Southern France Château - May 2023

      30700 Uzès, France

      GD
      Globe Drifters
      • Facebook verified
      96 reviews
      May 8 - 17, 2023
      Group size: 1 - 20
      Southern France Château - May 2023
      30700 Uzès, France

      Globe Drifters
      • Facebook verified
      96 reviews

      $NaN
      May 8 - 17, 2023
      Group size: 1 - 20

      About this trip

      Stay in a château in southern France… A French château with a lush garden landscape will be your base for 10 days. Experience the grandeur as the nobles did in this beautifully-kept château built in the 16th century.


      Southern France like a local: Shop for groceries at the nearby farmer's market, play a game of pétanque accompanied by a glass of fine French wine, and sip on a cup of coffee as you people-watch at a sidewalk cafe... All part of the quintessential French experience!


      Charming villages galore: Picture-perfect medieval towns full of well-preserved traditions and beautiful monuments steeped in history are just part of southern France's appeal.


      Countryside picnic of yesteryear: In the footsteps of horses, discover the French countryside's vineyards, scents of thyme, rosemary, and wild mint, and enjoy a picnic in the middle of nature with regional specialties and wines.

      What’s included

      • Accommodation
        9 nights in a private château
      • Trip leader
        Local French trip leader
      • Representative
        Globe Drifters representative
      • Airport pick-up
        Chateau transfer only included for those arriving on Day 1 or arriving on another day and staying in Marseille. 
      • Some meals
        All breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner, 2 apéritifs
      • Activities
        As noted on the itinerary
      • Most meals
        Most dinners & lunches
      • Gratuities
      • Optional activities
        And excursions
      • Souvenirs
      • International flights
      • Supplementary insurance
      • Airport drop-off

      Available Packages

      Blue Master Suite
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Blue Master Suite is located in the main château on the first floor and has views of the gardens. This room has one king-sized bed and is very spacious. It is the most exclusive room on the property thanks to its large size and decor. The bathroom is smaller in size and has a small walk-in shower and no bathtub.


      Upgrade fee: $900


      *If you are 2 people sharing this room, you do not have to pay the upgrade fee. If you are a solo traveler and would like this room, please select the upgrade fee at check-out.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Red Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Red Room is located in the main château on the first floor and has a view of the church. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Chandelier Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Chandelier Room is located in the main château on the first floor and has a view of the church. This room is extremely spacious and is equipped with two twin beds that can be converted into one king. The bedroom has a fireplace and a walk-in shower.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Chapel Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Chapel Room is located in the main château on the first floor and has a view of the gardens. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed and has its own small foyer. The room is on the left of the foyer and the wardrobe is in the foyer. The bathroom is on the right of the foyer. This is all contained within the room and private. 

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Suite Fleur
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Suite Fleur is located in the main château on the first floor and has a view of the gardens as well as a balcony. This room is equipped with one king-sized bed. The bathroom has been recently renovated and the bedroom is well-appointed and tastefully decorated.


      Upgrade fee: $300


      *If you are 2 people sharing this room, you do not have to pay the upgrade fee. If you are a solo traveler and would like this room, please select the upgrade fee at check-out.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Saint Valentine Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Saint Valentine Room is located in the main château on the second floor. This room is equipped with a king bed and can be converted into twins and has lower, slanted ceilings.


      This room is tastefully decorated, but the bathroom's bathtub/shower combination makes it impossible to stand in the bathtub. Unless you're under 5' 1", it is a sit-down bathtub. Please take this into consideration when booking this room. There is a discount applied to this room for this reason.*


      *Discount: -$350 (discount  already calculated into the cost)

      $3,350
      Deposit: $1,675
      Lily Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Lily Room is located in the main château on the second floor in one of the towers and has views of the gardens and mountains. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Jasmine Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Jasmine Room is located in the main château on the second floor and has views of the gardens and mountains. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Rose Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Rose Room is located in the main château on the second floor and has a view of the church. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed. 

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Spring Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Spring Room is located in the main château on the second floor and has a view of the gardens. This room is equipped with two twin beds that can be converted into one king.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Summer Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Summer Room is located in the main château on the second floor in one of the towers and has a view of the gardens. This room is equipped with two twin beds that can be converted into one king.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Autumn Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Autumn Room is located in the main château on the second floor and has a view of the mountains. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Winter Room
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Winter Room is located in the main château on the second floor and has a view of the church. This room is equipped with one queen-sized bed.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Josephine Suite
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      This is the only room that is entirely located on the ground floor. If you have difficulty climbing stairs, this is a good option.


