Walking tours in France

Two of the most famous vineyards worldwide are located to the south of Dijon :
- the Côte de Nuits, from Chenove to Corgoloin, that produces powerful red wines
- the Côte de Beaune, from Aloxe Corton to Santenay, renowned for its delicate red wines and its full-bodied flavoured white wines
Since the 3rd century B.C., the vineyards growing along the slopes have provided the most noble vintages, and at the heights of the hills are produced the Hautes Côtes. Long-time properties of the dukes of Bourgogne, La Côte stands today as witness to the past. Chapels, châteaux and old, glazed-roof villages spot the vineyards one after another. Two remarkable sites worth visiting are Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, and Beaune, the vineyard’s capital. This tour is an invitation to discover these climates (small plots producing the best vintage wines) and to perfect your oenological geography !

Luxury Tour.In this tour, we give priority to comfort and service of hotels and to the quality of the restaurant. You will stop in 2,3 star hotels located in beautiful places and very often recommended by important guidebooks such as the Guide Rouge or the Gault-Millau Guide. We don’t hesitate to escort you by taxi at the end of the walk to stay in the best hotel in the area (old castles, farmhouses or water-mills…)
For info and bookings on walking tours, contact us.

Burgundy walking tour
Day 1 : Arrival at DIJON, capitol of Burgundy. This town, steeped in history, is its own outdoor museum. We invite you to explore the old city, the neighborhood of the Palais de Justice, and the beautiful Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne ( Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy ) in which is housed the Musée des Beaux Arts.
Dinner, lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel

Day 2 : You continue exploring DIJON during the morning hours. There are several interesting museums to see, including the Archeological Museum, the Sacred Art Museum in Sainte Anne‘s Chapel, and an excellent museum that chronicles the life, costumes and cottage industries of Burgundy during the past centuries. At the start of the afternoon, a taxi will escort you to Marsannay-la-Côte.

MARSANNAY – GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN (15 km). From Marsannay, a city reputed, among others, for it rosé wines (unique in the Burgundian region), you will move towards Fixey, where stands a 10th century church, the oldest of the region. You will pass Fixin and Noisot Park (which gives testimony to the loyalty of one of Napoleon’s captains to his emperor), and continue through Brochon to reach Gevrey-Chambertin. This large, viticultural town still holds within its limits an ancient fortified castle.
Lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel (rec. GM, GR)

Day 3 : GEVREY CHAMBERTIN – NUIT SAINT GEORGES (14 km). Leaving the village of Gevrey, you will cross through the Grand Cru vineyards towards Morey Saint Denis. You will pass by the village of Chambolle Musigny, nestled at the beginning of a narrow valley, and head to one of the more famous sites of Burgundy, the majestic Château de Clos Vougeot. A visit of the château reveals a 12th century wine cellar and gigantic winepress. Your path continues across the Echezeaux and Grand Echezeaux vineyards and then renders you on hallowed ground. You will have entered into the heart of some of the world’s greatest vineyards : La Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Richebourg, la Tâche. You will pass finally through Vosne-Romanée to arrive in Nuits-Saint-Georges. A visit of the old city will please your senses, as you stroll among its rich heritage.
Dinner, lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel

Day 4 : NUIT SAINT GEORGES – BEAUNE (17 km). Today’s walk takes you uphill, past vineyard-covered slopes, to the Hautes-Cotes de Nuits. The landscape is delightful and you will enjoy beautiful views across the valley. You will pass through the villages of Chaux and Villers-la-Faye, where you will find an 11th century church sitting upon Mont Saint Victor, and then Magny-les-Villers. Descending into the Côtes de Beaune, you will come upon Pernant-Vergelesses and one of the most picturesque little villages, Aloxe-Corton, which is famous for such white wines as Corton-Charlemagne. The wine is associated with the emperor because he owned a large part of this vineyard that give one of the best white wines in Burgundy. Continue your walk to Chorey, and then Beaune, a magic Burgundian city of medieval charm, famous for its hospices and ramparts.
Lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel
Day 5 : Visit of BEAUNE, a day’s visit of this city is easily justified. Explore the manifold old buildings, stroll through the narrow streets lined with beautiful homes, some of them dating back to the Renaissance period. Sites of intrigue are the Hôtel-Dieu, the Collegiale Notre Dame, and the Musée des Vins de Bourgogne, found in the old Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne. Of course, you may choose to spend your entire day in the different wine cellars of the city, enjoying the variety of the regional wines !
Lodging and breakfast in the same 3-star hotel

Day 6 : BEAUNE – MEURSAULT (15 km). You will leave Beaune by way of the La Bouzaise park and walk through the first Premiers Crus vineyards heading to Pommard. This well-known village is huddled tightly around a church that is most remarkable for its square bell-tower. The wines of the village, celebrated around the globe, are of outstanding quality, deeply-colored, firm and honest. You will traverse Volnay and Monthélie, with its Romanesque church built in the 12th century, and Auxey-Duresses, a small village in a picturesque valley. Each of these villages produces its own distinct red and white wines, uniquely elegant and refined. After passing over the last vineyard-covered hill, you will fall upon Meursault, a beautiful village reputed for its whites.
Lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel

Day 7 : MEURSAULT – PULIGNY MONTRACHET. Making your way across the vineyards, you will arrive in the hamlets of Blagny and Gamay, and then pass through the forest that stretches across the heights of the Côte de Beaune. You will arrive in La Rochepot, a village that boasts of having one of the most beautiful châteaux in Burgundy, this one dating to the 15th century. You will descend into the village of Saint Aubin and its 10th century church. Crossing through the Grands Crus of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, you will arrive in the village of Puligny-Montrachet where you will spend the night in a lovely Burgundian home.
Dinner, lodging and breakfast in a 3-star hotel

Day 8 : PULIGNY MONTRACHET. Tour ends after breakfast. Escort by taxi to the Beaune railway station.

The price includes:
Lodging and breakfast with or without dinner in a double bedroom for 7 days (see tour description)
luggage transport from one hotel to the other during the tour
the road book

To get there: By train: Scheduled links between Dijon and the French main towns. To return, regular links between Beaune and Dijon
By road: Dijon is on the A31 motorway
Car park facilities: