Colors of Provence
- Wine Cruise

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a wine appellation in the southern Rhone Valley, about 20 kilometres north of Avignon. Its name, meaning ‘the pope’s new castle’, comes from the 14th century when the Catholic papacy relocated to Avignon (1309 to 1377) and the village became the papal summer residence. The appellation covers around 3,200 hectares and produces predominantly full-bodied red wines built around Grenache, blended with up to 18 permitted grape varieties. It was one of France’s very first AOC designations. The AmaWaterways excursion on day six takes you there for a tasting at one of the region’s wineries.

Traboules are covered passageways that run through Lyon’s historic quarters, originally used by silk workers to transport goods between buildings and streets under shelter. There are around 315 of them in the city, most concentrated in the Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse districts. Lyon’s old town, including its traboules, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The guided city tour on day two covers the old town and the traboules as part of the excursion.

Van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888 and stayed for more than fourteen months, producing over 200 paintings during that time, including some of his most recognisable works. He was drawn to Provence specifically for the quality of its light and the intensity of its colours. The Yellow House, where he lived and invited Gauguin to join him, was destroyed in World War II, but the Van Gogh walking tour in Arles visits the locations where he set up his easel, with panels at each site showing the painting he made there. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh in Arles holds a permanent collection responding to his legacy, though original Van Goghs are held in museums elsewhere.

Yes, sailings run both Lyon to Arles and Arles to Lyon. The ports and excursions are the same whichever direction you sail, so the main practical consideration is which end of the itinerary you fly in and out of. Lyon has its own international airport; Arles is best accessed via Marseille or Avignon, both within easy reach. If the Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Arles days are the ones you’re most excited about, the Lyon-to-Arles direction saves them for the end of the week; the Arles-to-Lyon direction opens with them. Both airports and group transfers are included in your fly-cruise fare.

Some sailings on this itinerary feature a Smithsonian Journeys Expert alongside the Wine Expert. Smithsonian Journeys is the travel programme of the Smithsonian Institution, and its experts are typically academics, curators or specialists in the history, art or culture of the regions being visited. On this itinerary, the March 2026 sailing features Bob and Louisa Lindquist of Lindquist Family Wines in a dual Wine Expert and Smithsonian Journeys role. If this is important to your booking, check the specific departure date on the AmaWaterways listing or ask us when you enquire.