DAY 1: Welcome to Bordeaux, France.
You will be met by a Learning Journeys host for your transfer and hotel check-in. Evening orientation and introduction to the Zen lifestyle, including a yoga session. Dinner is at the hotel.
Meals: Dinner
DAY 2: Full day at Sarlat
Begin your day in Sarlat with a guided tour of the town. The city is a living showcase, featuring some of the best examples of medieval and Renaissance architecture found in Périgord.
Enjoy a guided walk through the charming streets, visiting the Maison de la Boétie, Sarlat’s finest house; the fountain of Sainte-Marie; and the 14th -century Hôtel Plamon (private guided tour).
Roam the farmer’s market and purchase your ingredients for tomorrow's picnic.
Continue your gustative discovery of the town in a local delicatessen shop for a tasting lunch in a private room. Benoit and Lorie will host you with a buffet composed of appetizers, salads and sweets made with local products (caviar, foie gras, truffle, walnuts, and cheeses)
(private tasting).
After lunch, head to the truffle farm where you will learn all the secrets about the black diamond truffle, attend a truffle hunt, and of course, taste a bit of truffle. Another gastronomic stop awaits you before the end of the day. Let’s visit Nathalie in her winery and learn about the organic wines she makes with her husband. Of course, you’ll have to taste. Afterwards, it's back to your hotel.
Dinner is at your château.
Learning Experience:
Explore time through the preserved architecture of Sarlat.
Discover the richness of the Périgord culinary tradition by tasting the famous delicatessen products from the area.
Learn more about truffles, what they are, how they grow, and attend a truffle hunt.
Learn the basics of winemaking .
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3: Full day at Perigord-Horseback Riding
Horseback riding in the Périgord is a great way to discover and gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding natural enviornment. Whether you are an experienced rider or a beginner, you'll enjoy the ride (private ride).
Monitors reveal the best trails in the forest, allowing you to discover the beauty of the landscape of the Vézère valley and its wildlife.
The horse ride starts in the village of les Eyzies. Nicknamed the world capital of prehistory, you will be riding at the foot of the cliff where prehistoric people once lived.
Ride along the valley and stop for a picnic at a prehistoric site.
Isabelle, the owner of the site will welcome you and guide you to the prehistoric shelters. Continue your tour with Nico and try your hand at prehistoric hunting with a throwing spear. Light a fire like a Cro-Magnon and use color pigments to reproduce a mammoth on a wall.
From there, we’ll head throughout pasture and forest to Commarque’s castle. This amazing medieval fortress is perched on the edge of a cliff. Explore the ruins of this massive castle, a place of history and legends (private guided tour). Back to your hotel for dinner.
Learning Experience:
Experience the natural environment by horse-riding through the forest.
Discovers the skills of the prehistoric people.
Learn the epic story and legend of the Commarque castle.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 4: Yoga in Yurt-Wine tasting-St. Emilion
You will engage in a one-hour yoga session here. After 45 minutes of yoga poses and 15 minutes of mediation, your mind and your chakras will be open to the tasting experience of the wines.
Continue to St, Emilion and have lunch on your own.
Enjoy a guided tour of Saint Emilion and the monolith Church.
This charming medieval village, situated at the heart of the famous vineyard of Bordeaux, is unique because of the ascendancy of its wine-making properties and the quality of its wines, the majesty of its architecture and its monuments built by monks.
Your guide will bring you into the Monolith Church and the underground building. It’s simply an amazing place with arches 20 meters high directly carved into rock more than 800 years ago. (private guided tour). Back to your hotel and dinner.
Learning Experience:
Enjoy a very unique experience combining yoga and wine tasting. Empty your mind to receive in full consciousness the elixir.
Dive into the underground mystical past of Saint Emilion
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 5: Dordogne Valley-Cooking at the chef’s house
The heavy defensive walls whose historic significance invokes some of France's most illustrious figures: King Richard the 1st "the Lion-Heart" of England and Simon de Montfort, among them. Blessed with medieval features and a gorgeous setting on the edge of a cliff above the Dordogne river, this site has been extensively used by movie-makers.
Walk along the Dordogne river to see Château de Castelnaud, Beynac’s longtime enemy
Lunch on your own in Domme.
Back to your hotel to refresh and relax.
Late afternoon: Depart with your local English-speaking guide and the coach.
Enjoy a cooking demonstration at the restaurant. The mill was originally built by monks in 1810. Receive a welcome from the chef and enjoy a local product cooking demonstration in his private kitchen above the restaurant. The chef Aujoux has worked for famous chef such as Stephane Andrieux from Chateau de la Treyne and the Four Seasons.
Chef will begin your cooking class by baking blinis that you’ll taste with the local caviar and share instructions for famous foie gras recipes. The cooking class will conclude with a walnut cake baking, a famous local dessert. Menu can be different according to the season
The dinner will be served with wine and food pairing in the chef's private apartment (private cooking).
Learning Experience:
Learn about the French gastronomy with the cooking class leaded by a local chef.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 6: Buddhist Monastery visit at Plum Village
Enjoy a mindfulness practice in the center of Plum Village, the largest international practice center in the Plum Village tradition, and the first monastic community founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay)* in the West.
Spend all day in the village with the community, engaging in walks and sharing lunch with everyone. Walking and sitting meditation will be your main activities during this day.
*Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness, Engaged Buddhism, global ethics and peace.
Stop on the way back to the hotel for a light dinner, then turn in for the night.
Learning Experience:
Discover the teachings of the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Experience a mindfulness shared meditation with the Plum Village community.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 7: Ceramic workshop – Farewell dinner
Veronique practices Yoga, Qi Gong and Meditation, and has a background in art, ceramic and pottery. She will lead you to connect with the earth throughout the day using clay and hand-building skills.
Share a picnic in the park of the chateau.
Art, creativity and nature all have proven their benefit to wellbeing.
Farewell dinner at your hotel.
Learning Experience:
Give shape your creativity and embody your dream in the sculpture workshop.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 8: See You Again!
Extend your journey on one of our numerous learning programs in India, Nepal, Bhutan, or Sri Lanka. We look forward to welcoming you back on another Learning Journeys immersion. Perhaps you’re interested in visiting India to experience the diverse spiritual essence of the land. Study the art of the Singing Bowl and immerse in Buddhist lifestyle in Nepal.
Enjoy a cultural immersion in Sri Lanka. Whatever your interest, Learning Journeys can assist you with finding the perfect program to fulfil your dreams.