Christmas in Provence and the Rhône Valley (port-to-port cruise)

LYON - VIVIERS - AVIGNON

Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner. Tonight, enjoy a cruise through the illuminated districts of the old Lyon.

We'll spend all morning cruising on the Rhône River all the way to Viviers. In the afternoon, we'll set out on an optional tour on foot of charming Viviers and Montélimar. Viviers is a true open-air museum with exceptional architecture, a living testimony to French history. You'll get to admire its cathedral, the smallest in France, before we head to Montélimar. This town has been famous the world over for its nougat ever since the 17th century. We'll visit a nougat confectioner, an occasion to learn more about how this special treat is made (and enjoy a tasting, of course). We'll return to Viviers by coach. Tonight's our gala dinner and evening.

We'll spend all morning cruising to Avignon. This afternoon, join us for an optional tour of the city which has kept an exceptional historical heritage, a large section of it being listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Our tour will take us through the city center with its Place de l'Horloge where we'll get to admire the Town Hall as well as a 19th-century theater. We'll continue on to the Place du Palais for a visit to the Papal Palace, the most important monument of the town. There, we'll discover the staterooms where numerous ceremonies and feasts took place, the chapels, the Pope’s private apartments and the terraces which offer a wonderful panorama on Avignon and the Rhône River. This evening, revel in our festive Christmas Eve dinner and evening. Midnight mass will be celebrated in Avignon(2-3).

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 10:00 a.m. End of our services.