Day 1: We meet at your town of departure to board our bus to O’Hare Airport for our early evening departure on our major international airline for our flight to Paris. We will be served dinner and can watch a movie during our overnight flight. (In-flight meals)                       

Day 2:  Upon arrival in Paris, we will transfer to the city center and take a half day site seeing tour of this most beautiful city. We will be met in Paris at 1:30 PM and transferred to the elegant La Bell Époque. Following a Champagne Welcome and outline of the weeks wine cruise you are free to explore the medieval town of Auxerre or take a stroll along the banks of the river Yonne before returning for dinner aboard. (D)

Day 3:  Our morning cruise takes us past vineyard-clad hillside to Vincelles where we moor in rural bliss. After lunch, accompanied by our wine guide, we drive to St. Bris with its extraordinary network of medieval passages beneath the town. Following a tour of the Bersan family’s 12th century cellars we taste the unique selection of wines made in this little known Burgundian village. (B, L, D)                       

Day 4: Today we will cruise from Vincelles to Mailly le Ville; our morning cruise will take us past gently rolling hills. We will see vineyards interspersed with cherry orchards; Charolais cattle glace up as pass them grazing in the lush fields alongside the river, we will cruise through lunch. At St. Pallaye our wine guide takes us over the nearby hills to the legendry vineyards surrounding the world famous town of Chablis. A tour of the grand Cru vineyards is followed by an exclusive visit to a state of the art winery. The afternoon is completed with an extensive wine tasting including rare Premier and Grand cru wines. Return to the barge awaiting us at Mailly le Ville, as normal dinner will be onboard. (B, L, D)

Day 5:  Today we cruise from Mailly le Ville to Chatel Censoir; on our morning cruise we will pass the prehistoric coral reefs, which now form the spectacular cliffs at Mailly le Chateau and Le Saussois, a favorite rendezvous for rock climbers. In the early afternoon we arrive at our mooring in the pretty village of Chatel Censoir. From here we will enjoy an excursion to Vizelay, one of Burgundy’s most famous treasures with the Roman Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, craft ships and fine views of the surrounding countryside while sipping a glass of wine from the ancient monastic vineyard, dinner will be onboard. (B, L, D)

Day 6:  Today we cruise from Chatel Censoir to Lucy sur Yonne; we will have an early start after breakfast this morning as we leave the barge for a drive to Beaune arriving late morning for a tasting in the Grand Cru vineyards at Puligny Montrachet. Lunch today will be in a top class restaurant in the center of Beaune followed by a visit to the famous Hotel Dieu. This afternoon we will drive north through he Cote de Nuits vineyards passing Romaine Conti and Clos Vougeot. We will arrive back on board for a short evening cruise to Lucy and a light dinner onboard. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Today we cruise from Lucy sur Yonne to Clamecy, after breakfast onboard we will take an excursion to the 18th century Ferme de Miserey where traditional farming methods are explained and a foie gras tasting. Returning to the barge our wine guide presents a wine tasting aperitif exploring regions of Burgundy. Following lunch a gentle cruise through pastoral Morvan countryside to the sleepy market town of Clamecy. There will be a Captains Farewell Dinner on Board this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 8: We will disembark the barge after a leisurely breakfast and be transferred back to Paris arriving in time to catch a late afternoon flight back to Chicago. (B, in-flight meals)  

Remember to turn in your digital cameras to your group leader so that we can have our video done for this trip. We will plan a get together in a few weeks so that we can share those video and other stories of this beautiful journey.