Explore the beautiful stretch of river between Lyon and Arles, on board our privately chartered vessel, the MS Camargue
Chart the history of the region from remarkable prehistoric cave art to Roman ruins and echoes of monastic splendour
Learn about the wine and music of the region through talks, tastings and evening recitals
“As usual ACE delivered memorable visits, beautifully organised”
“Varied, balanced, insightful and sourced from experts in their field, the anticipated cultural content was even better than I had hoped for”
- ACE customers on a previous Rhône River Cruise
From the ancient theatres of Lyon to the evocative remains at Cluny, this stretch of river has witnessed a myriad of historical transitions and today is endowed with multiple sites of cultural interest. Traversing the waterway aboard our private vessel, the MS Camargue, we will enjoy a rich, multi-layered perspective on the region, taking in Roman ruins and excellent archaeological museums alongside sprawling vineyards, delicious local produce and a beautiful and ancient landscape.
We will be accompanied throughout by archaeologists Eireann Marshall and Jamie Sewell, pianist Emilie Capulet and two fellow musicians: soprano Sandra Porter and viola player John Rogers. In addition, wine guide Leonie Loudon will join the cruise as a Tour Manager alongside our other experienced personnel.
Together they will help us to uncover the socio-economic importance of the river across time, from the ancient to the medieval and beyond, charting the societal transition from Gallic tribes through Roman Gaul to Medieval Christianity. They will also explore the impact of the region on artists and musicians, as well as local food and drink, particularly its famous wines.
Daytime highlights will include the abbey remains and recreations at Cluny, the excellent archaeological museum in St-Romain-en-Gal – home to a striking mosaic of Dionysus surrounded by grapes – and a wine tour and tasting in Tain l’Hermitage at the excellent estate of Michel Chapoutier.
Moving south, we will explore the archaeology of Arles, including its vast Flavian amphitheatre and the nearby Pont du Gard. As we delve into the countryside beyond Arles, we will enter the semi-mystical Camargue, where land, lake and lagoon merge into the Mediterranean. As the light turns gold towards the evening, we will pay a visit to the Manade Laurent – one of the area’s oldest working bull ranches, where family members ride atop the region’s ancient and beautiful Camargue horses – including an atmospheric dinner hosted by the family.
Returning north, we will stop at Viviers for an excursion to Grotte Chauvet 2 in the Ardèche. An outstanding replica of the famous UNESCO-listed Grotte Chauvet – filled with high-quality paintings dating back 36,000 years – Chauvet 2 is also home to the Aurignacian Gallery, which will transport us back to humanity’s earliest days in Europe.
Arriving in Lyon, we will enjoy a relaxed morning in the Old Town, with time to delve into the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, before returning home.
Visits will be balanced with time spent cruising this magical waterway in the company of our Tour Directors, who will offer illuminating talks connected to the area. French music will come to life across a series of sparkling evening recitals led by Emilie, Sandra and John. Delicious regional food is provided at lunch and dinner, and we invite participants to enjoy the special atmosphere of the region from the top deck – whether sipping an afternoon coffee or a glass of wine at sunset.
Our vessel is the MS Camargue, which has been completely refurbished to five-anchor standard (similar to a good four-star hotel standard), with interiors matching the plants and wildlife of the beautiful Camargue region.
View full MS Camargue vessel information
Music on Board
Emilie Capulet performing © Steve Jones, Hay Music
Our cruise will include a varied programme ranging from popular classics to new discoveries and unusual repertoire. Our on-board musicians will focus on the world of the salons and French opera and operetta, as well as chamber music and works for solo piano.
The opening concert will immerse travellers in the world of French symbolist music and poetry, from Duparc’s L’Invitation au Voyage to Loeffler's Four Poems for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano, inspired by the poems of Verlaine and Baudelaire, alongside songs by Fauré, Massenet and Bizet.
Recreating the intimate artistic atmosphere of music and poetry of Pauline Viardot’s Parisian musical salon, the second programme will include a varied selection of solo piano music, chamber music, songs and arias composed by Chopin, Gounod, Viardot, Berlioz, Fauré and Rossini.
During the third recital, we will discover the life and works of the French-Corsican composer Henri Tomasi including some of his solo piano and violin works, and a selection of his Corsican melodies.
From Franck’s dramatic violin and piano sonata in A major, to one of Debussy's last works, the fourth recital will immerse travellers in a kaleidoscope of colours and emotions.
A joyful finale to the cruise, the gala concert will bring to life ‘la vie mondaine’ in performances of arias from Offenbach’s operettas and works by Saint-Saëns, Satie, Gounod and Poulenc.
