History and Art of the Rhône River Cruise

History and Art of the Rhône River Cruise - MS Thomas Hardy

7 nights - 09 Oct 2025

MS Thomas Hardy | Rhone , Saone

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FREE Superior drinks package - Available on all 2025 and 2026 European river cruises!

Award-winning European river cruises include everything you need for an exceptional experience.

Delicious full board dining, plus Chef's Dinner

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CRUISE ONLY

FLY CRUISE

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2 PEOPLE

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Emerald Deck Suite

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Ruby Deck Suite

~~WAS £2599pp~~ From £2495PP

Diamond Deck Suite

~~WAS £2799pp~~ From £2687PP

Select Cabins

Emerald Deck Suite

CALL CALL

Ruby Deck Suite

~~WAS £2599pp~~ From £2495PP

Diamond Deck Suite

~~WAS £2799pp~~ From £2687PP

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Prices based on 2 people sharing. Cruise only price does not include flights. Fly-cruise price may vary by chosen UK airport.

(Prices correct as of today’s date, are updated daily, are subject to change and represent genuine availability at time of update).

Cruise only holidays are financially protected by ABTA. Fly cruise holidays are financially protected by Riviera Travel under ATOL number 3230

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Itinerary

List Timeline

Lyon

Arrival in Avignon - On arrival in Avignon, we’ll transfer by coach to our ship moored in the city’s historic centre. The dedicated English-speaking crew will welcome you on board and help you to your cabin. After settling in to your spacious and tastefully furnished accommodation, th...

Day 1

09 October 2025

Lyon

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Day 2

10 October 2025

Mâcon

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Day 3

11 October 2025

Chalon-sur-Saône

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Day 4

12 October 2025

Vienne

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Day 5

13 October 2025

Arles

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Day 6

14 October 2025

Pont du Gard, France

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Day 7

15 October 2025

Avignon

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Day 8

16 October 2025

Avignon

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Mâcon

Avignon - The light catching the red roofs of Avignon’s majestic skyline is a sight to behold over breakfast. This morning, we'll embark on a guided tour of one of the most extraordinary and intriguing cities in France. Avignon’s destiny changed during the 14th century when the Pope’s court moved here to avoid strife in Rome. Igniting a century of prosperity, the pontiff commissioned a host of ambitious building projects, and today the city is immaculately preserved, nestling behind its almost-intact 14th-century walls and boasting more remarkable monuments, superbly decorated buildings, churches, chapels and convents than you can possibly count. Most important is the stunning Popes' Palace, made up of two buildings that together form the largest Gothic palace in the world. With turrets, towers, parapets and other fortifications, its exterior resembles a mighty fortress. But the interior is even more impressive - it's a tour de force of medieval architecture and ornamentation, adorned with priceless art, frescoes, Gobelin tapestries and graceful sculptures. The ceremonial hall, chapels, cloisters and private apartments are all unmissable. But to truly embrace the feel of papal Avignon, imagine yourself here during the Middle Ages amid the Palace’s rich furnishings and extravagant decoration, with cardinals, princes and ambassadors milling about its candlelit halls and corridors while in the streets below countless pilgrims eagerly anticipate benediction. This was Avignon’s brief golden age when it was truly the centre of Christendom. After lunch, you’ll be free to explore as you wish. You could do some shopping or enjoy an idle afternoon in a quiet café in a shady Provencal square to watch the world go by - there's no judgment here. Take a stroll on the iconic Pont d’Avignon, which, dramatically, ends halfway across the river, made famous by the melody we all recall from our first French lessons. Alternatively, join us on an optional included visit to the former home of the archbishops of Avignon, Le Petit Palais, to cast a critical eye over the remarkable collection of over 300 paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including works by Botticelli and Carpaccio. Dinner on board is followed by a musical performance by a local pianist in the ship’s lounge as the ship sets sail towards our next destination, Arles, arriving later that evening.

Chalon-sur-Saône

Arles & Ponts Du Gard - You'll awake under the azure skies of deepest Provence amid the warm stone colours of Arles, many of whose historic monuments are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Although small in size, it was the key stronghold on the Roman road to Spain, one of the empire’s richest possessions. Seagoing ships could reach here, and the city became a regional capital, briefly ruling over Gaul, Spain and Britain. Our guided tour will follow in the footsteps of the great genius and artist, Van Gogh, who spent over 14 months in Arles, from February 1888. It was his most prolific period and, inspired by Arles and the light and beauty of the Provençal countryside, he produced around 300 works, including The Night Café, The Yellow House and, of course, Starry Night. As we explore, you’ll get to admire some of his masterpieces at the Vincent Van Gogh Arles Foundation - as well as works by other artists – and visit the sights that inspired his work – The Yellow House, L'Espace Van Gogh and Place du Forum, to name a just a few. After lunch we visit the amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, one of the wonders of the ancient world. No amount of fame can diminish the first sight of this 2,000-year-old structure, which was the highest bridge built in the Empire –the Romans themselves considered it the most important testimony to their greatness. Its statistics are staggering - over 900 feet long and almost 160 feet high, with its stones each weighing up to six tons. To put this in perspective, the span of the Pont du Gard is greater than the width of the River Thames at London Bridge – and no mortar was used in its construction! The situation is lovely too, with pine- and cypress-covered hills adding to the harmonious setting.After re-joining the ship, we’ll cruise along the Rhône and, during dinner, pass the imposing 15th-century castle at Tarascon which stands guard on the riverbank.

