TRIP FINDER
Burgundy by Bike isn't just vineyards. On this cycling tour see renowned wine names but also the region's rich cultural history, with beautiful abbeys, churches and castles!
2020 per person price
| CLASSIC TOUR | 1390€ |
| CLASSIC + TOUR | 1650€ |
| DELUXE TOUR | 2390€ |
* Price based on double room occupancy - please contact us for details on single room supplements
| CLASSIC PACKAGE | |
| 3 Nights total Hotel de la Cloche in Beaune | www.hotel-lacloche-beaune.com |
| 2 Nights Hotel de La Ferté in Chagny | www.hotelferte.com |
| 1 Night Hotel de Bourgogne in Cluny | www.hotel-cluny.com |
| 1 Night Hotel le Terminus in Tournus | www.hotel-terminus-tournus.com |
| CLASSIC + PACKAGE | |
| 3 Nights total Hotel de la Paix in Beaune | www.hotelpaix.com |
| 2 Nights Hotel Chateau Saint Michel in Rully | www.chateau-saint-michel.com |
| 1 Night Hotel le Potin Gourmand in Cluny - Superior room | www.potingourmand.com |
| 1 night Hotel les Terrasses in Tournus | www.aux-terrasses.com |
| DELUXE PACKAGE | |
| 3 Nights total Hotel Le Cep in Beaune | www.hotel-cep-beaune.com |
| 2 Nights Maison Lameloise in Chagny | www.lameloise.fr |
| 1 Night Hotel Potin Gourmand in Cluny - Suite | www.potingourmand.com |
| 1 Night Hotel Greuze in Tournus | www.hotelgreuze.fr |
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. Dinner tonight is included in a great local 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. You curve back into the vineyards, passing through Meursault, and farther south into the most famous Chardonnay vineyards of the world, surrounding Puligny Montrachet. Continue through the Grand Crus through Chassagne Montrachet, stopping for a tasting or a cold drink by the fountain in the pretty square of Santenay. It is not far from there to your hotel for the evening in the small town of Chagny on the Canal du Centre.
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. Ride through Rully (famous for its sparkling white wines) and Mercurey, before rejoining 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.
Another beautiful and quite easy ride awaits you today, though it is a little longer. After riding a short stretch again along the canal, your bike path then follows an old train line – you’ll find the kilometers go by quickly even though today is your longest day! Along the way pass 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 cathedral. Built in the 11th century, it was the largest 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. Dinner tonight is included in a gourmet restaurant.
Your ride today takes you up over the top of the Cote to descend into yet another vineyard region, the Maconnais. The largest of Burgundy’s wine regions, it produces some nice gamay grape reds, but some particularly fine and elegant white Chardonnay wines (the most renowned are from the villages of Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint Veran, or Vire Clesse). The route taking you there is quite spectacular - starting with a decent hill to warm you up first thing, but after that, all downhill and very easygoing. You'll pass the Medieval castle of Berzé-le-Chatel, with its austere silhouette of thirteen bristling towers, and then descend through lovely vineyard villages, with the region's typical golden-coloursed stone. The end of the ride follows the wonderful bike path by the Saone River. Your goal is Tournus, with the beautiful Romanesque 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. We provide a small walking tour of the town centre.
After breakfast, decide which of the several local trains you want to take to return to Beaune. Your ride today is meant as a half day ride, allowing you time for a relaxing morning, and perhaps some final explorations of Tournus before you leave. Once you are back in Beaune, you can head out on a truly lovely ride, through five small villages, each with their own personalities. Stop if you like in Savigny-les-Beaune, to visit the lovely church with its 15th century fresco, or the castle with its odd collection of antique airplanes and motorcycles. The route winds around the base of the Corton hill, with its famous Grand Crus. We have you stop along the way for a real treat - a great wine tasting lunch, with several of their delicious wines to accompany the regional food!
An extra day in Beaune today, to explore the final "Must See", the Route des Grands Crus north of Beaune, heading into the pretty villages and Grand Cru vineyards of the Cote de Nuits. The riding is easygoing, and you'll be able to explore and taste along the way. Give homage to the Romanee Conti vineyard (one of the most expensive wines in the world) and stop in to see the monumental 15th century wine presses in the Chateau de Clos de Vougeot. Try the surprising rosé wines made in Marsannay, or the rich wines of Gevrey Chambertin, before hopping on the local train there to return to Beaune for your final night. We provide a Self guided walk of historic Beaune to help in your explorations, which brings you to the Hospices de Beaune, a 15th century hospital that is THE site to see in town. This incredible building has a wonderful history - we highly recommend a visit!
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!
