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From Toulouse

8 days


Grand Tour in Southwest France
Beautiful Villages including Basque & Pyrenees


Price: 2,150 €

Grand Tour in Southwest France
Beautiful Villages including Basque country & Pyrenees


over 8 days Luxury Tour

Journey Thema 12 World Heritage Sites, 7 Santiago Pilgrim's site, Cathari minority, Pastel & handmade, Medieval castle, prehistoric cave art
Local scenery       hills, wheat field, sunflower field (early July), limestone plateau, valley, World Natural Heritage river, vineyard, oak and pine forest, sea, mountain

Price
per person : 2,150 €
Charter : 5,375 € (1-4 people) 7,525 € (5-7 people) 

French driver will guide you in english.
*Customers' meals, accommodation and entrance fees are not included.

Mileage 2,200 Km

Day 1

Head to the heart of the Occitanie region, where the sunflower fields and wheat fields spread across the countryside, Cordes-sur-Ciel, a fortified "city in the sky", and Albi , the world heritage bishop city .

Cordes-sur-Ciel is representative of the 400 Bastides (a village with a market rather than a church in the center) scattered in southwestern France.
After guiding you to the hills overlooking the village, take a walk through the stone-paved medieval village.

From the opposite bank of the Tarn River, we will take you to the view spot overlooking the Old Town of Albi and Pont Vieux Bridge, which are registered as World Heritage sites .
Explore the cathedral with France's largest classical organ, visit the Lautrec Museum and contemplate the rosy red brick town. You will stay in the beautiful village of Conques, which is called the secret of Occitanie.
Enjoy the tampans of the Saint-Foy Church, the masterpiece of medieval sculpture, and the treasure house in the corridor.
There are also directions to two view points with a panoramic one of the village.
At night, there is a church organ concert, and you can also go up to the second floor called the tribune and observe it.
*Every night from April to October, there will be an organ concert from 21:30 and light up from 22:15.

Day 2

Down to the river that winds between the cliffs of the cliffs, you'll visit the favorite village for French people, Saint-Cirq-lapopie, which once shines.
A fairy-tale village that has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages is beautiful no matter where you cut it out, and it is very popular with photographers and people who draw.
There are several restaurants in the village, so please enjoy your own lunch. Overnight stay at Rocamador a sacred place built so as to stick to the cliffs along the limestone valley .
We will guide you to some superb view spots.
On the way down to the village, please visit the sanctuary, cathedral, chapel, etc.
After many tourists return, explore the quiet villages of the daytime bustle.
At night, you can see the illuminated Rocamadour village and sanctuary from the opposite bank of the valley.

Day 3

Visit three beautiful villages of Dordogne. Enjoy the river cruise at Dordogne, which is registered as a World Natural Heritage site at La Roque Gageac .
(Reservation required for river cruise: From November to the end of March, the village will be closed for a walk.) You can also dine while enjoying the spectacular view of the Dordogne region from the terrace of the Auberge in

Domme
Enjoy goose fioie gras, walnuts, truffles, and strawberries that are very sweet in the summer.
Please let us know if you would like to make a reservation for gastronomic restaurant.

Benac et Cazenac you can see the Benac castle, which stands on the hill as the stage of the 100-year war over the succession of the French throne.

A pioneer of the French Revolution,staying at Sarlat, where the French writer La Boetie was born and raised many restaurants and souvenir shops line the Liberte Square will be offer to you (Freedom Square).

Day 4

We will use the latest technology to tour the Lascaux cave's paintings that faithfully reproduce the real thing .
One of the most famous archeological sites in southwestern France, the cave paintings painted by the Cro-magnon 15,000 years ago are also known as the birthplace of prehistoric art. Head to Saint Emilion , the world-famous wine region . Bypass the endless vineyards and visit a winery built from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The winery around here is small, around 10 hectares, and is family run. You will stay at Bordeaux which is registered as a World Heritage Site as the Moon Harbor .

Option
① You can also stay at Bordeaux in Saint Emilion.
② You can visit Bordeaux Winery without visiting Saint-Emilion.
 Medoc Winery 16:30-17:30 Bordeaux 18:30 Arrival

Day 5

Feel free to explore the city of Bordeaux until after lunch.
From around 9:30 am, we will go sightseeing together for about 2 hours. Please let us know if you have any requests.
The Bruce Square and the water mirror created for the wine trade, the Pey-Berland Tower (from the top of the tower you can see the rooftops of Bordeaux), located on pilgrimage route to the Santago visit Saint-Andre Cathedral (on Mondays for the afternoon)... There are also many attractions such as a large theater, etc.
You can enjoy shopping at Grand Gallery (closed on Sundays) and Sainte Catherine street.

Pass through the pine forest and head to Bayonne , the gateway to the Basque Country, which originates from the river.
The old town at the confluence of the two rivers flourished as a trading port.
Take a tour of the Sainte-Marie Cathedral or take a peek at the famous ham and chocolate shop. Overnight in Biarritz , a prosperous aristocratic resort since the 19th century .
Fashionable boutiques and restaurants line the Atlantic coast resort with surfers and families.
Near the old port where whale fishing was done is the Rock of Notre Dame, built to pray the safety sailors.