Vienne

Ardèche Gorges & Chauvet Caves - This morning we’ll disembark the ship, now moored in Viviers, after breakfast. Whilst our ship effortlessly cruises upstream towards Le Pouzin, we will explore one of France’s most outstanding landscapes – the Ardèche Gorges, whose scale is a fitting reminder of Mother Nature’s awesome power. Sheer limestone cliffs plunge almost 1,000 feet to the river’s blue waters, which elegantly snake their way through stupendous rock formations, culminating in a huge natural arch, the Pont d’Arc. We enjoy marvellous views at every turn of caves, grottoes and natural sculptures before returning to the ship moored in Le Pouzin.We'll stop at the UNESCO-listed Chauvet Caves to explore a spectacular replica of the pre-historic caves – home to the best-preserved and oldest-known paintings in France. Discovered in 1994, by three cave explorers, the walls are covered in well-preserved paintings – said to be the oldest painting ever found. They're 36,000 years old - that's 18,000 years older than the decorated walls of the Lascaux cave in Dordogne – so you really are looking at the oldest art ever seen. We return to the ship for a late lunch.Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on board – perhaps catching up on some reading or just lazing in the sun as the temperature rises, before we arrive in Tain l'Hermitage, surrounded by steep vine-covered hillsides, where another of the world’s most revered wines is produced. After dinner, perhaps take a stroll along the river and wander across the oldest suspension bridge in France to the pretty provincial town of Tournon on the opposite bank of the river, with its imposing castle and tree-lined avenues.After dinner this evening, you can delight in a ballroom dancing performance in the lounge with the opportunity to learn some basic steps of a French madison line dance – a lively way to end an exciting day onshore!

Arles

Vienne - During breakfast this morning, we’ll slip our moorings and cruise north through one of the most spectacular sections of the Rhône Valley, as the river squeezes and twists passed Condrieu, Saint-Rambert-d’Albon and Saint-Vallier, with wooded cliffs rising high on both sides.A...

Pont du Gard, France

Beaune - Overnight we’ll have made steady progress north and mid-morning we’ll arrive in and berth in Chalon, gateway to Burgundy and the home of Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography.After lunch on board, we’ll travel to Beaune, via France’s famous Wine Road, passing an arr...

Avignon

Lyon - One of river cruising’s great pleasures is the fascination of waking in a completely different location and, on waking this morning, the ship will arrive in Lyon. After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Lyon, one of France’s most fascinating cities. The Rhône Valley ha...

*This holiday is generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility. For customers with reduced mobility or any medical condition that may require special assistance or arrangements to be made, please notify your Cruise Concierge at the time of your enquiry, so that we can provide specific information as to the suitability of the holiday, as well as make suitable arrangements with the Holiday Provider on your behalf.

09 October 2025

Lyon

10 October 2025

Mâcon

11 October 2025

Chalon-sur-Saône

12 October 2025

Vienne

13 October 2025

Arles

14 October 2025

Pont du Gard, France

15 October 2025

Avignon

16 October 2025

Avignon

Return home

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Explore MS Thomas Hardy

Main Restaurant

The restaurant rivals the finest on shore establishments taking fine dining to another level complemented by delicate European porcelain, gleaming glassware and the intuitive service in which the Swiss excel. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 167 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first class service levels.

The ship’s main restaurant is located on the Ruby (middle) Deck and here you will experience not only exceptional first class cuisine, but also the most attentive yet discreet service from the ship’s highly professional crew. So just sit back with a well-deserved glass of wine from the carefully selected wine list and delight in the wonderful elegance of your surroundings; beautifully laid tables for just 4 or 6 guests, crisp linen, deep wool carpets and warm wood panelling abound to offer a delectable dining experience of the highest order.

Excursions

On our river cruises we love to take you right into the heart of each town or city you visit along the way, and during your cruise local guides will offer a variety of guided walking tours, panoramic coach tours and/or visits to museums and local cultural favourites such as a wine tasting in Burgundy and a train journey through the Swiss mountains. You will have a good mix of touring and free time to learn about the history and the little quirks of each place, with plenty of time to explore at your own leisure. Please check the itinerary of the cruise for more specific details.

Panorama Bar

After a superb dinner in the restaurant perhaps it’s time for a digestif accompanied by the soothing tones of the ship’s pianist or unwind with a book from the smartly wood panelled library.

Fitness Centre & Spa

On the Emerald Deck is the fitness centre, perfect for working off all those delicious meals or for something less strenuous treat yourself to a relaxing massage. So you will always look your best there is a hairdressers too which also offers manicure and pedicure treatments.

MS Thomas Hardy Cabins & Suites

Suite

Suites

Standard cabins on the Emerald Deck are slightly smaller, measuring approximately 16 square metres (172 square feet) and have smaller fixed windows. Some are available for sole occupancy (supplements may apply) and are subject to availability.

Standard Suites are 17 square metres (183 square feet) and feature full floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a French balcony.

Features

Individual climate control
Floor to ceiling windows with French style balcony
Twin beds which can be configured as double
Nespresso machine and tea making facilities
Ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
Luxury toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, soap
Towels, bathrobes, slippers and hairdryer
UK plug sockets & 2 USB charging points
Table and chairs
Telephone, radio and flat-screen TV
Safe & mini fridge
Turn down service

Riviera Plus (2024 and 2025 only)

10% off spa treatment or massage
10% off hairdresser services
Luxury toiletries
Locally inspired gifts
Bottle of champagne
10% off onboard laundry services

Indulge in the luxury of Riviera Plus when you stay in an upper deck cabin or suite. In your well-appointed cabin, you’ll find a range of extras to make your experience extra special.

Facilities

Queen or Twin Configuration
Lounge Area
Shower
Toiletries Provided
Room Service Available
TV
Free Wi-Fi
Safe
Desk
Suite Benefits
Coffee Machine
Hair Dryer
Telephone
Air Conditioning

08001970854