• Meals: Dinner

Today you’ll arrive in the medieval city of Aigues-Mortes, where you’ll board your barge from 17.00 onwards, with an introductory briefing held at 18.30. Dinner on board is the perfect opportunity to get to know the other members of the group and chat about the week to come.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 160 Metres Approx.

As you cycle through the small country lanes of Camargue, passing by canals, lagoons, and small villages, you will come across La Cailar, Marsillargues, and Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze, which are well-known for their ancient taurine traditions.

In the afternoon, you will visit an organic vineyard and enjoy a special wine tasting experience. This will allow you to immerse yourself in the beautiful landscapes of Camargue’s ponds, lagoons, reeds, and dunes while savoring the scents of warm sand, tamarisk, and pine forests.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 105 Metres Approx.

This morning we set sail for a leisurely couple of hours up to Franquevaux before swapping boat for bike and riding on to Saint-Gilles. From here we pedal onwards towards Arles, the ancient capital of Gaul, where layers of history await.

With Roman treasures in abundance, shady squares and plenty of culture, Arles is the perfect town to explore by foot. Luckily you’ll be able to do just that as we’ve organised for a professional tour guide to show you around!

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 445 Metres Approx.

In the morning, we’ll make our way to the Alpilles, an enchanting natural site in the northwest of the Bouches du Rhône department. A highlight will be Les-Baux-de-Provence, a medieval village lodged in the rock itself. A landscape of limestone cliffs and olive trees will accompany us throughout the day.

Today’s stage is the only one that has a real elevation up in ascent: 4km ascent from the village of Paradou to Les Baux de Provence. But after Les Baux a beautiful 4km downhill to St. Remy waits for you! You will have the option to avoid the climbs by choosing the detour route where a short 1 km climb in Fontvieille to the mills of Daudet is foreseen.

In the evening our barge will be moored in Vallabrègues, a pretty Provençal village on the banks of the Rhône.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 210 Metres Approx.

Riding along country roads, we’ll make our way to Barbentane and its castle, situated at the confluence of the Rhone and Durance rivers. We’ll then cycle to the magnificent Abbey of Saint Michel de Frigulet. The abbey takes its name from the Provençal word for thyme, the “ferigoule” which grows in the surrounding hills.

In the afternoon we’ll sail on to our overnight stop, Aramon; with beautiful views of Mont Ventoux, it’s a great place to stay the night.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 240 Metres Approx.

Today’s route will take us to the best preserved Roman aqueduct in Europe, Pont du Gard, a spectacular sight! The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard. The impressive aqueduct, with 3 sets of archways, was designed to bring water to the city of Nîmes, and is the highest, and one of the best preserved, of all elevated Roman aqueducts.

After cycling to Aramon in the afternoon, we’ll set sail to Avignon, the city of the Popes, and your home for the next two nights. Our mooring place is in Quai de la Ligne, next to the famous Pont St. Bénezet, a perfect spot for exploring.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 285 Metres Approx.

Today we’ll cycle to the opposite bank of the Rhone river, crossing the Ile de la Barthelasse and riding through typical garrigue landscape, between vineyards and orchards on our way to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

We’ll follow the course of the river, and spend some time in Villeneuve-les-Avignon (once known as the town of the cardinals), before returning to our barge in Avignon. During the trip, we will of course have the opportunity to taste some famous Provençal wine!

This afternoon can be spent exploring the historic centre of Avignon, known as the heart of Provence. For 70 or so years of the early 1300s, Avignon was the centre of the Roman Catholic world, and although it’s position as the seat of papal power only lasted a few decades, it’s been left with an impressive range of architecture, the most famous being the World Heritage-listed fortress/palace, known as the Palais des Papes.

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast it’s time to disembark and start your journey home.

The itinerary has been planned to feature navigation along the Rhone River and Rhone-Sète Canal.

Occasionally, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday. Issues with high and low water, as well as logistical obstacles such as those officially ordered – and previously not announced (e.g. repair work on locks or bridges) can modify some of the daily stretches or overnight stays and may even request a transfer by bus. These decisions will be taken by the boat’s captain.