Cycling the Grand Crus of Burgundy

New

7 Days Excluding Flights From

7 Days from

£ 1249

£ 1379

Cycling

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Group Size :

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

C06BN

Burgundy is an open invitation to discover, taste and share. The Burgundian menu includes UNESCO World Heritage sites, exceptional food and the oldest wine trail in France.

With nearly 100 appellations, Burgundy wine is distinguished by its great diversity (of both red and white) and ‘climates,’ shaped by soils and very specific geographical properties. On the Route des Grands Crus, the famous names are crisscrossed into a Burgundian patchwork: Meursault, Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot, Nuits St Georges, Vosne-Romanee, Pommard, Aloxe-Corton, Puligny-Montrachet…

In a region known for its epicurean finesse, you can really enjoy fine dining. There will be excellent local dishes such as Oeufs en Meurette, Poulet de Bresse a la Creme, Perche aux Noix and of course exquisite cheeses like the pungent Epoisses de Bourgogne, to pair with the region’s incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. You’ll stay in excellent hotels including a handsome 19th century house in Beaune and in a charming hotel located in the heart of Vougeot vineyard.

Highlights

Discover historical Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy
Relax at your 3 star hotels, enjoy the peaceful garden or the terrace with wonderful views.
Explore the most famous Grands Crus villages with numerous wine tasting opportunities.

Key Information

6 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of 3 star hotels
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)

Countries visited: France

What's Included

All breakfasts and 3 evening meals
Route directions and maps
High Quality Bikes
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Visas & vaccinations
Possibility to book as an option, 2 wine tastings. Also, a possibility to book the tour with Half Board every day.

5 Days of Cycling

Day 2

29 km / 18 miles

Day 4

25 km / 15.5 miles

Day 5

31 km / 19.3 miles

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

TRIP

C06BN - Cycling the Grand Crus of Burgundy

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Itinerary

Beaune Vougeot

Wander the streets of Beaune and explore the historical city centre.

A route through Cote de Beaune passing by all the most famous wine villages:

First stop is in Pommard :When one thinks of red wine, Pommard is a name that first comes to the lips, a name evocative of a village and an iconic vineyard of Burgundy where Pinot Noir reigns supreme. A pleasure for the eyes as well as the tongue, Pommard is home to an 18th century castle built in front of the vineyards, boasting magnificent French-style gardens, vaulted cellars and an astonishing art gallery with exceptional cuvees.

Then, Volnay and Meursault :The unjustly charming capital of the great white wines of Burgundy, with a vineyard mostly planted with chardonnay grapes, lying in the middle of the hills of a gentle slope.

Continue via Santenay towards Chassagne and Puligny Montrachet : located on a rocky hill of a bald mountain which is a terroir of excellence in the heart of the Cote de Beaune. In this ocean of vineyards, Chassagne and Puligny Montrachet are two villages, accomplices and rivals at the same time, share the honour of producing the world’s grandest dry white wine.

Distance covered: 18mi (29km)

Meals included: Breakfast

A day to explore Beaune: The wine Hospices, the Basilica, and the mustard factory are some of the places to enjoy.

A jewel of flamboyant Gothic architecture, this polychrome roof of The Hotel Dieu announces the splendour of what’s inside, like the la grande salle des Pauvres, the chapel and the kitchen of this medieval hospital, a treasure of Burgundy. Its reputation is also due to the nectars of the winery, which are sold at auction every November under the market.

Meals included: Breakfast

Cycle from Cote de Beaune to Cote de Nuits appellations, and through charming wine villages.

The small town that gives its name to the famous Cote de Nuits deserves a stop, and not only because it is the cradle of some of the world’s greatest red wines. Nuits-Saint-Georges also welcomes the Imaginarium, an institution meant to teach all about the vineyard world by having fun, and the Cassissium, a place dedicated to cassis, the black gold of Burgundy.

Distance covered: 16mi (25km)

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Follow the ‘Route des Grands Crus’ to Fixin and Gevrey Chambertin. At the end of the Lavaux valley, Gevrey-Chambertin is the village of nine Grands Crus and 26 first vintages. Known worldwide, the small town didn’t let fame change it-it’s still peacefully wrapped around its Romanesque church and medieval castle. To get a look at the town’s panorama, you have to take the high path, just behind the vineyards. It is worth a look!

Distance covered: 19mi (31km)

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Visit the Clos Vougeot wine estate. A majestic castle crowned with a roof of glazed tiles, standing like an islet planted in the middle of the vineyards. You can see it from a distance, and approach the awe-inspiring portal of this mythical enclosure with a little thrill. This is the den of the knights of Tastevin, a venerable brotherhood of 12,000 ambassadors of Burgundy all over the world. The old grape presses, the wine cellar and the large cellar set the scene as it was in the 12th century, under the motto: ‘Jamais en vain, toujours en vin’ (‘Never in vain, always in wine’).

