Itinerary
Upon your arrival in Beaune, we will meet at your hotel and set you up with your trip package and check the fitting of your bikes. Depending on your arrival time, you will likely have time to wander the medieval streets of Beaune, its ramparts, the Collegial church of Notre Dame with its 15th century tapestries, and have a drink in one of the many cafes on the main square! We provide a self-guided walking tour of the historic centre to help with your explorations. Dinner tonight is included in a gourmet restaurant.
After breakfast head on your first ride – a beautiful and easygoing ride out into the plains, formed long ago by glaciers, and home today of canola and sunflower fields, through small villages with ancient stone farmhouses. The longer option takes you down to the banks of the Saone River, through Verdun sur le Doubs and Allery sur Saone where you may decide to find some fresh fish for lunch. The route curves back towards the great vineyard villages for the latter part of your ride; ride through the great red wine vineyards of Pommard and Volnay, before arriving in the Kingdom of Chardonnay. Once you have settled in to your hotel, relax in a cafe in the pretty and lively square of Meursault, or indulge in a wine tasting if you wish, you are after all in the home of some of the best white wines in the world! (note the Classic itinerary stays in the vineyard village of Mercurey, riding through Meursault).
Your ride today takes you southward, first through Chassagne Montrachet and Santenay at the end of the Cote de Beaune, and then along the tranquil and pretty Canal du Centre, into the Cote Chalonnaise. This wine region lies just to the south of the Côte de Beaune. Away from the ambitious pricing of the Côte d’Or, some producers, in villages like Rully and Mercurey, are turning out respectable Chardonnay and tasty Pinot Noir for a fraction of the prices these wines might fetch further north. Be sure as well to taste here the sparkling Cremant de Bourgogne, the region’s version of Champagne! Climb up into the town of Couches, with its Medieval castle (open for visits, and for optional tastings), before descending back to the vineyards and the canal. The riding is a mix of easy-going terrain and some bike path along the Canal du Centre, and some more challenging, but beautiful hillside scenery.
Today’s route takes you away from the vineyards of the Cote d’Or, and into a completely different landscape. Pedal southwards to start, and then along an old railway line that has been transformed into a bike path to Nolay, with its medieval covered market hall and antique shops. From there, you climb up into the scenic Hautes Cotes. Follow the top, on a slightly rolling ride through small towns and past the castle of Coraboeuf and the Roman pillar of Cussy, then descend down into the pretty farming land near Arnay (some of the richest cream of France comes from the contented cows grazing in the fields around this town). Continue on past the small villages and old manor houses that dot the countryside, choosing the distance for the day that you like from our three options. This region, filled with dense rich forests and bucolic fields, is dotted with pretty villages with beautiful stone buildings and the traditional lavoirs, or old wash houses, and criss-crossed by the Vandenesse and Ouche Rivers.
The ride today spends some time following the tranquil Canal de Bourgogne which follows the Vandenesse and Ouche, allowing barging traffic from the north of France – today, all leisure boats. The loop takes you through the charming Medieval village of Chateauneuf en Auxois – it is a stiff 2 km climb into the village, but the chateau and panoramic views are great at the top! From there continue along passing the village of Commarin, where you can stop and visit another elegant chateau, including the park and gardens, and beautiful small Renaissance chapel, and then extends on towards Pouilly-en-Auxois, and through several of the small villages of this pretty region. On the return ride, the route brings you into the small village of Vandenesse (this is the mooring point for many of the pleasure barges on the canal) where you can stop for a refreshment in a small cafe, before continuing the final few kilometres parallel to the canal back to your hotel for another evening.
