17-night Star Collector: Irish Stout to Bordeaux Wine - A Tour of Ireland & France Cruise

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Belfast: Cultural Belfast - 8 hours

Belfast may be a small city, but it has a wealth of culture and excitement on offer for you to discover! Firstly, visit the purpose-built iconic ‘Titanic Belfast’. With over nine galleries, the Titanic story is brought to life for you with exhibitions, rides, full-scale reconstructions and lots
of interactive fun.

After a hearty Irish lunch (payable locally) head into Belfast city where your guide unravels stories related to “the troubles” of Northern Ireland. You cannot miss the murals across Belfast that offer a fascinating history in pictures. Although huge strides have been made in the fight to combat sectarianism in the city, the marks of the past can still be witnessed across the city, adorning the sides of buildings and walls. A tour of Belfast wouldn’t be complete without enjoying a pint of Guinness at the famous Crown Bar in the city centre. This 19th-century bar is an experience that is unique to Northern Ireland. You are privately transferred back to board your cruise after your tour.

Highlights:

• Explore the 'Titanic Belfast' and learn about the ship's fascinating history
• Learn about Belfast's turbulent past and visit the famous Crown Bar in the city centre

Tour Duration: 8 Hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning / Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Belfast: Highlights of Belfast - 6 hours

Today you are met by your expert local guide for a sightseeing in Belfast and the surrounding area. Spend the morning on a panoramic tour of the city centre, where you see the impressive City Hall in Donegall Square, St. Anne’s Cathedral and the buildings of Queen’s University. During this tour, your guide talks to you about the sectarian divisions that have been so prominent in Belfast in recent years. You also visit the Titanic Quarter, so-called as it was here that the ill-fated liner was being constructed a century ago. Your guide shows you where the ship was constructed and the Thomson Dock where it had its final fit-out.

Highlights:

• Take a panoramic tour of Belfast’s city centre to see the impressive City Hall and the buildings of Queen’s University
• Visit the Titanic Quarter where the ill-fated liner was constructed a century ago

Tour Duration: 6 hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning / Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 6 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Belfast - Tour of Antrim Coast - Full Day Tour

Depart Port by luxury vehicle accompanied by local professional guide.  Leaving Belfast behind, head north on a scenic, northbound journey.  Travel to the port of Larne and then join the spectacular Antrim Coast road.  Onwards through the villages of Ballygalley and Glenarm to Cushendall, know as the "Capital of the Glens" and Ballycastle, host of the annual 'Oul Lammas Fair'.

Arrive at The Giants Causeway Centre.  

Next, travel to the famouse village of Bushmills, which is home to the legendary Bushmills Whiskey Distillery.

Enjoy a 2 Course lunch with tea/coffee in the wonderful Distillers Arms restaurant.

Following lunch you will travel along the Coast up to the fantastic Dunluce Castle. It is thought by some to be the most picturesque of all Irish castles. Situated in the most north-easterly tip of Ireland and first built by Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster in the 13th century, the ruins of the castle are a huge tourist attraction.

The castle is surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops at either side; these would have been essential features to the Vikings and early Christians, who were drawn to this magnificent place where an early Irish ring-fort once stood. It is situated on a 100 foot high basalt stack with a sea cave underneath. The earliest features of the castle, the two large drum towers, about nine metres in diameter, can still be seen on the eastern side.  

Return to Belfast Port on the motorway which runs close to some scenic inland countryside.


Inclusions:

• Private Driver Guide
• Giants Causeway visitor Centre
• Entrance to Dunluce Castle
• Lunch Including Tea and Coffee

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Inishmore, Aran Islands - 8 hours Full Day

On the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity. A timeless land in an endless sea, weathered monuments on awesome cliffs, great labyrinths of limestone, meandering walls, patchwork fields, quiet beaches and a welcoming island people.
 
