Champagne Tour in France, Château de Rilly.

At a glance

Trip Summary

On day two, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide for a full day tour as part of a small group (maximum eight people). During the course of the day, your guide will regale you with tales and anecdotes of the history of Champagne and its vineyards, introducing you to the particularities of the region. You will start the day in style with a tour and tasting at the world-famous Moët and Chandon estate. You will also stop at the famous hilltop village of Hautvillers, the “cradle of Champagne.” As well as admiring the spectacular views across the vineyards, your guide will take you on a tour of the village, visiting places such as the Church where Dom Perignon is buried. After such an enlightening morning, you will then be taken to a beautiful private mansion for a unique Champagne tasting masterclass. As well as having the opportunity to taste the three principal grape varieties, a light lunch will also be served. In the afternoon, you will visit a small family-run Champagne House and after a tasting session of their Champagnes, you will enjoy a traditional French aperitif. You will be taken back to the Château at the end of the day.

For those staying an additional night, day three offers you the chance to visit your favourite Champagne House in Reims and we will arrange for return transfers from the Château to the city centre. Subject to your dates of travel / availability, options include Taittinger, where two Champagnes will be served, GH Mumm to taste their Blanc de Blancs and Blancs de Noirs Champagnes, Pommery to sample two Champagnes, Ruinart to taste Ruinart Blanc de Blancs or Ruinart rosé followed by their flagship Prestige Cuvée Dom Ruinart, white or rosé and Veuve Clicquot, to enjoy a flute of their celebrated La Grande Dame. Please note that some of these Houses (particularly Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart) are very popular and offer very few tours, therefore early booking is essential.

After returning to the village in the afternoon, you will be welcomed at the estate of a boutique Champagne maker. As well as having a tour of the property, you will learn the Napoleonic art of Sabrage (the art of opening the Champagne bottle with a sword). Since you will open your own bottles, you will then need to drink at least some of the Champagnes that have been opened.  Learning Sabrage is a tremendously fun and festive activity and not only is it a fantastic photo opportunity, you will also have acquired a new party trick to entertain your friends and family at home with! You can see Sabrage in action on our You Tube channel.

In the evening, a four course dinner (excluding drinks) will be served in the Château’s gourmet restaurant.

Region Map

Outline Itinerary

Day three (optional) of your Champagne tour in France

• After breakfast, your tour day will comprise of:
• Return pre-booked and pre-paid taxi transfers to Reims.
• A tour and a flute or two of Champagne at your favourite prestigious Champagne House. Options include Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, GH Mumm and Pommery.
• A tour and tastings with Sabrage at a boutique Champagne House in the village.
• In the evening, a four course dinner (excluding drinks) will be served in the Château’s gourmet restaurant.

The final day of your Champagne tour in France

• After a leisurely breakfast, check out of the hotel and make your way back to the UK, taking the Eurotunnel from Calais to Folkestone.

(ii) The outline itinerary is indicative and is subject to minor changes depending on supplier availability. Availability cannot beguaranteed until we have received a confirmed booking, together with the deposit payment (or payment in full where the dates of travel are in less than 60 days). If the named accommodation / visits are not available, we will endeavour to find suitable alternatives of a similar grade; this may be subject to a supplement or a rebate depending on the price available.

Package Prices

• These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
• These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
• Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
• Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
• Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.

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