VIP BURGUNDY TOUR (4 Days)

During the VIP Burgundy tour, on the way (3 hours of driving), your personal driver-guide will introduce you to the history of Burgundy. The first visit of the day will be in the medieval town of Vézelay, known as the “Eternal Hill”, famous for its Romanesque basilica, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site. You will enjoy a private inside visit of this amazing basilica and learn the history of this monument, where Saint Bernard preached the second crusade in 1146. You will also stroll through the gardens behind the basilica where you will enjoy the marvelous view over the Morvan’s region, before walking around the narrow medieval streets of the village, still accompanied by your personal guide. Now, it is time for a nice lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (not included in the price). After this culinary break, you will head to Beaune, a small city surrounded by the world-renowned vineyards of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. There, you will enjoy a visit of The Caves Patriarche where you will discover you the vaulted cellars from the 13th and 14th century. This visit ends with a tasting of several wines produced in the region. You will spend the night in Beaune (hotel not included in the price) where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the second day, you personal driver-guide will take you for a private visit of the most beautiful building of Beaune: l’Hôtel-Dieu, also called Hospices de Beaune. This former hospital was founded in the mid-15th century by Nicolas Rolin to cure the poor people of the city. During your visit, you will enjoy the stunning colored-tiles roof and an extraordinary painting from the late Middle Ages that depicts the Last Judgement, by the Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden. Leaving l’Hôtel-Dieu, you will walk to la Maison Fallot to discover another of the specialties of Burgundy: the mustard. There, you will taste several kinds of mustards, such as the tarragon mustard or the blackcurrant mustard. Now, it is time for a nice lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (not included in the price). After this culinary break, you will first go to the Clos de Vougeot Castle built in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and entirely dedicated to the wine. This is an excellent occasion to see four old wooden presses from the 12th century (among the oldest ones in France) and the “cellier”, where, every year, there is the great ceremony of the Tastevin brotherhood, whose knights are all wine lovers. Then, you will visit a winery in Nuits-Saint-Georges or in Vosne-Romanée, which are among the most prestigious red wine-producing villages in the world. Of course, the visit ends with a tasting. You will spend the night in Dijon (hotel not included in the price) where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the third day, you will discover the marvelous city of Dijon, city of the dukes of Burgundy. You will visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, located in the Palace of the dukes and where you will admire the tombs of two of them: Philip the Bold and John the Fearless. Made of black marble and alabaster, these tombs are real masterpieces of medieval sculpture. The museum also shelters a large collection of paintings including works by Claude Monet, Edouard Manet or Paul Veronese. Now, it is time for a nice lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (not included in the price). After this culinary break, you will discover the old Dijon strolling around the streets of the historical area, passing near the Notre-Dame church, the Philip the Good tower and some of the most beautiful “Hôtels particuliers” (mansions) of the city. Then, you will reach the fortified town of Semur-en-Auxois to enjoy a small walking tour there. You will spend in Semur-en-Auxois (hotel not included in the price), where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the fourth day, your personal driver-guide will take you from Semur-en-Auxois to a jewel of medieval architecture: the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay. You will enjoy a private inside visit of the church, the dormitory, the refectory, the cloister or the forge, you will be plunged into the heart of the life of these monks who, in the Middle Ages, elected this little valley as a place to stay, to work and to pray. Then, you will reach the town of Chablis (famous for its white wine made of chardonnay) where you will have a nice lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (not included in the price). After this culinary break, you will follow a guided visit of a local winery with a tasting at the end before driving you back to Paris. This tour due to the VIP treatment that we provide will leave you without doubt outstanding memories of these 4 days in Burgundy.