This morning we will depart from Galway and take a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the three islands, the other islands being  Inishmaan and Inisheer. The Islands are located off the West Coast of Galway about 18km out from Rossaveal Harbour in Connemara. Inishmore is approx. 13km long, and contains 3,092 ha. with a native population of about 900. Kilronan the chief center and port.
Landing in Kilronan on Inishmore, you are met by your driver in a horse drawn buggy for a guided tour of the Island and visiting one of its more impressive stone forts called Dun Aonghasa. It is semi-circular structure, resting on the edge of a perpendicular cliff rising 100 meters out of the ocean. The fort consists of an inner court 50 meters across surrounded by a wall six meters high and five meters thick at the base.

Visit the Aran Islands Interpretative Centre which highlights the unique history, spirit and landscapes of the Aran Islands. The center details the geology, history and present lifestyle of the islands.  See how the legendary currachs, those open-topped, often tar-coated, boats that skim over the waves, are made. Also on display are details of the fish species off the islands and how the islanders have long used seaweed to create patches of soil that could be cultivated for crops, in between the dry stone walls that crisscross the islands and divide its tiny fields. The islands' other craft traditions, including weaving of the famous Aran sweaters, are also documented.
 
Duration: 8 hours

Included:
Enjoy a pub lunch on Inishmore
 
Departing the island by ferry you return to Galway City.
Note: it is also possible to fly to Inishmore.

Pricing: Please inquire
 

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Cobh - Cork/Blarney Shore Excursion - Full Day Tour

Arrive at port and meet with your driver/guide who will escort you around Cork today. Drive through the attractive City of Cork which hosts some fine Georgian architecture, the imposing St Finbarr’s Cathedral, great shopping and many pubs. Continue your journey into the Irish countryside to the pretty town of Blarney. Continue on to visit the 15th century Blarney Castle, famous for its stone, which is traditionally believed to have the power to bestow eloquence on all those who kiss it. The stone itself is set in the wall below the battlements and to kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. Lunch at a local pub.

Following lunch visit Cork City Gaol. Here you can step back in time to see what 19th Century life was like in Cork – inside and outside prison walls. Amazingly life like figures, furnished cells, sound effects and fascinating exhibitions are to be seen.

Return to your ship this evening.

Inclusions:

• Private Driver Guide
• Entrance to Blarney Castle
• Entrance to Cork City Gaol
• Lunch

Cobh's Highlight's Shore Excursion - Cobh/Midleton - Full Day Tour

Meet with your professional driver & local guide who will escort you around East Cork today.  

Your first stop of the day is a visit to Cobh Heritage Centre a dramatic exhibition of the origins, history and legacy of Cobh.  Known previously as Queenstown this was the main port for Irish emigrants to Canada and the United States.  The story of the Titanic and the White Star line is also told at the Cobh Heritage Centre.

Continue on this morning for a visit of the Stephen Pearce Pottery Gallery.  Spend the late morning touring the pottery.  Browse around the Pottery showroom and Gallery shop, or view their latest exhibition in the Gallery.

Lunch today at the famous Ballymaloe House, the renowned Irish country house hotel and restaurant owned and run by the Allen family over 40 years. Darina Allen is one of Europe's most famous chefs and has a cookery school also on the grounds of Ballymaloe.  Nestled in a 400 acre estate in rural East Cork, Ballymaloe House is only 20 miles from the historic city of Cork and minutes from the breathtaking south coast.  Ballymaloe prides itself on offering a warm welcome, award-winning cuisine which celebrates the best of local, seasonal produce.

This afternoon, enjoy a visit to The Old Midleton Distillery which is a wonderful, worthwhile excursion.  Tour the distillery and learn how the world famous Irish whiskey is made.

Included:

• Private Driver Guide
• Cobh Heritage Centre 
• Stephen Pearce Pottery Gallery
• Lunch at Ballimaloe House
• Entrance to the Old Midleton Distillery

Not Included: 
Gratuities

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Waterford Shore Excursion- Waterford and Kilkenny Tour - Full Day Tour

Meet with your driver/guide and depart the pier in Waterford. Travel through Waterford City. The parameters of the 10th century settlement can be clearly identified in The Viking Triangle which has the most historic urban medieval monument in Ireland, called Reginald’s Tower.

