Compare French Cooking in Lyon, “Capitale Mondiale de la Gastronomie by Road Scholar vs Cycle the Loire Valley by Intrepid Travel

Day 1
In Transit To Program
In Flight
Activity note: Refer to your personal air itinerary for specific flight information.

Day 2
Arrive Lyon, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Lyon D Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Afternoon: After arriving at the hotel, check in and get your room, then take some time to freshen up and relax. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a 3-course welcome dinner with options of coffee, tea, water.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Day 3
History of French Gastronomy, Cooking Class, Old Lyon
Lyon B,L,D Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day, standing for up to 2 hours at a time.

Breakfast: At the hotel, select from a tasty buffet with both hot and cold dishes.

Morning: Our study leader will join us for a presentation on the history of French gastronomy. French “art de vivre” (the art of living) originated with the ancient Gauls, whose culture valued eating and drinking well. The first French cookbook was published around the year 1350. Louis XIV’s royal garden at Versailles started a craze for fresh fruits and vegetables. Before the French Revolution, there were only a few hundred restaurants in all of France; after, there were thousands. Chefs began refining flavors and tastes, developing ever more elaborate dishes, until the inimitable Auguste Escoffier — preeminent chef of the early 20th Century — modernized and codified many classic recipes. French originality, creativity, and pride in good food continues to the present day. Then, we will have our first cooking class at the Atelier de Chefs. In this class, we will focus on learning how to prepare appetizers, hot and cold.

Lunch: At the school, we will dine on the appetizer dishes we helped to make this morning.

Afternoon: Next, we will explore Old Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on foot. As the citation states, “The long history of Lyon, which was founded by the Romans in the 1st century B.C. as the capital of the Three Gauls…is vividly illustrated by its urban fabric and the many fine historic buildings from all periods.” The city prospered as a center of European trade due to its strategic location at the confluence of two great rivers, the Saône and Rhône.

Dinner: Enjoy a three course dinner with wine.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4
Market With a Chef, Cooking Class, Musée des Beaux Arts
Lyon B,L,D Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking up to 5 miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Depart this morning on a walk through the local market, Les Halles de Lyon, with an expert local chef. Together, discover the stalls overflowing with mouth-watering food, straight from the land or the sea. We will select foods to be used later in cooking class. The market visit will be followed by a hands-on cooking class using what we found at the market and finally a sit-down meal eating what we helped to prepare.

Lunch: At the school featuring the dishes we helped prepare this morning.

Afternoon: For our next field trip, we’ll explore the Renaissance Quarter of Lyon and learn more about the history of Lyon. Next, we will visit the Musée des Beaux Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest and finest in Europe, situated in a superb 17th Century building with more than 70 rooms open to the public. The collection comprises archaeological artifacts from antiquity, centuries of objets d’art, sculpture, and paintings by the finest artists from the 13th Century to the present day including numerous masterpieces of modern art. Audio guides will be used.

Dinner: At a Paul Bocuse Brasserie. We will enjoy a 3 course dinner with wine.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
Villages & Vineyards of the Beaujolais Region
Lyon B,L Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking up to 5 miles over the course of the day.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We will travel into the picturesque villages and vineyards of the Beaujolais. The Beaujolais region is the most southern part of the Burgundy vineyards. Wine has been produced in this region since Roman times.

Lunch: At a local restaurant. A 3 course meal with wine.

Afternoon: During a tasting at a chateau, learn what differentiates Beaujolais from other red wines. We will then return to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions for local restaurants.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 6
Cooking Class, Lyonnais Bouchon
Lyon B,L,D Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking up to 5 miles during the day on cobblestone and uneven terrain.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning we will have our third hands-on cooking class, this time focusing on seasonal ingredients.

Lunch: At the school, savor the dishes we helped make.

Afternoon: Take a short boat ride to the new architectural developments of La Confluence that contrast the historic center of Old Lyon. Then take the Tramway to the hotel.

Dinner: We will venture to a typical Lyonnais “bouchon” — the local equivalent of a tavern or pub — and enjoy old fashioned cooking unaffected by haute cuisine. Most bouchons are small and unpretentious, on side streets rather than major thoroughfares, and family-run with a clientele of regulars rather than tourists

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7
Cooking Class, Silk Factory, Cheese Workshop
Lyon B Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking up to 5 miles over the course of the day, use of public transportation.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Charles De Gaulle once famously said, “How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” That was in 1962. Today, there are more than 500 varieties. In this workshop, we will learn why there are so many different cheeses, the different categories, how they are produced and from what kinds of milk, the impacts of seasonality and aging, and how the French like to savor their cheeses at home and dining out. Then we will explore Croix Rousse on one of Lyon's hills and visit a silk factory. We will travel by tram with the study leader in tow to learn about how silk is made.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: For our final cooking class of the program, we will learn how to make pastries “a la française.”

