Final-year school trip to the Ardèche: canoeing in the gorges, the Pont d’Arc, Chauvet Cave 2 and caving (8 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and drive to the Rhône valley

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and daytime drive to France (about 650 to 750 km, i.e. 8 to 9 hours excluding breaks depending on the departure point).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Two drivers take turns at the wheel; lunch at your own expense at a motorway service area.
• Overnight stop in the Lyon area, dinner and a quiet evening.

Day 2: Arrival in the Ardèche and first contact with the river

• Departure after breakfast and drive to the south of the Ardèche (about 200 km, i.e. 2.5 to 3 hours excluding breaks).
• Arrival in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc in the late morning and lunch at your own expense.
• Discovery of the Pont d’Arc, a natural arch 54 m high above the Ardèche, and supervised swimming in a permitted area.
• Check-in at the accommodation for five nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Canoeing in the gorges and climbing

• Canoe trip down the upper part of the gorges, under the Pont d’Arc (about 8 km, half a day), with life jackets, safety briefing and shuttle back.
• Lunch at your own expense (hotel packed lunches recommended).
• Introduction to rock climbing with a qualified instructor (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: The gorges road and Chauvet Cave 2

• Scenic drive along the gorges road by coach, stopping at the viewpoints overlooking the meanders of the Ardèche, more than 200 m above the river.
• Short supervised hike on a waymarked trail across the plateau.
• Lunch at your own expense, then a visit to Chauvet Cave 2, a replica of the decorated cave discovered in 1994 and some 36,000 years old (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: Caving and the Aven d’Orgnac

• Introduction to caving with a qualified instructor, helmet and lamp provided (on request).
• Lunch at your own expense.
• Drive to Orgnac-l’Aven (about 20 km) and a visit to the Aven d’Orgnac, a Grand Site de France, and its huge chambers (on request).
• Return to Vallon, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 6: Long canoe trip or the Païolive woods

• A day of your school’s choice: the full canoe trip through the gorges to Sauze, about 30 km in one day (on request).
• Or a supervised hike in the Païolive woods (about 45 min by coach), a forest of oaks and rocks sculpted by erosion.
• Picnic lunch at your own expense.
• Free time and supervised swimming in the late afternoon.
• Dinner and last supervised evening.

Day 7: Drive to Burgundy

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and departure around 8 am.
• Daytime drive through the Rhône valley (about 400 km), with two drivers taking turns.
• Lunch at your own expense on the way.
• Overnight stop in Burgundy, in the Beaune or Dijon area, dinner and a quiet evening.

Day 8: Return to Belgium

• Departure after breakfast, around 8 am.
• Daytime drive to Belgium (about 500 to 600 km), with two drivers taking turns and regular breaks.
• Lunch at your own expense on the way.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.