Egyptian art. Our next stop is Caunes-Minervois to visit the Benedictine Abbey. We will then view the castle remains at Minerve before returning to our accommodation for dinner. (B) (D)

We will enjoy a guided tour of the castle remains at Saissac. Next we will see the Jardins de l'Evieche in St. Ferrol. We enjoy free time in Montoleiu in the afternoon and evening. (B) (D)

Our local guide will meet us this morning to drive to Mirepoix for a walking tour, where we will see the central square with its covered medieval walkways. We will carry on to Montsegur where we will view the castle from the village, before returning to our accommodation. (B)

After we check out from our accommodation, we will depart Carcassonne for Les Eyzies-de-Tayac. We will travel first to Albi, where our local guide will lead us on a city tour, including the entrance to the Toulouse Lautrec Museum and the cathedral. After we have lunch individually, we continue to Cahors where we will have some time to explore at leisure. Dinner tonight is at our hotel in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac. (B) (D)

After a morning at leisure, we will travel to La Roque Gageac where we will join our cruise on the Dordogne River before returning to our hotel in Eyzies-de-Tayac. (B)

Today we will visit the fortified town of Collonges la Rouge before visiting the pilgrimage town of Rocamadour. We will then visit the religious centre and view the Black Madonna, and return to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac. (B)

This morning we will visit the impressive chateau in Hautefort and then continue to the village of Badefols. Our next stop is a visit the medieval village of Saint Robert, before travelling to Brive la Gaillarde to visit the local distillery of Denoix for a tour and tasting. (B)

Today we will visit to the picturesque town of Sarlat and the village of Domme with its spectacular views of the Dordogne. Sarlat dates back to the Viking era and is renowned for having the highest number of listed historical monuments in Europe. We will take a tourist train to the fortified medieval town of Domme, where we will see the trapezoid city plan from a viewpoint. Before arriving at our hotel we will visit the National Museum of Pre-History at Eyzies-de-Tayac. We will have dinner at our hotel this evening. (B) (D)

Our local guide will meet us again this morning to lead us for a visit to the caves of Lascaux II, a copy of the decorated prehistoric caves at Lascaux. The caves are famed for Paleolithic cave paintings, dating from the dawn of time. They primarily consist of images of gigantic prehistoric creatures known from fossil evidence to have once roamed Europe. Next we will continue on to explore the attractive village of St. Leon sur Vezere, then the caves of Le Roque St Christophe. (B)

We will check out of our hotel this morning to depart for Paris. We will make a stop en route to visit the Châteaux de Chambord, one of France's most distinctive country estates, with its iconic blend of medieval and Renaissance styles. We then continue on to our hotel in Paris, where we will have a farewell dinner in the evening. (B) (D)

Our Rural France tour will end this morning after breakfast. (B)