Thu, Oct 8: Depart from Indianapolis on your overnight flights to Toulouse, France.

Fri, Oct 9: Welcome to Toulouse! After clearing customs and immigration, meet your local tour manager and transfer to your hotel in Toulouse. Check in for the next two nights. After getting settled in, your local tour manager will lead the group on a short walking tour around the city center. After the tour, enjoy some free time in the afternoon before joining the group for a Welcome Dinner. (Meals: Dinner)

Sat, Oct 10: After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, travel to the city of Albi, a lively cosmopolitan city located on the banks of the river Tarn. Albi offers beautiful cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, churches, cafes, restaurants, and shops, and is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the stunning Sainte Cécile Cathedral. First constructed in the 13th century, Sainte Cécile is known as the world’s largest brick cathedral. Discover the heart of Toulouse aboard the “Petit Train” tour of the city. Following the tour, enjoy time on your own for lunch and explore the cathedral in the surrounding medieval center. Visit the Toulouse Lautrec Museum, featuring more than a thousand works by the 19th century painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec—the largest collection of the artist’s work in the world. The museum in located in the Berbie Palace (Le Palais Berbie), the former residence of the city’s archbishops and home to exquisite formal gardens with a picturesque view across the Tarn River. Return to Toulouse in the afternoon and enjoy some free time to relax at the hotel or to explore the city—avid history lovers may enjoy venturing into the Capitole area, home to the 12th century St. Sernin Basilica and the Jacobs convent. For dinner this evening, enjoy a traditional Cassoulet dinner, a specialty of the region. (B,D) 

Sun, Oct 11: Check out of the hotel mid-morning and depart for Sète, a Mediterranean coastal town. Along the way visit the Fontfroide Abbey (Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide), a Cistercian monastery founded in 1093. After a self-guided tour of the abbey and gardens, enjoy lunch with the group at the onsite abbey restaurant and taste locally crafted wines. Following lunch, continue to Sète. Upon arrival, check into your hotel for four nights. Enjoy free time to unpack, unwind, or perhaps take a stroll along the canal in front of the hotel. Enjoy dinner as a group this evening. (B,L,D)

Mon, Oct 12: Today, journey north of the Occitanie region and discover the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct just outside the city of Nîmes. The Pont du Gard, constructed over two thousand years ago, is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts. Built as a three-level aqueduct towering fifty meters over the Gardon river, it stood as only part of a fifty-kilometer-long aqueduct supplying water to Nîmes. The journey then continues to the charming medieval hillside town of Uzès, whose iconic Place aux Herbes serves as heart of the town and features a lively market place most mornings. The town also boasts countless cafés, bistros, and quaint streets brimming with classy boutiques and shops. Enjoy lunch as a group at a local restaurant. Return to Sète in the afternoon, where you’ll have free time to explore the city at your own pace. Dine tonight as a group. (B,L,D)

Tue, Oct 13: Venture to one of the region’s oldest vineyard estates, La Seigneurie de Péyrat, after breakfast and be treated to a private tour led by the owner, followed by a wine tasting and picnic lunch. After lunch, head to medieval Pézenas, regarded as one of the most beautiful and lively towns in the south of France. Pézenas boasts gorgeously carved stone buildings decorated with intricate ironwork—a lasting reminder of the town’s rich history—once home to kings and princes and a cultural epicenter for Europe’s most famous artists. Enjoy a free afternoon exploring the town at your own leisure. Return to the hotel around late-afternoon and have time to unwind and freshen up for dinner tonight as a group. (B,L,D)

Wed, Oct 14: Today is market day in Sète! The city center market opens at 8am, but feel free to sleep in—the market runs all morning! This locally beloved event fills the square and extends along several streets, offering everything from clothing, jewelry, art, books, music, local souvenirs, and, most importantly, delectable local dishes and treats like green basil cheese! The market also runs indoors with fishmongers, specialty food producers, florists, cheese mongers, and more. You will then be treated to a shared picnic for lunch in the private dining room at the hotel. The afternoon features a cruise along the city canals, where you’ll observe the oyster beds lining the nearby lagoon. Dine tonight as a group. (B,L,D)

Thu, Oct 15: Check out of the hotel in the morning and head inland to a local French village for “A Taste of the South” private food and wine tasting event. Enjoy the magnificent scenery as you traverse past the beautiful hillside villages and vineyards, catch glimpses of the historic Cathar castles, and possibly see the great Pyrenees! Learn about rich culinary history and viticulture of the Languedoc-Roussillon while sipping local Occitanie region wines, each paired with a dish reflecting the culinary specialties of the region. Following the tasting event, continue your travels on to Carcassonne, a fortified city and medieval jewel within Occitanie, and check into the hotel for two nights. Enjoy free time this afternoon to relax or explore at your own leisure. Dinner is on your own this evening—Carcassonne has lots of different food options! (B) 

Fri, Oct 16: Take a short coach trip this morning up to the walled entrance into Carcassonne—pre-dating the ancient Romans but underwent major development in the 12th and 13th centuries. A local guide will take you through the history of the city as you traverse through this UNESCO World Heritage site. Following the tour, discover the 12th century Château Comtal and walk a portion of the city’s defensive wall with its incredible view of the surrounding countryside—or walk the whole length of the wall if you’re feeling adventurous! Enjoy lunch on your own and free time to continue discovering the city—visit the Saint Nazaire Basilica, shop at boutiques, or relax and enjoy coffee and pastries in local cafés. You may return to the hotel on foot at your leisure or meet the coach back at the meeting point to transfer to the hotel. Dine together as a group this evening. (B,D)

Sat, Oct 17: Enjoy a leisurely morning in Carcassonne and visit the Carcassonne market, only a short walk from the hotel. La Bastide, the lower town area where the hotel is, also has many different activities and options for lunch on your own. Check out by noon today and store your luggage at the hotel until departure. Following lunch, depart for Toulouse. A private tour and wine tasting at one of the great wine houses of the region will take place enroute. In Toulouse, check into a luxury hotel near the airport for one night. In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner with the group. (B,D)

Sun, Oct 18: Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before departing for Indianapolis. (B)