Visit the Towns & Villages around Toulouse including a wine tour in Gaillac on this private small group day trip from Toulouse. Visit Albi, the Cathedral & Toulouse Lautrec museum. Explore Cordes village, taste red & white Gaillac wines.
Spend a Day at the Most Awe-Inspiring Sites Around Toulouse
Today depart for a full day tour from Toulouse to one of the most beautiful areas of southern France – the Pays de Cocagne - the land of wealth and plenty.
Meet your English speaking driver guide
In the morning, we will come and pick you up at your centrally located hotel in Toulouse. Meet your English speaking driver who will go over the itinerary and program of the day. Then, board your premium air-conditioned vehicle and depart for the town of Albi.
Reach Albi and visit a fortress Cathedral
Located just next to the tourism office of Albi, begin your tour with the visit of the imposing Gothic Cathedral one of the most impressive in France. Built in the 13th century (1282 - 1480), construction took 200 years and the Cathedral is today the largest brick built building in the world measuring more than 100 meters in length (320 feet), 35 meters wide (114 feet) and 78 meters tall (255 feet).
The sheer size and external look of the Cathedral is quite spectacular. The Cathedral was built at a time when the region was fighting the Cathars, a christian dualist movement that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church, and had just been annexed by the King of France in 1271.
The building of the Cathedral had both a religious and political purpose: build an imposing fortress to showcase the power of the Church against the Cathars but also to build it in the Southern Gothic style, in brick material, far from the Northern style that had just overtaken the region.
Inside, the beauty of the Renaissance decorations contrast with the austere exterior of the edifice. What really impresses are the paintings of the vaulting. They are the oldest and largest Renaissance painting ensemble in France. The blue color that dominates the paintings dates back to the 1520's and they were never cleaned or restored.
Vieil Alby
After the visit of the Cathedral, it will be time to move on with your guide to visit the Old Historical town of Albi. Your tour will also take you along the banks of the Tarn River to admire the Old Bridge but also to the Saint Salvi district where an elegant cloister can still be seen. Then stroll through the medieval streets of the city of Albi and discover some remarquable examples of Renaissance architecture.
A number of Private Mansions can still be seen and your guide will certainly evoque the times when the region was known as a 'Pays de Cocagne' a land where the woad trade made a number of merchants become rich and powerful. One of the most interesting examples can be found in the Hôtel de reynes, built circa 1525, where the mix of stone & brick building has attained great craftsmanship.
The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum
Certainly the most important landmark with the Cathedral, the Toulouse-Lautrec museum is certainly not to be missed when one comes to Albi. Set in what used to be the Bishops Palace, the Musée Toulouse Lautrec is home to the most important collection of artworks by artist Henri de Toulouse Lautrec that were donated by the mother of the painter to the town of Albi.
The museum is composed of drawings, etchings, lithographies, posters and paintings made by the artiste. More than a 1000 works of Art make up the whole collection. The Berbie Palace, where the museum is located, enhances the visit as the setting is quite remarkable.
Don't hesitate to visit this famous museum during your free time (entrance fees not included), then you will have some free time for lunch as well. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions as your driver will be able to indicate local restaurants that will fit your budget.
Visit Cordes sur Ciel village
In the afternoon, reach Cordes sur Ciel, a beautiful medieval hilltop village with more than 120 Gothic homes that date back to the 13th century. Once you have reached the top of the village take a short walking tour to visit Cordes and admire the numerous Gothic façades. There are more than 100 ogive windows present on the limestone and sandstone façades. Another landmark is the covered market that still houses a well that is said to be more than 100 meters deep.
During your free time in the village take the opportunity to shop for local Arts & Crafts as the village is home to a great number of Art galleries and artisan workshops. They are closely associated to the
End the day wine tasting in Gaillac
After your time in Cordes, end the day with a wine tasting session in Gaillac. The vineyard of Gaillac, located just north of Toulouse, is one of the oldest wine-growing regions of France dating back to the 2nd century B.C. Located in the South-West of France, in the heart of the Occitanie region, Gaillac is part of the great family of the wines of South West France which includes 17 AOCs and 12 IGP.
Indeed, between the vineyards of Bordeaux and Languedoc-Roussillon, the Nouvelle Aquitaine and Occitanie regions have known how to perpetuate their wine vocation. Today, the southwestern vineyard stretches for 500 kilometers between Aveyron and the Basque Country.
Admire the rolling hills of the Gaillac wine producing area and be introduced to the large range of wines produced here. There are roughly 300 wineries in the Gaillac wine region and the average size of a winery is 30 hectares (75 acres). The most famous is without a doubt the ‘Perlé,’ a slightly fizzy white wine but other wines include reds, rosés, sweet, whites and sparkling! Visit and wine tasting will have been pre-programmed.
For the red wines, the main grape varieties that are used in the final blend include local Braucol, Duras, Syrah (shiraz) and Merlot. For the white wines lesser known Loin de l'Oeil and Mauzac are the most common grapes followed by the more traditional Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
After the tasting, return to Toulouse and end our services.