Travel to Kilkenny. Kilkenny City, situated along the banks of the River Nore, is considered the medieval capital of Ireland because of its remarkable collection of well-preserved castles, churches, public buildings, streets, and lanes Enjoy tea, coffee, scones on arrival. Visit Kilkenny Castle which stands majestically beside the River Nore on the south side of the city.

Visit the Kilkenny Design Centre which is located directly across the road from the Castle and is the centre for many of Ireland’s most famous crafts people.Continue then on to the beautiful Mount Juliet Estate. Here you will enjoy wander around the Estate and lunch in golf club in Mount Juliet. Return to the pier in Waterford the afternoon.

Inclusions

• Private Driver Guide
• Tea, coffee, scones on arrival in Kilkenny
• Entrance to Kilkenny Castle
• Entrance to Kilkenny Design Centre
• Lunch in Mount Juliet Estate

Waterford’s Fine Houses – full day tour

Leaving Waterford this morning we travel through the rich pastures of County Waterford and head for Lismore to visit Lismore Castle Gardens. The castle, which was originally built in 1185 is now the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire. While Lismore Castle itself is not open to the public, the beautiful and lovingly maintained public gardens are, as is the west wing of the Castle which houses a wonderful contemporary art gallery. The gardens are said to be the oldest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland and they offer spectacular views of both Lismore Castle and the surrounding countryside of the Blackwater valley.


Leaving Lismore we visit nearby Cappoquin House, which is an eighteenth century mansion built on the site of an old Fitzgerald Castle overlooking the River Blackwater. It was designed by the Cork architect, Abraham Hargreave. The Keane family have lived here for the last 300 years. It is little changed from the handsome building completed in 1779. In the house are many reminders of the Afghan war of 1839 in which General Sir John Keane later created Lord Keane of Ghuznee and Cappoquin played an important role. The garden is on a south facing slope crowned with two huge arboretum rhododendrons and planted with unusual trees and flowering shrubs. 


Returning to Waterford, we visit Curraghmore House, which is owned by the Marquis of Waterford and has been home to his ancestors since 1170. Some 2,500 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grazing fields make this the largest private demesne in Ireland and one of the finest places to visit in Ireland. The interior has exceptionally fine plasterwork and a guided tour of the main reception rooms of Curraghmore House can be arranged by prior appointment. This tour takes in some of the finest neo-classical rooms in Ireland which feature the magnificent plaster work of James Wyatt and grisaille panels by Peter de Gree. The superbly landscaped gardens beside Curraghmore House, incorporate a shell house, the interior of which was designed by Catherine, Countess of Tyrone, in 1754. May and June are the best months to appreciate azaleas, rhododendrons, through exceptionally fine trees may be enjoyed at any time.


Your driver with then transfer you back to your ship.
 

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Le Havre: D-Day Beaches - 9 hours

The numerous monuments and memorials on the Normandy coastal area bear witness to the fierce fighting that took place here during and after the D-Day Landings of World War II. Your driver-guide meets you after you have departed your cruise ship and takes you on a full-day tour of the American Sector to visit some of the most important sites of this pivotal point in the war.

Your day starts on the famous coastline at Pointe du Hoc, which the US Rangers scaled, demonstrating a triumph of planning, training and execution by elite and well-led troops. Further eastwards along the coast is the sector known as Omaha Beach, also captured by invading American forces, and where you can examine several sites from both the German and US perspectives. You also hear about Operation Aquatint, a failed 1942 British Commando raid on the area. Your day ends with a poignant visit to the US Military Cemetery and Interpretation Centre at Colleville-sur-Mer, the final resting place of over 9300 US soldiers located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. You are transferred back to your cruise ship from here.

Highlights:

• Visit Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach; two of the most significant D-Day sites

Tour Duration: 9 hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Moderate

Inclusions:
•    Private transport by luxury car or minivan
•    An expert local driver-guide for 9 hours
•    Entrance fees to all sights and museums
•    All taxes

Exclusions:
•    All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
•    Gratuities

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Honfleur - Etretat / Fecamp - 8 hours

Meet your private English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the main exit of your ship and depart for a visit of Etretat & Fecamp
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Etretat is found in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, 20 kilometres north of Le Havre. The town is on the Normandy coast, and is renowned for its 70 metre high picture postcard white cliffs, and the arches and tunnels in the cliffs that jut out to sea, and a large rock needle. Both the cliffs and village are the scenic highlight of the region and not to be missed if you visiting this part of Normandy.