Or, ride to the Abbey of Citeaux. Founded in 1098, in what was at the time a ‘desert’, Citeaux Abbey, the cradle and headquarters of the Cistercian Order, was to become, along with Cluny, a flagship of Christianity. Today, the monks make a delicious artisan cheese called Citeaux cheese. This production is performed three times a week using the milk of a herd of cattle raised on the Abbey’s farm.

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Depart Nuits St Georges after breakfast.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

Activity Level: 2 (Leisurely/Moderate)
Average daily distance: 31km (19 miles).
No. of days cycling: 3
Terrain and route: Gentle cycling along quiet roads and well marked paths through charming villages.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. A representative will be there to meet you, make sure the bikes are all set up and will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes notes contain an emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested the minimum age for this trip is 8yrs as we feel they will be able to ride the bikes we have to offer and complete the route. However our local partner is able to offer child seats for children aged 2-4yrs (max. weight 22 kg, hills will be tricky). These are all subject to availability, and therefore we ask that you enquire about these on booking. Please note due to the size of the bikes and distanced required to cycle, this trip is not appropriate for children aged from 5-7yrs (who are too big for the child seats, but not big enough to ride the children’s bike). As a guide we have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each days cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please bear in mind the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be very high in the middle of summer and the child seats provided do not have any shade. We therefore recommend going either earlier or later on in the season if you have young children.

Joining Instructions

Flight Inclusive
Air-rail prices include our standard flights, onward rail and station transfers
British Airways Heathrow to Paris CDG 07:20/09:35 then rail Paris Bercy to Beaune 13:33/16:58 (Mon-Fri), Paris Bercy to Beaune 13:26/16:58 (Sat) & Paris Lyon to Beaune via Lyon Part Dieu 12:59/16:58 (Sun) and transfer to the hotel 5 mins. Return: Transfer hotel to station 30 mins then rail Beaune to Paris Lyon via Dijon Ville 08:54/11:04 (Mon-Fri), Beane to Paris Bercy 09:00/12:37 (Sat) & 09:00/12:24 (Sun) then British Airways Paris CDG to Heathrow 17:40/17:55 (Tues), 18:05/18:20 (Sun, Mon & Weds) & 18:50/19:05 (Fri, Sat & Thurs).

Business/club/first class seats are available on request.

Land Only
Standard transfers
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement from Beaune station at 16:58 and back to Beaune train station at 08:15.

Alternative transfers
If you require alternative transfers (because you will be arriving at a different time to our standard flights), then we can usually arrange these for you (there may be an additional charge).

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Beaune
Location end: Vougeot

Vaccinations and Health

France

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

France

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter France. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/france
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/france
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/France.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and 3 evening meals are included.

Burgundy is in short a gold mine for those who have a passion for both fine food and fine wine.

Burgundy is first and foremost a land of excellent wines and so naturally they are omnipresent in the local cuisine. From the traditional beef bourguignon, a wine-based dish bien sûr, to dishes that are “en meurette,” meaning cooked with lardons and red wine. Such dishes include œufs au vin (eggs), coq au vin, as well as charcuterie and jambon persillé (parsleyed ham). All regional dishes are either prepared and/or enjoyed with wine made by one of the marvelous winemakers of Burgundy.

Weather

In Burgundy, the summers are comfortable and partly cloudy which makes it ideal for cycling. The winters are very cold, windy, and mostly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from -0°C to 25°C and is rarely below -7°C or above 31°C.

The hottest month is July with daily average temperatures being around 24°C

Weather Charts

TRIP

C06BN - Cycling the Grand Crus of Burgundy

Departure Date

Number Of Passengers*

Message*

To enquire about an existing booking click here

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Keep me up to date with news and offers from Exodus by email.

Thank you for contacting Exodus Travels.

Find out more about how we use your data

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Hotels

HOTEL GRILLON, BEAUNE
Set in shaded, flower-brimming grounds just 1 km from Hospices de Beaune in the city center with restaurants… this handsome late 19th-c. dwelling offers calm, charm and personality..life’s finer things in Burgundy! Every moment of your stay at Hôtel Grillon is a discovery experience of hospitality and a pleasant atmosphere just made for relaxation. Sunny breakfast, sheer relaxation at the pool, 20air conditioned rooms, each one with a décor that says ‘come along on a journey to dreamland’

Extra nights: Please contact us for details.

HOTEL DE VOUGEOT, VOUGEOT
The hotel offers accommodation in a traditional building with an on-site wine cellar. All the rooms are equipped with a bathroom, TV and minibar. Some of them overlook the vineyards and the castle Clos de Vougeot. The vault of the hotel is home to regional wines. There is a breakfast buffet which serves homemade jams, gingerbread, fresh fruit and cereals. Guests can request picnic lunches.

Extra nights: Please contact us for details.