GEMS OF THE FRENCH ALPS

Taxi transfers from the airport to your hotel in Evian Les Bains, France

Free Afternoon

Meals B (on plane), D

Overnight 4* hotel in Evian Les Bains

Depart for Yvoire, a charming medieval village among the Most Beautiful of France on the shores of Lake Geneva. Guided tour to explore the Village of Yvoire, its beautiful medieval streets. 

Free time for lunch.

In the afternoon, boat tour on the lake with breathtaking views of the Alps. Then visit the Garden of the Five Senses underneath the castle of Yvoire, to awaken your senses & rediscover simple gestures sometimes forgotten: smell the perfume of a flower, stroke foliage, squeezing a leaf to extract the essence…, a living garden heritage preserved and enriched each year.

Return to the hotel and dinner. Overnight Evian Les Bains

Meals B, D

Depart for a guided tour of Evian, discover the history of Evian from the Middle Ages to the Belle Epoque period, through the rich period of thermalism. Small anecdotes and hidden treasures of the town will be revealed.

Free time for lunch.

Continue towards Chamonix.

At your arrival, check-in and installation in your rooms.

Then, take a first glance during the visit of this picturesque alpine town dominated by the Alp Mountains and glaciers rising majestically upwards to Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain of Europe. 

Transfer to the hotel. Overnight Chamonix

Meals B

This morning, take the Aiguille du Midi cable car to the top of Mont Blanc for unparalleled panoramic views. Ride up with the cable car till 3842 m height : often, the atmosphere in the cabin is unique: paragliders, mountaineers, guides, and mountain enthusiasts share these twenty minutes of dizzying ascent, which propel you from the valley to the summit ! Enjoy free time at the top to soak up the views on the different terraces. The French, Swiss, and Italian Alps stretch as far as the eye can see, dominated by mythical giants: the Matterhorn, the Grandes Jorasses, the Dent du Géant... and, of course, Mont Blanc, majestic at 4,810 meters… You may also try the famous “Step into the Void” adventure, a glass room built around a metal frame, allowing visitors to experience 1035 m void under their feet !

Return to Chamonix town centre for lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy a scenic red cog railway ride to Montenvers to visit the glacier Mer de Glace (“sea of Ice”) and learn about the region's alpine and mountain history with a local alpine guide. This once magnificent glacier is a natural living witness of climate change of our era. It offers several visits including the crystal gallery and the ice caves carved into the Glacier. Get back to Chamonix by train. 

Dinner : Enjoy a hearty Savoyard meal in a local restaurant, perhaps a delicious fondue Savoyarde or tartiflette.

Meals B, D - Overnight Chamonix

 Depart for Annecy (approx. 1.5 hours by private coach). On the way, enjoy the scenic drive through the French Alps. On the way, stop in the small alpine village of Combloux to discover one of the jewels of Baroque art : the Saint-Nicolas de Combloux church, characterized by the profusion of colors, gold and sculptures. The Baroque movement largely inspired the architecture of religious buildings in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Savoy region. 

At your arrival at the Col de la Forcalz pass, enjoy lunch in a typical chalet with breathtaking view on the lake.

In the afternoon, drive to Annecy and explore the Old Town with a local guide. Often called the "Venice of the Alps", pass by its Palais de l’Isle, built in 1132, and the Castle of Annecy which dominates the town, the lake and the mountains : stroll along the canals that give the city its unique charm.

Then, 1-hour boat tour on the lake of Annecy, which waters are from the purest in the world, is remarkable by its astonishing crystalline blue green colors. 

Tonight join us for dinner on board a boat on the lake.

Overnight in Annecy

Meals B,L,D

Today, departure to visit the Paccard Bell Museum in Sévrier: guided tour to immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the Paccard family. Bells will hold no more secrets for you! Then, attend to a singing and carillon concert, as a highlight. This performance - unique in the world - will allow you to discover Paccard bells with a voice and carillon duo, thanks to the new urban planning concept developed by the PACCARD Foundry: Ars Sonora®. Singing: Anne Paccard. 

Departure towards the Talloires bay and free time for lunch. 

Continue to Menthon and visit of its castel, the Château de Menthon Saint Bernard: it remains one of the few castles in France to have belonged to the same family for 23 known generations. Perched on its rock, the Château de Menthon has been opened to visitors for over a century. This legacy from their ancestors, along with biodynamic viticulture and permaculture, is part of a renewed social responsibility that draws its energy from our roots. End the tour with a wine tasting.

Return to the hotel and free dinner in a local restaurant in town. Overnight

Meals B

Depart to Lyon.

At your arrival, explore the city’s iconic food market called “Halles Lyon Paul Bocuse”, named after one of the most famous Chefs in history! Discover all kinds of fresh local quality products. « Lyon style » sampling directly at merchants counters: fine colds cuts, varied cheeses, sweets with local wines.

Free time for lunch in one of its numerous restaurants or counters.

In the afternoon, enjoy a guided walking tour of the historic Vieux Lyon district. Visit the so-called « praying hill » with the Notre-Dame basilica de Fourvière and admire the terrific panorama on the town and the Roman theaters on the hill. Lyon’s historical town centre and is registered at UNESCO World Heritage since December 1998. 

Then, walking tour of the « Vieux Lyon », the medieval and Renaissance district of the town. Through 2000 years of History, start from St John’s cathedral and enjoy strolling around narrow streets passing from inner courtyards to the famous « traboules » (secret corridors between streets) and let yourself be charmed by secrets and fascinating stories… 

Check-in and installation in your rooms. 

Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Lyon

Meals B

In the morning, take a cooking class where you’ll learn how to make traditional Lyonnaise dishes or other regional specialties.

In the afternoon, guided tour of Croix Rousse district to visit the so-called « working hill » by following the footsteps of the « Canuts », silk weavers. Commented tour of the « Maison des Canuts »: explanations on the technical, social and creative prestige of the silk industry of Lyon since 5 centuries, and attend to a rare weaving demonstration on a 4-meter high Jacquard loom! Walk down the hill until town centre through the slopes and secret passageways (or drive back to the center by coach). 

Tonight, enjoy dinner in one of the several Michelin starred restaurants or even at the 3-star Paul Bocuse historical restaurant in Collonges (30 minutes trasnfer from Lyon center).

Overnight in Lyon

Meals B, D

Depart towards north and the Beaujolais, the land of the golden stones or “Little Tuscany”. Take a scenic drive through the remarkable with its villages built with yellow ochre stone which reflects the sunlight. Guided tour of the medieval village of Oingt, which is carrying the label “Most beautiful village in France”, perched on its rocky outcrop overlooking the Azergues valley.

This land shaped by history possesses a rich heritage with majestic century-old wine properties. Stop in a local cellar and sampling of the property homemade wines. 

Lunch in a local restaurant.

Then proceed towards the Jura region, known for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Visit a cheese maturing cellar of Comté, in a former military fort! You will see how this local gem is made : carved by hand from the Jura mountains, the gallery enjoys a unique climate. The thick walls and rock faces now offer their qualities to 140,000 wheels of Comté cheese.

Drive back towards Geneva, dinner and overnight in a 4-star hotel on the close-by French side. 

Meals B, L, D

Individual transfers from your hotel to the airport terminals.

Meals B