Kir Royale

Sunday, Day 1 Châlons-en-Champagne

Guests are met early afternoon in Paris** and transferred to the hotel barge moored in Châlons-en-Champagne. Enjoy a champagne welcome while your Captain introduces you to the crew. Dinner on board.

Monday, Day 2 Châlons-en-Champagne to Tours-sur-Marne

This morning we cruise from Châlons-en-Champagne along the Canal Lateral à la Marne to our pretty mooring at Tours-sur-Marne.  After lunch on board, we visit the magnificent 800-year-old Reims cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece where the Kings of France were crowned, before some free time perhaps to wander around this delightful city with its grand squares and elegant shopping arcades. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 3 Tours-sur-Marne to Dizy

This morning we visit one of the best-known champagne houses in the world, Moët & Chandon, founded in 1743, where we are guided through their vast underground cellars, the largest in the region, which were carved out of the chalk to offer the maturing wine the perfect temperature and humidity. This is followed by a tasting of some of Moët’s renowned vintages in an elegant private salon, hosted by an experienced cellar master. We return to the barge for lunch and continue our cruise along the canal, with the opportunity to explore on foot or bicycle en route to our next mooring at Dizy, near Épernay. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 4 Dizy to Damery

After a leisurely breakfast, we head off for a private champagne tour and tasting at the boutique grand cru winery of Frerejean Frères, located in the Côtes des Blancs village of Avize, in the middle of the Champagne countryside. En route, we make a stop at a picturesque hillside vineyard to learn some of the key attributes of champagne grape growing. Following the tasting, we indulge in a gourmet, private lunch in the salon of the family domaine. After lunch, we rejoin the barge and set off on our afternoon cruise, leaving the canal behind and making our way onto the gentle River Marne, to our mooring in Damery. Dinner on board.

Thursday, Day 5 Damery to Dormans

Today, we continue our cruise along the meandering River Marne to moor at the pretty riverside town of Dormans. After lunch on board, we embark on a guided visit to pay our respects at the 42-acre battlefield and monument at Château-Thierry and the American cemetery at Belleau Wood, where US forces fought one of the bloodiest battles of World War One. Dinner on board.

Friday, Day 6 Dormans to Château-Thierry

Enjoy a late-morning visit to La Maison Ayala, a renowned champagne house situated in Aÿ, one of the 17 rare villages classified as Grand Cru in the Champagne region. We take a tour of the historic cellars to learn about the house’s history and understand the philosophy behind champagne Ayala before a private tasting. After lunch on board, we cruise to our final mooring at Château-Thierry, a historic town located on the riverbank and surrounded by vineyards that produce some of the region’s most famous sparkling wines. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

Saturday, Day 7 Château-Thierry

After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Paris**.

This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.
On alternate weeks, the cruise will be in the reverse direction.
**other locations available for private Charter bookings.