Day 1: Lyon
Arrive in the beautiful city of Lyon. You have many options for the rest of the day. Walk to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière for a great view of the city, go shopping, visit a museum or check out the typical market in the Halles de Lyon. You can also reward your cycling soul with a delicious meal in a "petit bouchon", an authentic restaurant in the "French capital of gastronomy"!
Day 2: Lyon – Vienne, approx. 34 km
After lively Lyon, the route leads via the towns of Grigny and Givors to St-Romain-en-Gal, where the historical importance of navigation is more evident than elsewhere on the Rhône. The museums in St-Romain-en-Gal and Vienne give a good impression of the river’s rich history, from ancient times to the present.
Day 3: Vienne – Serrières, approx. 34 km
This remarkable cycling day offers a great variety of landscapes. From Vienne, the former capital of Roman Gaul, to the L’île au Beurre nature reserve, testimony to the wild side of the Rhône, to the steep wine terraces, including the famous Côte-Rôtie, and the first large orchards of the Rhône valley, this stage will delight all history, nature and gastronomy enthusiasts.
Day 4: Serrières – Valence, approx. 61 km
Today’s route takes you through steep vineyards and lush orchards. Starting in Lyon, you cycle southwards and enter the picturesque Ardèche, a charming department on the western Rhône. Along the river you will find orchards, market gardens and vineyards that produce fine Saint-Joseph wines. Stop for a break in Tournon-sur-Rhône, a town with a rich Gallo-Roman history.
Day 5: Valence – Montélimar, approx. 72 km
After a break at the river port of Valence, you return to the ViaRhôna along the western bank of the Rhône towards the Ardèche. You cycle through the region known for its caves, picturesque villages and historical sites. Your route takes you to Montélimar, famous for its nougat and charming old town.
Day 6: Montélimar – Bourg-Saint-Andéol, approx. 30 km
After leaving the beautiful town of Montélimar, you cycle along the tributaries of the Rhône and through historic towns: Viviers with its medieval flair, Bourg-Saint-Andéol with its treasures, including a rare sculpture of a Mithraic deity. Today, your short route is full of cultural treasures, especially religious ones, such as cathedrals, chapels and great ecclesiastical residences. Both history and nature lovers will get their money’s worth here.
Day 7: Bourg-Saint-Andéol – Orange, approx. 51 km
You cycle through impressive nature with the scents of Provence and through the charming village of Pont-Saint-Esprit. In the afternoon you reach the picturesque town of Orange. Of the numerous Roman buildings and monuments, parts of the city wall, the triumphal arch and the theatre (UNESCO cultural heritage) can still be seen, whose stage wall was described by the Sun King Louis XIV as the most beautiful wall in his country.
Day 8: Orange
Individual departure or extension