Tour description
Sights & Wines From Paris to Barcelona
This 17-day tour of France and Spain is brimming with history and culture, and the perfect combination of big city sights and small town charm. Starting in Paris the City of Lights, then to the moving memorials of Normandy, the fairytale castles of Loire valley, and the delectable food & wines of Bordeaux. Then crossing the border into the Spanish Basque country and the foodie mecca of San Sebastian, you end in style in the capital of Madrid. Relish in the abundant history, glorious architecture, grand culinary traditions, and luxurious accommodations of this France and Spain bespoke private tour.
DAY 1 ARRIVAL PARIS
Welcome to the city of lights, your first stop on this Luxury Custom Tour of France & Spain! Your private chauffeur will meet you at the Paris Airport and transfer you to your 4* boutique hotel in the best area for visiting Paris, just off the Pont Neuf, within a few minutes walk from the Louvre and the Notre Dame and other important sights and just across the river from the lively Left Bank cafes area. The concierge service at your hotel is fantastic and they will gladly provide you with personalized recommendations of the best places to go, depending on your mood and on how tired you feel after your flight.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured airport transfer. Accommodation at a 4* boutique hotel, located in the heart of Paris.
DAY 2 PARIS
Your excellent Officially Licensed Guide and Driver will pick you up at your hotel in a luxurious, air-conditioned Mercedes and take you on a very special full day Private Paris Tour, stopping by all the most iconic and beautiful places. Your fun and very entertaining guide will give you tons of information on architecture and history, as well as about the daily life of the Parisians. We can customize this private tour to your interests, stopping at places like Notre Dame, Place Vendôme, Opera Garnier, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées and more! You can also have a walking tour in the mythical neighborhoods of Marais and Montmartre and a stroll along the romantic Seine River. The day will include lunch in a typical French bistro with wine to further experience the Parisian Joie de Vivre!
Tour in a Nutshell: Full Day guided tour of Paris with luxury transportation. Typical French lunch with wine. Overnight in Paris.
DAY 3 CHAMPAGNE
Your charming local guide/driver will pick you up at your hotel for a small group full day tour of Champagne wineries.
Your Luxury Food & Wine France Tour starts in style today, with a guided tour through the maze of cellars of one of the biggest bubble producers, like Champagne Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot or Pommery. Learn about their unique history and production, tasting their flagship cuvee with the house sommelier.
Then discover the village of Hautvillers and its abbey, where Dom Pérignon used to work as a cellar master over 300 years ago and made Champagne. Learn more about this legendary character and about his influence on the style and reputation of the drink.
Stop by the wonderful vineyards of Champagne and enjoy a “wild tasting” conducted by your wine expert guide (weather permitting). Through this very unique experience and the tasting of a special cuvee, you will learn all the secrets of this famous bubbly drink. For lunch, settle at the table of a family-run winery or a traditional restaurant, where you will enjoy a delicious Gourmet French lunch, paired with 3 different Champagnes.
The last stop will be at a cooperative winery where you will see all the tools used to produce Champagne and of course enjoy more tastings. By the end of the day, you are guaranteed to be a bubble expert! Your tour will end back in Paris in the evening.
Tour in a Nutshell: Small group full day Champagne tour with chauffeur driven Mercedes minibus. Guided visits to 2 prestigious wineries with tasting. Excellent lunch with wine. Overnight Paris.
DAY 4 DORDOGNE
This morning you will ride the high speed train (first class tickets) from the bustling city of Paris to the fairytale Dordogne Valley on your Best of France and Spain Private Tour. Your private chauffeur will take you from the station to Sarlat la-Caneda where you will staying in a 4* luxury B&B with a great location in the town center, perfect for exploring this charming town. This historic hotel was built towards the end of the 15th century and renovated and re-inaugurated as an exquisite boutique hotel. Afternoon free to discover one of the most beautiful towns of the Dordogne. Sarlat has the highest density of listed historical buildings per square foot in France! It comes as no surprise that famous film-makers have been making use of the medieval backdrop of Sarlat since 1928, and a number of cult films have been shot on location here. Beyond its architectural beauty, Sarlat is also known for its grand gourmet markets and many specialty food shops where you can find foie gras, wild mushrooms, preserved duck, truffles, walnuts, honey, wine, cheeses and more!