Fecamp is situated between cliffs and has a medium sized pleasure boats harbor and a fishing harbor. There are several shopping streets, museums, restaurants and a cathedral.

 
End of the tour at your ship

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light
 

Package includes

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees
• All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

• Lunch
• Gratuities 
• Travel insurance and personal expenses 
   

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double 

Honfleur - Normandy Landing Beaches - 8 hours

Meet your private English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the main exit of your ship and depart for a visit of  the Normandy Landing Beaches
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Departure for a full day to relive all instants that made Normandy, on June 6th, 1944, the most important battlefield of the 20th century history. From Bloody Omaha to Gold Beach, you will get your fill of emotions, through various sites, on the roads taken by our liberators during the Overlord Operation, while appreciating the story of our guides.
The Pointe du Hoc battlefield, which remained intact after the rangers’ assault, will carry you away to the heart of the fierce battle conducted by the first wave on the orders of the colonel Rudder.
 
End of the tour at your ship

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light

Package Include 

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees
• All tax and Vat 

Do not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel Insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double

Honfleur - Pays d'Auge Gourmet Tour - 8 hours

Meet your private English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the main exit of your ship and depart for a visit of  the Pays d’Auges
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Departure for the Cider Road:  As we follow the Route du Cidre, we'll visit cider, pommeau and calvados makers. Of course, we'll taste their products and learn about the AOC Calvados du Pays d'Auge.

• Visit the farm of an artisanal cheesemaker at the Domaine St. Hippolyte,  

• Visit of Lisieux cathedral

• End of the tour at your ship

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light

 

Package includes

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees & tasting
• All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double and most of the Champagne estate are close 

Honfleur - Flower Coast - 8 hours

Meet your private English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the main exit of your ship and depart for a visit of  the Flower coast
 
HIGHLIGHTS
You will take the coast road out of the town and pass through the seaside villages along the way, complete with their old whaling stations, such as Trouville, Villers sur Mer and Houlgate. If you wish you can follow in the footsteps of the American Film Festival at the “Planches de Deauville”, or visit the sumptuous casino to be found in this holiday town.

A visit to Honfleur is in itself a complete history lesson, from the 100 years war, through the voyages of discovery to the New World during the 17th century to the art of the impressionists. As a defense against invasion by the English the town was walled and fortified during the second half of the 14th century.
 
 
End of the tour at your ship

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light

Package includes

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees
• All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double 

 

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Saint Malo Shore Excursion - Brittany Coast and Saint Malo - 8 hours

Meet your private English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the main exit of your ship and depart for a visit of  Saint Malo
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 

• St Malo: Walled and built with the same grey granite stone as Mont St Michel, ST-MALO was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island at the mouth of the Rance, controlling not only the estuary but the open sea beyond. In later centuries it became notorious as the home of a fierce breed of pirate-mariners, who were never quite under anybody's control but their own; for four years from 1590, St-Malo even declared itself to be an independent republic. The corsaires of St-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute, but also brought wealth from further afield. 
• Britanny Coastal Road
• End of the tour at your ship

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light

Package includes

-  Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
-  English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 

- All entrance fees 

- All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Bordeaux - About Grape Varietals… - 8 hours

Several possibilities based on the theme of grape varietals, be it wine tastings or, practical activities. The great Bordeaux wines will no longer hold any secrets for you. 

It's possible to have this activity in any Bordeaux wine appellation!

Wine tasting:  Merlot or Cabernet?

There are 2 major top grape varieties in Bordeaux:  Cabernet Sauvignon produces Ch. Mouton Rothschild and Merlot Pétrus. Each grape variety taste very different. The terroir and the work carried out by Man can exalt each grape and create amazing Bordeaux wines. During the blind tasting find out which grape has been used in the wine before or after its oak ageing. Merlot or Cabernet? 

