Lyon to Lyon Including:  Arles, Avignon, Carpentras, Viviers, Le Pouzin, & Lyon

Day 1: (Th) Lyon
You will be met at the airport in Lyon and transferred to your luxury ship where you will be welcomed by your Kosher River Cruise team. Tonight, enjoy a welcome reception, orientation, and dinner on board as we set sail. 

Day 2: (Fr) Grignon / Viviers
Viviers is the administrative and religious capital of Vivarais, the town of Viviers, on the right bank of the Rhône, in southern Ardèche, retains an important heritage from its rich past, including many listed monuments. These include the Town Hall, in the former bishops’ palace; the 18th-century Hôtel de Roqueplane, now the seat of the diocese; the Cathedral of St Vincent, Romanesque, flamboyant Gothic and 18th-century in style, with its choir decorated by Gobelins tapestries and its marble high altar; the 16th-century Knights’ House (Maison des Chevaliers) with its Renaissance façade, decorated with medallioned busts; and the Grande Rue with the elegant mansions of Beaulieu and Tourville, both dating from the 18th century.

Our morning adventure begins with a visit and walking tour of the medieval fortress town of Griganan which dates back to the 11th century and was fortified in the 12th century with its a hillside village developed around its castle.

Next, we continue with a very special KRC culinary experience with an exploration of the world of truffles (France is a leading producer of black truffles) with a visit, kosher tasting, and kosher wine pairing to a local truffle farm.

Return to our ship and prepare for a special Kosher River Cruise Shabbat all together docked in Viviers.

    Morning guided tour
    Optional afternoon countryside hike
    Afternoon talk & tea lecture series
    Kosher culinary classes
    KRC Shabbat program

Day 3: (Sa) Viviers
Morning of Shabbat programming docked in Viviers with all our old and new friends.  

In the afternoon we have developed a truly unique Shabbat friendly guided walking tour from our boat.   We will meet with Frances who is a wonderful character who brings the tour of the town of Viviers to life with all her little stories of the people who lived there. Frances’ aunts house (which she purchased from her) was a safe house for the French Resistance and Jewish refugees who needed somewhere to stay during the Second World War.  

After a magical Havdalah we depart and set sail to Arles.

    KRC Shabbat program
    Guided afternoon walking tour
    Afternoon talk & tea lecture series
    Evening port talk
    Evening Entertainment

Day 4: (Su) Arles
Explore Arles. Immortalized in the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, Arles sits on both banks of the Rhône River. The town is replete with many Roman-era buildings and features such as the Arena, the Roman Theatre, and the Roman Baths. The town is also well-known for its festivals and fairs and is one of the few places in France where one can see bullfighting.  With over 300 days of sunshine a year Arles has been a beacon for travelers and artists for centuries. Picasso and Cezanne painted here, and of course the paintings of Van Gogh created some of his most famous works in the fields surrounding the town.  

Join your local guide for a walking tour showcasing the highlights of the city in particular the 2000-year-old Roman Amphitheatre still in use today, which was originally built to hold 20,000 spectators in the style of the Colosseum in Rome. In the afternoon experience a very special kosher winery tour and tasting.  

    Guided morning walking tour
    Guided afternoon tour
    Afternoon talk & tea lecture series
    Evening port talk
    Evening entertainment

Day 5: (Mo) Avignon / Carpentras
Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avignon walking its medieval streets lined with magnificent mansions. Visit to the “Pope’s Palace”, one of the area’s cultural jewels and the famous Saint- Bénezet Bridge. We explore the medieval Jewish Quarter, meeting with the Jewish community at the synagogue originally built in 1221 with it final rebuild in 1848 and still used today by the Avignon Jewish community.  

In the afternoon we visit the town of Carpentras the capital of the Comtat Venaissin County in the Middle Ages. It owes its originality to the fact that it was part of the Holy Chair from the 13th to the 18th century and to the former presence of the “Pope’s Jews”, who found shelter in the town. The historic quarter harbors the 12th-century ramparts and Episcopal buildings, including the Episcopal Palace, Hôtel-Dieu, and ancient Jewish quarter.  We explore the Carriere and the 1367 Carpentras Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in France. It is a living testimony to the presence of the Jewish communities that were under Papal protection after one of the many expulsions from the Kingdom of France. On the lower level of the building is a mikvah and a matzo bakery still used today!

Return to our ship where guest are free to explore the great boutique shopping and sites of Avignon until our evening sail departure.

    Guided morning tour
    Guided afternoon tour
    Afternoon talk & tea lecture series
    Evening port talk
    Evening entertainment

Day 6: (Tu) Tournon
After a morning of leisurely sailing and onboard programming, our afternoonwill be spent with a scenic tour of the Ardeche Gorge; known as the “European Grand Canyon”. For something truly different we will experience this by steam train; The Train de l’Ardèche, the mythical steam train known as the Mastrou, departing from Saint-Jean-de-Muzols / Tournon-sur-Rhône station.  From this authentic steam train experience a scenic tour of breathtaking views and landscapes of the famous Gorges du Doux of the Ardeche.   

In the afternoon we sail back to Lyon arriving next day in the early morning.

    Guided afternoon tour
    Kosher culinary classes
    Lecture series
    Evening port talk
    Evening entertainment

Day 7: (We) Lyon
Join our guides for a walking tour of Lyon, France’s third largest city, a former Roman capital positioned at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, which is steeped in history. Our tour starts with a drive to the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere, Lyon’s hilltop church, with stunning views over the town. Then pass by the recently re–discovered Roman amphitheater and walk through the cobbled streets of the gastronomic old town including the secret laneways.  

In the afternoon we explore Jewish Lyon. Records of Jews living in the city beginning in the year 39, with over 20,000 Jews living in Lyon today. We will meet with the Jewish community and explore the famous Grand Synagogue built in 1864. Our touring ends with an optional visit to the Museum of Resistance and Deportation which commemorates the French Resistance to Nazi occupation and the deportation of Jews to the camps.  

Evening farewell dinner and program  

    Guided morning tour
    Guided afternoon tour
    Farewell dinner & program

Day 8: (Th) Lyon
After breakfast, we bid you farewell. We hope to welcome you back again soon!