From your hotel head northwards along the Ouche River Valley, passing through lovely small villages, reflected in the tranquil waters of the Burgundy Canal. After riding through Barbirey (the chateau there has lovely gardens), climb back up into the Hautes Cotes, passing in front of the crumbling ruins of the Chateau de Montculot, and through Chamboeuf, with its forests of truffle-producing pines and oak, before the great descent back into the vineyards of the Cote d’Or. In the small town of Gevrey Chambertin, (with its nine Grand Cru vineyards – more than any other village in the whole region), you have the option of detouring northwards through Fixin and to Marsannay-la Cote, where they make a decent rosé, before meandering back southwards to your hotel along the Route des Grands Crus. The ride is not as long today, so you can enjoy and end of the day wine tasting, or soak up some relaxation at your hotel.
Start the day once more following the Route des Grands Crus: Chambolle-Musigny, the Chateau de Clos de Vougeot with its monumental wine presses, and the vineyard of Romanee-Conti, one of the best (and most expensive!) wines in the world. Then detour back out into the Saone River plains, passing the site of the once mighty Abbey of Citeaux. The most powerful Abbey in all of Europe in the later Middle Ages, with literally thousands of churches and abbeys spread throughout Europe, it also owned a majority of the Burgundian vineyards, and are responsible for many of the wine names you can taste today. Although the original Abbey was destroyed during the French revolution, a more modern church has been rebuilt on the site today, where you can stop to buy some Citeaux cheese (this is still the only place in the world this cheese is made) from the monks. Continue all the way to the port town of St Jean de Losne on the Saone River. You can definitely find lunch there, in one of the popular local restaurants, before curving back to the vineyards and back to Beaune. If you didn’t have time on your arrival day, be sure to visit the Hospices de Beaune, a fabulous 15th century charity hospital, built by the Chancellor to the Dukes of Burgundy, Nicolas Rolin.
Your final day’s ride is a beautiful loop up into the Hautes Cotes. Ride through the village of St Romain, home to several of the region’s best-known coopers (barrel-makers), and decide if you wish to climb the extra hill to the ruined castle and great panorama in the upper village. Quiet roads along the top of limestone cliffs, and then a final great downhill sweep bring you to the grand cru vineyards of the Corton Hill. Do some tasting if you wish in Aloxe corton or Pernand-Vergelesses; and stop near the end of the ride to visit the Chateau de Savigny, whose eccentric owner has a weird and wonderful collection of antique airplanes, motorcycles, and Abarth cars on display.
After a final delicious breakfast, your tour is over; you can catch the train in Beaune for easy connections for your further travels. Bon Voyage!
What's included
- 8 nights’ accommodation of the comfort level of your choice * CLASSIC, CLASSIC+ or DELUXE
- All hotel taxes
- All breakfasts and 4 dinners (drinks not included with dinners)
- Orientation and Bike Fitting with our Trip Manager
- Fully equipped high quality Carbon Road bike
- Detailed maps and step-by-step route instructions
- Regional information and advice
- Uploadable GPS file of the route to use on a free APP in your smartphone **
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
- Phone call support 7 days a week
* Price based on double room occupancy – please contact us for details on single room supplements
** Can be used without international internet plan (offline)
Hotel Details
Classic Tour
2320 € / pers.
1 Night
Hotel de la Cloche – Beaune
2 Nights
Hostellerie du Val d’Or – Mercurey
2 Nights
Hostellerie du Chateau – Chateauneuf-en-Auxois
1 Night
Hotel ORouge – Gevrey-Chambertin
2 Nights
Hotel de la Cloche – Beaune
Classic + Tour
3450 € / pers.
1 Night
Hotel les Remparts – Beaune
2 Nights
Hotel le Globe – Meursault
2 Nights
Chateau Sainte Sabine – Sainte Sabine
1 Night
La Rotisserie du Chambertin – Gevrey-Chambertin
2 Nights
Hotel les Remparts – Beaune
Deluxe Tour
4790 € / pers.
1 Night
Hostellerie le Cedre – Beaune
2 Nights
Hotel & Spa la Cueillette – Meursault
2 Nights
Abbaye de La Bussière – Labussière sur Ouche
1 Night
Hotel Castel de Tres Girard – Morey Saint Denis
2 Nights
Hostellerie le Cedre – Beaune