      The Josephine Suite is adjacent to the main château on the ground floor in the independent garden suites. In addition to the bedroom, there is a larger sitting area and foyer as well as access to a small outdoor terrace. 


      This room is equipped with two twin beds that can be converted into one king.


      Upgrade fee: $300


      *If you are 2 people sharing this room, you do not have to pay the upgrade fee. If you are a solo traveler and would like this room, please select the upgrade fee at check-out.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Mary House
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      The Mary House is adjacent to the main château in the independent garden suites and has two floors. The sitting area and foyer area are on the ground floor and the bedroom and bathroom are on the first floor. The first floor is accessible by a staircase (no handrail; refer to the photos below) as well as an outdoor ramp. 


      This room is equipped with two twin beds that can be converted into one king.


      Upgrade fee: $300


      *If you are 2 people sharing this room, you do not have to pay the upgrade fee. If you are a solo traveler and would like this room, please select the upgrade fee at check-out.

      $3,700
      Deposit: $1,850
      Travel Credit
      Available until April 8, 2023Sold Out

      If you have a travel credit, please choose this option. You will not have to put down a deposit. 

      $0

      Available options



      Itinerary

      Day 1
      France arrival

      Welcome to France! Airport pick-up has been arranged to take you to your historic 16th-century château (castle). Your trip leader will be waiting for you at the château and will show you to your room. There will be welcome drinks and hors d'oeuvres for you upon arrival. You will have the rest of the day to explore your new home.


      Later that evening, there will be a welcome dinner. The dinner will be French-style and served at the château as you get to know your fellow travelers.


      Included:

      • Transfers: Marseille airport - Château* (approx. 2 hours)
      • Activities: Château transfer; Free time
      • Meals: Welcome drink and hors d'oeuvres, Welcome dinner
      • Accommodation: Château

      *Transfer to the château is only included for those arriving on Day 1 or staying pre-tour in Marseille. If you are staying pre-tour in Marseille, we will email you closer to the trip with the pick-up location and instructions.

      Your Organizer


      GD
      Globe Drifters
      96 reviews
      Not a Vacation but an Experience of a Lifetime! Globe Drifters' recipe for great trips is simple: Small groups, unique accommodation and handpicked destinations & experiences. We pride ourselves in putting the human experience at the heart of our tours. We are committed to creating memorable trips with the best local guides. Every trip is amended each year to translate your thoughts and our research into experiences you'll remember for a lifetime!

