What’s included?
Guests are responsible for booking their own air travel, but once the official itinerary begins on Saturday we’ve got you covered.
All transport, accommodations, meals, wine and wine pairings, Chateau entry fees, and tips are included. If you wish to ship wine home, purchase wine or souvenirs to take home in your luggage, those are the only additional costs you’ll incur.
Arriving a Day Early
Option to arrive in Paris one day early. We recommend staying at the hotel from which we’ll depart Saturday morning. If arriving on Friday, you will need to book this hotel on your own, staying for one night:
Should you arrive a day early, we recommend you take a car service to the hotel in Versailles so you can zip off unencumbered to enjoy Paris or Versailles for the afternoon and evening. You’ll then be on your own in the city, and will need to make your way to the hotel in Versailles via car service, train or taxi that evening. The hotel is walking distance to the Chateau de Versailles and is a great place to visit. *Again, all expenses for arriving a day before the official itinerary begins are at your own cost.*
Day 1 (official itinerary begins today)
Depart from the Novotel Versailles in the morning. We’ll drive to the Loire Valley town of Amboise, and after lunch at a local cafe we will tour the beautiful Chateau Chenonceaux.
We will then get settled into our rooms at the boutique hotel, Hotel Le Pavillion des Lys. We’ll gather for an introductory session where we can get to know each other better and set our intentions for our week together in France.
Dinner this evening is a relaxed – and delicious – meal of charcuterie, cheeses, and quiche paired with local Loire Valley wines in the comfort of our boutique hotel.
Day 2
Sunday is market day in Amboise! After breakfast and a morning meditation session, feel free to stroll over to the riverside market to see the impressive display of fruits, meats, seafood, cheeses, and many other locally made wares. But don’t fill up at the market food stands, because we’re soon off to explore the vineyards and enjoy a wine tasting and lunch at Chateau de Montdomaine with charming winemakers Fred and Louisa Plou.
For those who are interested, we can walk as a group over to the Chateau of Amboise this afternoon to see the stunning views from the upper courtyard and visit the chapel where Leonardo de Vinci is buried.
Day 3
Following breakfast and morning meditation, we’ll bid farewell to the Pavillon des Lys and head out for the Loire Valley winemaking village of Sancerre for lunch and a wine tasting at the home of our friends Lynne & Philippe Raimbault.
After an amazing lunch we’ll drive to our accommodations for the remainder of the week – “La Ferme De La Lochere”. This property sits quietly in the heart of Burgundy, surrounded by magnificent countryside, local towns which are oozing with charm and rich in history. This fabulous 400 year old farmhouse was once part of the local Chateau dating back to the 1600’s, just a few steps away.
Chef Katherine Frelon will provide our dinner upon arrival.
Day 4
We will visit the market in Dijon with Katherine. After lunch in the city, we will explore the chateau grounds. That evening our friend and local wine expert, Brendan Moore, joins us for a wine tasting while Katherine does a cooking demonstration.
Day 5
Morning meditation with Jenni.
Brendan introduces us to some of his personal friends and wine producers in his home region of Chablis. We’ll experience a morning wine tasting at Domaine Seguinot in the village of Maligny, then a café lunch of Croques Monsieurs and salads at the local Chablisienne Bar.
After lunch, we’ll taste with another wine producer in the area, then capping off a wonderful day with a glass of bubbly at the Caves de Bailly.
Day 6
Breakfast, and morning meditation session with Jenni.
Enjoy some culture and history today when we visit Vezelay, a hilltop village with a working monastery. Jenni will kick off with a walking meditation on the grounds of the abbey, then hear the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the nuns and monks singing during mass.
Enjoy free time to explore the village shops before we head back to our villa for a late lunch and some downtime.
Save your appetite! We will have dinner at the amazing Cuisine de La Fontignotte this evening.
Day 7
Closing session and meditation with Jenni. We will visit Katherine’s bakery in Flavigny. After lunch we will travel to Paris.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel located close to the CDG Airport.
Day 8
Morning flights to the USA.
Belle Vie Discovery Retreat - France 