Tour in a Nutshell: First Class high speed train from Paris to Dordogne. Private transfer from station to hotel. Accommodation in a 4* boutique hotel in the heart of Sarlat la-Caneda.
DAY 5 DORDOGNE
Your charming chauffeur/guide will take you to explore the famous French Valley of the 5 castles (or 1000, as many rightfully point out!). See the impressive 12th century medieval fortress of Chateau de Beynac, perched above the river and carved out of the rock of the cliff! The heavy defensive walls were once guarded by some of France’s most illustrious figures, such as King Richard I “the Lion-Heart” and Simon de Montfort (leader of one of the crusades).
Off to another castle, Castelnaud or Milandes, depending on your preference.
Castelnaud, another 12th century castle, stands undaunted on the limestone cliffs with magnificent panoramic views of the Dordogne Valley. Abandoned after the Revolution, the castle is rather appropriately once again full of catapults, swords and crossbows.
The XVth century fairytale castle, Château des Milandes, was bought by the 1920s dancer, Josephine Baker, after she fell in love with the chateau and the Dordogne region. The castle now celebrates her life and showcases what a truly remarkable woman she was.
Your Food, Wine and Culture Tour of France & Spain will of course include a delicious gourmet Dordogne lunch at a charming local restaurant (including a foie gras tasting!) and a stop in picturesque La Roque-Gageac, on the Dordogne river, listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’.
Once back in Sarlat-la-Caneda, enjoy the gentle hum of this charming authentic French town as you relax in your accommodations or find a great place for dinner thanks to our many recommendations.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private chauffeured tour of the Dordogne region and its castles including entrances. Fantastic local lunch with wine. Overnight in Sarlat.
DAY 6 SAINT EMILION
Your private chauffeur, and also a local wine expert, will take you on a full day tour of the Right Bank enroute to Bordeaux.
You will first stop to visit the hilly, cobbled and adorable streets and squares of Saint Emilion. A town which luckily remains unspoiled in character and atmosphere, making it a perfect stop on this Luxury Wine Tour of France and Spain. Charming boutiques, chocolate and macarons artisans, and wine shops add to the lure of this UNESCO-listed village.
Then a gourmet lunch awaits at a charming and cozy restaurant in a small organic winery. Enjoy the beautifully presented locally sourced French dishes, fantastic artisan cheese table, and of course the exquisite wines.
In the afternoon enjoy a private visit to a fantastic Grand Cru Classe winery dating back to the 18th century and ideally located on the south slopes of Saint-Laurent-des-Combes in the area of the appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Your visit will finish with a premium tasting of their wines.
Then continue to your 5* hotel in the historic center of Bordeaux. This former 18th century mansion has been carefully designed, combining stone and old parquet floors with furniture and design objects from the greatest designers such as Philippe Starck, Kartell and Eichholtz. You might wish to have a stroll in the lively pedestrian area surrounding your hotel and the emblematic Place de la Bourse, enjoy a light dinner, stop by at a wine bar etc. We will give you plenty of suggestions.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private chauffeured transfer from Sarlat to Bordeaux with a Right Bank Tour enroute. Grand Cru Classe winery visit with tasting. Fantastic local lunch with wine. Accommodation in a 5* boutique hotel in the center of Bordeaux.
DAY 7 BORDEAUX
Your driver and wine expert will take you up the famed Left Bank of the Garonne River on the legendary “Route des Châteaux” along the Margaux, Medoc, Pauliac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe wine appellations.
Morning private tour and premium tasting at a beautiful historic estate producing excellent red and rose wines of the Margaux appellation. The history of this winery dates back to 1330 as per the written records of the property. It was rated as a third growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and, since the 1990s, it has moved from being a Merlot-dominant wine to a more long-lived blend, typically of 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 25 percent Merlot.
Afterwards, you are booked at one of our favorite local haunts, where a delicious lunch of local specialties, accompanied of course by some great Bordeaux wines awaits on your Custom Food & Wine Tour of France & Spain.
Your second wine tour today will be a visit & tasting at a fantastic winemaker, Grand Crú Classé, located in the beautiful little village of Bages in Pauillac, and boosting a gleaming new Chien Chung (Didi) Pei-designed winery, which despite its soaring contemporary spaces and modern engineering utilizes wine-making principles the château relied on from the late 1800s to 1975.
Once back in Bordeaux, you might wish to visit La Cité du Vin, a must see for any wine lover, with amazing state of the art technology that allows you to sit down and “interact” with some of the biggest figures in the French wine world.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private chauffeured tour of Bordeaux Left Bank Grand Cru Wine route. Guided tours with tasting at two prestigious wineries. Excellent local lunch with wines. Overnight Bordeaux.
DAY 8 SAUTERNES
Today your Bespoke Wine Tour of France & Spain takes you to the nostalgic Sauternes region, now in peril, as the demand for sweet wines diminishes and the costs of producing these very special wines continue incredibly high, compared to other regions. The unique microclimate in which Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes grow here is perfectly suited to promoting the development, in autumn, of noble rot – the grapes literally begin to rot on the vine – which in turn imbues the wines with beautifully complex flavors of peach, marmalade, caramel and honey. Picking and sorting Sauternes grapes is a highly skilled (and very sticky) job and the average yield for a Sauternes château is approximately a quarter of that of most red Bordeaux, yet producers cannot hope to charge four times the price for their wines, and so margins are tiny.
Enjoy a private visit to one of the best local producers, ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855 and certified organic since 2011. Since 2022 the winery has become part of the label Terres de Natures. Under the leadership of Sandrine Garbay, a modest woman who is renowned for her incredible expertise, this estate produces refreshing and contemporary Sauternes with perfectly balanced sweetness. The visit includes a tasting of the three wines produced at the estate.
Your driver guide will take you to see some of the other magnificent chateaux in this area and stop for a second sauternes tasting before bringing you back to Bordeaux.
You have the afternoon free to enjoy one of the many splendid restaurants of Bordeaux and keep exploring this elegant city.
Tour in a Nutshell: Private chauffeured half day tour of Sauternes. Guided tour with tasting at a prestigious winery. Tasting at another prestigious winery or wine shop. Overnight Bordeaux.
DAY 9 SAN SEBASTIAN
You have first class tickets for the high speed train from Bordeaux to Hendaye, where your private chauffeur will then take you to San Sebastian, a glamorous seaside resort and foodie mecca. Enjoy a panoramic drive of the city’s most scenic points and picture perfect spots, before checking into your elegant and prestigious 4* hotel, one of the best in the city, on the mythical la Concha beach.
Then your officially licensed San Sebastian tour guide will take you on a private gourmet & cultural tour. This wonderful “beach in the city” is renowned as the best city to eat in Spain! You will see all the most interesting parts of San Sebastian, where you will be privileged not only to go to the best bars, frequented by local foodies, but also to sample the specialties of each place, accompanied by the best Txakoli wine. Although tapas were invented in Andalucia they have been perfected in San Sebastian, and here are known as pinchos (pintxos). Each bar is bursting with so many different and creative pinchos, that Spanish tradition suggests having one or two and a wine in one bar, before moving on to the next! This gourmet tapas-hopping will for sure be a highlight of your Food, Wine, and Culture tour of Spain and France!
Tour in a Nutshell: 1st class train tickets from Bordeaux to Hendaye. Private chauffeur from Hendaye to San Sebastian. Private guided tour of San Sebastian. Tapas meal & wine. Accommodation in a 4* luxury hotel with sea views in San Sebastian.
DAY 10 SAN SEBASTIAN
Today you are free to discover San Sebastian at your leisure with our many suggestions in your Personal Travel Website. If you are feeling adventurous why not climb Monte Urgell for some amazing views over San Sebastian and the surrounding Basque Country? Or maybe peruse La Parte Vieja (the old part of town) for cool boutiques filled with quirky designer gear. San Sebastian is known as a stylish city and an image-conscious one, so it is stuffed with high-end shops.