Theory put in practice:
Blending is an art

Several grape varieties tasting different are available to the wine maker. He/she is an artist making rational or subjective choices in order to elaborate a great wine. Be the wine maker and create your own cuvée but explain your logic first. Does it match? Each group forms a team. 

Wine taster & Expert

Learn how to taste wines like a professional with fun. You also learn about the tricks of the trade. Words like single variety, futures, blended wines, bottled wine and ageing wine will have no more secrets for you. While tasting several wines, you may recognize which wine and term match together. 
 

09:00 am - Departure from the harbor of Bordeaux

10:00 am - First winery tour

12:30pm to 02:00 pm - Time to stroll and have lunch

02:30 pm - Wine tasting separate grapes varieties and then have a blending session

05:00pm - End of the tour


Tour Duration: 8 hours 
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light,
 

Package price includes

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
• 2 winery visits
• Blending sessions

Bordeaux - Wine Architecture in Saint-Emilion - 8 hours

Modern Temples of Bacchus
 

To wine lovers everywhere, the grand vintages of the Bordeaux region of France have long been regarded as the true pinnacle of excellence.

The methods and philosophies used in their production have by and large remained true to the old traditions; modern technology however has undeniably played an ever-more important role in recent years.

To add even more significance to this glorious culture of the grape, if that was possible, the past  decade has seen some of Europe’s most highly-acclaimed and imaginative architects taking time off from their ground-breaking and spectacular major urban projects to contribute their innovative designs to the cellars and vat rooms of some of the region’s top châteaux.

Discover Architectures / Understand Classification/Discover techniques of wine making and appreciate wine tastings!

09:00 am - Departure from the harbor of Bordeaux

10:00 am - First winery tour such as Château Faugères                         

11:30   am - Discover the enchanting medieval village of Saint-Emilion, classified by Unesco in 1999. A luminous, ochre-colored jewel built of limestone and Roman roof tiles, it’s perched on a plateau and completely surrounded by a sea of vineyards.

The steep and narrow cobblestone streets are lined with remnants of monasteries and convents dating from the 11th to 18th centuries that tell the story of the village. A Unesco World Heritage-inspired scavenger hunt will bring you face to face with the art, wine and stunning landscapes of Saint-Emilion.

12:30pm to 02:00 pm - Time to stroll and have lunch

02:30 pm - Wine tasting Chateau La Dominique

05:00pm - End of the tour

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible:  no
Physical Activity Level: Light,

Package price includes 

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
• 2 winery visits
• Monument tour in Saint-Emilion

Bordeaux - Gourmet tour - 8 hours

We invite you to enjoy a gourmet guided tour of Bordeaux which has been listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in June 2007.

“The historic centre of Bordeaux forms an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the Age of Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city, except Paris. It is also recognized for its historic role as a place of exchange of cultural values over more than 2,000 years, particularly since the 12th century due to commercial links with Britain and the Low Countries.

From its medieval quarters to the Classical splendour of the Golden Age in the 18th Century, you will be able to discover a city emerging from a long face lift of over 5 years of work.

Our visit offers to combine historic discovery with regional and typical "delicacies" punctuated by three stops at specialized producers:

•Tasting of ewe cheese with jam of cherries from Pyrenean mountains

•Tasting of “cannelé” a very local sweet specialty at Baillardran,

•And of course a "wine tasting" in a bistro…

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light
 

Package includes 

- Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
-  English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 

- All entrance fees & tasting

- All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

Not available during French Bank Holiday

Bordeaux - Cultural tour - 8 hours

“The historic centre of Bordeaux forms an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the Age of Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city, except Paris. It is also recognized for its historic role as a place of exchange of cultural values over more than 2,000 years, particularly since the 12th century due to commercial links with Britain and the Low Countries.

From its medieval quarters to the Classical splendour of the Golden Age in the 18th Century, you will be able to discover a city emerging from a long face lift of over 5 years of work. 

The futuristic tram network established in 2005 is evidence of the dynamism of today’s Bordeaux and the historic heart which has been given back to pedestrians, allow the visitors to discover the principal monuments illustrating the city’s History: the Palais Gallien amphitheatre (4th century), the Saint Seurin Basilica (11th century foundations), the Saint André Cathedral (13th century), the Porte Cailhau and the "Grosse Cloche" ("big bell", 15th century). 