      Reviews

      We had a wonderful time, traveling with our closest friends. Slovenia and Croatia were absolutely beautiful. The food was excellent. And I enjoyed the ancient history that lives on today with modern life.
      By Karin L for Private Adriatic 14-Day Trip (Mike Carey's Group) on Sep 17, 2023
      KF
      Everything from the beginning to the end of the Naxos 2023 trip was amazing. The first half of trip was so well organized with amazing activities and excursions, that I didn't even feel the need to plan anything other activity for the remainder of the trip except relaxing.LOL I stayed in the penthouse room at the hotel and it was wonderful, as well as the helpful and attentive desk staff. Also, although the other Greek islands that we were able to visit on the itinerary and outside of the itinerary (Santorini) were great, I feel that Globe Drifters did a great job with selecting Naxos as the base of our stay-- it was such a gorgeous and "walkable" small city with lots to offer in their beaches, nightlife, souvenir shopping, and dining, yet it also has the benefit of being more calm and less crowded than the other more popular islands. Also, a special thanks to Jodie, who went above and beyond to make this trip as smooth and comfortable as possible during our time there, including continuing to help and guide us with organizing transportation and lodging for our extra island hopping (i.e., Santorini) and other plans outside of the itinerary. This was my first trip with the group, but it definitely won't be the last!
      By Kelsey F for Naxos Greek Island Slowcation - Jun 2023 (2) on Jun 28, 2023
      Good trip
      By Deirdre L for Naxos Greek Island Slowcation - Jun 2023 (2) on Jun 27, 2023
      I am laughing uncontrollable after reading your response below to this review. What an imagination you have. The only accurate thing you stated was that I arrived in Morocco sick. I've completed 3 trips with Globe Drifters. The first trip to Africa was an amazing 5 start trip completed pre-COVID. The other 2 were back-to-back tours Turkey and Morocco completed in May 2023 post-COVID. Based on my first trip I had high expectations for both Turkey and Morocco and I expected similar accommodations as my African trip. Those expectations were quickly shot down day 1 with our first hotel in Istanbul which was a run-down dirty dump. Unfortunately we were at this hotel for 4 nights total. I didn't think it could get any worse but I was wrong. The hotel in Pamukkale was so horrid that it made the Istanbul hotel seem like a 5 star resort. The accommodations in Morocco were somewhat better but were still significantly below par and were lacking basic amenities. There was so much black mold on the floor of my shower in the hotel in Ait Ben Haddou, that even after 15 minutes of scrubbing with bleach, it wasn't clean. Luckily we were only at that hotel for 1 night and I could close the door and pretend it wasn't there. Overall this wasn't a good experience and I could never recommend this company.
      By Karen R for Morocco Trip - May 2023 on Jun 26, 2023
      Where do I begin? Regarding your expectations for the accommodations, the cost of your trip to Africa was about $7,000 USD and the safari lodges were luxury and all-inclusive. Your trip to Morocco and Turkey were $2,950 and $3,500 respectively and the accommodations we select are locally-owned and boutique. We did not advertise the accommodations on either the Turkey or Morocco trip as luxury and I think the difference in price is definitely indicative of this. However, we have made it a point to set more realistic expectations about the accommodations from here on out so our travelers don't expect 5*, luxury hotels on a fully-guided, small group tour that is less than $3,000. We do listen to and consider feedback and will change about 2-3 of the hotels and these will be changed.  Since you mentioned the Africa tour; I was actually very hesitant about whether or not our trips were right for you due to some very inappropriate behavior I noticed on that tour. i.e. Demanding your suitcase be accepted on the internal flight despite being informed about the luggage requirements multiple times before the tour and refusing to continue the tour if your luggage is not accepted. Funnily enough, all of the other travelers on that trip had the correct luggage. In Cape Town, we stayed at a mansion that was converted into a boutique hotel (this was a 4-star hotel) and you came up to me and said you were going to the Hyatt hotel. We try our best to not go to chain hotels and go to hotels that are locally owned and boutique. However, everyone has their bad days and we understand that traveling can be stressful so I thought you deserved a second chance. From day 1 of your Turkey and Morocco tours, we received multiple complaints from the other travelers privately about your attitude and behavior. Nearly everyone on each trip told us that they do not wish to travel with us again if people like you are the norm on our trips. They said they were downright embarrassed to be in the same group as you. The tour leaders also came to us privately with concerns about you. Accommodations that we had long, good-standing relationships with came to us and said that you treated their employees as if they were your own personal servants. Yes, the man cleaned your bathroom shower for 15 minutes while you stood over him, the stain did not come up.  The hotel name is Ksar Ighnda in Ait Benhaddou and is a renovated riad for those interested in looking up.  Furthermore, you arrived in Morocco quite ill and despite politely being asked to put on a mask at least while on the bus out of courtesy for and to protect the other travelers, you refused. And as a result, at least 7-8 other people on the tour got sick. I have been in business for about 10 years now and have never witnessed such a lack of respect and disregard for the well-being of others. Just as you would not recommend our tours to anyone, we would not recommend you as a traveler to any of our fellow tour operators. Your unkind, disrespectful, rude, and entitled attitude have no place on our tours or on any other company's tours for that matter. 
      By Globe Drifters on Jun 30, 2023
      GD
      Greece was lovely! A thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable trip. Enjoyed the history and gorgeous views. Naxos was my favorite island - locals were kind and welcoming. Accommodations were comfortable and Konstantinos and his staff were outstanding! THANKS, Jodie, for more wonderful memories!!
      By Carmen F for Naxos Greek Island Slowcation - May 2023 on Jun 10, 2023
      Show More Reviews

      References

      I've completed 3 trips with Globe Drifters. The first trip to Africa was an amazing 5 start trip completed pre-COVID. The other 2 were back-to-back tours Turkey and Morocco completed in May 2023 post-COVID. Based on my first trip I had high expectations for both Turkey and Morocco and I expected similar accommodations as my African trip. Those expectations were quickly shot down day 1 with our first hotel in Istanbul which was a run-down dirty dump. Unfortunately we were at this hotel for 4 nights total. I didn't think it could get any worse but I was wrong. The hotel in Pamukkale was so horrid that it made the Istanbul hotel seem like a 5 star resort. The accommodations in Morocco were somewhat better but were still significantly below par and were lacking basic amenities. There was so much black mold on the floor of my shower in the hotel in Ait Ben Haddou, that even after 15 minutes of scrubbing with bleach, it wasn't clean. Luckily we were only at that hotel for 1 night and I could close the door and pretend it wasn't there. Overall this wasn't a good experience and I could never recommend this company.
      By Karen R on 26 Jun, 2023