We can also arrange a fun cooking class with our chef from one of the Basque Gastronomic Societies, to discover why the Basque Country has become a foodie mecca! Or how about a Txakoli wine tasting with a local wine expert to further your expertise on this Private Wine Tour of France and Spain? This evening, you can revisit some of the authentic San Sebastian bars you visited with your guide, or you may wish to dine in style at one of the many Michelin star restaurants of the Basque Country. Prior reservations are necessary and we will be delighted to assist with a booking.
Tour in a Nutshell: Free day in San Sebastian. Overnight San Sebastian.
DAY 11 LA RIOJA
Your private chauffeur will take you from San Sebastian to your luxury boutique 4* hotel in the heart of La Rioja. The 16th century manor house is a beautiful combination of modernity and tradition and an oasis of calm. A very knowledgeable local wine guide and driver will meet you for a full day tour to discover the best of this area.
Starting at the Railway district in Haro, you will enjoy a fabulous tasting, personalized for you by our wine guide, at a very prestigious winery. You will then visit another nearby winery for a short, personalized tasting on your Bespoke Food, Wine and Culture Tour of France & Spain.
After you are booked for a very special private visit followed by lunch with wine pairing at a winery founded in 1890 by a group of five winemakers in the region. With their grand knowledge of winemaking and grape cultivation, this winery very carefully cultivates 473 hectares of grapevines, planted in calcareous soils in the sub-regions of the Rioja Alta: Rodezno, Labastida, Briones, Cenicero, and Fuenmayor. The meticulous selection of grapes receive long vinification and aging processes following the philosophy of the winery to craft the best quality wines on the market. Year after year, all of the wines continue to receive Parker and Peñín scores of 90/100 or above.
After this fantastic morning of sampling the best Riojas, why not enjoy a little rest and relaxation at your boutique hotel in the pretty village of Briones. We also suggest visiting the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, just a short walk away.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transfer from San Sebastian to La Rioja. Driver/wine guide for full day tour. Wine tasting at 2 prestigious wineries. Winery Tour & Wine Pairing Lunch Lunch. Accommodation at a 4* historic boutique hotel in the heart of La Rioja.
DAY 12 LA RIOJA
Today your driver/wine guide will take you to visit another beautiful medieval town of the area, Laguardia. Laguardia is surrounded by an ancient wall, and has a delightful jumble of cobblestoned streets lined with “Tabernas”, wine shops, palaces, and cafes. The town walls are two meters high and are thick, covered with ashlars and topped by a battlemented parapet that, in the past, could be walked all around. There are five gates that lead into the town. The subsoil is tunneled along with wine cellars or caves excavated six meters down from the streets and houses. Your guide will tell you all about the town’s history and you can pop into a wine shop for an impromptu tasting.
For lunch, you will enjoy a gourmet Riojan meal with wine pairings at a fantastic local restaurant, hands down one of the best in the area.
Then, a fantastic up and coming high end winery awaits, a very personal project run by an imaginative winemaker who has been granted free rein to explore the character of Alavesa’s vineyards, giving us a raw, modern interpretation of Rioja Alavesa. The winery comprises some of the best and highest altitude vineyards around the villages of Samaniego and Leza. It does not produce its wines every year, but only when their quality allows it; the grapes are harvested entirely manually and each plot is used for a different wine depending on its yield, the direction it faces, where it is, the soil and the age of the vines. Their Tempranillo and Graciano reds, their outstanding monovarietal wines and their rare barrel fermented whites are already favorites of many wine lovers.
After, enjoy the views of Bodegas Ysios, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, before returning to your charming historic hotel for some free time.
Tour in a Nutshell: Driver/Guide for full day tour. Wine tasting in Laguardia. Winery visit & tasting at a prestigious winery. Gourmet lunch with wine. Overnight in La Rioja wine country.
