South-West France for groups: Bordeaux, the Basque Country and the walled city of Carcassonne

Day 1 : Journey to the Loire Valley

• Morning departure from the location of your choice.
• Drive south via Paris, with regular breaks along the way.
• Arrival in Tours in the late afternoon.
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 2 : Journey to Bordeaux

• Drive to Bordeaux via Poitiers.
• Arrival in the early afternoon.
• Guided walking tour of Bordeaux: Place de la Bourse, the Water Mirror, the Porte Cailhau and the Saint-Pierre quarter (on request).
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 3 : Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion

• Visit to the Cité du Vin (on request).
• In the afternoon, drive to Saint-Émilion, a medieval village listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Visit to the monolithic church (on request).
• Visit to a wine château with tasting (on request).
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 4 : The Dune du Pilat and journey to Biarritz

• Drive to the Arcachon Bay.
• Climb of the Dune du Pilat, the highest dune in Europe, facing the ocean.
• Boat trip on the Arcachon Bay (on request).
• Drive to the Basque Country and check-in at the hotel in Biarritz.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 5 : Biarritz and Bayonne

• Stroll through Biarritz: the Grande Plage, the Rocher de la Vierge and the lighthouse.
• Visit to the Cité de l'Océan or the Biarritz Aquarium (on request).
• In the afternoon, discovery of Bayonne: the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie and the banks of the Nive.
• Visit to a chocolate workshop in Bayonne (on request).
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 6 : Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Espelette

• Morning in Saint-Jean-de-Luz: the port, the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the Maison Louis XIV.
• Ride up to the summit of La Rhune on the little rack railway, depending on the season (on request).
• Discovery of Espelette and its façades decorated with chilli peppers.
• Basque dinner in a traditional restaurant (on request).

Day 7 : Journey to Lourdes

• Drive to the Béarn via Pau, with a stop in front of the castle where Henri IV was born.
• Arrival in Lourdes in the early afternoon.
• Discovery of the sanctuaries and the Grotto of Massabielle.
• Torchlight procession, in season.
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 8 : The Cirque de Gavarnie

• Drive through the Luz-Saint-Sauveur valley to Gavarnie.
• Walk towards the Cirque de Gavarnie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on foot or by donkey (on request).
• Return via the Pont Napoléon at Luz-Saint-Sauveur.
• Cable car ride up the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, weather permitting (on request).
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 9 : Journey to Carcassonne

• Drive to Languedoc via Toulouse.
• Arrival in Carcassonne in the early afternoon.
• A first discovery of the Bastide Saint-Louis, the lower town.
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 10 : The walled city of Carcassonne

• Discovery of the medieval Cité and its 3 kilometres of ramparts.
• Guided tour of the Château Comtal and the ramparts (on request).
• Visit to the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire.
• Group dinner with cassoulet in a restaurant in the Cité (on request).

Day 11 : Albi and journey to Orléans

• Drive to Albi.
• Discovery of the Cathedral of Sainte-Cécile, the largest brick cathedral in the world, and the Palais de la Berbie.
• Visit to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (on request).
• Drive north and check-in at the hotel in the Orléans area.
• Dinner at the hotel (on request).

Day 12 : Orléans and return

• Stroll through the centre of Orléans, from the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix to Place du Martroi.
• Return journey in the late morning, with regular breaks.
• Arrival back in your region in the evening.