EXCLUSIVELY FOR SOLO TRAVELERS

Over 25 Years Expertise

holiday assurance

Holiday Assurance Guarantee

supplement

No Single Supplement

Cruising the Rhone & Picturesque Provence

From C$5,499
Duration 8 Days
Departures from: May 2025 - Sep 2025
Book now
From C$5,499
Duration 8 Days
Departures from: May 2025 - Sep 2025

Tour Overview

From Lyon this cruise heads north on the Saône then on to the Rhône towards the Mediterranean sea. Exploring the colourful countryside of the South of France and the beauty of its historical cities, including the famous Ardèche Gorge. Continue into Provence and the Camargue where the incomparable atmosphere inspired Van Gogh. Visit Burgundy, learn why the Romans felt so at home in Mâcon and Arles and explore Avignon with its great buildings including the papal palace.
Enlarge map
  • river cruise holidays River Cruise
  • new tour New for 2024
  • meals included tour All Inclusive

Your Holiday Includes

  • Just You Holiday Director
  • Transportation excluding overseas transfers to and from the airport
  • 7 nights onboard Nicko cruises - Bijou du Rhone
  • 20 included meals 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
  • Unlimited drinks package*
  • All gratuities and WIFI on the cruise
  • Porterage
  • All port fees

Included Holiday Highlights

  • Cruise along the Rhône exploring southern France
  • Discover Burgundy including the picturesque city of Beaune
  • Visit to Arles and it's Roman inspired architecture
  • Tour Avignon and see its medieval wall
  • Walking tour through the old town of Lyon

Itinerary

Day 1 Lyon

Make your own way to Lyon where you will join your Nicko Cruises ship. After time to settle into your cabin, meet your traveling companions over a welcome drink prior to dinner onboard this evening.

Please note: Ship embarkation on Day 1 is between 17:00 – 19:00. These timings are subject to change, so for peace of mind, we recommend that you arrive locally the day before the ship is due to depart.

Meals included: D
Next day

Day 2 Chalon-sur-Saône

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before arriving mid morning into Chalon-sur-Saône. On arrival take a tour to Burgundy, famous not only for its wines, but also for the many religious houses, which played a major role in medieval Christianity. Nestled at the centre of this wine-growing area is the picturesque city of Beaune. In the Middle Ages the old quarter of Beaune was the residence of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy and many of its monuments stem from this period. Probably the most famous sight is the Hotel Dieu, a 15th century hospital for the poor with its famous colourful roofs which you will visit during the tour. After time to explore you will return to the cruise for lunch and an afternoon at leisure cruising. Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 3 Mâcon - Belleville - Trevoux

A morning at leisure in Mâcon to either enjoy the facilities onboard or explore by yourself. Alternatively you could take the optional excursion to Cluny Monastery, one of the most influential monasteries in the early Middle Ages or the Château Cormatin, built by the Marquises of Huxelles in the early 17th-century (book and pay onboard the cruise). Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 4 Viviers

A morning at leisure sailing to Viviers where you will arrive around lunchtime. After lunch on board why not explore Viviers, situated on the banks of the Rhône, it is one of the smallest cities in France. Alternatively take the optional excursion to Ardèche Gorge, one of the most imposing natural sites in France. Located in the north of Provence, the gorge is a scenic beauty with rocky escarpments, layers of basalt and the blue river that has carved itself into the landscape (book and pay onboard cruise). Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 5 Arles

This morning we visit Arles. The painter Vincent van Gogh was fascinated by the special light in southern Provence, which inspired him to paint numerous masterpieces in Arles, on the banks of the Rhône. With an exciting Roman history as the provincial capital of the Roman Empire, today many of its historic buildings and architectural sites bear witness to this past, including the huge amphitheatre and the old city wall which you will see during your tour. Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 6 Avignon

This mornings tour to Avignon will showcase a lasting impact on European history. For a few decades in the 14th-century it was the city of the Catholic Popes and you will see evidence of this throughout your tour from palaces, castles, squares and streets to the papal palace itself. Also see the famous ruins of the Point Saint-Bénézet, which still straddles half of the mighty river Rhône. Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 7 Lyon

Lyon has been a prosperous trading hub ever since the time of the Roman Empire, when it was originally the capital of the Gauls. The city's old quarter has UNESCO World Heritage status and there are historic buildings and elegant squares to discover amidst these charming streets. During a guided walking tour you will see the medieval Place des Terreaux, where the baroque Lyon Museum of Fine Art and City Hall dominate the surroundings. Also in the square is the Bartholdi Fountain, constructed in the 19th-century to represent France as a chariot-riding woman being pulled by the nation's four mighty rivers. Also visit the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière for some breathtaking views across the city. Meals included: B,L,D
Next day

Day 8 Departure

After breakfast onboard, it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travelers as your cruise comes to an end.

Please note: Ship disembarkation finishes at 09:00 on the last day, all passengers must have left the ship by then.

Meals included: B

Accommodation

Nicko River - Bijou du Rhone

The inviting, large sun deck has plenty of loungers and deckchairs for relaxing and enjoying the scenery as you sail by, or try out your skills on the giant chess board. The panoramic bar and salon has floor to ceiling windows that really let the outside in, a perfect place to watch the world go by whilst enjoying a drink. The large dining room serves international and regional inspired cuisine. Cabins are stylish and comfortable with individually adjustable air conditioning, private facilities, TV, phone, hairdryer and safe. Main deck cabins are approx. 11 m² in size and have a non-opening viewing window, a single fold-out bed and sofa bed. Your holiday price is based on a main deck cabin. The middle and upper deck cabins are approx. 14 m² in size. The deluxe middle deck cabins have large panorama windows that open and the deluxe upper deck cabins have a lowerable panoramic front. All other cabins on the middle deck have large panorama windows that do not open. Cabin upgrades are available, please call and speak to one of our Holiday Advisors.

The inviting, large sun deck has plenty of loungers and deckchairs for relaxing and enjoying the scenery as you sail by, or try out your skills on the giant chess board. The panoramic bar and salon has floor to ceiling windows that really let the outside in, a perfect place to watch the world go by whilst enjoying a drink. The large dining room serves international and regional inspired cuisine. Cabins are stylish and comfortable with individually adjustable air conditioning, private facilities, TV, phone, hairdryer and safe. Main deck cabins are approx. 11 m² in size and have a non-opening viewing window, a single fold-out bed and sofa bed. Your holiday price is based on a main deck cabin. The middle and upper deck cabins are approx. 14 m² in size. The deluxe middle deck cabins have large panorama windows that open and the deluxe upper deck cabins have a lowerable panoramic front. All other cabins on the middle deck have large panorama windows that do not open. Cabin upgrades are available, please call and speak to one of our Holiday Advisors.