Colors Of Provence - Arles to Lyon

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Arles

   France

   

   Arles, the most important city in Roman Gaul after Lyon, wears its history with casual magnificence: a first-century amphitheatre still hosts bullfights beneath open skies, and the haunting Alyscamps necropolis — once among the most prestigious burial grounds in the Western world — lines a poplar-shaded avenue with ancient sarcophagi. Yet Arles is equally celebrated as the city that intoxicated Vincent van Gogh, who produced over three hundred works here in fifteen fevered months; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh now honors his legacy in beautifully renovated rooms. Spring and autumn are ideal, with the Camargue's flamingo-filled wetlands just minutes south. Lyon is two hours north by TGV.

2. Day 2

   Arles

   France

   

   Arles, the most important city in Roman Gaul after Lyon, wears its history with casual magnificence: a first-century amphitheatre still hosts bullfights beneath open skies, and the haunting Alyscamps necropolis — once among the most prestigious burial grounds in the Western world — lines a poplar-shaded avenue with ancient sarcophagi. Yet Arles is equally celebrated as the city that intoxicated Vincent van Gogh, who produced over three hundred works here in fifteen fevered months; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh now honors his legacy in beautifully renovated rooms. Spring and autumn are ideal, with the Camargue's flamingo-filled wetlands just minutes south. Lyon is two hours north by TGV.

3. Day 2

   Avignon

   France

   

   Avignon's Palais des Papes — a fortress-palace of staggering medieval ambition where seven successive popes held court for seventy years — still dominates this Provençal city's skyline, its limestone bulk enclosing frescoed chapels and vast ceremonial halls that once shaped the destiny of Christendom. In July, the city transforms for the celebrated Festival d'Avignon, Europe's premier theatre gathering, turning every courtyard and cloister into a stage. Year-round, the beautifully preserved historic centre offers world-class Rhône Valley wines, refined Provençal cuisine, and the beguiling spectacle of the Pont Saint-Bénézet stretching halfway across the river. Lyon and Marseille are each accessible in under ninety minutes by TGV.

4. Day 3

   Avignon

   France

   

   Avignon's Palais des Papes — a fortress-palace of staggering medieval ambition where seven successive popes held court for seventy years — still dominates this Provençal city's skyline, its limestone bulk enclosing frescoed chapels and vast ceremonial halls that once shaped the destiny of Christendom. In July, the city transforms for the celebrated Festival d'Avignon, Europe's premier theatre gathering, turning every courtyard and cloister into a stage. Year-round, the beautifully preserved historic centre offers world-class Rhône Valley wines, refined Provençal cuisine, and the beguiling spectacle of the Pont Saint-Bénézet stretching halfway across the river. Lyon and Marseille are each accessible in under ninety minutes by TGV.

5. Day 4

   Viviers

   France

   

   Viviers is one of France's most beautifully preserved medieval secrets — a cathedral town of barely four thousand souls perched on a limestone spur above the Rhône, serving as an episcopal seat since the fifth century when its bishops chose this formidable rock over the declining Roman city below. The Romanesque bell tower, vaulted passageways, and Renaissance townhouses of the haute ville form an ensemble of extraordinary architectural coherence, virtually unaltered since the seventeenth century. River cruise guests arriving from Lyon or Avignon typically spend languid afternoons exploring these narrow, time-suspended streets, best visited in spring or early autumn when Rhône Valley light is at its most golden.

6. Day 5

   Tournon-sur-Rhône

   France

   

   Tournon-sur-Rhône is a captivating port town steeped in history, known for its medieval architecture and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring local specialties such as caillettes and exploring the bustling Saturday market. The best time to visit is in the late spring or early fall when the weather is mild and the local festivities are in full swing.

7. Day 6

   Vienne

   France

   

   Vienne is a historic French city on the Rhône, 35 kilometres south of Lyon, where an exceptionally preserved Roman temple and a thirteen-thousand-seat ancient theatre anchor a rich cultural landscape spanning two millennia. Visitors should not miss the Temple of Augustus and Livia and a gastronomic pilgrimage to La Pyramide, the restaurant that redefined modern French cuisine. The ideal season is late June through July, when the Jazz à Vienne festival transforms the Roman theatre into one of Europe's most atmospheric open-air concert venues, and the Rhône Valley vineyards reach their luminous peak.

8. Day 6

   Vienne

   France

   

   Vienne is a historic French city on the Rhône, 35 kilometres south of Lyon, where an exceptionally preserved Roman temple and a thirteen-thousand-seat ancient theatre anchor a rich cultural landscape spanning two millennia. Visitors should not miss the Temple of Augustus and Livia and a gastronomic pilgrimage to La Pyramide, the restaurant that redefined modern French cuisine. The ideal season is late June through July, when the Jazz à Vienne festival transforms the Roman theatre into one of Europe's most atmospheric open-air concert venues, and the Rhône Valley vineyards reach their luminous peak.

9. Day 7

   Lyon

   France

   

   Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

10. Day 8

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

Cabin Categories

French Balcony

Balcony

170 sq ftMax 2CA

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+5

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French Balcony

Balcony

155 sq ftMax 2CB

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableFree Wi-FiSafe+4

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Twin Balcony

Balcony

210 sq ftMax 2BB

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Double or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+5

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Twin Balcony

Balcony

210 sq ftMax 2BA

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+5

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Twin Balcony

Balcony

235 sq ftMax 2AB

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Double or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-FiSafe+5

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Twin Balcony

Balcony

235 sq ftMax 3AA

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+6

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Fixed Window

Outside

160 sq ftMax 2E

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Double or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+5

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Fixed Window

Outside

160 sq ftMax 2D

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+5

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Suite

Suite

350 sq ftMax 2SS

In-room temperature control Deluxe hotel-style bedding with Egyptian linen, down pillows and duvet Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi Complimentary bottled water replenished daily Desk and chair

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerBathToiletries ProvidedRoom Service Available+7

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