Dinner: Dinner on your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 8
Chocolate Workshop, Free Time, Michelin Star Restaurant
Lyon B,D Hotel Best Western Charlemagne
Activity note: Walking on uneven and cobblestone streets, standing up to 2 hours at a time.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We will have a lecture at the hotel by the study leader about local ingredients and how they are used as well as the origins of regional gastronomical customs. Next, we’ll then take a field trip using local transport to the world-famous Maison Bernachon chocolaterie for a workshop on the making of fine chocolate led by a Bernachon staff member. Bernachon imports raw cocoa beans and processes them on-site, along with all of the other ingredients that produce some of the most sought after confections in France.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time

Dinner: We’ll meet at the hotel and travel together to a Michelin-starred restaurant, Tete d'Oie, a culinary experience to remember.

Evening: At leisure. Say farewell to new Road Scholar friends and prepare for departure in the morning.

Day 9
Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
In Flight B
Activity note: Please refer to the transportation section for information on transfers. Hotel check-out is by 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

Day 1 Blois

Bonjour! Welcome to Blois – the gateway to the Loire Valley beautifully situated on the banks of the Loire river. With no activities planned today, you are free to arrive at any time, but ensure you can make an important 6 pm welcome meeting with your group leader and fellow cyclists. Before then, Blois is free for you to explore. Why not head to the Chateau Royal de Blois, or the serene St Vincent de Paul Church, or simply wander the old streets of this charming provincial city.

Day 2 Blois

This morning you’ll begin your cycling adventure through the Loire Valley. After a quick a bicycle fitting, then take a leisurely ride along the banks of the serene Loire River on a dedicated bike-only path to the small riverside town of Saint-Dye-sur-Loire. From here turn inland and ride along narrow tree-lined country roads to the palatial Chateau de Chambord. This beautiful palace, commissioned by Francois I and whose design was influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, is a sight to behold, with a central structure adorned with multiple chimneys and sculpted capitals on its terraces. After you’ve explored the palace and its manicured gardens, cycle back on quiet roads and past flat pasture and return to Blois for the evening.

Day 3 Amboise

This morning, consider the option of visiting another grand building: Chateau de Cheverny. If you would like to take a visit inside, please let your group leader know the day before, as earlier travel arrangements are necessary to take this optional visit. Your cycling begins by riding along the plateau and down to the Cher River, where you’ll arrive at Chateau de Chenonceau, and this one’s pretty special. The chateau is set over water, spanning the Cher River, with its gardens to one side of the banks. You will have included entry to explore this beautiful building, admiring the perfect gardens, classic features and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It’s true fairy tale stuff. After your visit, cycle through the Amboise Forest, re-joining the Loire River at your stop for the evening: the delightful riverside town of Amboise. If you want to see some more chateaux, why not head to Chateau du Clos Luce, the place where Leonardo de Vinci spent the last three years of his life. It is currently a small museum, with grounds that show some working models of his designs and is within walking (or cycling) distance of the main town.

Day 4 Villandry

Continue to hug the Loire River as it gently makes it way downstream to the Vouvray vineyards. This wine region is almost exclusively dedicated to chenin blanc, and with its naturally high acidity, the wines produced here age very well. Stop in for a vineyard visit, then continue cycling on to Tours, cutting across the river on your way to the Chateau de Villandry – arguably the Loire Valley’s most famous chateau. Wander through the vast gardens of perfectly curated gardens and the beautiful U-shaped castle. With time to explore, be sure to stop and smell the roses in these beautiful surroundings.

Day 5 Saumur

Be ready for a longer - but not overly challenging - day of cycling (approximately 60 kilometres). Begin your ride from Villandry along the banks of Loire River to the Château d'Ussé that Charles Perrault took as inspiration for his castle in the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Opt to visit the castle and grounds before continuing cycling downstream through two beautifully classic French villages – Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau – both perched on the riverside. In Montsoreau cycle past the old troglodyte part of the village where you can see homes, doors and windows cut directly into the cliff before finishing your ride ion the charming town of Saumur. Park your bike and take to the water on a short but sweet small boat river cruise – remember to toast the moment with an include glass of exquisite local wine. The evening is free for you to explore Saumur’s cobblestoned streets, visit a sparkling wine cellar, or try out one of the fine-dining options in the medieval centre. Today’s ride is mostly flat, but be sure to enjoy a restful evening before another cycling day tomorrow.

Day 6 Angers

Continue your ride down France’s longest river – the Loire. Ride from Saumur alongside the river for around 20 kilometres, then head inland to Brissac-Quince, home to the tallest chateau in all of France. From here, descend gently towards the Loire River and to tonight’s destination: the beautiful and historically significant city of Angers. This evening, perhaps gather your cycling group together for dinner – tonight is definitely cause for celebration.

Day 7 Angers

With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave at any time. However, if you wish to spend more time in Angers, we'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).