Sete Cruise Excursion to Carcassonne (private)
8 hours
Max 8 people
Sete, France
About this activity
An Idyllic Private Full Day Trip from Sète Cruise Port to Medieval Carcassonne classified Unesco World Heritage Site. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the Cité, free time fore personal discovery & lunch. End with a wine tasting session.
Highlights
- Explore the famous Castle & Ramparts of Carcassonne
- Visit Saint Nazaire Basilica
- Wine tasting in a Languedoc Winery
Full description
Capture The Best Of Carcassonne on this Full Day Private Shore Excursion from Sète
Carcassonne looks like some fairy-tale medieval city. Bathed in late-afternoon sunshine and highlighted by dark clouds, La Cité, as the old walled city is known, is truly breathtaking. The visit of the Basilica with its outstanding stained-glass windows is a must.
Program & Itinerary :
Pick up at Sète Cruise Port Terminal
- Guided Walking tour of Carcassonne
- Free time in Carcassonne for personal discovery and lunch (at own expense)
- Wine tasting in a selected Winery
Drop off at Sete Cruise Port Terminal
Pick up at your Cruise Ship in Sète
From Sète Cruise Port depart for a full day private tour to the fortified city of Carcassonne one of the most famous Unesco World Heritage Sites of the region. On this full day trip to Carcassonne, we will first come and pick you up at your Ship located in Sète. Meet your English speaking driver who will go over the itinerary and program of the day with you.
Then you will board your air-conditioned vehicle and it will be time to drive off to this day’s destination. The drive from Sète to the medieval town & Cité of Carcassonne is 1 hour and a half. As you drive, admire the Languedoc region landscape with its rolling hills, fields of bright yellow sunflowers and of course the Canal du Midi that you will follow until Carcassonne. This full day tour also enables you to take in some panoramic views of the area especially as you pass the Alaric mountain range.
Visit the Walled Town of Carcassonne – La Cité
A bit of History
The oldest traces of mankind - 6th century B.P - were found on the promontory where the now medieval Cité lies. Around 300 B.P, the Volques Tectosages brought the Iberians of Languedoc to submission.
In 122 B.P, the Romans conquered the Provence and the Languedoc regions of France. They fortified the oppidum which took the name of Carcaso and occupied our region until the middle of the 5th century. The Visigoths then became the masters of Spain and the Languedoc. The Cité remained in their hands from 460 to 725 A.D. In the spring of 725, the Saracens took the Cité.
They were driven away in 759 by Pépin le Bref, king of the Franks. After the death of Charlemagne, the dismembering of the Empire gave birth to the feudal system. It was under the dynasty of the Trencavels, from 1082 to 1209, that the town began to gain tremendous influence.
During this prosperous period, Catharism grew rapidly. Raymond Roger Trencavel, vicomte of Carcassonne (1194-1209) both tolerated and protected the heretics on his own lands. He suffered the first impact of the crusade preached by Pope Innocent III and on August 15th, 1209, after a two-week siege, it was all over. The Cité and the lands of Trencavel were first handed to the military commander of the crusade, Simon de Montfort, then to the King of France in 1224.
As the Cité made its entry into the Royal Estate, its destiny took a new turn. Under the successive reigns of Louis IX, Philippe Le Hardi and Philippe Le Bel, it grew its modern-day shape. A new borough was born on the left bank in 1262: La Bastide Saint-Louis. Set on fire by the Black Prince in 1355, it was immediately rebuilt. While this new town was bustling with activity, the Cité consolidated its role as a royal fortress.
But due to the use of new war techniques (gunpowder, cannon) and above all to the recession of the Franco-Spanish border in 1659 after the Peace of the Pyrénées, it was gradually abandoned. In the 18th century, the Cité was little more than a slum, a poverty-stricken, outlying area in a town made wealthy by the wine trade and the cloth manufacturing industry.
Only through the joint efforts of Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, a historian and a citizen of Carcassonne, of Mérimée and the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc was it saved from demolition. Thousands of people today are able to see and admire the most accomplished fortified town in Europe.
Visit of Carcassonne with your licensed tour guide
Reach the cité de Carcassonne that looks like some fairy-tale medieval city. Bathed in late-afternoon sunshine and highlighted by dark clouds, La Cité, as the old walled city is known, is truly breathtaking. The fortress is the largest remaining fortified city in Europe. Follow your guide as you listen to the local stories and legends and be amazed by its old stones and its history.
Follow the ramparts with your guide, to get a feel of the medieval beauty of the biggest fortified city then stroll through the narrow streets lined with shops. Reach the Cathedral of Carcassonne. The visit of the Saint Nazaire Basilica with its outstanding stained-glass windows that date back to the middle ages is a must.
Free time for lunch
After your guided walking tour of Carcassonne, enjoy some free time for personal discovery and lunch (at own expense). There is a large choice of restaurants within the Cité so don't hesitate to ask your guide for recommendations. If you are interested in local food, why not try the most popular dish of the region: Cassoulet. This rich, slow-cooked stew contains meat, pork skin and white beans. Bon apétit!
Languedoc Wines tasting session
Upon return to your Cruise Ship, we will make a stop along the way in a carefully selected winery of the region. Here taste the bold red wines and fruity white wines of the region. Depending on the winery visited, you might also taste some Rosé wine as the Languedoc is by far the largest Rosé wine producing region of France.
After your wine tasting session, we will take you back to Sète and drop you off at your Cruise Ship.
After your wine tasting session, we will take you back to Sète and drop you off at your Cruise Ship.
Included / Excluded
- Pick up and drop off at Cruise Ship in Sète
- Guided Walking tour of Carcassonne
- Wine tasting in a selected winery
- English speaking driver or driver/guide
- Premium A/C vehicle
- Wine tasting fees
- Personal insurance and expenses
- Gratuities for the guide
- Meals and drinks
Meeting point
Start Location
Quai d'Alger, Sète, France
Important information
Know before you book
- Wine tasting fees can be purchased during booking process
- Prices are per group from 2 to 8 persons - Larger groups, contact us
- Tour is not wheelchair accessible
- Entrance fees to Count's Castle can be booked as extra
Know before you go
- Pick up at Cruise Ship at Séte Cruise Terminal
- English speaking driver or driver/guide
- Curency is in Euros
- Good walking shoes are recommended
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the activity starts
Up to 48 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 48 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
GetYourGuide traveler
May 20265.0
We had a very fun day with Matt to Mont Saint-Mitchel. Matt is an excellent tour guide & he cared for his clients very much. He's an on time person. We learned a lot about the history of Saint-Mitchel via Matt. He made sure we have enough time browsing this beautiful UNESCO. We definitely recommend friends & family this tour. Thank you Matt
GetYourGuide traveler
May 20265.0
Pascal was, above all, a smiling whirlwind of energy from the very start — bursting with knowledge, passion, and just the right amount of dramatic flair. He painted the horror of the Omaha Beach invasion so vividly that we could practically hear the chaos, then marched us through the bunkers at Pointe du Hoc like we were on a mission ourselves. And before we even caught our breath, he had already catapulted us back to Bayeux at invasion speed. A legend in tour‑guide form. Thanks from Croatian Team😉
Lindsay A
May 20265.0
Our Normandy D-Day tour was well worth it and we so enjoyed our tour guide Matt. He made the tour engaging, entertaining and informative. The tour was just the right size and a half day was perfect for us. It would have been much harder to get around to the sites and understand each without the information that Matt was constantly sharing. There was hardly a time that Matt was not telling us what/how/when of what we were looking at. Thanks Matt!
Additional information
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