Day 6

After departure from Biarritz, climb the Mt. La Rhune, a symbol of Basque country, by a wooden mountain train. From the top of the mountain 905m, you can overlook the majestic mountains of French & Spanish landscape and the sea that extends to the back. *Operates from March 26 to early November

We will have lunch at Espelette, which is famous for its peppery village.
There are many specialties such as ground veal ash, piperard, local wine called irroulegy, cider of apple, sheep cheese called Osso Iraty, cherry jam from neighboring village Itxassou, basque pastry.
Espelette peppers that can be collected in the designated areas are certified under the French quality assurance label AOC (Control of Origin). There are specialty stores in the village colored with pepper, so please enjoy your shopping slowly. After arriving at San Sebastian located on the Spanish coast, visit the igueldo observatory. From the observatory, you can overlook La Concha Bay, which means scallop in Spanish.
There are many tapas bars in the old city. Enjoy the famous pinchos (thin sliced ​​bread with anchopi and cod side dishes), and a slightly sparkling white wine called Txacoli.

Option
You can stop at Saint Jean de Luz and Ainoa without taking the Rhune mountain railway .

Day 7

Choose one of three options to spend your time in the Pyrenees.

Gavarnyi Valley Hike
A short  half hour hike takes place in the huge Gavarnie Valley, 1700m high and 5 km circonference created by the erosion of glaciers.
Take a stroll along the riverside promenade, where there is not much difference in elevation, while looking at the highest waterfall in Europe.
If the weather is nice, we'll have a picnic crunch (bread, Pyrenees cheese, socison, and blueberry sweets) in nature.
If you are not confident in your physical fitness, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery from the cafe close to the village.

Gaube Lake Hiking
From Cauteret take the ropeway and lift to go to Gaube Lake where the blue color is beautiful.
You may even be able to see wild guinea pigs early in the morning as the nature remains a lot.
Folding mountains, transparent lakes, and alpine plants blooming remind us a scenic paradise in the sky.
On the way back, you will get off a lift halfway, but you can go slowly while sightseeing the Spanish bridge and waterfalls without using a gondola.

Lourdes & Pick du Midi Lookout Stroll around the all pyrennees chain.
The cave where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared is famous for its miraculous water.
You can get water from the nearby faucet, so please take it back to home.

By climbing up to 2,877m at once with the ropeway to the Pick du Midi Observatory, you can see a spectacular view of the French and Spanish Pyrenees mountains.
In addition to the view from the observatory, which was previously only accessible to astronomers, there are also specialists who give lectures on astronomical observation, and you can observe solar flares using a telescope. *There are regular holidays in May and each month.

Leave the Pyrenees and stay in Carcassonne , Europe's largest fortified city .
At night, you can enjoy the superb view with illuminations.

Day 8

Until your departure, feel free to take a stroll around the town of Carcassonne , which is a World Heritage Site as an historic city .
Walk along the walls of the Contal Castle or visit the Narbonne Gate and the beautiful stained glass Saint-Nazaire Temple.
It is the second most visited destination in France after Mont Saint Michel, but you can take a leisurely stroll in the morning and evening. After a walk in
a maze of intricate corridors, enjoy the viewsight from the all donjons roof is also wonderful.

The Occitanie region changed to France, and during the Renaissance, Toulouse, Carcassonne and Albi flourished in the trade of pastel, an indigo pigment plant called "golden blue".

Toulouse, the fourth largest city in France after Paris, Marseille and Lyon, has 72 houses of merchants rich in pastel trade, one of which is the Museum of the Azaza.
Santiago Pilgrimage Site Enjoy the beautiful Romanesque look of the San Sernan Basilica, the Jacobin Monastery (closed on Mondays) and the coconut pillars and cloisters that extend to the ceiling, as well as the Capitol Square in the center of the town.
Relax along the Garonne River flowing from a hight valley of Pyrenees, or take a stroll through the Pont Neuf Bridge.

プログラム

Day 1
08:00 Toulouse
9:30-11:00 Cordes-sur-Ciel
11:30-15:00 Albi
17:00 Conques Arrival (hotel)

Day 2
09:30 Departing from Conques
11:30 to 15:00 St cirq Lapopie

16:30 Arrive at Rocamador (hotel)

Day 3
09:00 Departing Locamador
10: 15-11 :30 La Loque Gajak
11: 45-14 :00 Domme

14: 30-15:30 Benac et Caznac
16:00 Arriving at Sarla (hotel)

Day 4
09:00 From Sarlat
10:00~13:30 Lascaux Cave
15:00~16:30 Saint Emilion
18:00 Arriving at Bordeaux (hotel)

Day 5
free time until 13:30: departure from Bordeaux
15:30 to 17:00 Bayonne
17:30 Biarritz (hotel)

Day 6
9:00 From Biarritz
10:00-12:00 La Rhune Mountain Railway
12: 30-15 :00 Espelette
16:00 San Sebastian (Hotel)

Day 7
8:00 San Sebastian
11:15~15:00 Gavarnie Valley
18:45 Carcassonne arrival (hotel)

Day 8
11:30 From Carcassonne
12:45 to 16:00 Toulouse
16:30 Arrive at Toulouse (hotel or airport)