Day 1. Lyon – The Gastronomic Capital, Tasted Properly
Your culinary journey begins in Lyon, where food isn’t a hobby, it’s a point of pride!
Today, indulge in two guided experiences that introduce Lyon through its flavors, stories, and daily culinary rituals.
Old Lyon & The Iconic Paul Bocuse Market
With your expert food guide, explore Vieux Lyon, the Renaissance Old Town, warm and colorful, almost Italian in feel. Stroll cobbled lanes and hidden corners, sampling sweet and savory Lyonnais specialties that reveal a sense of place in every bite.
Cross the Saône and continue through the elegant Presqu’île. Pause for a sweet tasting: an iconic French macaroon from a renowned local pastry chef.
Then visit the Paul Bocuse Covered Market, known as “the belly of Lyon,” where the city’s culinary identity shines: cheeses, charcuterie, wines, and artisan produce, all presented theatrically.
Your guide introduces local legends, the Lyonnaise “Mothers,” renowned for their home-style cuisine and Paul Bocuse, a culinary innovator, as well as the classic techniques that have shaped French dining. Finish with a generous tasting selection paired with local wines, highlighting Lyon’s signature flavors.
The Chocolate Tour: Lyon’s Sweet Obsession
Later, you’ll take a guided chocolate walk through Lyon’s elegant streets, exploring the history and craftsmanship behind one of France’s most beloved indulgences.
You’ll discover Lyon’s unique relationship with chocolate, from the famous “papillote” to top chocolatiers, and enjoy tastings that reveal flavor, texture, and technique.
Return to your Lyon accommodation at leisure. Overnight in Lyon.
Day 2. Northern Rhône Valley: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu & Hermitage in Private Style
Today is dedicated to the Northern Rhône, one of France’s most revered wine regions, where steep vineyard slopes and legendary appellations produce wines prized by collectors and sommeliers worldwide.
Your private driver-guide will collect you and take you south to the Côte-Rôtie vineyards, where the vines cling to dramatic hillsides above the Rhône River.
As you walk the slopes and take in the views, your guide will explain what makes this region so distinctive: terrain, terroir, and the winemaking philosophies that define it.
Private Winery Tastings
At a local winery, enjoy a guided tasting of regional wines, including Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, and Côte-Rôtie. The experience is informative, relaxed, elegant, and sensory, at a comfortable pace.
In the afternoon, you’ll continue toward the legendary hill of Hermitage, stopping at a scenic belvedere with views over the river and vineyards cascading down the slopes.
Next, visit another winery for a tasting that highlights why Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are so admired.
Return to Lyon in comfort. Overnight in Lyon.
Day 3. Annecy: Alpine Elegance, Local Tastes & a Private Lake Cruise
Today is a beautifully balanced day: culture and gastronomy in the morning, followed by a private lake experience framed by mountain views.
Food Tour Through Annecy’s Old Town
With your guide, explore Annecy’s old town, with arched canals, pastel façades, and a distinct Alpine atmosphere. Enjoy tastings of regional specialties at selected gourmet stops, discovering the stories and traditions behind them.
After the tour, you’ll have free time to wander at your own pace, perhaps a quiet café moment, a lakeside stroll, or a browse through local artisan shops.
Private Lake Annecy Cruise with Dedicated Skipper
In the afternoon, meet your private skipper for an exclusive cruise on Lake Annecy.
From the water, the scenery becomes almost unreal: shimmering blue lake, mountain silhouettes, and elegant lakeside villas. It’s a relaxed, luxurious interlude, perfect for photos, fresh air, and that rare feeling of time slowing down.
Return to Lyon. Overnight in Lyon.
Day 4. Beaujolais & Pérouges: “Versailles of Beaujolais” and Medieval Sweetness
Today offers a wonderful contrast: world-class Beaujolais wine culture in the morning, followed by a medieval village and a signature local treat in the afternoon.
Beaujolais Vineyards & Château de La Chaize (Private Tour)
Depart Lyon for Beaujolais, with rolling hills and neat vineyards. Stop for views from Mont Brouilly, then visit Château de La Chaize, nicknamed the “Versailles of Beaujolais.”
During your private visit, explore the gardens, tour the cellars, and enjoy a tasting that highlights the region’s character, vivid reds, and elegant whites set in a historic, grand estate.
Lunch is at leisure in the Beaujolais region.
Pérouges: One of France’s Prettiest Villages
In the afternoon, you’ll travel through the Dombes, known as the “region of a thousand lakes,” and arrive in the medieval village of Pérouges, officially listed among the most beautiful villages in France.
Here, you’ll enjoy a gourmet pause at a historic hostellerie, where you’ll taste the village’s famous galette, a beloved local specialty with a closely guarded recipe. With free time to wander cobblestone lanes, this is the kind of place that feels like you could be walking through a classically French scene in a movie.