Our Tour Directors
Emilie Capulet
Emilie is an award-winning Franco-British concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist.
Emilie Capulet, MA, MMus, PhD is an award-winning Franco-British concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist. She performs worldwide and has recorded Beethoven, Chopin and Tomasi to critical acclaim. She has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Radio Canada, France Musique (France), Radio Télévision Suisse (Switzerland), Bayern Klassik (Germany), etc. and has appeared on Sky News International as their classical music expert. Emilie studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is the BMus (Hons) Programme Leader at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She is the BMus (Hons) Programme Leader at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Recipient of a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, she has been a Visiting Fellow at Keble College, University of Oxford.
Eireann Marshall
Eireann is a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University, who has led many tours throughout Europe and North Africa.
Raised in the Veneto and educated in Barnard College, Columbia University, as well as the Universities of Birmingham and Exeter, Eireann Marshall, PhD, is a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University. She has published a number of articles on ancient North Africa and co-edited volumes on Death and Disease in the Ancient City, as well as Women’s Influence on Classical Civilisation. Bilingual in Italian, she has led many tours throughout Europe and North Africa. In 2019, Eireann was chosen as the Top History & Culture Guide for Wanderlust magazine's World Guide Awards.
Jamie Sewell
Jamie has lectured at Durham University, Humboldt University in Berlin, and has more than a decade’s worth of experience working as a historical guide.
Jamie Sewell, PhD, has many years' experience supervising excavations in Britain, Germany, Romania and Italy, including Pompeii and Sicily. He has authored a book and many articles on the archaeology of towns in Hellenistic Italy and in the broader Mediterranean. His ongoing research is focused on how and why larger settlements in Italy transformed as a result of the Roman conquest of the peninsula. Jamie has lectured at Durham University, Humboldt University in Berlin, and has more than a decade’s worth of experience working as a historical guide.
Additional Tour Personnel
We are delighted that ACE Tour Manager Leonie Loudon will be joining the cruise alongside several other experienced ACE Tour Managers. Leonie hails from Edinburgh and has worked as a Tour Manager and wine guide for over 15 years. She speaks fluent Italian, French and Spanish and spent nine years in Italy teaching. Leonie will introduce travellers to the wines of the Rhône valley during this cruise.
We are also pleased to welcome two additional musicians who will join the cruise for the duration. Mezzo-soprano Sandra Porter studied at the Royal College of Music and subsequently with Dame Felicity Palmer. She has performed operatic roles with English National Opera, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Buxton Festival, Opera Holland Park, Iford Opera, English Touring Opera and at Cork Opera House. She has commissioned, recorded commercially and broadcast for BBC radio. Solo engagements with choral societies, orchestras, the Chamber Group of Scotland, and the BBC, amongst many others, took her to Japan, China and throughout Europe. Sandra has lectured at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire of Music. Now based in London, she teaches singing privately and at the London College of Music.
As the son of leading New Zealand musicians, viola player John Rogers favoured chamber music from the beginning. Scholarships to the Royal College of Music and University of Michigan led to coaching and masterclasses with Yo Yo Ma, Kim Kashkashian, Steven Isserlis, and Yuri Bashmet, and members of the Chilingirian, Juilliard, Alberni, and Endellion quartets. He has performed chamber music in New Zealand, the US, Hong Kong, and the UK. He currently directs the London College Strings and teaches at Junior Guildhall, after working with the Philharmonia, BBC orchestras, the City of Birmingham Orchestra with Simon Rattle and over 20 years with English Touring Opera.
Discover More Cultural Cruises
Featuring guided tours of celebrated and secluded locations supported by onboard lectures and recitals, ACE Cultural Cruises delve into the history and culture of an entire route. Often centring a significant waterway and the civilisations and settlements that call it home, our cruises all take place aboard comfortable and privately chartered vessels. We're pleased to present this additional highlight from our Cultural Cruises collection in 2026:de the soaring Gothic cathedral. In the Rhine Valley, explore the shadows of fairy tales, German mythology and festive literature and celebrate the season through music, storytelling and the warm glow of Christmas markets.
Advent Cruise on the Rhine: Between Darkness & Light
4–9 December, 2026
with Emilie Capulet, Marie-Anne Mancio, Caroline Hopkinson-Woolley
Join three expert Tour Directors for an exploration of the musical landscape, art history and literary world along the Rhine river. Delve into themes of light and shadow through fairytales, German mythology and classic festive literature set to the backdrop of dramatic river-side vistas, historic towns and sparkling lights. Enjoy a privately chartered, elegant vessel as we celebrate the season through music, stories and visits to a selection of Christmas markets.
8
£3995
RHRC-26
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