Belmond Alouette: AGEN TO CASTETS-EN-DORTHE

Board Alouette, your exquisite floating palace for the week ahead. Enjoy a warm welcome and chilled champagne in the company of your dedicated crew and guide as you take in the 360-degree views on deck.

Your chef is busy preparing your first feast of the cruise, a spread of vibrant dishes crafted from intensely flavourful ingredients, tailored to your tastes. As delicious wines are uncorked, raise a toast to the start of a sublime vacation.

Awake to a beautiful day on the water and a breakfast of local delicacies. Cruise from Boé port across the second largest aqueduct in France into Agen, a time-honoured city of medieval alleys and Gothic architecture.

Lunch is enjoyed while you cruise along the Canal de Garonne to Le Temple-sur-Lot, home to Latour-Marliac, the waterlily garden that inspired Monet’s famous canvases. Enjoy a tranquil visit, admiring the beautiful botanical gardens and ponds, before returning to Alouette for refreshing aperitifs and dinner on board.

Enjoy a morning cruise along the sun-dappled canal, perhaps alighting to walk or cycle along the towpath. After lunch on board, disembark for a visit to Caudalie Spa, where you can enjoy the enriching effects of vinotherapy.

This type of therapy harnesses the natural active ingredients in vines and grapes and combines them with essential oils to create nourishing, anti-aging rituals. Feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, return to the boat for a sumptuous dinner. In the months of July and August, you can visit the Damazan night market, where a vibrant summer vibe includes musical entertainment to enliven proceedings as you browse.

Unwind on board and relish the bucolic vistas on a morning cruise. Linger over lunch before alighting with your guide for a drive to Saint-Émilion, a charming medieval village in the heart of Bordeaux wine country.

Enjoy a tasting at a world-famous producer as you soak up the spellbinding scenery and captivating history of this hallowed region. Continue to the nearby wine estate of Château Troplong Mondot, an enchanting hilltop enclave rich in biodiversity and famous for its Premier Grand Cru Classé. Sit down to a stunning private dinner before enjoying an overnight stay surrounded by soft, sweeping hills.

After breakfast, travel to the world-famous Saint-Émilion vineyards, a legend among wine connoisseurs.

Be beguiled by the wine’s freshness, elegance and finesse, derived from Cabernet Franc and Merlot, as you discover the savoir-faire that goes into garnering the terroir’s full potential at an exclusive tasting. After lunch in a local restaurant, return to the boat and set sail once more. Aperitifs whet your appetite for a relaxing dinner and lively conversation into the night.

Unwind on board and absorb the picturesque scenery as the barge navigates the final stretch to our mooring in Castets-en-Dorth. After lunch, disembark with your guide for a visit to Sauternes heaven: Château d’Yquem.

Set in a quiet, rural location, this 400-year-old château produces one of the world’s most coveted and celebrated sweet wines. A fascinating tour to discover where the magic happens is followed by a sublime tasting that will move the soul and excite the senses. Tonight, sit out on the balmy deck as Chef serves a lavish farewell dinner. Share stories and highlights of your cruise while indulging in exquisite seasonal delicacies.

After breakfast, your crew bids you farewell as you disembark for your onward travel arrangements. We look forward to welcoming you back on board soon.