Find Your Next Holiday
leave blank to search all
Dijon to Nice
There are no available dates at this moment, please check back soon.
A wonderful ride through southern France from Burgundy to the French riviera passing the Rhone Valley, Mont Ventoux (optional!), Provence and the Verdon gorge. This version allows you to ride the whole of our Calais Nice ride over different years.
More detail
Highlights include:
- Dijon, capital of Burgundy
- Famous vineyards
- Beaune, a wonderful town full of history
- Mont Ventoux (from afar, or option to climb!)
- Provence lavendar fields
- Gorges de Verdon
- Promenade des Anglais in Nice
Your Next Adventure Awaits
What you need to know...
Start Location
Dijon
Finish Location
Nice
Country/Region
South East France
Grading
Difficult
Shortest Day
51 miles (82km)
Longest Day
75 miles (120km)
Total Days
10
Total Miles
490 miles (785km)
Departure Dates & Prices
There are no available dates at this moment.
Please choose an alternative Tour or check back soon.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival day in Dijon. Enjoy the pavement cafes in the main square, visit the Maille mustard shop or explore the magnificent public buildings in this elegant city.
Day 2
The Burgundy vineyards are renowned the world over and for good reason. Having sampled some of the local wines last night we will pass through vineyards that have been in the same families for generations, via illustrious names such as Clos Vougeot, which was such a favourite of Napoleon that he ordered his soldiers to salute the vines when they passed. The highlight of the day is Beaune, where a visit to the Hotel Dieu is a must. This ancient hospital is still run as a charitable foundation and survives through auctioning off the grapes from the many vineyards that it has received in donations throughout the centuries. The town is worthy of a lengthy stop and stroll around its ancient streets. Continuing from here we pass many more famous names before arriving in our small village for the evening. In contrast to last night’s city stopover, this is France in her rural splendour. (62 miles / 98 km / 737m ascent).
Day 3
We proceed into the ‘Maconnais’ area today, but first pass the famous Cluny abbey, one of the most influential of all monastic establishments in the middle ages and beyond. The buildings are impressive and it is possible to visit this ‘National Monument’. From Cluny we follow the Saone river valley leaving the hills on our right (a continuation of the Cote d’Or seen on the stretch from Dijon the Beaune) to our stopover in Villefranche sur Saone. A gentle first half to the day with more ups and downs in the afternoon as we ride through the Beaujolais vineyards. (63 miles / 100 km / 1,103m ascent).
Day 4
From the Soane valley this morning, to the Rhone valley in the afternoon. Skirting Lyon, you will see the Alps in the far distance to your left on a clear day. There's a stiff but quite short climb first thing then undulations for the rest of the day before one last long climb and accompanying long descent down to the Rhone. It is amazing how wide the river is here and how blue it is too. (57 miles / 96 km / 1,448m ascent).
Day 5
A very straightforward day following the Rhone valley again, with the steep hills on the right showing off their terraced vineyards. There are lots of pretty villages again, and if you hadn’t noticed it already, you will really feel you are in the south now. We follow the Rhone cycleway through Crozes Hermitage and Valence to our overnight stop in a beautiful hilltop village - one of the 'Plus Beau Villages', the most beautiful villages of France, where out hotelier hosts are simply charming and provide an excellent meal on their terrace. (71 miles / 114 km / 649m ascent).
Day 6
The first half of the day is undulating and there is a good climb before lunch - and an equally good descent - with views of Mont Ventoux in the distance. Lunch in an historic town is followed by an easy run-in to the wonderful Vaison la Romaine for the night. We are very much in Provence, an historic region with Roman remains and as well as the vines, you will pass many fruit orchards and olive groves, lending a distinctly Mediterranean feel. (51 miles / 82 km / 923m ascent).
Day 7
Today has an option to climb Mont Ventoux for the athletic (weather dependent). This is the longest day of the ride, but a very pretty ride around the side of the mountain. Although there’s more ascent than before, with sensible pacing and frequent breaks to indulge in the goodies from the van, there is no reason why you should not get to our overnight stop in time for a swim before dinner. (75 miles / 120 km / 2,228m ascent).
Day 8
One of the real highlights of the ride, we head for the Gorges de Verdon, France’s answer to the Grand Canyon. After very gradually gaining height you pass into the gorge with amazing views of the river and an ice-blue lake far far below. It is a wonderful ride along a road that clings to the hillside and offers endless photo opportunities. There is a lot of vertical ascent today but much of it is gained gradually over a long period and thus will not be noticed. The big hill comes at about half way after which it is flat or downhill most of the way to our evening stop. (49 miles / 78 km / 1,917 ascent).
Day 9
Yesterday we reached an altitude of approximately 750m above sea level and the good news is that today we have to descent to 0. There are several climbs to do first, but after the first one we are one a plateau of about 1,000m above sea level and continue along that for some time. There’s a descent off the plateau followed by another sharp hill – perhaps the hardest of the whole ride – but after that it is virtually all downhill for the last 15 miles as we start to pass nice villas on the run-in to Nice and our arrival point on the famous Promenade des Anglais. A celebratory dinner awaits and you can relax in the knowledge that there is no riding required tomorrow. 62 miles / 98 km / 1,723m ascent).
Day 10
Departure (a.m.)