Day 1: Arrival in Beaune
Upon your arrival in Beaune, we meet at your hotel to set you up with your trip package and fit you on your bikes. Take some time to explore the historic centre of Beaune itself. This lively town, in existence since Celtic times, is filled with history as well as charming squares, little cafés, and lovely boutiques. We provide you with a little self-guided walking tour of Beaune to help you find your way around.
Dinner tonight is included in a gourmet restaurant.

Day 2: Beaune to Puligny-Montrachet 37 km
After breakfast head on your first ride - a beautiful 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. You curve back into the vineyards, passing through Meursault, and farther south into the most famous Chardonnay vineyards of the world, surrounding Puligny Montrachet. We provide suggestions for tastings along the way, but save some tasting energy for this evening: dinner tonight is a fun lesson to the region's wines, with a wine tasting dinner at a winery, tasting ten different wines along with your delicious home-made meal!

Day 3: Loop Ride: The Canals of Burgundy 48 km
Your ride today takes you along the tranquil and pretty Canal du Centre, and then into the Cote Chalonnaise, and return. 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 are turning out respectable Chardonnay and tasty Pinot Noir for a fraction of the prices these wines might fetch further north. Your ride passé several pretty villages, and then returns towards Puligny following the bike path along the canal. There is an option for adding some kilometers and visiting the town and castle in Couches, before continuing on. The relaxing terrain and beautiful scenery make for great riding.

Day 4: Into the Cote Chalonnais – the Voie Verte 40 km
Another beautiful and relatively easy ride awaits you today. After passing the port of Chagny along the canal, you head into the Cote Chalonnais towns of Rully (famous for its sparkling white wines) and Mercurey, and pass the Chateau de Germolles, an impressive building that was the pleasure home of Margaret of Flanders after she became Duchess of Burgundy in the 15th century. The final part of the day follows the Voie Verte, a wonderful bike path built along an old train line – you’ll find the kilometers go by quickly! Dinner tonight is included in the excellent restaurant of your hotel.

Day 5: Loop ride to Cluny and return 54 km
Today’s ride is your longest in kilometers, but is really dead flat – you’ll find you do the route in no time! You are continuing along the Voie Verte bike path, passing the beautiful Chateau of Cormatin; take some time to visit the beautiful garden and park, as well as some of the castle itself. Onwards to Cluny; once the most important religious centre in all of Europe, the French Revolution wreaked havoc and little remains of the impressive cathedral. Built in the 11th century, it was the largest cathedral in the world until the construction of St Peter’s in Rome five centuries later! The town is a UNESCO Heritage site today, and the Museum is excellent. The town also is home to the French National stables today. After visiting Cluny, you retrun to your hotel by the same route. A second dinner tonight at your hotel.

Day 6: Tournus and return to Beaune 34 km
Your final day’s ride is not very long today, partly to allow you to take your time getting over the hill by Brancion, and partly to allow you ample time to explore Tournus before getting on a train to return to Beaune. After your climb, stop in Brancion itself; this medieval village is stuck in time, and is one of the best examples of a fortified medieval time left in France. Tournus itself has a beautiful Romanesque church, the Abbey St Philibert – one of the prettiest examples in a region rich in churches from this time. Also visit the more “modern” Hotel Dieu, built in the 1600s. There are several trains at the end of the afternoon to choose from for your return to Beaune.

Day 7: Beaune - options
An extra day in Beaune today, to spend as you like. We provide a few different biking options, heading northwards from Beaune, into the vineyard villages around the Corton hill, or the Cote de Nuits. You can decide how many kilometers you feel like doing. You’ll likely also want to enjoy Beaune itself, picking up a few last-minute gifts or souvenirs, or simply relaxing in one of the many cafés. However you spend your time, you’ll want to be back in Beaune in time to meet your guide at the end of the afternoon for your private tour of the Hospices de Beaune, a 15th century hospital that is The site to see in town. This incredible building has a wonderful history, that your guide will bring alive for you!

Day 8: Departure
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!