Wild France with the Camargue

Titans VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Montpellier or Marseille. On arrival, transfer to Arles to embark MS Anne-Marie (4-star). Take time to settle in before a welcome cocktail party and dinner. We remain in port overnight.

Spend the morning discovering the cultural centre and important Roman ruins of Arles, immortalised on canvas many times by Vincent Van Gogh. Travelling inland, we find out about olive oil production in Provence. We finish our tour by tasting some local products, and return to our ship to cruise along both the Rhne and Rhne Ste canals towards Gallician, where we dock overnight.

We start with an excursion to the Camargue. This largely UNESCO-protected natural park is a biosphere of dramatic mountains and wetlands that support hundreds of thousands of migratory birds as well as native flamingos, egrets and herons – a popular destination for birdwatchers. Then you can enjoy some free time in splendid Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – considered a holy place by several cultures. It was named after the Three Marys who are said to have stood by the cross of Christ and then fled here and built an oratory. The towns unusual, fortified church is an important gypsy pilgrimage site. After our visit, we spend the afternoon cruising towards Aigues-Mortes, arriving in the early evening for the chance to discover its quirky bars within little side streets.

Join us for a tour of Aigues-Mortes, a beautiful 13th century, fortified city with a rich heritage, located in the middle of the marshes. We board a tourist train to tour one of the most incredible sites in Provence – the red salt marshes – and visit the salt museum. We cruise to Palavas-les-Flots to spend some free time discovering the rich identity that reaches back for more than three centuries. This spa resort spreads along the coastline with 7km of beach.

We set out to visit a manade, a semi-wild group of horses or cattle, and learn about the life of their herders. We travel by wagon and take part in a bull sorting, and snack on delicious farm produce. We’ll spend the afternoon cruising towards Ste, arriving in the early evening and remaining overnight.

This morning we explore tang de Thau, the vast and attractive lagoon that has been a great source of salt since the Greek era, and is now also famous for its oysters and mussels. We visit the tang de Thau Museum, which offers an insight into the work of the local shellfish farmers and fishermen, and taste some shellfish. The afternoon is dedicated to Saint-Guilhem-le-Dsert, one of the most beautiful villages in France. An abbey was built in this remote location in the 9th century, and the charming stone village quickly developed around it. We return to Ste, where we dock overnight and enjoy a gala dinner on board.

We disembark this morning, and transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.