Return to Lyon. Overnight in Lyon.
Day 5. Lyon to Aix-en-Provence: First-Class Rail into the South
Today, you transition from the culinary heart of France to its sun-drenched southern table.
Your private transfer will take you to Lyon station, where you’ll board your first-class train to Aix-en-Provence. On arrival, a private transfer will meet you and escort you to your accommodation in Aix, ensuring a seamless transfer.
Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, perhaps a gentle stroll through Aix’s elegant streets, a café stop on a shaded square, or an early Provençal dinner.
Overnight in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 6. Provence by Sea & Vineyard: Wine Estate Picnic and Cassis
Today is the start of The Ultimate Provençal Gastronomy Journey, where food, wine, and landscape blend into something effortlessly beautiful.
Your private transfer will take you to a local wine estate with sweeping views and a nearby Mediterranean atmosphere.
Wine Estate Visit & Gourmet Picnic
You’ll tour the vineyards and learn about Provençal winemaking, then enjoy a traditional French picnic in an exceptional setting.
Your basket will feature carefully selected local products, charcuterie, cheeses, terrines, and regional specialties, paired with a bottle of the estate’s wine.
Cassis: Coastal Charm & Harbor Time
On the return journey, you’ll stop in Cassis, a seaside village with a picture-perfect harbor and relaxed coastal energy. Enjoy time to stroll, browse, and simply absorb the coastal atmosphere before returning to Aix.
Overnight in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 7. Camargue: Flamingos, Traditions & Wild Provence
Today brings a completely different Provence, wilder, more untamed, and rich in cultural tradition.
In a luxury vehicle with a certified chauffeur and knowledgeable local guide, you’ll head into the Camargue, famed for its biodiversity and distinctive local heritage.
Wildlife & Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Begin with a visit to an ornithological park, where you may see flamingos (the Camargue is the only place in France where they breed), alongside herons, egrets, and other birdlife.
Continue to the coastal town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, where history, Mediterranean charm, and local traditions create a uniquely atmospheric setting.
Lunch is at leisure, with your guide recommending the best options based on your style, simple and local, or more refined.
Traditional Manade Experience (Optional Horseback Riding)
In the afternoon, visit a traditional manade (Camargue ranch) to learn about the “gardians” and their way of life.
If you’d like, horseback riding on the region’s iconic white horses is available. Prefer not to ride? A guided walking alternative is available, allowing you to enjoy the ranch setting and traditions at a relaxed pace.
Return to Aix. Overnight in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 8. Alpilles Gourmet Day: Villages, Tastings & Les Baux
Today is a feast for the senses in the Alpilles: olive groves, vineyards, artisan shops, and hilltop villages that feel timeless.
You’ll begin in the Vallée des Baux with a tasting at a local winery, then continue through Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a village known for its charm and fine artisanal treats.
The day continues in Les Baux-de-Provence, where cobbled lanes and stone houses create a dramatic medieval setting.
A cheese tasting adds depth to the day’s flavors, tying together the region’s rustic elegance with true Provençal character.
Return to Aix. Overnight in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 9. Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Winery, Cooking Workshop & Pétanque
Today is one of the most immersive gastronomic days of the journey.
Private Winery Visit
Begin with a private visit to a family-run winery in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, learning what makes this appellation legendary: terroir, tradition, and the craft behind its iconic blends.
Provençal Cooking Workshop & Lunch
Then, travel to a traditional Provençal farmhouse for a hands-on culinary workshop, where you’ll prepare a regional meal using local ingredients, with the opportunity to learn classic techniques and charcuterie traditions.
You’ll enjoy your meal over a convivial lunch paired with carefully selected wines from the estate.
Pétanque: The Provençal Way to Finish
To complete the day, you’ll enjoy an introduction to pétanque, relaxed, sociable, and wonderfully local.
Return to Aix. Overnight in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 10. Luberon – Truffle Hunting & the Ultimate Tasting
For your final day, you’ll step into one of Provence’s most indulgent traditions: truffles.
Truffle Hunting Experience
Meet a passionate guide at an organic truffle plantation and learn the secrets of truffle hunting alongside trained dogs. It’s hands-on, fascinating, and deeply rooted in the region’s agricultural identity.
Truffle Tasting with Champagne
Your experience concludes with a truffle tasting paired with Champagne, an indulgent, celebratory finish to a tour built entirely around flavor and craftsmanship.
Depending on timing and your pace, you may also enjoy time in one or more of the Luberon’s postcard villages, stone streets, small boutiques, and that warm Provençal light that makes everything feel cinematic.
Return to Aix after the experience, where your private tour comes to an end.