The 18th century gave the city its outstanding "Grand Theatre", a national opera house built in 1781, and the Allées de Tourny, as well as the remarkable waterfront buildings and the Place de la Bourse (formerly the Place Royale), a quarter over 4 kilometres in length which serves as the backdrop for the port’s trading activities.

Tour Duration:8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light
 

Package includes

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees
• All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch 

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

Not available on May 1st, January 01st & December 25

Bordeaux -Saint Emilion Wine Tour - 8 hours

In the morning, departure with your English speaking driver guide to Saint Emilion.
 

Surrounded by its vineyards, the city offers ancient ramparts, monuments and narrow streets. The village and the vineyards have been classed as a World Heritage Site by the Unesco in 1999.

“Grape production was introduced into this fertile region of Aquitaine by the Romans and was intensified during the Middle Age. The area of Saint-Émilion benefited from its position on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella and several churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the XIth century onwards. It was granted its own jurisdictional status during the period of English rule in the XIIth century. This is an exceptional landscape entirely given over to grape-production and whose towns and villages are home to outstanding historic monuments.” (Unesco Cit.)

Centuries after the Latin poet Ausonius, the hermit Emilion found here peace and tranquility, which were necessary for his meditation. He discovered a grotto watered by a natural spring in the rocky centre of what is now the town bearing his name, where he lived until his death.

Private guided tour of the principal sights of the medieval town: the Emilion Hermitage, the Tour du Roy built in the 13th century by Richard the Lion heart, the collegiate church and its 14th century cloister and, above all, the exceptional monolithic church and its catacombs dug out of the limestone cliff between the 9th and the 11th centuries. Its 38 metre span makes it the largest such church in Europe.

Lunch will take place at a restaurant located in the city.

In the afternoon, visit with wine tasting at a Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion.

Tour Duration:8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: Light, 
 

Package Includes 

• Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
• English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal 
• All entrance fees & tasting
• All tax and Vat 

Does not include 

- Lunch

- Gratuities 

- Travel insurance and personal expenses 

Departure dates : all day , all year  

May 1st - due to French law, cost double and most of the Wine estate are close 

 

Bordeaux - A Wine, a Vintage, a Tasting… - 8 hours

 A Wine, a Vintage, a Tasting…

Taste and identify the differences between the great Bordeaux wines, according to the vintage…

Wine experts give a great importance to Vintages. Why is it so important? How to recognize the quality of the vintage? How to guess the vintage? Should we agree or is it a matter of taste? Let us taste 4 vintages from the same wine property and comment. The expert guides you and shares his knowledge while you comment and learn tricks of the trade.
 

Château Grand Vertical Tasting Workshop

The privilege of tasting 6 great vintages dating back as far as 20 years:

• Château de Ferrand 1988 & 1989

• Château de Ferrand 1998 & 1999

• Château de Ferrand 2008 & 2009

This workshop includes a private tour, an initiation into aromas, a tasting of 6 vintages, and a food/wine pairing with our “Assiette Gourmande”.

Schedule: 

09:00am - Departure from the harbor of Bordeaux

10:00am - First winery tour such as Château Faugères

11:30am - Discover the enchanting medieval village of Saint-Emilion, classified by Unesco in 1999. A luminous, ochre-colored jewel built of limestone and Roman roof tiles, it is perched on a plateau and completely surrounded by a sea of vineyards.

The steep and narrow cobblestone streets are lined with remnants of monasteries and convents dating from the 11th to 18th centuries that tell the story of the village. A Unesco World Heritage-inspired scavenger hunt will bring you face to face with the art, wine and stunning landscapes of Saint-Emilion.

12:30pm to 02:00pm - Time to stroll and have lunch

02:30 pm - Wine tasting at Chateau  La Dominique

05:00pm - End of the tour

Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light,

Package price includes

• Transportation: Pick up/drop off at the Port
• Day Tour: English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
• 2 winery visits and vertical workshop