DAY 13 PRIORAT
Today on your Best of France & Spain Private Tour your private chauffeur will whisk you away to the beautiful Priorat Wine Region, one of the most appreciated wine regions of the world, to check in to your exceptional hotel. In the 12th century, the Carthusian monks founded their monastery at the foot of the Sierra del Montsant, and the grounds here have been reworked to ensure that the vineyards, olive trees and fruit orchards add a serene dimension to your stay. This luxurious 5* hotel is located in the middle of the Montsant Natural Park, where you can immerse yourself in the landscape, tranquility and gastronomy of the region. The family run hotel also has a farm and its own winery where you will learn first-hand how Priorat wines are made and enjoy a premium tasting of their wines. From the hotel it´s a short walk to the tiny and charming village of Scaladei, where you can enjoy an authentic dinner at a local restaurant, or maybe try the exquisite local produce menu at the hotel restaurant.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transfer from La Rioja to Priorat. Winery visit and tasting in Priorat. Accommodation in a 5* boutique winery hotel in Priorat.
DAY 14 PRIORAT
Your private chauffeur will take you to the tiny wine-making village of Gratallops (home to most of the best Priorat wineries), Priorat is famous for its mineral-rich soil, slate (called licorella by the locals), and vineyards planted on mountain terraces or on a steep incline. The first visit of your Luxury Food & Wine Tour of France & Spain was awarded one of Robert Parker’s highest ratings and is one of his favorite vineyards. The family has built their winery on one of the oldest wine estates in Priorat. One of the family members will be there to attend you and share the secrets of their world class Priorat wines, before granting you a wine tasting.
Next you will head to a nearby winery/restaurant, for a short visit to their boutique winery and unique cellar, followed by lunch with wine pairing. Your final visit is to a mythical Priorat winery, owned by Rene Barbier, one of the founders of the Priorat wine revolution. Robert Parker was one of the first to praise their incredible wines, which are almost nectars. Priorat wines are already highly concentrated and “normal” yields are incredibly small, but here they go even further – they press the grapes using an olive press, which means they extract only half of the amount of juice that a typical wine press would; making the wine 50% more concentrated!
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured tour of Priorat wineries. Two Priorat winery visits with wine tastings. Short winery visit & gourmet lunch with wine pairing. Overnight in Priorat wine country.
DAY 15 PENEDÈS
Private chauffeur will take you from Priorat to Barcelona, stopping to visit the wine region of Penedès along the way.
Penedès boasts a ridiculously high bodegas-per-capita ratio, being the birthplace of Catalonia’s signature drink: Cava. This Catalan version of Champagne, while much less known than its French cousin, has nothing to envy it, especially the sophisticated Reserve and Gran Reserve cavas from some of the top producers – they are just sublime and a perfect addition to your Luxury Food & Wine Tour of France & Spain!
Stop for a private guided tour to a high end boutique cava winery, one of the oldest in the cava industry. You will see the centuries old Masia (farmhouse), the Chapel of the Virgin of Montserrat, and a fascinating small museum. The winery has stocks of traditional varieties such as Macabeu, Xarel•lo and Parellada which are between 30 and 60 years old. These vines produce about 7,000 kg/ha on average, well below the main productivity range for Penedès and therefore unrivaled in terms of quality. Their in-house oenologist will treat you to a great selection of cavas paired with a tasting of artisan cheeses from small Catalan producers.
In Barcelona you will be staying at 4* boutique hotel, located in the vibrant Barcelona Gothic Quarter, and ideal for visiting all the sights. Enjoy the astonishing views from the rooftop terrace bar and pool. Maybe try a Michelin starred restaurant or one of the many gourmet restaurants from our insiders list.
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transfer from Priorat to Barcelona with a stop in Penedès. Penedès winery visit with wine & cheese tasting. Accommodation in a 4* boutique hotel in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.
DAY 16 DEPARTURE FROM BARCELONA
This is the last day of your Private Food, Wine, and Culture Tour of France & Spain. After checking out of your hotel, our chauffeur will be waiting to transfer you to Barcelona airport for your onward journey.
We do hope you will join us for this enticing and exciting food, wine and culture tour of France & Spain! Here with our insider knowledge, you can enjoy some of the very best experiences that France and Spain can offer. No doubt it will be a truly memorable vacation!
If you would like to extend your stay with several nights in Barcelona, we will happily assist you!
Tour in a Nutshell: Chauffeured transfer to Barcelona airport. Option to extend your stay in Barcelona.
Tour quotation
The Best of France & Spain Private Tour Details
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